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I have two hives that have come through winter looking promising ( busy seams of active bees). I know this as I've been giving them some a tonic - vita gold as I was thinking that one of the hives was showing signs of possible nosema. On recent dry and milder days I have removed the mouse guard...

Would anyone know if this unseasonably warm weather will create a greater demand on the colonies stores? or is the reverse more likely? If they go out foraging for food that is not worth the energy consumption, then that could lead to increasingly diminishing stores, but will the warm weather...

I was planning to start Apiguard treatment this weekend and follow up feeding them towards the end of the month, but have just realised that I'll be unable to replace the first tray with the second until a few days (3/4) after the advised two weeks. Would it therefore be better to wait till half...

Can anyone suggest a remedy for propolis making inspections difficult? Before I'm half way through the BB frames my fingers are so stuck with propolis I can hardly manipulate the frames. The only thought so far is changing my gloves half way through. Also how can propolis be cleaned off marigolds?

I am pretty sure my colony has become queen less in the last two weeks. There is still brood present but no eggs or larvae. Can anyone suggest a best way forward with these bees? I was thinking if I could get a frame with some eggs on I could make up a nucleus and hopefully unify them later. Or...

Three weeks ago, using a change in position of the QX, I thought I'd successfully gone from brood and a half to just the BB, with the queen in the BB of course! Clearly I haven't as tonight I've inspected, as I have every week, but I've found about 10 QCs in the previous 'and a half', one of...

My bees over wintered with the QE above the brood box and a super of honey. About 2 weeks ago I put the QE down above the brood box only as I don't want the queen on a brood and a half. Even though the queen had brood in the super I thought that would be ok and that it would just hatch which...

I'm probably close to completing feeding using a shallow as an eke which I packed around with insulation. Is there any reason not to leave the shallow with its insulation in place once I remove the feeder? They seem they'd be warmer that way but, as with anything in beekeeping, there often seems...

I started winter feeding yesterday on top of a BB and a shallow which is partially filled. After they've taken their fill I plan to put the shallow below the BB for winter. What Im a bit concerned about is that when I lift the BB off the floor there will be comb hanging below the frames which...

I started Apiguard treating my bees last week and while doing so took the opportunity to inspect the brood but they got very cross so after about half the frames I decided to leave them in peace. Do I need to keep disturbing the brood now other than checking they've room to put stores in the...

Is comb ok to eat if the foundation came from a bee equipment supply company rather than built by the bees? I have a very small surplus to a full super, which is for the bees, which would probably get lost in extraction.

While watching my hive today I've noticed a behaviour I haven't seen before which involved workers riding piggyback on drones in a way which makes me think the drones are being evicted. The worker was clearly harassing the drone and in some cases appearing to drag the drones away from the hive...

Am I correct thinking that 1. As Apiguard is a 6 week treatment period it is best to feed them first? 2. Apiguard treatment advises us to keep the entrances open but typically we are using it now at a time of potential robbing activity? I intend to leave them a super of stores for the winter...

1. Can I take honey supers off and store them till I'm ready to extract (possibly up to a week)or is that bad practise? I don't think I'm in an area of OSR. 2. Shall I feed now? My colony is half way up Buxton road in Macclesfield ( for those who may know the area) surrounded by lots of trees...

I have 2 supers on my hive and suspect I may need to add another today. It will have to be just foundation but I think I have read it should go below the other 2 and above the brood box. Is that correct and if so why?

I started a Bailey frame change 8 days ago, the colony have got through more than 3Kg of sugar in 1:1 syrup, but there is no evidence of comb building as yet even though it looks very busy down in the original brood chamber. I've had my bees about 6 weeks, the queen is 1 year old and it was...

I've read some conflicting advice from 2 very reputable sources - one says use winter strength 0.5kg sugar: 1lt water, another says 1kg:1lt. I'm going to try a Bailey Frame Change tomorrow to try to rid myself of some old frames that are difficult to work with.

It's now 8 days since my last inspection and the weather is no better than yesterday,and so few bees are likely to be flying. I presume I still have to inspect but just try to be as quick as possible and to expect a lot of bees to be 'home'? I'm not on a high alert for swarming as the colony was...

As a newcomer to beekeeping and the forum I was wondering if there was a link to the meanings of some of the abbreviations commonly used.

Just set up my first ever hive - I'm sure I'll be very glad of this forum in the coming weeks.