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wondered if the violent yellow pollen they are bringing in occasionally was laburnum. Seems not tho. Quite a few of them in there today and pollen is brick orange.

Slightly odd situation. We have a Q- hive with a single queen cell due to hatch in 2-3 days time. They weren't strong enough to split so we culled the old queen 4 days ago. Knocked down all but one queen cell on same day and then repeated procedure today (they had produced another 6 or 7...

Amazing transformation in a week. Put on a super today. Must have missed a box when sorting out in autumn as I have one super half full of capped honey (which tastes OK) and uncapped syrup -which is a bit bubbly fermented. Q is what best to do with this?. Don't want to waste the drawn comb...

hoping you'll let me get away with one more basic-ish question.... we've a new queen started laying 3 weeks ago. She's laid up both sides of 4 frames so far and a good solid pattern. however last week there were 3 charged queen cells (larvae and jelly) which we knocked down. Then today...

Readying some supers today just in case bees muster enough enthusiasm. some of them have quite a lot of sugar granules left in them after cleaned out by bees last autumn. Does this matter? Will it encourage the next lot to crystallize? thanks

quick question. If ex-virgin now laying does that mean she definitively won't be taking any more mating flights? I want to move them. Ta v much in anticipation

we have a colony which we want to shook swarm to transfer from 14 x 12 to nationals (as well as a bit of disease control). they're warming up towards swarming themselves and it would also be nice to get a new queen in there this spring. I was thinking about a scheme whereby we take the old...

This was a fairly strong healthy colony (I thought) late March. Nothing heroic but 3 frames BIAS and plenty of bees. Thymol in autumn, oxalic at xmas. Almost no mite drop recently and can't see any mites on dead bees. Since bad weather started we didn't inspect for 2 weeks until 14th when...

I am interested in the possibility of requeening with foil-protected sealed queen cells. basically it sounds like it might be possible to do it with a minimum of colony disturbance, cost or effort. I've read some stuff about reasonable success rates with just introducing a QC to a Q+ colony...

last year we had a horror colony which were unmanageable for us. hundreds of them flying at veil as soon as the crown board was off. we requeened them successfully late July (checked a month later than replacement queen was present and laying) and then left them reasonably undisturbed through...

Been meaning to get hold of some lemongrass oil for a while. to spray hives when uniting etc. Is there nothing home-made that will do the job without tainting honey or poisoning the bees? dozens of aromatic plants available roundabout. Ta v much WV

Dear All, Often see the statement that it's the damp not the cold that kills 'em. Just wondered what is the evidence for this? and how does it kill them? Just curious. Thanks in advance for feedback. WV

Did I read a while ago someone saying they apply their apiguard/apilife var by sliding it in on the removable floor under OMF or did I imagine that wishfully thinking? If so, do we know if it works as well this way? thanks in anticipation Roger

Dear All, Advice would be much appreciated on upcoming re-arrangement. Planning to requeen our badly behaved but prolific colony by killing HM and uniting with a colony with a queen of this year who came into lay about 3 weeks ago now. The bad colony are in an out apiary, the good colony are...

first time we've done this so would appreciate reassurance. new queen resulting from AS split mid-April. Hatched 25th Apr. we want to use her to re-queen a big horrible colony of followers/serial stingers. was planning to do this as a newspaper hive uniting job. first question: is she good...

our local guru says he's extracted lots of colonies from compost bins so presume this isn't all that uncommon for you lot but couldn't resist posting our pics from last week since it's by far our most exciting beekeeping exploit thus far. I was worried that the combs would be attached to both...

could do with words of wisdom if anyone has a moment. this is the kind of thing that books don't answer. getting ready to rearrange a brood box with a view to eliminating a set of 5 old frames. either a Bailey frame change type manoeuvre with a box full of new foundation on top of existing or...

Might have missed it if you've covered this already. excuse me if so. Just wondered if this stuff is already widely known or if people are using it: paper published by Martin Bencsik and others at Nottingham Trent Uni Feb 5 2011 (which you can find by putting 'accelerometer, bees, swarming'...

had a debate at beekeeping school this week. if doing an artificial swarm -when putting old queen with frame of brood into new box would it be a cunning plan to leave a queen cell in there with her? What are the chances of getting an orderly supercession so you end up with a new young queen in...

Dear All, would be very grateful for a spot of advice. the colony at issue is in a single brood box national. this colony arrived last July as a nuc with 5 frames which look like they've been on the go since noah was keeping bees. each about 4cm thick, dark, manky and irregular. So we...