Given the large number of nests found in 2025 (163), it was not feasible to complete the genetic analysis undertaken in previous years. Instead, Defra commissioned research using an alternative genetic method, to look at relatedness between the nests found in 2025. This method used far more genetic information per…
Odds and ends
A variety of late-season queen-related topics; finding, missing, marking, judging, and clipping them … together with discussions of some DIY ‘mods’ that make all these things easier. All that, plus the sad news that the season is pretty-much over 😞.
Just read the instructions
Licensed miticides, used correctly, are very effective at controlling mite infestations which would otherwise kill the colony. However, the manufacturer’s instructions for miticide use are often poorly worded, confusing or contradictory. Could they be improved?
Apiguard (Apilife Var & Thymovar) advice
Thymol-containing miticides offer many advantages (no mite resistance or wax-soluble residues) but must be used properly to be effective. Temperatures are critical, and high brood levels may negatively influence treatment efficacy. If you’re going to use them, understand their limitations.
Are slow-release oxalic acid strips the solution?
Slow-release oxalic acid (OA) strips are for use on colonies rearing brood, in contrast to one-shot trickled or vaporised OA. Are they an effective solution for winter treatment when predicting broodlessness can be tricky, and when climate change is making it increasingly rare?
Super tips and tricks
Everything you wanted to know about honey supers but were afraid to ask. Adding, managing, removing, lifting, extracting, nadiring, storing … along with anything else I can think of.
Taking stock
Why tolerate poor quality bees? Simple positive and negative selection strategies can produce significant improvements in colony behaviour. However, increased productivity and pathogen resistance (e.g. to mites and viruses) appear harder to reproducibly achieve.
Vexatious viruses
Do viruses really prefer virus-contaminated syrup? How much worse are viral coinfections of honey bees? Does miticide treatment kill mites, but leave virus levels damagingly high? Three recent papers on deformed wing virus, and their relevance to practical beekeeping.
Half-time
Midseason activities include managing late-swarming, rearing queens for overwintering in nucs, and making the best of the summer nectar flows … and, if that wasn’t enough, there’s the winter ahead to start preparing for. And now isn’t too soon.
The curse of laying workers
Laying workers, and the distinct but functionally similar rebel workers, are a curse in hopelessly queenless hives. Why and when do they occur, how can you prevent them from appearing, and how to fix things if they do.