Recent content by ericbeaumont

Rough guide is to over-box in the first half of the season up to about the Summer Solstice. At about this time the main flow kicks in and bees forget about expansion & replication in favour of consolidation - to bring in a big harvest to get them through winter. At the Solstice bees recognise...

Fair point; try it and see.

See eggs, you mean. Queen has most likely gone. Follow JBM's advice: reduce to one open QC, shake bees off all other combs and remove anything looking like a QC. Repeat 7 days later. Too late, because much of the foraging force has gone. Had you given another BB and a couple more supers...

As long as the queen lays, housebees will replace any losses, so that won't work. May drive the bees deeper into the vent system, esp. the queen, and complicate the job. Forget it; once wax is drawn they"ll stay. Either take apart the vent system and use a bee-vac, or seal all but one...

Balance initial cost against future long-term practical value, and factor in fiddly labour to assemble wood seconds. Abelo are best value National poly, not necessarily on price but on efficiency of use; if I had Lang, I'd choose Honey Paw: well-designed and good value. Never under-estimate...

You can have it in any colour from the Dulux range.

For best adhesion and longevity use Dulux Weathershield.

No, I reckon you might have oil seed rape near you. If so, bees will work it and may bring in nectar if temps. rise (needs warmth to produce) in which case, no need to feed. Point is that there is a direct correlation between weather, growth, flowering and honey bee income. To feed when nectar...

Mad! Ask why, if you get the chance.

Which of these yellows are in flower now?

What colour?

Follow this thread: Thread 'New nucleus' https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/new-nucleus.56758/

Not necessarily, unless the nuc is light. See the other thread, which asked similar questions. Yes. Top ventilation will hold back colony development. Seal the CB with a board of 50mm PIR, until you need to feed. No harm in that, provided they're not so full that the Q has nowhere to lay. If...

Yield is not related that significantly to the type of hive but depends mainly on colony management and hive location. However, a thermally efficient hive - such as the Abelo poly or the Turkish plastic Apimaye - will yield about 15% more honey; if a colony swarms then forget a crop; if the...

It is. Is this full of bees? If not, the void will drain nest heat and restrict colony development. As it's empty of stores and the BB is almost empty, take off the super. The size of the hive must match the size of the colony in it (confusing that you conflate the two). React to these changes...