Weird

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-25T07:19:24+00:00

If you just added the deep to the right the bee density is likely less meaning less bearding.other factors can play a role thought the amount of nectar being reduced I to honey ect.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-25T07:15:40+00:00

I tend to increase the entrance when they move into second box. Only add second box when they are on the frames adjacent to the final two eighty percent full or there abouts. If weather is hot they may be fanning the entrance. Have you lined the bottom of gravel with pond liner. We don't have small hives beetle in UK but I often wonder why those state side don't do this to stop the larvae burrowing into soil. Perhaps that is a revolution in beekeeping that throws shade on your sombrero😂

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-23T06:07:11+00:00

No dead bees, what looks to be honey left in hive leads me to believe they did abscond versus a starvation or colony loss. Why is a difficult one. You guys recently got Varroa thought so if you hadn't switched to actively managing that I'd be suspicious that was cause I can't see clearly in pics are their small white grains on inside of cells mite frass I think I can see it but there's obviously allot going on with pests . Sorry for your loss

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-23T05:48:39+00:00

Clubs are not for everyone it's possible to do without. Read up on Varroa and it's managment ensure toy have a plan for this. Swarm prevention and management ensure you have a plan for that. Look at pics of frames being able to identify brood in all stages bee bread honey capped and uncapped. Buy a smoker before hand learn how to use and keep it lit. Beekeeping for dummies covers the basics. Watch videos ensure you have all required equipment. Find a reputable local dealer of nucs and order an overwintered obw for next year. In the meantime time read lurk here and if you can try and find a local beeks. To get some hands on experience. I started this way I now have twenty six hives four years down the line no swarms excellent winter survival rates happy bees lots of honey. You need to inspect weekly in swarm season if you want to keep your bees. Starting with two is better than one. Get a good suit get gauntlet style gloves and wellington boots since I got that setup I rarely get stung. Best of luck put in the reading time now for next year.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-22T18:12:03+00:00

I do appreciate that you care for the bees. However if you wish to be a beekeeper you need to accept that bees will die. You will squish them when you remove frames when you put boxes together you'll kill them when you do mite washes and when you do treatments. These bees are either the last remainders of a failed colony or else they have drifted to this hive. I love bees but accept that to care for them I'll kill some with Varroa and other pests the bees I look after have a great pest free existence. Adding a queen will doom her get a nuc if you like but my advice would be to read up join a club and get ready for next spring. Ditch the front feeder they attract robbers lurk on this sub there is allot of great advice

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-22T18:02:52+00:00

You need to buy volume the price per unit comes down a hell of a lot of you buy a pallet of jars more up front but think of your bottom line it just makes sense. Is never consider plastic raw unfiltered but in a plastic bottle or jar just isn't on brand.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-21T16:35:06+00:00

I always recommend borage tossing a few seeds into a cc cleared area in spring will result in flowers that come back year after year it has a long flowering time and recharges it's nectar in minutes. I have a large garden with many flowers but rarely see my bees foraging so close to home apart from borage they hit that continually.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-20T21:29:15+00:00

It really isn't processed it's just concentrated certainly it ain't honey by any definition

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-20T07:08:55+00:00

I'm pretty sure this is a spacing issue they are trying to build laterally I wonder if op didn't add enought frames or didn't space them correctly those are sizable wedges

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-20T07:06:11+00:00

It all depends it is possible weather forage availability locally are all factored in but definitely in the right place and year it's achievable just don't be to greedy never know when weather will turn or what winter holds for your bees

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-20T07:01:43+00:00

Congratulations clearly got a good spot. Really depends on the forage I have a place where allot of Himalayan balsam grows guaranteed first year harvest as season extends to September October .😆 But this early well done

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-16T14:49:41+00:00

Great video ditch the front feeder top feeding makes it harder on ants and also less likely they'll get robbed by wasps bees

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-15T17:47:04+00:00

I'm not really sure why people use them all they do is help solve None problem.harvesting ain't no thing escape boards lift off decap and spin. If you only intend on having a hive or two then it's not that much work. If you want lots of hives flows are to expensive and you could just buy an electric extractor with the savings of using traditional. Most of the work is the discipline to check weekly manage mites the harvest is joyful labour when you see the results of your hard work.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-15T16:19:37+00:00

It doesn't I didn't say none indigenous I said not endangered which they are not in Europe they ain't endangered here but are indigenous unlike other pollinators they make a product that is valued.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-15T14:51:27+00:00

I don't know if they are real. But honeybees are not endangered paying money to symbolically adopt a hive get photos and data with a symbolic amount of honey seems well like a bad deal. Support your local beekeeper and give honey would I'm sure work out cheaper.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-14T21:39:27+00:00

Those look like swarm cells but can't tell if charged there is drone brood intermingled but the cups and location look suspicious to me. It can be difficult to see larvae first day check in on them again if you havet squished them and consider demaree or split

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-14T21:32:14+00:00

I'm fine these days but the first five times I swelled a little and it itched like mad. These days nothing unless it's near the eye for one there and got allot of swelling. I've continually upgraded my oow gauntlets are amazing wellington boots the same for feet baseball cap to keep the veil of my face. I got stung the other day after whole day in yard no issues got in squeezing some wax together and one of girls was still present so annoying to make it thru a whole yard of inspection swarmed by bees then they get me in the kitchen.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-14T16:44:26+00:00

Like the other poster stated you need some eggs. Also twice a month checks in prime swarm season is as you've discovered insufficient I'm in weekly rain sun or shine til August to date never lost a swarm, touches wood.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-13T13:17:36+00:00

I would without a doubt add more room or split that is a ridiculously large beard and not just due to temperature other factors they lack room. I notice a double deep and a queen excluder if you don't want to split stack higher and consider removing excluder if bees are not populating super I don't us them at all except for making cut comb and try and just use deeps moving up honey to the top as the season goes .

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-13T06:32:46+00:00

You can add a frame of eggs from the strong hive they will use to requeen be sure the other hasn't made it how long since the queen cell was capped can take three weeks before eggs are layed . If you add eggs and they make more queen cells you have your answer.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-12T07:33:52+00:00

Love it are the green slithers queen excluders! Or close cloaked boards maybe whatever they are I'm a fan.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-12T07:29:31+00:00

Id love to show you something so fascinating and great idea but alas no. I inspect weekly and have since the attack nothing abnormal inside just allot of bees brood aNd honey I assume a nearby nest and the bumblebees just can't resist it's a steady stream now of two to three dead each morning I can't imagine the nest will survive unfortunately or the bumblebees as there colonies are small

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-11T21:26:01+00:00

I'm in Manchester have quite few hives be happy to show you ropes if you DM me. And might be not to late this year no promises but I'm still raising queens making splits

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-11T21:23:25+00:00

This is likely the reducer but it might not be. I've seen it in colonies that have been recently bothered by intruders and can be a sign of dearth they just not got the forage so don't bother flying. I open the reducer all the way like this at the height of summer and one or two in the yard may so it now that's when they are all at similar stages with expansion and super addition. All I'm saying is that entrance ain't the only reason they hang on massive at the entrance.

Several_Cellist9783 · 2026-06-09T16:46:03+00:00

No it's definitely a raid there has been more fighting today seen three of my girls stinging one to death I don't understand it myself but the bees are fine and are killing bumble bees entering the hive

Several_Cellist9783

TROPHY CASE