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I have 4 queens overwintered in apideas.
Two of them had dwindled to the point where a couple of cold nights would have done for them.
I caged both the queens and made up a 2 frame nuc with each.
A frame of brood and a frame of stores and pollen in a poly nuc filled out with poly dummy frames.
Luckily I have a couple of colonies strong enough to take a frame of brood and bees from.
I left them closed up for 24 hours after making them up on Tuesday and let the bees ...

The bees seem to have overwintered well.
I have ten colonies at my allotment in various polynuc and wooden box configurations.
Gavin Ramsay was able to cast his eye over them on Monday as he was in Belfast for the Ulster Beekeepers Conference at the weekend where we heard his presentations on bee communication and other topics.
Most will advise that it is far too early to check bees but I like to have a quick check around mid March to ensure that queens are laying and that they ...

anyone near argyll have 5 frame nuc for sale?

Iam thinking of making my own foundation can anyone advise me of a good mould release.

Went round them all today - 15 colonies for the local association plus ten of my own. Trickling the 25 colonies in four apiaries up to 10 miles apart took 3 hours. Nice to see Lorna at the association apiary helping out. OK, I only did 24 as one of mine boiled out and flew in numbers at me when I prized off the corner of the crown board. I'll try it again in a few days. Otherwise they were mostly clustered to varying degrees of compaction.

My impressions? At three apiaries their ...