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I don't use a smoker very much but use my husbands shavings from his wood turning if I do light it. What do you use?

Hi all, Has anyone used this before? I use apiguard for autumn treatment , 2nd trays in as I type. But I'm wondering about mid winter treatment. I only have 2 hives atm and don't want to go the expense of OX vape kit. I usually do a trickle but hate having to measure and mix. I'm looking for a...

We all observe this, but found this a good read. https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiL2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnBuYXMub3JnL2NvbnRlbnQvMTE4LzMzL2UyMTExMzEwMTE40gEA?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&ceid=GB%3Aen

Hello all, just wanted some thoughts as to what is the best time to treat one of my hives, it's a swarm hive. At the time I discovered they had moved into a couple of stacked bb's I had no other hives on the site, so no need to go up there. So no idea when they moved in but they have turned out...

Hi all, i went to pop some fondant on today to my hives. One was completely empty of bees. I had given them a last syrup feed at beginning of oct, they had been treated for varroa snd were all tucked up for winter with plenty of stores bias and queen seen. Today i realized quickly as i put...

Hi all, i was wondering if i took my empty drawn fames (10 empty brood frames, and 6 supers) and wrapped and wrapped them entirely in cling film directly after coming of the hive and brought inside, then stacked and stored in our spare room will that be enough against wax moth? Cheers for your...

Hello all, I have a colony that has failed to thrive, still only on 3 frames of brood and now no egg being laid at all. The hive looks healthy and the bees clearly have the same opinion as me, as they have started a supercedure cell. I have a lovely queen in a nuc from a split that is going...

Hi all i hope this finds everyone safe and well during these strange times. I have one hive that has been going great guns and upon inspection today has a charged queen cell very nearly capped and a few play cups nearly beginning to look like qc. Ive always done the pagen method for swarm...

Im waiting for a cold or wet snap down in dorset. The irony of waiting for bad weather in winter! Anyway we are moving our entire apiary about 40 meters over uneven ground. Im wondering the best way to do this move. I thought nailing some wooden strips to boxes and then strapping tightly to...

Ive searched old posts but cant find a specific answer to my problem. Firstly im holding my hands up at my own stupidity. I had four supers that came off the hives for extraction. I have been extremely busy and thought i could store them in my very warm conservatory till i had time to extract...

Hello all i would appreciate any advice please. Since having buckies ive moved to double brood. When using apitraz (later in season just thinking ahead) do you use 4 strips over both boxes or is it just two still? Cheers everyone.

Has anyone tried this? Pros seem obvious but wonder if there are any cons. https://youtu.be/Eym8rxYeLTc

Hi all. Im really not sire whats going on with one of my hives. It swarmed early in the spring, i caught it, house the swarm and they are doing fine. Its the original hive left to raise a queen that got me perplexed. Its a double brood and i knocked back all qc except one then went away on...

Found this and thought it well explained and helpful to any newbees struggling to grasp the complexities of swarm control...

hello all, i have two hives that have been bursting for a while but no qc . i took the necessary precautions and moved hive 1 onto double brood. i split the nest over both brood boxes, 4 above 4 below with foundation around and one frame of foundation in between each end of both brood frames...

I took my chances for an inspection of a hive today. Weather is warm but a tad windy in dorset this afternoon. I was inspecting this hive that has been building up nicely last week. Reason bring i have time today and its not raining..They are AMMs. Well upon inspection last week as i was looking...

So this is the first year theres been rape near me. Ive noticed bees coming in with it with their heads dotted with it. Some covered completely. So one hive is near to filling a super but not yet capped. My questions are... how long can you leave it on the hive? Do you whip them off once capped...

I’ve been waiting on Royal Mail to deliver new brood foundations and frames to take my last bursting colony to double brood. Today is the first day it’s not been raining to get in and get them onto double. I knew at last inspection time was of the essence. So today have found heaving colony of...

Hello all. First can i say a huge thankyou to Peter L and the beautiful queens i got from him last season. I have been extremely busy and not able to to do full inspection till today. Both buckfast hives are bursting. 2 full frames each end of stores and 8 full frames of bias with very little...

Hi all, i opened up the tops of my hives today to replace some fondant. Very busy flyers orientating and bringing pollen in observed. When feeding fondant, on top of crown board ,i have ekes made up to the depth of a tub of fondant, to fill the empty space around the tubs i have insulation cut...