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Situation: hive 1 drone laying worker hive - quite full of bees, but not doing much. Three test frames later, still not raising queen cells. Queenless since May, so have given up on them as functioning hive. hive 2: 4 frames brood; 6 seams of bees, queenright. I would like to boost this...

Following on from previous threads I've posted on AS problems and QCs... By my calculations emergency QCs were capped on 20 May. Weather last week has been reasonable, dry and warm. Looking from outside today, no pollen going into either hive at all. Bees actively in and out, perhaps a...

Just before I go down to the woods... Two hives, both building emergency QCs. 4 in each, on face of combs. How many to leave in each hive? I think maximum of 2. Equally happy to be advised to leave all 4 in each. (My concern is leaving all 4 in each will result in some swarming/casting...

This is a place v close to my heart. Jersey beekeepers warning of swarms... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-22527412 A case for the Bureau des Etrangers? acabee

This is a extension of my previous thread http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23571 which has dropped off the screen. I tried doing an AS a few days back, but couldn't find unmarked queen. Tipped them out and ran back in separating the new lower BB with foundation from the upper...

After last years rain and cold, delayed inspections and some subsequent interesting swarm experience, I made a promise to self to keep to 6/7 day inspections this year despite lack of t-shirt weather. This week looks cool / chilly... 13C at best in my area. My aim is to be in and out as...

I'm away for Easter (11 days). The forecast till mid April (Metcheck) says little likelihood of anything +10 degrees and possibility of -2 on some nights. I know there is a laying queen as I checked on that 17C day we had some weeks back. I'm going to do a very quick in/out to check for...

I want to turn my BB so that the frames are 'cold' way (ie ends of frames at 90 degrees to entrance) as I think this will improve ventilation during the warm dry summer we must surely deserve after last year. Is there a particularly good time to do this - first inspection in April? acabee

Christmas comes but once a year (though it seems to start in September) and a man's thoughts turn to ....what kit can be put onto a Christmas list. Specifically a new beesuit from either Bx2 or Sh-you know who. But I wonder if it is worth waiting till after Christmas to buy in the sales. Do...

I've a couple of pallets and am wondering about using them as a stand for my 2 hives. I'd prefer hives higher up than just sitting on pallets on ground. Any good suggestions combining with blocks? I'm not exactly great on DIY so the simpler the better. I recall someone on the forum...

It's approaching the 'light the blue touch paper and stand well back' time of year in the UK (and it might seem on this forum). In this light, at a recent visit to a National Trust property, I read that spinach juice / water use to be used to treat paper to make it smoulder for longer when...

So there I am with my candy.... as last feed for now till Christmas. Take off hive roof: one almighty roar. Eh? Look in: eke space (with rapid feeder in place) full of bees. Underneath of roof - big clumps of bees. Checked: cover of second hole in cover board must have been dislodged and bees...

It seems to be fairly common view of posters that this year was a particularly swarmy year. Is this mostly down to the early warm weather inducing swarm preparation by bees, followed by persistent wet weather preventing regular inspections, thus QCs missed, thus swarms? Or was it something...

As ever, thinking I'm solving one thing, creates another problem... Last week I put the half filled super under the brood box with a view to moving to winter configuration. Thing is I now see wax cappings at the entrace which I suspect is due to robbing. No clear evidence of fighting, but...

Have had apiguard on for the last week. Took off entrance reducer for first 3 days. Bees ok for first few days. Then replaced reducer. Bees now v unhappy. Have bearded all over front of hive during the day and night - including those with full pollen sacs. This strikes me as...

I've done a search on previous threads, but could not see a clear answer, so asking for advice. Situation: recent supersedure resulting in newly emerged queen (last 2-3 days). Not sure if mated (have not looked in as don't want to disturb in case on mating flight / balling etc.). (Old and new...

I've a few old brood frames with some light honey/pollen stores. Could I leave them in the open near my hives for bees to rob/empty before melting down? Or is that a really bad idea? (I'm fairly sure it is a bad idea due to disease and/or encouraging robbing behaviour, but just wanted to...

I know there is a lot of lore about gardening and cycles of the moon (when to plant; harvesting etc). But the sight of a glorious full moon here in the UK yesterday evening got me wondering. Does there exist a similar lore about bees - ie never harvest the honey on a waning moon? The term...