Recent content by demig

Got the fondant on up here in Northumberland, pollen coming in and bees looking good but can easily get very cold again up here! Year 2 for me, 1 colony taken through last winter 6 going through ok so far this winter, amazing how this hobby grabs you :) Demig

Welcome, we are a friendly bunch in Northumberland. I started with my son the year before last with the Alnwick and District Beekeepers, getting a lot of experience from the "old timers" every Saturday at the association apiary proved very useful! Clearly you never stop learning in this hobby...

The whole suits are good too :) Ok so my sons She**f is a nice suit but my stbk one I am very impressed with. Iain

Hi, I too got into beekeeping towards a season's end which was no bad thing. It gave me time to join the local association, attend winter meetings and make new beekeeping friends before the new season started which proved to be invaluable. I recommend joining your local group and making those...

Agree with the love for Caddon hives in this thread, just built my 5th one and went together really nicely. Good quality, nice deep roofs and excellent folk to deal with, missing part from my order was sent out for my asap, problems happen but it's how you resolve them that matters. Demig

Welcome, not sure where you are up here but the Alnwick and District association is good and the Morpeth lot meet in the tap and Spile to talk bees on a monthly basis. Demig

And I thought my day was bad :) Pop a hive in there and let them sort it out..... Demig

Today I got stung for the first time and then I got stung another 12 times all on the ankles :( Thought I would be ok without my boots on but no! I then proceeded swiftly away from the hives, slipped down a slope and did my leg so I can't walk, not a great day. The aim was amalgamating another...

Thanks guys, still got a smile on my face :)

Well I'm pleased with myself as I just got my first swarm. They were my bees that had swarmed.... but nevertheless actually being able to get them out of a hedge and in a box was quite an achievement for a new beek :) Quite a satisfying process although I suspect if you are up a ladder doing it...

That's what I was thinking, so basically take off some queen cells ASAP to prevent swarm risk, let one queen out to get cracking and build them up. Iain

Is it worth taking a couple of frames out with a queen cell into a nuc before taking off the rest? Don't want to split it and reduce the strength but this would allow for any problems on queen mating flights, they could be combined once one of them is laying successfully I assume? Thanks Iain

Marked a queen for the first time, a queen raised by our bees and successfully mated and laying brood, very satisfying :) Iain

Hi, Another queen cell question from a couple of newbies, I know there is a lot of advice on this on the forum but please tolerate my question ;) We have a colony on deep brood frames, about 5 frames, with stores, brood and a good selection of nurse bees and flying bees. This came to us with...

So that's where my card is, must have gone in the recycling! I too rip open plastic mag wrappers and chuck the cr@p away. My son got his partner card as a separate letter. Demig