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Vaseline is a well known lubricant for the frame runners. I have some out-of-date E45 cream; has anyone used this in this way? Does anyone use anything else to keep the frames running smoothly? Thanks

I've just re-queened a hive that failed to produce a queen after an artificial swarm. Once they realised this, they produced a single large queen cell that you tell wasn't 100% normal and on removing it, it contained a weird grub with ubiquitious varroa attached. My question is where did this...

I have two nukes for sale headed by 2011 queens. There are both looking lovely. There's brood and/or eggs on at least 4 frames. They are on 5 hoffman frames: one is a national, the other 14 x 12” £150 ono. The bees are in Bristol. Please pm if interested.

I've just seen Bristol city Council spraying the himalayan balsam with round up with clouds of bees over the flowers as he sprays. I was told the council 'have to be seen to be doing something' when I showed the sprayer the exploding seeds that will survive the spraying and winter. Its just my...

I've been offered a super full of honey but with the effort of extraction and cleaning, I'm not sure it will be worth it. Can the super be stored away from the bees over winter and then returned to them for a couple of weeks prior to extraction for them to warm it? Is the risk of...

Has anyone any suggestions for home-made grilles used to extract propolis? How successful were they? Thanks

I have a nuke for sale headed by a 2011 queen. She's looking lovely. There's brood and/or eggs on at least 3 frames. They are on 5 hoffman frames; some frames be wired, some may be naturally drawn. £160 ono. The bees are in Bristol. Please pm if interested.

Can a prime swarm have a 1000 bees or less? If not, what's going on? A swarm given by another beekeeper was barely covering one frame and it had assumed to be a cast but 3 days later eggs have been seen. Other than to quarantine, what would you do treat for disease at this point? Thanks

Is it acceptable to extract honey from darkened brood frames and sell the honey? Thanks

Condition of hive: 1. 3 sealed Q cells on 2 different frames at bottom of comb. 2. 3 day old eggs seen (there may be younger but I can't ever see them). 3. No discernible loss of bees. 4. Brood box potentially congested. There's a super on with drawn comb but it has been little used...

When making a hive queenless, how long after the last brood is sealed can the colony be left before it can be deemed as 'hopelessly' queenless before introducing a new queen? Thanks

Are there any second hand honey extractors available anywhere? Thanks

If bees are thymol treated for varroa in August, how soon after can supers be returned for any autumn flow and the honey not be tainted? Thanks

I know you're not supposed to use thymol in spring due to potential contamination of honey. Is there any time during the spring and summer that it can be safely used? Are there any reported cases of thymol contaminated honey? Thanks

Does anyone have any honey for sale wholesale (in multiples of 30lb buckets)? I can provide honey buckets. Thanks Liam

After inspecting my hives today, I have three questions that I'd appreciate any thoughts on: 1.Several hives had on some frames a pepper pot pattern which I know is never good. I have just watched Ivor Davies on Countryfile and they are similar to his struggling hive. How common is this? Its...

I have a 5 frame nuke available right now. They're on 3 frames of eggs/brood and 2 outer stores on hoffman frames. All have locally mated queens whose mother's produced prolific gentle bees. £130 ono. Please PM if interested. Thanks