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Beekeeping

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moonbells:
So how on earth do you tell if they're going to swarm?  This wasn't clear from the websites I read...  is is simply more queen cells being produced? More drones?

The thought of faking a swarm to stop them actually doing it was quite daunting!

moonbells

Robert_Brenchley:
The first obvious sign is queen cells; by that time they've probably decided that they're going no matter what. The traditional tactic of breaking down the cells is a waste of time; I did it with one hive last year as I was too unwell to manage anything else and it was a disaster. First they swarmed anyway, and I had to sneak in to a neighbour's garden to recover a massive swarm hanging in an apple tree (wish I'd had the camera with me, it was a classic), then the queen disappeared, leaving them with neither swarm nor young enough brood to make another. I eventually found the queen in the next door hive, which had been requeening itself, but I lost that hive, simply because I was too unwell to look after it as it deserved.

If you don't have space for en extra hive the best way to deal with it is by demareeing, which involves setting up a hive with two broodboxes separated by queen excluders and a super. The top one has 90% of the brood, the bottom one has the queen, foundation or empty comb, and a little brood to keep the bees in there. The top one raises a new queen (and needs its own entrance), and you recombine them later. It's quite simple, though unless you fancy hoisting 40-50lbs of broodbox (or 70-80lb if you use12x14's like I do) to chest level it needs planning. This is where you need spare gear, but if you get a couple of nucs to start with, you waon't have to worry about anything like that till your second season. If you get hives in Thorne's winter sale (on now) they're quite reasoonable, though any other time Thorne's is a ripoff.

Toadspawn:
Moonbells
Where do you live to keep bees? Oilseed rape (OSR) is not grown everywhere so is not always a problem. In parts of E Anglia the hives are rarely more than 2 miles from rape and rape honey is often the major honey crop. It is a case of being smart and trying to extract it before it sets in the comb or after it has set scraping back to the midrib and then melting the wax/honey mixture and removing the wax when cold.
In the West OSR is less commonly grown so honey setting in the frames is less common.
One of the problems with OSR honey is that any left in the comb will 'seed' the next crop which may be encouraged to set aswell.
If you know you will get OSR honey it is possible to work with it. Don't let this put you off.

I would also recommend contacting the local beekeepers association for help and advice. Beekeepers are very helpful and friendly and you may be able to buy a stock and/or equipment secondhand or at a reduced price.

Robert_Brenchley:
Do I gather you have bees as well, Toadspawn?

moonbells:
Toadspawn: Chilterns.  Fields of the stuff everywhere to set off my hayfever...

Robert  - yikes - 70-80lbs? I have a duff back and can only lift 10-20lbs at most without putting myself in bed for a week.

I hoped you could lift everything in sections... or is this what you mean by needing two - so you can shift bit by bit?

Is it a new queen that goes with the swarm or the old one?

moonbells (sorry for all the annoying questions)

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