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Just wondered whether anyone knew whether as a Bee Association, with income coming in from Membership Fees and a small amount of Honey Sales, whether the group is obliged to submit a Tax Return each year? And leading on from that what are the benefits to an Association becoming a Charity? Many...

Can anyone give me some advice on becoming affiliated to the BBKA with a new Bee Association? Questions are: 1. Does the BBKA have any requirements about the membership or experience of the beekeepers? 2. Does it take into account other Associations in the same area before allowing...

Here in Dorset we have just finished the local Honey Shows and as always the thorny topic of judging rears its ugly head. Please don't think I am posting from a position of bitterness. Far from it, I personally secured a range of firsts, second and third prizes. However, a number of entrants...

I help look after one bee hive that a school has on its roof in front of some windows from where the pupils can observe it in safety. It is perfectly placed and has been there for a number of years. Access to the hive is via a ladder. Unfortunately, the school need some glazing work done on...

I applied MAQ strips for the first time this afternoon and didn't read the instructions properly. I didn't realise their were two strips per satchet and need to be divided and instead unwrapped the plastic wrapper and put the contents of two satchets on each hive i.e. four strips. What to do...

Yesterday afternoon I noticed thousands of bees sitting on the front of a nucleus box which had previously contained a cast swarm I had collected on Saturday, very locally, which was only filling about two seams of the six frames within. Thinking it was this cast swarm again making a move I...

Has anyone actually been present when a new Queen either hatched and/or took her maiden flight? I performed a Demaree artificial swarm and know that the capped cells were due to hatch either today or tomorrow. The hive with them in has been virtually dormant up until this lunchtime when...

If this has been discussed before my apologies. Our Association has its AGM on Friday and we are discussing the thorny question of whether to remain affiliated to BBKA. BBKA have just put their Association Membership fees up by £2 per person and many members are rumbling about this as well as...

Was just talking to a refuse collector friend of mine in Poole, Dorset. Apparently, this morning, bin collectors rolled a bin to their van, put it on their normal lifter on the back but when the lid opened as usual, after it was tipped upside down, about 20,000 angry bees flew out and into the...

Never happened to me before with a swarm! Went to collect a swarm that was conveniently resting on a twig on a bush about 4 feet up. It had come from a colony in a recess behind a grill just under the roof of the owners house which was clearly visible. He doesn't mind it there at all and says...

I want to move four bee hives no more than 3 metres but into an old shed with part of the roof removed, which means the hives will be behind a 8 foot white wooden 'wall'. Bees were flying yesterday and today so have I left this too late for this year and if not any tips for success? Many thanks.

I was telling a woman at work about bees coming out for a poo only when the weather gets warmer during the winter and she came up with a very good question which was "what does the Queen do"? Anyone know?

Collected a swarm last night which was widespread over a house extension roof about 14 foot up. Swept them into a nuc box but many took flight and I thought at the time this will be a miracle if I've got the Queen. However, got in as many as I could and then left the box until just before dark...

Can't work out what I'm doing wrong! Going by the book in uniting colonies: Two sheets of newspaper under a QE at lunchtime on top of the stronger hive with four needle holes in them. Leave alone with roof on. Put the weaker hive on just before dusk. Put a roof on. Three times, after three...

Hi advice please. Gathered a swarm for my bro-in-law who had an empty top bar hive. Gently poured the bees in but they immediately swarmed out the holes and top and collected in a tree above us. Cut the branch down with swarm on and guided this into the top bar hive where it remains. Allowed...

New website for East Dorset Beekeepers Association can be found at: http://www.edbka.org.uk Always looking for new members.

One of my hives last season lost its Queen which was confirmed by the local Bee Inspector in September who said there was no way the colony would survive the winter. By some miracle it has and the damn workers are actually laying again! How long can this feasibly go on for?

A bit of a conundrum I need help with please. My family and I are moving house sometime after Christmas. It is only about a mile away. We have three bee hives. Given that the bees will probably not be coming out of the hive much in this period: 1. Is it safe to move the hives straight to...

Actually the question isn't very well-worded but: Given that we know that a swarm is instigated by worker bees losing a strong enough scent of their Queen (usually by overcrowding) which stimulates them to lay Queen cells. Then why does the same not apply when the colony lose a Queen, for some...