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Rough guide is to over-box in the first half of the season up to about the Summer Solstice. At about this time the main flow kicks in and bees forget about expansion & replication in favour of consolidation - to bring in a big harvest to get them through winter. At the Solstice bees recognise...

Fair point; try it and see.

See eggs, you mean. Queen has most likely gone. Follow JBM's advice: reduce to one open QC, shake bees off all other combs and remove anything looking like a QC. Repeat 7 days later. Too late, because much of the foraging force has gone. Had you given another BB and a couple more supers...

As long as the queen lays, housebees will replace any losses, so that won't work. May drive the bees deeper into the vent system, esp. the queen, and complicate the job. Forget it; once wax is drawn they"ll stay. Either take apart the vent system and use a bee-vac, or seal all but one...

Balance initial cost against future long-term practical value, and factor in fiddly labour to assemble wood seconds. Abelo are best value National poly, not necessarily on price but on efficiency of use; if I had Lang, I'd choose Honey Paw: well-designed and good value. Never under-estimate...

You can have it in any colour from the Dulux range.

For best adhesion and longevity use Dulux Weathershield.

No, I reckon you might have oil seed rape near you. If so, bees will work it and may bring in nectar if temps. rise (needs warmth to produce) in which case, no need to feed. Point is that there is a direct correlation between weather, growth, flowering and honey bee income. To feed when nectar...

Mad! Ask why, if you get the chance.

Which of these yellows are in flower now?

What colour?

Follow this thread: Thread 'New nucleus' https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/new-nucleus.56758/

Not necessarily, unless the nuc is light. See the other thread, which asked similar questions. Yes. Top ventilation will hold back colony development. Seal the CB with a board of 50mm PIR, until you need to feed. No harm in that, provided they're not so full that the Q has nowhere to lay. If...

Yield is not related that significantly to the type of hive but depends mainly on colony management and hive location. However, a thermally efficient hive - such as the Abelo poly or the Turkish plastic Apimaye - will yield about 15% more honey; if a colony swarms then forget a crop; if the...

It is. Is this full of bees? If not, the void will drain nest heat and restrict colony development. As it's empty of stores and the BB is almost empty, take off the super. The size of the hive must match the size of the colony in it (confusing that you conflate the two). React to these changes...

Yes, masonry used to be the default recommendation but times change, and I'm going to use oil-based. Some years ago Murray at Denrosa recommended oil-based as it bonds better to poly. In fact, it melts the surface very slightly. By contrast, a knocked masonry surface will lose paint easily...

Worry comes with the territory, but try to relax. No need to feed unless the box is light; it should have travelled with a blend of 3-4 frames of brood in all stages, and 2-3 of pollen & honey. Will you upgrade to a full box soon? If nothing is coming in they won't draw comb on foundation, so...

Not sure what you mean by 'plastic', but if you mean Porter bee escapes, I'd save your money and do without. Bees propolise them, or a drone gets stuck and dies in the gate, and that's the end of it as a useful tool. It is against colony instincts to contract at this time of year by clearing...

Have one Sheriff and several BBWear, and the Sheriff is in the airing cupboard all year. Reason is that that while the BB fencing hood remains extended after years of use, the Sheriff collapsed even when new. I tried putting a BB hood on the Sheriff, but the zips are incompatible. Sheriff may...

I think you are an electronic human.