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Can the posters on this thread recommend the best hive for a newbie?
Please do. Have a look at what other beekeepers in your area are doing. If you find a lot of them are keeping bees on 'hive and a half', meaning a broodbox plus a super for the brood, it's worth thinking about 14x12's, as they're a lot bigger than single broodboxes, and easier to handle.
I tried it once, and hated it. If there's one thing that upsets bees, it's having the broodnest torn in two. Inspections took about three times as long as they ought to. With 12x14's, the frames are a little clumsy to handle, but an inspection is almost as simple as with a standard National box.
How are everyone's bees doing? I found quite a bit of drone brood the other day; in another three or four weeks I'll have to start thinking about swarms. The more the merrier, as long as they don't come from my hives!
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on April 11, 2011, 18:48:55How are everyone's bees doing? I found quite a bit of drone brood the other day; in another three or four weeks I'll have to start thinking about swarms. The more the merrier, as long as they don't come from my hives!Well the first Q cells I saw were April 14th, over half my 15 hives have tried to propegate - my strongest hive had the third super added on Good Friday...and theres no rape near me but I have 3 hives in a pear orchard and it was one of them.Only problem is it's been sold to developers( unknown to me) and suddenly I've been given 2 weeks to leave. I have to vacate this week :-[anybody know of an available site for an apiary in South Bucks ?