I tried to open the link but got a fail Keith, can you check the link is valid for you?
The more you think you are understanding bee keeping the more questions come into your mind. I have several decades at it now and am surprised at what comes into my brain.
eg, Now I am experimenting with a solar powered fan that is thermostatically controlled in the hive lid to aid in cooling the hive exhausting the hot air.
Cheers
The link is working for me @Peter48. Try this one: https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing?language=en
Your experiment sounds interesting. Maybe one day we’ll all be using your invention.
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That link worked, that is so interesting and about Australia, there is some more on that site with logical explanations and common sense. Thanks for the link.
Cheers
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I have read in other posts recently that for some hives in SE QLD, queens are not laying at the moment. I’m having trouble finding eggs in my hive. This could be that my eyesight is just poor or it could be something else.
I bought a nuc with 4 frames full of capped brood and 3 empty frames. I added an additional empty frame to fill the box. The hive has been busy for 2 weeks now, mainly drawing out honeycomb. The capped brood is still capped. Could it be possible that there’s simply nowhere for the queen to lay her eggs?
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Hi Keith, in this video at the 14 minute mark you’ll see how the queen has no control over how many eggs she lays.
My favorite beekeeping video, cheers
Thank you @JeffH. Interesting. I inspected my hive this morning and the number of bees has almost doubled! So there’s now plenty of room for the queen to lay and that’s exactly what she’s doing. So she’s been told to get cracking!
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You’re welcome Keith, take another look at that video & get a good understanding of the relationship between the queen & workers in relation to how many eggs the queen lays. A lot of people don’t understand that concept. You’ll hear people say “the brood is honey bound” or “there’s nowhere for the queen to lay”. If the colony wants the queen to lay, they’ll quickly move honey out of cells in order for her to lay. Then they’ll feed her accordingly. Also, it’s worth remembering that the queen can only lay the number of eggs that the size of the colony can feed & support, relative to what honey & pollen is coming in.
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With the lack of the Summer rain and the recent heatwaves there is a drop off in nectar coming into the hives, the plants are suffering from the lack of water so can’t make the normal amounts of nectar. The result is that there is a drop off of honey and so a drop off of the queen laying eggs. It is all a chain reaction. The colony tells the queen that there is a shortage of food to feed brood so they stop her laying and that conserves what food they have stored. If there is empty cells and if conditions were right then she would be back laying again but till we get some more rain the queen is taking a break.
Cheers
C’mon @Peter48, you can do better than that. Don’t make me break out my school teacher mode!
There IS - if is it one thing
There ARE - if it is many things. Empty cells are MANY things.
Go and jump into a swimming pool, I think your brain may be overcooking in the QLD heat, and Lysa needs you in top thinking form! 
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That’s great advise Dawn. 
(Oh dear I crack myself up sometimes!)
Did my first extraction yesterday from the Flow Hive, I only did one frame and got 2.16 litres which weighed in at 2.85 kilos. Three other frames are ready to go.
The hive was supered mid December.
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Picture perfect, Brad. Congratulations!
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I see a lot of information online about preparing hives for winter. I realise that this differs depending on where you are in the world. This winter will be my first as a bee keeper. So I’m keen to learn more about how bee keepers in SE QLD prepare their hives for winter?
From what I have seen, they mostly just take their shorts off and wear something a little warmer. 
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@Dawn_SD, I appreciate you sharing your observation. 
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Hi Keith, I’m at Buderim. I’m not like the bloke @Dawn_SD was talking about, I’m always suited up. However during winter I wear a bit more than under pants under my bee suit. Like yesterday morning for example, I wore a jacket over the bee suit as well. By lunchtime, I went back to summer beekeeping attire.
All you really need to do during winter around here is reduce the entrance a bit. Don’t have the entrance facing the South to West quadrant.
Get ready for early spring swarming. Can be as early as early July.
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Thanks @JeffH, that’s very reassuring (that there’s so little to do). My hive is in Tanawha which is close to you so your local knowledge is appreciated.
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You’re welcome Keith. Any time you have an issue, don’t hesitate to reach out on here. There’s lots of local advice available. @Peter48 & @Mrsmcnic are local, as well as @cathiemac who is north of Brisbane, just to name a few.
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