I have been looking at the box and it seems to be mostly wasps that are robbing it, would it be a better idea to buy a coloney at this time of year? the keeper said this time of year wasn't a good time to buy and setup, but i could try a nuk box... my wife and I are only learning and going to meetings.
seems your beekeeper has rather odd views
Most swarms occur from may to june plus a month either side for the early and late so it is getting late for swarms, unless a beekeeper does somethig like forget to put extra honey supers on ( no room, lots of food=swarm).
but saying that the earliest swarm i have heard is 1st april and latest mid september but that is rare
i would plan for a late may start, reading up a good bee book by hooper or cramp,
and asking questions on this forum. then buy a nuc of bees not wait for a baited hive to get a swarm ( 10% chance)
Have you a hive, what type, what size, do you need 14x12 frames in your area, how are you going to extract the honey..and to stop swarming you will need to learn swarm control methods...and that means are equipment in excess of the number of hives
i run just three 14x12 hives, but i have five 14x12 brood boxes, and 20 supers and a few nucs....and this year i ran out due to so many QC and one swarm
so work out what you need...and amaned your location, UK is a big place and bees behave differently in different climates...mine in london are still collection garden honey in late september while in the north, they are going in winter mode...my bees had never seen snow until last year...
BEES
the black bees are mongrels crosses of old bristish black bees and varoius european bees from italy or eastern europe. the british bee almost died out in southern britian in victorian times
