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I have one cedar wood hive which I was thinking of painting as well, and the flat pack was from Thornes sale , I think its cedar but not 100%, it doesnt say on the website, might be softwood.

Hello I have a flat pack hive ready to build and wonder which preservative/woodstain to use. I have Sadolin advanced one coat woodstain ready to go on. There is nothing on the label to say good or bad for insects/bees. Also I assume its more important what on the inside wood as its next to the...

I kept them in the porch last night buzzing away noisly. This morning I managed to retreive a handful more from the orchard from under a crown board I left out where the wreckage had been. Managed to warm a few up and popped them in the nuc. I've put the nuc back in place where the hive...

It was a nuc I got in August that I transfered to a full hive, it still had a super on from feeding as I broke my leg about 8 weeks ago and didnt have chance to reduce it. So not really that heavy, plus we really did have some freak wind conditions here for about an hour or so. So an unlucky...

Didnt spot queen, but there were two frames welded together so I'm hoping many bees including queen will have survived inbetween. They're buzzing like mad in the porch at the moment. How do the straps work ? Do they actually anchor to the ground. Also I had a sloping roof so not so easy to...

Ok I've gone half way and put them in the porch where its cooler, they are buzzing like mad presumably keeping warm going into a cluster maybe. Again any advice would be appreciated here, should I keep em as warm as possible for a night after their ordeal or let them adjust to the cool again...

I've rescued what I could. They have been out all night upturned in the rain but there were maybe 100 or so on the wreckage. Two of the cluster frames were stuck together so I didnt disturb them maybe quite a few bees in between the frames. I sent out the kids to search the grass where it...

Disaster. The gale we had here blew my hive over. I found it this morning strewn accros the orchard. I will learn in future to have it strapped down and a few bricks on the roof. Its been a bad couple of months as I broke my leg and not been out, I determinedly hobbled accros to asses the...

I have learnt through bitter experience not to trust a certain big company and to make sure you get your bees from a trusted local source.

Do mice try and hibernate in hives with open mesh floors ? Wouldnt have thought so. I do have a mouse guard but have a reduced entrance by using a small piece of wood.

What colour pollen do you get from sunflowers? there are still quite a few in flower round us and the bees seem to love it, there's also a little ragwort in flower close by which the bumble bees seem to love (although I pull it up whenever I find it in my fields.)

Anyone else read this? I really felt it was a fantastic beggineers book, very clear photos, step by step instructions and tips. Everything you could want from a bee manual in my opinion.

I've found the Haynes Bee Manual to be invaluable, very clear photos and step by step instructions and tips as you'd expect from a Haynes car manual. Its got to be a candidate for best beggineers book. I also have Ted Hoopers book which is more in depth and is a really good read probably more...

I've just ordered some of the Bee Vital Chalkbrood treatment is it worth giving that a go first. Also I read a few teaspoons of salt can work. Or are they doomed without a new queen. Dont know about bees being stressed I certainly am after first year of beekeeping !!!

I'm halfway treating for varoa and inspected today and noticed quite a bit of chalkbrood. The guy from the local association who sold me api guard said to block the bottom vent with newspaper to make the stink of the apiguard higher so the bees take it out, but I'm wondering is this causing hot...

I dont know much about poly nucs so a few question. a) Wouldnt they be really light weight and be prone to blowing over in high winds? b) Are they ventilated c) How much higher temp can they keep above a standard wooden hive. d) any other benefits?

What sort of insulation is best ? Will a couple of woolly jumpers do or as someone said foil covered builders insulation. I dont really want to re nuc either, I take it any insulation needs to leave good ventilation still. Is hive insulation best practice then or do some folk leave the bees to it?

put in dummy boards that should read. No putty required eh

I have a nuc I transferred to a hive in early August,the bees are still on the original 5 frames with 6 frames undrawn foundation in the hive. Is it normal to leave the undrawn foundation in the hive overwinter as it fills up the empty space ( would have thought its quite insulating) or do you...

Thanks for the replies. I think I will go on the side of caution and burn them.