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  1. MattC

    Do/did you tell the neighbours when the bees moved in?

    Just moved to a house with largish garden and tucked away space at the back that looks very suitable for an apiary... Tall fences and only one set of adjoining neighbours close by. In a similar situation, would you: Ask them if ok to move the bees in? Inform them they are coming? Or say...
  2. MattC

    Tamper evident labels

    Which way should they go? Opinions please: 1. Should the tail run down the front of the jar with main label covering the end? 2. Should the tail go down the back (with or without a 'granulation' label covering the end)? 3. Should it go down the side of the jar, at 90 degrees to the main label...
  3. MattC

    Can you use commercial supers on national brood boxs?

    Like the title says. I've heard of it being done the other way round, but given the big flow right now and shortage of hive parts from the main suppliers, would it work this way round?
  4. MattC

    Red pollen

    Lots of bright red pollen today- any ideas what from? Challenging to find red marked queen amongst it all...
  5. MattC

    Queen killing rival in a QC

    Should have taken a photo, but forgot- so will do my best to describe... Found my hive unexpectedly queenless a couple of days ago, with several capped QCs already present. REduced down to the two biggest looking, with intention of moving one into a nuc today, leaving just one for the hive to...
  6. MattC

    Hive inspections on double brood

    Any tips from old hands? Main differences/challenges I'm finding are more bees, more scope to squash bees, more boxes lying around on the ground, harder to find queen. So any advice greatly appreciated. (And yes, I realise changing hive type might be the longer term fix, but that doesn't help...
  7. MattC

    Unsettled weather

    Wind and rain again. Just when new queen due to emerge and embark on mating flight. Seems like it's going to be a re-run of last year. Sigh.
  8. MattC

    Clearer board clearing times

    There are at least 3 different types discussed on here- 1. porter escapes 2. rhombus 3. vortex So cards on table time... for those who have used any or all of these (or any others for that matter). How many hours do each of these take, on average, to clear a super?
  9. MattC

    Grammar pet hate: the rogue apostrophe

    It's BEES BEES BEES BEES. Almost never bee's. Unless you're talking about something that belongs to a single bee. BEES I tell you. BEES Ahhh, that feels better. [Yes, realise I'm a grammar snob which is why I'm venting here, where almost nobody will read it, rather than the main forum]
  10. MattC

    Best affordable extractor?

    For up to 4 hives (eventually) Any thoughts welcome.
  11. MattC

    Swarm preparations or supersedure?

    Active colony with 9 frames bias and a load of uncharged queen cups along the top and sides of the frames, and also a single queen cup with egg in the middle of a frame located on the edge of the brood area. Suspect the queen to be over 3 years old. I'm wandering if this might be supersedure-...
  12. MattC

    BBC4 Planet Ant

    Anyone else watching this? Glad I'm not the only one who struggles to find the queen...
  13. MattC

    Too late now for making increase?

    After more advice from experienced beekeepers on here! I AS'd my only colony late June. No sign of a laying queen and it must be nearly six weeks since emergence (which would have been in the middle of the wet weather). I've put a test frame in but strongly suspect will be queen -ve, so I'm...
  14. MattC

    Swarm preparations, timing of inspections and artificial swarm

    After looking through my bees and Ted Hooper, I have a quick question for the more experienced folk on here (ie almost everyone). If your colony appears to be making definite swarm preparations- ie larva in a QC with royal jelly- then it's time for AS. That much is clear. But what if you see...
  15. MattC

    Foraging in sunny intervals

    Idle (perhaps stupid) question from a new beekeeper: Does anyone know how this unsettled rain and sunny interval-type weather affects bees foraging for nectar? Presumably will have something to do with length of the sunny intervals and how long it takes a colonies' foragers to mobilise when...
  16. MattC

    High varroa count after apiguard- any suggestions?

    Long time lurker, first time proper post- I'm hoping someone more experienced can advise? First year of beekeeping, hived swarm end June/early July. Put on apiguard August and started feeding about the same time as they weren't expanding. Two trays on for 2 and 4 weeks respectively although...
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