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Just been out to look at our hives, looks like only 1 in over 200 have not made it through the winter (so far), all the others had bees buzzing about today like it was a summer day and still another few weeks before I have to open any. Seems like ages since i had to do anything with them.

Today for the first time I was on the other side of swarm collecting. Normally I collect 1 -3 a week through the summer. A friend called today saying he had a swarm in his garden only I had another one to get, i was at work and would of had to do a 50 mile round trip to put them I a box and...

Queens in the BB but very low egg numbers or declining numbers, I've had a few people call me and I've also got a few hives like this. Anyone else out there? Now I'm not an expert but I think it's because over the past two years queen mating has been very poor, with all the rain through the...

Not made any money, spent a lot of time and effort. So now just agreed with the wife we're going to sell our hives off next year.

Last night I messed up moving hives. I'd like your thoughts please on what you would have done. I don't need telling I messed up I know that, but it might helps others with a back up plan. The big mistake was dropping a hive on another one in the back of my Land rover, while trying to unload...

I asked, just over a year ago if I could earn money from bees. I had lots of answers and now a year down the line I have 60 hives (more or less). I've spent out around £3000 and now have every thing I need to keep this amount of hive running for a while. Hopefully I should get a return on my...

Putting a few hives together so if anyone needs a queen let me know. Pete

Bees on the news

I seem to have had a couple of days chasing bees. First off I had a small swarm fly from one of my colonys that I was just about to check (a day late). I flew off over the hedge into a field that I couldn't get into. The next day a call from a house up the road saying she had bees. So off I go...

Just read a book that says to replace a queen put the new one in a match box and hold under water for 6 or 7 seconds. The place her wet highness into the hive with no cage. The bees will accept her every time. This is done with the old queen removed. Anyone else heard of this or who does it...

Hi Yesterday about 6.30pm the post man called me and told me, while walking his dog he had found a swarm in a tree. I set off with kit, to collect, but when I got there kids had been throwing sticks at it and knocked it into three or four parts. I scooped up the easy ones and put them into a...

We have a small holding here and I would like to put it to better use, I'm also self employed and have not had a lot of work over the past couple of yrs. This didn't matter before as I was looking after my mother in law and my Father. My father has since past on and my mother in law is now in a...

Hi Just to let you know there's a new bee keeping association that started last night in Yalding Kent. There seemed to be a gap in associations in Kent so this has been set up to cover it. We are hoping to have monthly meetings though the year, some of which will be in doors and the rest at...

I put a large feeder one of my hives Saturday mid day. Yesterday evening I checked to see how they were getting on and was very surprised to find it empty. I filled it from 2 x 30lbs buckets of 2:1 mix (2 sugar 1 water). The super below is now nearly full. I half filled it today for them, bet...

Yesterday at about 6.30 pm I found a queen wasp on my decking near my hive. She looked cold and slow. Are they meant to be about, out of their nest? Is it nearly the end of wasps this year? She's not going to lay any more my size 11's sorted that out. Pete

Just watching this you tube clip and wondered where I can get one of the frame tools she is using? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI7UB6MEEuM Pete

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRVHiGZYrXw

Had a fun morning with a herd of cows escaping into the road. While putting them back I found this A wasp nest but what dug them out. Could it be the badgers? What would dig a wasp nest out and why? Ta Pete

Hi I'm lucky enough to have a 60ft eucryphia tree in my garden. The bees are all over it and the flow is on. I know this is called Leatherwood honey but can I sell it as that? Pete

Do bees sense fear? A friend helped me the other day and was very scared of the bees. Loads of them head butted him, so much so, he had to leave. Even when he was 200 yrds way the other side of a barn, they still buzzed him. Can they smell human pheromones ? Sorry if this has been asked...