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Busy doing my chores when daughter shouts the bees are swarming. Out I go and get ready and as usual rather than the textbook swarm three feet off the ground 20 ft up over a stream! So as I am jerry rigging a pole and net to reach them they decide to come home so ah well back to chores. But...

Looking to introduce some new queens to my hives later in the year and wondered what methods people use? I know alot of people recommend introducing to a nuc first but am looking for a reliable method to introduce direct into hive.

Hi All, Just looking at the Paradise hives from Finland which look ok but intrigued by their Queen trap system which I have not seen before. Have pasted the description below so you can have a read as not sure how good a method thisreally is? Main advantages: – easy to assemble and use –...

Well after a year without bees its nice to get back into it as really missed them. And setting up again in a new country where beekeeping is very limited will make it interesting. Just received 15 hives from Java as nearly impossible to locate Melifera locally but this is a start and once...

Saw this on Yahoo. https://uk.screen.yahoo.com/know-honey-really-213507404.html

What is the easiest way to combine 2 or even 3 small cast swarms. By small I mean less than a full frame each if that helps. Was hoping to put them together as a viable NUC.

What should you do when you find swarm cells and supercedure cells in the same frame / hive? Do you assume they are all swarm cells? The swarm going would be a prime swarm so old queen?

When is the best time to have the bees draw comb as I find this early in the season they focus on drone cells rather than worker cells. Also for supers is there any advantage in using the larger sized drone cells over the traditional worker sized cells?

I have some English sections in my hives which are being drawn and filled well but just wanted to know when you remove from the hive and put it into its presentations case do you remove the wooden section ?

I have been watching some videos (German) on utube and wondered if anyone could Can tell me what the hives are? The video is called "Buckfastzucht teil 1" curious as seems to be something to do with Buckfast / brother adam. Hives look to be polystyrene but much thicker than ours and has a...

Sorry for the title but watching the girls dragging out the drones and slaughtering them at the entrance is something I have not seen before. I know the drones are kicked out but this was brutal to say the least.

Once the rain stopped this afternoon I noticed the swarm I rehived 5 days ago were very agitated and running around the landing board so sat down to watch for a while. After about 5 mins the queen and her attendants landed at the front of the hive which really excited the others bees, running...

Queen is 2 years old and laying well but seems like the girls have decided her time is up as they have started to build supercedure cells. One originally but now three. Each is just a cup at the minute on a seperate frame but not "charged" yet so left them to see what happens. Colony is strong...

Well after moving my hive a couple weeks ago things seemed to be going along nicely, but decided to have a peek inside today and from 7 frames of bees down to less than 2 and queen dead on floor (looked like she was being balled) There are some fresh eggs on the comb but as yet no sign of any...

Government paper released on what they are looking to do to protect pollinators. Worth a read...

Had a talk tonight from the Bee inspector about things to be done this time of year and one thing he mentioned was that after extensive research it looks like the recommended levels for varroa in the hive is to be reduced to 500 from 1000 / 1500. Not sure how this will impact on recommendations...

Had to move my hive today, so as on double brood had no choice but to split the hive. Quickly took off the top box which is still heavy with stores , put this onto a spare base with closed up entrance and carried it the 20 metres to its new home. Bottom box with new cover then left for 20mins to...

Hi, Can anyone tell me what this tree is please? it has been in flower for about 2-3 months now and bees don't seem to be interested.

Are the Abelo honey extractors any good? they are selling a 12 frame radial electric for GBP 760 and 20 frame for GBP 799 which seems a good deal.

I will be moving a hive a small distance (about 30m) towards the end of january so may have a problem with bees going to the old site. Hopefully they will be tucked up and not flying too much but if I put something in the way of the entrance when relocated will they reorientate themselves?