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Queen Bee
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
12
Location
Hampshire uk
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
6
Anyone got any top tips?

Lets see how many we can add to the thread.

My first tip:

Go buy a ?3 sweatband from a sports shop,it stops your eyes stinging with salt if you do a midday inspection at 30c during the hight of summer.
 
Tie a length of string to your hive tool,easier to find if you drop it in the grass. carry a sharp pocket knife.
 
when moving hives have the lugs off the frames pointing to the front of the trailer/car or in my case pickup and this should minimize squashing bees when braking.
 
Hivemaker I added a penknife to my car keys last summer and am amazed just how many times I used it,I cant keep bees without one now.
 
Put a few drawing pins in a matchbox in your pocket, then when you want to mark a fame with a queen cell you don't have to look for one.
 
Gloves

dont waste your money on "beekeeping" leather gloves.

Just use Tesco value "marrigold" ones at 40p for 2 pairs.

When they are to sticky bin them
 
A toolbelt is also useful, in goes the hive tool with string, drawing pins, queen trapping device, queen marker pen, penknife, porter escapes, etc etc.

I also like to use a head torch sometimes, as my bees are sheltered, this helps me see right into the bottom of the cell without losing my grip on the frame.
 
Cut a sheet of ply to fit your hive, and cut out a hole to match the diss-similar super you can then put on top. also handy for uniting say a nat to a lang.

PH
 
Poly hive I was only thinking about this 10 minutes ago!

I have a new Lang that I want to use next year and was trying to think how to put them together(with a Nat)and get them to draw out the Lang foundation.
 
Cut the sheet of ply as described and put the Lang on top and if you have one put in a frame feeder to get them up and building. Once the Q is up, a day or two then pop in the excluder, job done.
 
i paint mine bright red ,tie a long bit of string to it and still lose them.
i usually find them just after i`ve bought another one
 
if you want natural cell comb in the brood nest and are using empty frame to achieve this , place empty frame between fully drawn frames and keep the hive level for best results.

Tony
 
Last edited:
Wear a baseball cap with a large peak under your veil
 
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