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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #10642  by Alfred
 23 Apr 2021, 08:59
Welsh border- the wrong side of the tracks in the East -West divide that no-ones even heard of!

I cut down all my borage in early November -I was sick of the sight of it.
Without early frosts it had mostly yellowed but there was a few bits still flowering.
 #10644  by AdamD
 23 Apr 2021, 09:29
Borage is good at producing volunteers - so you may well see some of it around and about.
 #10645  by AdamD
 23 Apr 2021, 09:44
Checked a few colonies yesterday,
  • One queen with a few random drone cells and was walking around in circles a couple of weeks ago has gone, leaving a supercedure cell that was attached between two combs. A spare queen that went in a week ago has been accepted..
  • One colony that was very small after winter is now recovering in a nuc and growing. With frosts at night and the temperature barely reaching double figures over the past weeks, they were struggling to get going in a big box.
  • Another colony has acute bee paralysis virus with dead bees outside the hive entrance and trembling bees on the landing board I will just have to see if the recover although I might move them onto clean comb and see if that helps.
  • My home apiary and out apiary are surrounded by OSR but the nectar is staying in the fields as it's too cold. Very annoying! Although the wild plum tree above my shed was buzzing yesterday and dandelions are out too.
  • The rest are more or less OK, although small for the time of year. Whoever said that beekeeping was straight-forward?
 #10660  by Alfred
 25 Apr 2021, 17:20
Managed to get round every hive for a full inspection.
Removed a stores-bound frame from a few of them.
Id dyed the thymolated syrup ,as per japeyedges idea ( what's happened to him?)
So I was able to easily identify it and luckily they hadn't moved it upstairs.Some of it had started to crystallize so not before time.
Two colonies fully intend to burger-off next week so the apideas now are at full capacity....
None of the others are putting up any qcs???
Ill be snelgroving them this week - any tips from the forum Alumni?
Three or four solid frames of honey capped in the snelgrove candidates so Ive had those out before they gorge on them.
 #10665  by Bobbysbees
 25 Apr 2021, 21:34
Spike wrote:
19 Apr 2021, 20:27
Bobbysbees wrote:
16 Apr 2021, 22:18
Did my first inspections yesterday. knocked down a few charged qc and removed a full frame of drone brood from my smaller colony. Gave both a super of plastic foundation and some thin syrup to see if they will draw it.
about a month ago I took a split off my larger hive went through that and found a sweet little virgin queen and very little brood left to hatch. So today gave them a frame of capped brood to try and keep the numbers up till the princess is mated and laying.
If I'm right she has around 2 weeks to get mated or she will be no good. I have plenty of brood/eggs to give them if she doesn't come to anything.
Think I may have been a bit premature with the split but there are plenty of drones around now and I saw capped drone brood when doing the split. So thought I would give it a try in the hopes of giving them a head start on the season.
Anyone find their bees arnt keen on plastic foundation?
What part of the country are you in?
The scottish borders Just across the Reo Tweed lol
 #10666  by MickBBKA
 26 Apr 2021, 00:48
AdamD wrote:
23 Apr 2021, 09:44
  • Another colony has acute bee paralysis virus with dead bees outside the hive entrance and trembling bees on the landing board I will just have to see if the recover although I might move them onto clean comb and see if that helps.
I find if you give them lots and lots of space, far more than they would normally require they recover very well. Think Covid. Cold weather like we have had for the last 2 months and lots of bees in a restricted space is the perfect environment for virus contagion, but we all know that now don't we........
 #10679  by NigelP
 27 Apr 2021, 10:16
Wow, some hives have supers almost ready to extract, first signs of swarm preparations in a couple.
Setting up first mating nucs today (lots of drones about and lots more on the way) may as well crack on.
It's chilly North Yorkshire and it s only late April.....
 #10685  by Alfred
 27 Apr 2021, 18:00
Totally failed to spot queen's in the colonies that really want to leave,so instead of snelgroving I had to just go double brood with qx so I can at least see which boxes they are in

maybe... :?
 #10713  by Liam
 29 Apr 2021, 17:31
Done a Demaree on one of my hives. Glad we got a reasonable day in to inspect as just started loading with queencells 😅. Looks like I have a full super of honey too.
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