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Hi. I'm looking for a recipe for Rhubarb Mead. Got loads of Rhubarb, and honey, so thought I woulld combine. No experience in making mead, so any guidance would be appreciated.

Just received a call from someone with a colony (or maybe 2) in an old shed they are knocking down. Another beekeeper apparently went around a week ago, and said they couldn't do anything apart from kill the colony. The colony was found when an inner panel inside the shed was removed. Not...

Opened up one of my colonies and spotted a large tight group of drones in a corner inside of the entrance. There were 100+ drones. All very much alive, most facing the corner. Would workers corral drones into a corner, prior to throwing them out? I've not seen ths before.

Bought a solar wax extractor, and in the last couple of warmer days, it's done its thing. Melted a whole load of cruddy foundation and scrapings. However, I've now got a mix of wax and thick honey. Any tips of separating the 2? Was thinking of making mead with the honey.

A huge swarm settled in a poly nuc in the back garden couple days ago. Filled the 14x12 6-frame nuc, plus about 1/4 swarm hanging off the outside as no room inside. Went up there today to take a peek - just wearing my beekeeping jacket plus latex gloves rather than full suit. They erupted from...

Got a few poly nucs in the sales. Never used poly nucs/hives before, so thought I would try some out. Decided on the Maismore ones. 14x12 versions. Decided to pimp one to see if I could improve it to better fit my needs. 1) Enabled 2-in-one capability. Added slots and divider board so can...

Nepal beekeepers collecting wild honey are well-known. There are quite a few videos across the net of them hanging off bamboo and twine ladders slung over the top of cliffs. But this one (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-46572043/meet-nepal-s-daredevil-honey-hunters) shows that it is...

Someone gave me a large sheet (2m x 1.5m) of perspex a few days ago. I was going to make up some clear crownboards with it, but when I went to pick it up, I found it was 20mm thick which feels excessive for them. Any suggestions as to what I could use it for?

I've got a couple of spare queens, so thought I would see if I could overwinter them in 2 poly mini mating nucs. These are are shown below - 3 frames and a feeder area separated by a queen excluder. I put the queens with bees in there a couple of weeks ago, with food in feeder section. Took...

I can never manage to easily open smokers, especially when they are hot and need a top-up. The tops always seem to weld onto the bases, and need levering off - not easy if the funnel is hot. I've tried ensuring the mating parts are spotlessly clean. I've tried putting in copper slip. nothing...

Today I've got agreement from a land owner to park my hives on their land. So I can move my 5 hives from my garden. My neighbour is wary about them, so having them in a local out apiary would be better. Any advice on managing bees in an out apiary as opposed to the garden?

I've had an offer from a local organic farmsted to put my bees on there. What would a typical / reasonable fee/arrangement be for that? I've only kept my bees in my back garden but may be good to move them into a more rural area.

I put a couple of clearer boards on 2 hives just after mid-day. Must have really annoyed one bee, who has been stalking me since then. I'l doing some tiling so need to use my wet cutter which is outside. Every time I pop out, she's there waiting for me and attacks. I went upstairs and opened the...

I'm babysitting one of my brother's colonies whilst he is on holiday. The colony is the result of a combine of 2 small nucs. There is a 2017 queen, but she is not laying very well. Nothing to do with the combine - she wasn't laying well when in her nuc. So I want to swap her out for one of my...

11:30 pm, Friday night. Martha has a programme all about the history of honey / bees. Starting in ancient egypt.... Called Gift of the Gods. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bbg1l

Hello. I was called to collect a swarm today. In an old heavy-duty sofa in a garden. The bees have found a perfect space for themselves - inside the arm component of a very heavy-duty sofa which was in the garden, awaiting the rubbish men. I took a few photos. They've built a fair amount of comb...

I've got a new wasps nest built underground, about 4m away from my hives. Loads of small wasps flying industrially out and back. So, what to do with it? Leave it (I don't like taking things out if I don't need to) or would that cause problems later in the year. Or remove it? What would you do?

I have a Q- colony. No eggs, no brood. I introduced a young mated queen into the hive, within a plastic queen cage (approx 8cm x 3 cm). Checked a few days later, and found they had filled the holes of the cage with wax. So I cleared it, and put her under a much larger introduction cage, one with...

Someone called me today, saying he had a very large swarm on the outside of his house. Then most disappeared. I popped over and took a look. The house is a 1930's semi with bay windows upstairs and downstairs, with a render finish. See attachment for a photo. I've added a red square over the...