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What do people reckon? What's the longest you have seen a swarm bivouac for (apart from those which have been locked in place by rain etc)

Just been contacted by someone who apparently ordered a bumblebee nest, with accompanying box, this spring. Imported of course. We all know she shouldn't have done this (foreign bumblebee disease, etc etc), and I have told her so, but her immediate question is, what is coming out of the hive...

I found this online, and haven't read it before, so thought I would share it here. I found it quite useful, in terms of visualising how the timings can work (especially the length of time between "day 16" and a virgin queen actually being ready to leave with a swarm, or go on her mating flight)...

I nuc'd a queen a week ago, upon seeing swarm cells. Having checked the nuc today, it's OK, but could probably do with strengthening a bit. Ideally I would shake some bees in from the original "donor" hive that has the queen cells in. But, after a week, will they still recognise each other as...

Having found charged queen cells, and nuc'd the queen off into another box, I am left with the usual task of going back in and cutting back all queen cells except one. I always hate doing this. Is there a clever way of leaving all the cells intact, but avoiding a cast swarm? I know when the...

Happy reading! A derived honey bee stock confers resistance to Varroa destructor and associated viral transmission | Scientific Reports (nature.com)

I have no link to this group, but it's a different approach (which I haven't tried), and the videos aren't too long, so I thought I would put them here for your viewing pleasure. I can see some issues, and I am not personally going to add this much space above a brood nest in December, but who...

Sorry, it's a stupid question. We all know the answer. But I quite like seeing evidence that they will go vertically, rather than horizontally, if the space allows them to. When I am tempted to try a horizontal hive, this fact puts me off (though I know bees can exist perfectly happily in such...

Seen on my local "beekeeping selling and buying" FB page. Some fool will fall for it, guaranteed.

As being discussed on another thread. I thought a poll would be worth doing. Note: the current situation is that it is NOT allowed

I am starting to think that the Economist has a beekeeper on their staff. Anyway, here's an interesting article about varroa, propolis, and the (alleged) problems caused by breeding for bees that don't gum up the hive with the stuff.

I am posting this against my better judgement, as (with only 6 hives in the study) I fear it is unscientific tosh, but here you go - The Economist does beekeeping! (There's a bonus obituary for you on the reverse)

Sigh .... I suspect this isn't great news .....

A near neighbour of mine who, it appears, has doused the entirety of an ivy hedge with insect killing powder

I saw some aerial activity on a footpath near my house today and, lo and behold, there was a very small cluster of bees on a twig. It seemed so tiny that I thought it must be some confused bees following a mating flight, but hours later they are still there, so I guess they are a swarm. But...

Does anyone know where I could buy some pre-wired foundationless DN4 frames? Park Beekeeping do them but they never seem to be in stock National Brood Frames DN4 Pre-Wired | Park Beekeeping Thanks

Somewhat bizarre, and not 100% sure how workable it could be, but interesting nonetheless. EDIT - just realised that this has been mentioned in another thread. Sorry! But will leave the attachment anyway.

Quick question - is it safe to have a nuc sitting in an apiary in a correx travel box on a really hot day? (not being picked up for 24 hours) I mean, I know they are ventilated, but I just wondered if anyone had experienced issues? Would it be safe for a less populated nuc, but risky for a nuc...

I was sure I had cut down all queen cells but one. There were only two frames that could have queen cells on to start with, so surely not that hard...... But then they swarmed this morning. When I first saw it, I thought "ahh, mating flight of that single queen cell I left behind". But then...