Apidea Mating Hives
Apidea Hives come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Just a few can be seen below.
Nucleas, Apidea and Mating Hives
Apideas need to be perpared before use. Apideas (unlike Warnholz) have a three sided frame. I cut up old foundation, it doesn't need to be terribly well fitting, as I join it with wax.
Adding Foundation to Apidea/Mating Hives
Pouring beeswax on to Apidea/Mating Hive frames
A few spare drawing pins added to the Apidea - its always handy to have a few to hand
Apidea Frame ready for use
Apidea / Mating Hive ready for use - Notice the slab of candy in the feeder
Queen cell ready for Apidea / Mating Hive
Queen cell added to a Apidea Mating Hive - Held in with a paper clip. Notice its been loaded with a cup of bees.
Frames of Apidea / Mating Hive are starting to be drawn (Apologies for the picture but it shows a particular problem with the "Apidea" brand - its very easy to get the queen trapped inside the feeder - and you can see this in the picture.)
Examining an Apidea / Mating Hive
Finding the queen bee
Still not found the queen - is she here?
Reassembling the hive
Wasp Trap helps to minimise robbing on this Warnholz (This tip was courtesy of Clive de Bruyn)
Simple shape (with mesh to finish) makes the trap. Bees find the side enterance, but wasps seem to have more trouble
Beekeepers examine a Warnholz Mating Hive - Painting the hives helps the bees to recognise their own hive
Queen bee on Mating Hive Frame