Recent content by nmesmeric

Hi Guys, I was checking one of my hives today and I have a new queen who has started laying. However the brood (larvae) looks a bit milky, a bit like royal jelly but in all cells. Any thoughts what this could be? You can still see white larvae but they are definitely milkier than in my other...

Don't worry the ring is off now! I was also wearing gardening gloves at the time shifting a nuc box into a new position! Its good to know that maybe it was the weak gloves I was wearing! :)

Another pic. 12 hours later. With normal hand.

Hey Guys. I have had bees for 3 years now. I have never had much of a reaction to a sting, just a bit itchy. I have had 100s of stings. Today I was stung at 10AM on the back of my hand. The hand has been a big swolen bubble all day! For 12 hours its been very swolen and aching, even after...

Understood Swarm. I won't be doing that then. When I do splits into nucs I stick grass on the entrance, is that also risky in this hot weather?

I can gradually do it, I was just weighing up options. in fact I have two nucs to move so they will be like snakes gradually moving through the apiary :)

Why not plug it, for bee health reasons or missing out on nectar flow? also if I could plug it for 3 days with a mesh, would it be more likely to work? moving the nucs 3ft at a time will be tricky as I can't move backwards. so will have to edge forwards then curve round the sides of three other...

Thanks for the advice. I physically can't move the nucs backwards they are at the end of the garden. I guess just moving it to the side or a couple of ft forward? Also re. blocking the entrance, why is it a risk. unreliable? Thanks for your help.

Thanks :) I did think this, but the issue is I have 3 nucs sat on a table, so I think there is potential for confusion if I move the nucs a meter. maybe not though? what do you think of blocking the nuc entrance idea?

Could I move the nuc to the position of the hive in the middle of the night and stick grass in the entrance for a couple of days forcing them to reorientate?

Hi Guys. I have a split in a nuc that has requeened successfully :) Its building out nicely and I would like to move them into a full size hive. However the hive is around 4 meters away, and won't fit in the same position as the nuc. Is there any way I can achieve this without moving them...

Hey Guys, Quick swarm control question. when you perform a swarm control nucleus split. what is the trigger for this? do you wait until you have royal jelly and a built out queen cell, or could you do it earlier when you see an egg in a queen cup or just an exceptionally busy hive for instance...

Thanks for the advice Pargyle. I could potentially move the frame back as I like your idea of just taking a small cutting! My latest theory is that the hive is busy as it being robbed? So basically it's packed with looting bees, is this feasible?

Thanks for the advice guys. I have added a frame containing eggs from another hive. They have a number of frames full of stores in the hive. Will see what happens!

Hey Guys, I have 3 hives, two of which are doing well. they have plenty of stores and good laying pattern. One hive is full of bees, but there is not a single egg! All I found was 2 open swarm cells. (I have no idea when they may have swarmed, as I don't remember seeing these last year unless...