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Sorry to but in but does this affect things? I ask as I had a hive on a concrete surface (elevated above ground level) last year and it suffered with a bit of chalkbrood. Having moved the hive it now sits on a wooden pallet and the situation seems to have improved.

Interesting observations, Chris B. Do one's chances increase with more frames of drawn comb? Edit: appreciate this is not easy to answer! Just looking for tips. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the informative post, itma. Just shows that one should never make rash assumptions. I hope the wee anecdote of my observation is interesting nonetheless.

Yes. Green painted poly nuc vs celotex covered national box (silver). Edited to add, by the end of that day most were pretty well oriented and flying straight in the new hive.

Last weekend was the first time it was really warm enough to inspect my colonies this year. The bees were flying well and in good fettle. Anyway, I switched one of my colonies from a full brood box to a poly nuc. I should have done this before winter really but didn't have the equipment so just...

I mowed the lawn around the hives on Saturday in a full suit which attracted a few funny looks from the neighbours but the bees didn't seem phased at all. They just flew right past me when both leaving and entering the hives. Maybe in the height of summer or if there is something else upsetting...

If the queen is still laying worker brood I would sit tight and only add brood from another colony if she stops. Hopefully that will be a bit later in the season and any emergency queen they create from the brood may have more chance of mating.

I'm no expert but couldn't you just store the frames for use in a nuc or other manipulation later in the year?

Unlike the forum members down south I haven't seen much activity from the bees so far this year. Until today. Clouds of bees outside each hive, orienting and bringing in pollen and I presume water. In other news I knocked together some flat pack hive parts I bought last year. Can't paint them...

Agreed, I prefer them to the T's seconds. A wee bit heavier though. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I use ducksback on my wooden hives and it is excellent. Two coats of the dark green (forget the name - forest green maybe) looks really neat and smart. And as expected the water either beads or runs straight off. I've not even had my hives a year yet so can't comment on longevity but we get...

Thanks for taking the time to post the pics. It looks a lot smarter than I was expecting it to. I had been thinking of dummying down using kingspan and then a sheet over the crownboard but this would be much better.

Thanks derekm. Sounds like a good system. I might just give it a try.

derekm, this sounds a good idea that I might try, but I have a couple of questions if that is ok. How do you waterproof this jacket? I understand that there will be foil on the back of the kingspan but what about around the edges (where you have cut it)? How do you cover those edges to stop...

Having thought I would struggle to get one colony and somehow managing to get three, I was a little unprepared in terms of kit! This morning I was painting two brood boxes I started to fix together together earlier in the week, then after lunch I was building enough frames to fill them and as...

Beeno, thank you for that! Did I read somewhere the forecast temperatures are in the shade? Could explain it? The weather here is forecast at 20 degrees as I said but I have seen the odd honey bee, bumble bee, and hoverfly on the clover in my garden, so I'm beginning to feel hopeful...

What temperature do you have down there, beeno? We are set to reach the dizzy height of 20*C today!! My bees are still building up but some clover honey might be nice stores for them! Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

I have sent you a private message!

Hi Jason, you will be more than welcome to join the South Scotland BKA (Dumfries based). I can get you the contact details if you wish? Although I suspect your nearest association will be the Galloway BKA, which I really dont know much about I'm afraid. I think you will be pleasantly...

Thanks PBee and Luminos. I have a large section of my garden that I have left to go wild for the last few years and when the weather is right the bees love it! Never knew what plants they were until now though. Cheers Whoops, thanks to the others who replied too. Harder to notice on my...