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1st inspection of the year - 2 colonies - both dead. One was low in numbers going into winter but the other was decent. Both were alive in December when I put on winter treatment. Both have plenty of stores left although some of the honey in frames was uncapped, very yellow and opaque. No...

A bit early in the season for this I know. Last season my extractor died. It was one of those cheap plastic ones from Th***es. It lasted 2 seasons. I have 2 hives. I am a small timer so happy with a 2 or 3 frame extractor (nationals) and happier with manual as it will keep the cost down. I...

Did an AS on my single colony on 14x12 about a month ago. The origonal queen absconded so gave them a QC. In short, all QCs open but no eggs at all for about 3 weeks. Thorough search in both and found no sign of a queen. Ordered 2 new queens which should arrive today. Plan was to pop down...

Last autumn I knocked up a few nuc boxes in a bored moment. I have left one in my garden and one in my parents garden as bait hives - just in case. Didn't really expect to catch a swarm and so far haven't. What has surprised me is that there has been absolutely no interest. There usually is a...

I am a one hive wonder on 14x12 nationals. Last week I had QCs so did an AS. Inspected again today. The original colony now without queen and moved to the side is doing as expected with a decent sealed QC. The others were knocked down by me last week. The second hive with a frame of BIAS and...

What are your essentials that you keep in you bee bag and take to every visit. I've got loads of stuff in mine some of which I don't use that often. Ive got an assortment of hive tools, lighters and a wand lighter, bee brush, blow torch, pliers, drawing pins, light hammer, multi tool...

Sorry if this has been asked before. I usually have a terrible yield but I keep bees for fun and not the honey. I am starting the season positively and want to make some labels for later in the season. In the UK what is the legal requirement for info that has to be on the labels? With thanks...

Spring is on the way and the first thing I want to do this season is a Bailey change. I did a schoolboy error by making up lots of frames and foundation a season or two ago. I don't want to waste the foundation so want to refresh it. I also want to waste time as I am avoiding writing a...

I was going to move a new nuc from a quarantine apiary to my usual apiary today. I was going to go and close them up and move them after dark when they are all in which I believe is the usual technique. The weather today is wet with heavy rain all day. Am I right in thinking that most of the...

My season has got off to a rotten start. I have a single colony on 14x12 (yes Finman, 1 colony). Early in the season they started to supersede so I took the opportunity to re-queen. She was a dud so after 2 weeks the supplier sent another and she is good. I was brood less for 4 weeks so numbers...

I keep on 14x12 Hoffmans. In my 5 years of so keeping bees I have not found an effective method to stop bees getting crushed by the Hoffmans when pulling back together. I usually use a bit of smoke and a bit of luck but don't want to over smoke them. What do you do?

Do swarms tend to happen at a certain time of day?

Can you tell the difference between a bee scouting for a place to house a swarm and a forager bee? I have an unused hive (open entrance and full of frames, some foundation and some drawn) sitting bye my french window. I'm enjoying watching the interest it is picking up from the bees. Usually...

This worries me. Since the decline of the honey bee hit the news about 5 years or so ago it seems that the number of people taking up beekeeping has increased (including myself). What worries me is the amount of thought people have put in before they took up the past time. I am on a number of...

I have a single colony in a 14/12 national. This year was a slow start then went Q- so I requeened. She went in 2 weeks ago and as bad weather is forecast over the weekend I decided to have a quick inspection. I saw the queen (marked blue) and she seems to have been accepted but there was no...

I have 1 national hive (14x12). I live in NW London and keep them in an apiary with a large wall that gives protection from the wind and a nice suntrap. Its always been healthy but very docile and underproductive bees. Most of the other beeks on the apiary get good crops, I get just enough to...

Inspected today and although my single hive came through winter the numbers are low. It always takes a lot longer than its neighboring hives to build up numbers. I have stores and a small amount of BIAS so she's there and laying (or at least she was 3days ago). Despite the low numbers I didn't...

16 degrees and the bees are flying so did my first quick inspection of the year. Q+ and small patch of brood. Some sealed stores still and pollen coming in. One or two frames has stores that have crystallised. Will the bees still use in and clear out the cells for more stores/brood, or do I...

Checked my weakest colony today and it was full of bees and wasps, none of them mine. All the stores (of which there was a fair bit) have gone and the foundation looks chewed up and no sign of any brood. No queen in there so it's a dead colony. Closed the front up and will take it away. Shame...

I'm not sure what I am doing wrong as I've had bees for about 6 years and never had much of a harvest. I have 1 colony in a 14x12 box. This year I AS'd them so now have 2, a good strong one with the original queen (although she was superseded after AS) and a weak colony with the new queen. The...