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Inspection yesterday morning meant last minute extractor hire as they'd capped almost three supers worth on my main colony. Extracted 24 frames for 58lb just two and a half weeks after extracting 30lb from the same colony. Very happy that our first full season has produced almost 90lb from...

How do you encourage the shifting up to Supers?

Hi all, Extracted for the first time tonight. Took 12 frames from one hive and finished with around 30lbs, which I’m very happy with! Plenty more to come once more capped too. Current 30lb is settling in a bucket to be jarred tomorrow! Being the first time we’ve extracted, I got a little over...

Feeling very content...looks like the artificial swarm followed by knocking down of a few queen cells over the past two weeks at four day intervals has worked! Lots of new foundation drawn and loads of eggs being laid. Three supers on, two of which almost full of nectar/honey and lots being...

Can you chaps either stop or take it to private messaging? I'd rather read about bees!

It's all over the place here! Three supers on Q+ hive and considering adding one to the Q- hive as there's plenty coming in.

Another 4 day check after my AS last Monday and more queen cells to get rid of. 1 year old Buckfast queen still laying well in available cells. My concern is that there is such a flow on that most of the foundation that's being drawn in the 14x12 BB is being filled with nectar. I have three...

Good stuff! That’s what I wanted to hear. Thanks.

Added a third super to the QR colony I performed my first ever AS on Monday. Had checked BB yesterday and squashed one queen cell. Pollen and nectar still coming in fast with only a few frames left in the first two supers to fill and honey starting to be capped. Not making the mistake of being...

This is one of the main lessons I've learnt this weekend. It's built my confidence in the poly hive being able to carry them through the winter without too much of the stores being used. That being said, I'll be able to pay more attention to weight of the hive and other signs moving forwards.

All sorted (I think). Found the queen and caged her as she was on the frame with queen cell. She's back in the old location with new brood box, a couple of frames of BIAS, a couple of frames of stores and plenty of foundation to hopefully keep them busy. Hopefully they draw it out quickly for...

I did feed a small amount of fondant coming out of the winter but genuinely only around 500g. This was because I was confident they'd be okay but wanted to be sure - standard newbie worrying I guess. This is all good learning for my first full season, just disappointed that I haven't managed to...

Thanks all. I didn't see the queen yesterday as there were so many bees which gives me the confidence that she hasn't gone yet. There were eggs which just reinforces my confidence. Correct for me to leave the remaining queen cell (was the strongest of the few that we saw) and move this into...

Hi all, Took on our buckfast bees last July and I felt we had been doing fairly well. They are in 14x12 poly hive and seemed to build up very quickly when it started to get warmer. Should have lots of space but where I was hesitant to add a super so early, they managed to fill a good 4-5...

Hi all, Picking up our first nuc tomorrow morning and rehoming them in one of two poly hives. The poly hives came with a plastic/perspex type crown board rather than wooden, and they don't have a whole for a bee escape. Obviously we'll be feeding to help draw out the comb, so would I be right...

Pick up my first nuc on Saturday morning so today I collected the slabs, blocks and wood for our hive stand. Taking it to the site tomorrow along with two hives to position. Starting with two poly hives. Bees in one, the other a spare in case of swarm (ours or others). There's been a few...

Miscommunication - five between two keepers and the other with five to himself. Popped to the field today to have a proper count: Keeper no. 1 = 3 active hives, 1 nuc and 1 empty hive Keeper no. 2 = 2 hives, 1 nuc and 1 empty hive Keeper no. 3 = Only had 1 active hive which is now a pile of ash...

Hi, We picked up our first hives a couple of weeks ago and we're due to pick up our first nuc the third weekend in June. Last week, we were informed that one of three of our local beekeepers had contracted EFB. The bee inspector has been around and has taken the necessary actions - digging a...

I don't think that's necessary! Both my parents, and my partners parents have had bumblebee nests right outside their back doors over the last couple of years and they tend to zip away quickly once they leave to forage. On return they went straight back into the nest. Good fun to watch!

I appear to have made an error in the title but can't seem to edit!