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Transplanted some strawberry runners in to an ołd grow bag last week and was surprised to see what looked like a very small pile of spawn (frog? Toad?) all white but connected together. Anybody ever see this at this time of year and why? And not in water. What else could it have come from...

Having ditched the leather gloves for nitriles a few weeks ago I can't believe I never did it sooner. So much easier doing manipulations. Thought I was always careful but bees seem so much calmer since I have changed (weather has been better though for inspections). For those a little hesitant...

Hi folks, after some advice please. I've always creamed my OSR rape honey by liquefying hard set in buckets, mixing with honey paddle on a drill and then bottling. Always worked. However, two batches of last years that were 18% moisture that i did in February time have started to ferment in jar...

For any people with young children or grandchildren you may appreciate this light entertainment from Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom from CBeebies. An alterñative way of collecting your honey. Entertainment for all ages! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ogZOiQrpQ

Four days over due a weekly inspection due to the weather and what did I find in the roof of my hive when I lifted it off......about a 3 inch writhing mass of bees on top of a snelgrove Board that I had been using as a cover board ready for use and some drawn comb on the roof. And there in the...

Hi folks, I've got a colony that appears queenless (no eggs or brood of any kind). Their behaviour has turned very feisty but they haven't drawn any emergency QCs on the test frame I put in on Friday - they've capped the older worker brood on the frame and are attending to the younger larvae...

All, after your views if possible. Normally like many others on the forum I extract some OSR honey and have to battle with it's hard setting tendencies - although I do like the taste and think it's a great boost for the bees early in the season and useful for winter stores later in the season...

I committed a foopah - having used a brood box as a super to get some precious brood comb drawn I got over-excited and span far too hard and now have two frames with snapped foundation wire. I hadn't appreciated the extra weight of a brood comb and was more excited about having 8 frames of...

All, I inspected one of my strongest hives today with a 2013 queen and having seen a lot of play cups last week these had now turned in to about 8 queen cells with a larva at slightly different stages. Interestingly one was capped and I immediately thought 'darn it' they must have swarmed...

Just wondered what people's success rates are with hiving cast swarms. I was asked to remove a swarm and it was pretty small (small rugby ball). Unmarked queen spotted and all appeared OK with bees hived and then flying but kept my distance because didn't want to spook a potential virgin. 6...

What are people's views on the effectiveness of using icing sugar in reducing varoaa counts?

Hi everybody. I hived a nuc on May 26th during the really hot week we had. I left it 6 days to check that the Queen was laying OK after her transit - which she was with eggs visible and plenty of new food stores coming in. There was also much to my surprise a queen cell with larvae in. Are...