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Cosmicwillow Guard Bee
Joined: 07 Oct 2015 Posts: 87 Location: U.K. Notts/Lincs/Yorks border
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:03 pm Post subject: Life after winter |
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One of my two hives appears to be working 'like there's no tomorrow', the hive seems to be filling up at a 'rate'.
The hive will eventually swarm or at least want to, is it likely early in the season and what are the signs to look for when a swarm is imminent.
Is it possible to split the hive before it swarms...how and when.
Thoughts anyone! |
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rays Nurse Bee
Joined: 09 Jul 2012 Posts: 25 Location: Vaud, Switzerland
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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At risk of doing Phil Chandler a disservice, in the current situation you can't want for much better than his original work on this topic: http://www.blackburnbeekeepers.com/Guide_to_Swarming_original.pdf
If this helps you now, you might want to invest in purchasing his more recent works, which take you through all the essential elements of looking after a top-bar hive through the seasons: http://biobees.com/books.php
No, I'm not on commission. But I have learned so much from Phil's writings and podcasts before I actually started with my own top-bar hive that I believe that others new to beekeeping could benefit equally and it's an opportunity to provide Phil with some reward for his dedication to bringing low-input, low-cost but thoroughly accessible beekeeping methods to a wider audience. |
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