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The weather guessers reckon we are in for three weeks wet and windy weather. Around me the ivy is just about to bloom, so will probably be inaccessible to the bees when it does. So I guess feeding will need to be stepped up. Are there any other considerations given such a gloomy outlook?

Hi all Attached are photos of debris following vaping after 24 hours. Very few mites but 9 chalk brood dummies OR is it old, dumped pollen? Is it anything of concern please?

....and the ivy in the hedges isn’t in flower yet😡👹💩💩💩👹😡

Hi, I could do with some advice re the above. The situation: Really big colony on brood and a half plus three supers. 31st May found queen cells, did AS leaving one. June 7th found queen cell with the hinged base open - assumed queen had emerged. Since then, no evidence of eggs or queen...

Hi, My daughter has inadvertently dug into a nest of these little bees. She could see larvae in cells. All digging has stopped and the area covered against the rains forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Some sort of mining bee?

Checked the hives in pouring rain, to find this. It’s a really strong colony and I’m hoping it’s just the dead being chucked onto the landing board. I’m hoping it’s not bees that couldn’t get back in when the rain started because I closed up the entrance against wasps.

I found a lot of dead drones in one colony today, stuck in the queen excluder but facing up - as if trying to get to the supers. What would cause this? There was at least two to three dozen of them, it was a little disturbing and the second time with this colony. The queen has not had access to...

Hi all, I would appreciate your advice on the timing aspects of this scenario- Hive 4 May 31st found queen cells sealed and unsealed on four frames. Transferred one frame and queen cell to a nuc, broke others down leaving one cell. June 7th found queen cell with hinged cap indicating a virgin...

I was working in my garage yesterday and heard an episode of The Archers and had a right laugh. The storyline: Grandma has bees and grandson looks after them. Grandson lost a swarm. Grandma upset. Grandson told to find the swarm and he hunts round the village. No luck. Grandma VERY upset. Next...

Hi all, I united a swarm that had built up well, with a queenless colony on Tuesday evening, using the paper method. The swarm colony had been next to a nuc in which there is no queen - two failed to emerge from donated queen cells.The number of bees had diminished and I was about to unite them...

I have noticed lesser wax moths on the outside of a couple of hives this week. Also a couple inside the roofs, unable to get into the hive past the eke filled with Celotex. It seems there's several about around here this year. Perhaps the hot weather has benefited them?

I have a hive that has a virgin queen, just emerged. Today around 3:00 pm the busy time for bees around here, I watched hundreds of drones enter the hive with foragers. Do you know if drones pick up the scent of a virgin queen and enter hives in readiness for a mating flight or could it be the...

I have four jars among twenty from one batch, starting to ferment. I used white plastic lids and have noticed they don't have an inner seal to them - unlike the metal lids. Has anyone experienced a similar issue and could it be down to a poor seal between jar and lid? The jars and lids were...

Quite a lot of dead outside one of my hives today - see attached. Any thoughts? The colony is on 7 frames of brood and has been very early to build up. Now drawing out foundation on second super earlier super a returned after storing wet, full of nectar, but not sealed. Varroa treatment in...

I have two calm and gentle colonies, which are both quite small - 3 & 4 frames of brood. A third is already 7 frames in the BB and also laying in the half brood, but feisty from a swarm last year. If I take frames of brood from the feisties to strengthen the others, also as swarm prevention...

Started three weeks shutdown this afternoon and decided to do some gardening. Long story short, I was attacked and chased by a bee twice and on the second attack it got caught in my hair (what little I have) and stung me towards the back of my swede. I have reacted badly - hives down both legs...

Happy Christmas! I thought I'd attach these photos as I've been clearing up in the garage to hopefully raise a smile or two. The first is a roof I made complete with polystyrene insulation about four years ago. This Autumn I replaced it with an Abelo poly roof as the insulation wasn't so good...

I have a colony which was strong after combining in July and continued strong through August. Varroa checks showed minimal drops. Then in early September varroa numbers increased hugely. Through September the colony reduced down to less than four frames of brood and I started to really worry. I...

Evening all, Does anyone know why the Oxalic crystals (without additives) jump out of the pan instead of sublimating? This issue seems to be much worse in one hive than the rest - weird. Any thoughts?

Have you / would you feed slightly fermenting honey back to your bees? If not, why not? I've read conflicting articles about this. I'd welcome the benefit of your experience please.