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Thank you - I hadn't considered that but will add it to my autumn routine.

Living in a very wooded area I see similar things. Still a newbie and learning aas I go, but I gave up supplementary feeding 2 seasons ago after losing 2 colonies and nearly losing a third because they packed the hive with syrup plus ivy nectar and had too few winter bees due to lack of laying...

I'm not sure you were looking for a serious answer to this question but because I think you've hit on an interesting question I'll add my two penneth worth....being vegetarian and with vegan children (all grown and made their own minds up), whether or not a vegan will eat honey depends mainly in...

Good to hear it's normal...and the point from gmonag may explain the low levels of drones comparatively in my other hives because I have used worker foundation throughout. Thank you for your time.

I have a queen that laid full 14x12 frames of brood last year but seemed to lay more drones than my other two colonies all year too. Not in every frame, mostly the outside frames, but not at the bottom of the frame where I have been led to expect it, instead scattered in clumps. She seems to be...

Thanks...I will do so this weekend.

I have a poly nuc...so you think the disruption of moving them at this time is worth the risk?

If I have identified one of my hives is dwindling to very few bees, is there anything I can do to help them. The box is heavy with stores and I treated at the right times. I think the problem was they were a smaller colony going into winter but not so small that I anticipated this. They were an...

They are a very helpful lot here...so you've started at a good place 😊

Thanks, I will - I feel I have a better idea of how to do this now I have nearly been through a full year...in year 1 you just don't know, what you don't know!! 😬😁

... lol, I've already started to realise that...but thats part of the attraction too!

Thanks again...I'm learning a lot and this is just my welcome post! 😊

We don't tend to get a couple of weeks of low temps before the solstice...that's what's been puzzling me so much about timing the treatment.

Would you suggest missing the winter treatment in favour of a spring treatment then? Is their a 'best' time to treat in spring?

...I was thinking the same thing, perhaps my local association. If not I'll uncap and wash as proposed. I assume washing a frame is what it sounds like?

....if I replace frames it will have to be with foundation, I don't have drawn comb. I assume that's ok? Thanks again for the advice.

Thanks for the welcome and advice on hefting...ill give it a go! I didn't take any honey off of them at all this year, although to be honest they didn't out any up in the supers to take and I had in my mind that the stuff in the brrod box was theirs to keep. I did feed syrup until I was actually...

Hello all and thanks for accepting me into your forum. This is my first season keeping bees and I have three colonies in 14x12 Nationals, a mixture of new and inherited kit. The summer was fun and eventful and I managed to muddle through with less hands on support than expected given that this...