Recent content by sukis-dad

Thank you for your replies. My neighbours pond is on the other side of the fence from the hives. The fence is about 12 foot high. His pond is small and was designed with wildlife in mind - it has a shallow side. It is obviously a good design. I think I will try a peat filled container and see...

Hi I have two National hives and have a problem with the bees going into my neighbours garden pool which upsets him and his wife. They can't enjoy their garden with dozens of bees flying around. I am considering selling my hives unless I can find a way of stopping them. I don't want a pond...

Sorry Ian it all has to go together. Thanks

Hives and bees for sale. Hive 1 National pine - purchased June 2009. Open mesh floor, Brood box + frames, Queen excluder, Super + frames, Crown board, Galvanised sheet metal covered roof. Varroa insert, mouse guard. Hive 2 National cedar - purchased June 2010. Open mesh floor, Brood box +...

Hi This evening I have captured a swarm from one of my hives and put it in a nuc. Over the last week I have successfully united two previously caught swarms from two nucs into two hives. I will also unite this one when it has built up a few frames. Why waste good productive bees?

Thanks for the replies. They are not the normal garden wasp as they are a lot smaller and have a tapered abdomen. Can't find them in my insect book. The bees are definitely being attacked not the other way. I like the coke bottle idea. Thanks.

I have seen a number of what look like small wasps actually landing on my bees and attacking them. They are not after honey or nectar just the bees. I put a jam jar with honey and jam near the hives but they ignore it. Any ideas on what these insects are and how to get rid of them. thanks

I too have quite a few. They do eat nectar from a frame, but I don't know if they would uncap honey. If they do they could be a very big problem.

Hi I have a gallon plastic bottle and I put in the sugar pour in boiling water and then shake the bottle while I am watching the tele. Dissolves quite quickly. This works for me.

overflowing nuc? Hi I have a nuc holding a swarm I caught from one of my hives. It is doing very well and I intend to unite into my hive. The little problem preventing this at the moment is that the hive swarmed again and I'm waiting for the new queen to mate. In the meantime I have lots of...

Hi With the benefit of hindsight I should have left them to their own devices and maybe they would have found a home in the woods behind my house. The hive they are under is only a brick height from a paving slab and very difficult to get at. Tried last night without any success. Will try again...

Hi I already have 3 nucs containing swarms and they are very doing well and I will unite them into my existing hives. I did take a prime swarm to the bee meeting last week and no one wanted it. It seems everyone has had swarms this year. No one has commented on the advice I was given regarding...

I have two hives and had yet another swarm (a caste I think) from hive 1, which I caught in a box. Having nowhere to put it I asked an experienced beekeeper what to do and he said dump them on the floor in front of hive 2 and they will sort themselves out. I thought this a bit strange as I...

thanks RAB I think they were both primes. One colony is smaller than the other and one Nuc is bigger than the other so I intend to unite small with large and large with small if that makes sense. My first year was a disaster with a Queen that hadn't been mated properly. You said "I would wait...

I have successfully got my two colonies through the winter and they are doing very well with a couple of supers on one of them. Although I am a newbie beekeeper I believe in disturbing the colony as little as possible. I have inspected them only three times this year but have never been able to...