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I just had a great conversation with the chap from Exmoor bees, he was incredibly helpful and instead of trying to sell me a couple of queens he put me off until autumn. Really helpful chap. Wish there were more like him in the world.

Thanks to all who commented, it's definitely re-enforced my re-queening plan. I've not heard of these carniolans before now, but it sounds like quite a dangerous breed of bee. I wonder how many beginners have not had the staying power I had and gave up after the second year of keeping bees...

I started keeping bees two years ago! I started with a colony of bees which I was told by somebody in my local association (who should have known better) that he knew where they were from, they were not aggressive and good starter bees. HA! First thing first, they are the grumpiest meanest...

Thanks for the input folks. I found only one video on youtube showing badger damage, but from the look of it I wonder how often the gent went down to inspect his bees and therefore how strong the colony was (seems from the hive that it had been empty a while.) Iven he said he'd been using...

Hello there. I have just found a farmer not far form me who said that he has some land he's happy for me to put some hives on. He also has a couple of badger sets not far from where I intend to put the bees. Does this situation need managing or do they get a stung nose and leave well alone...

Hi all. I am struggling with one of my hives and think that now I might have lost it all together. The events occured in the below dated order: 22 April 2012 I went through the hive and released four queens from queen cells. I destroyed ALL other queen cells. Note previous to this I had one...

I bought them last year from a rather important member of our association. They swarmed last year too. Got them in May, they swarmed in July. Annoying. I suppose I need to get hold of a few queens. Where do I start in choosing a queen? Italian Queens I heard are docile and non-swarmy, or is...

So... I went down and firstly found the swarm I caught yesterday had decided to leave the hive and ball up all over the one corner and under the floor in the cavity created by a couple of lengths of wood I used to pick the floor up off the concrete. So for that lot I moved the hive off the...

any good instructions online? I'll have a go. but I'll add that lat year they swarmed on the raspberry patch the other side of the apiary.. cheers Mark

I only had one hive, and I checked the swarm I caught last time and it's doing fine. So unles the swarm is from somewhere else and it chose to swarm in exactly the same position as my last swarm I think they are mine. But if I've learnt anything while keeping these bees its that they will always...

Hi there. I wrote last weekend here : http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16811 Basically my bees swarmed last weekend. I caught the swarm as they were on my allotment neighbours blackberry bush. It's in a brood box on frames of foundation and a bag of fondant on teh crown...

nope, the hatched queen did not look very healthy when I took her out of the container. She really did not. I'm almost certain she wont make it. I gently pushed her into the enterance on a leaf. Guess now its just a waiting game. Still, suppose it's a good learning curve.

I guess I'm going to put the hatched queen in with them. Hopefully if I missed a queen cell when I looked they wont cast. We'll see I guess. I am such a NOOB!

I was down the allotment today and by the side of where I keep my bees I noticed a Swarm. I assume it is mine. So I've boxed it and set up a spare hive ready to rehome it later when it starts to cool down. I then inspected my hive which I assume the swarm was from and was supprised at just...

Hi, I am on my second year allotment keeping. My bees upset my neighbour. I meshed up to two meters high and they get over it (some try and squeeze through and die but most get over it.) I'd advise you spend a few days down there and wonder about and chat to epople to see if you have allies...

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't look through the frames. I was considering that there is a potential that all the space was being used for brood. Therfore there is a potential that there is very little stores in there. Since I don't know when the necter flow will really kick in, and there...

I went into the hive today for a few reasons. A month ago I put a bag of fondant in there and I Wanted to take it out. I'd made the school boy error of just opening and placing it onto the top of the brood box bars. Then a Put the crown and the lid on. This created a 20mm cavity all around the...

Thanks for the comments guys, Glad most of you enjoyed it. Mark