Have you tried exactly the same base recipe using a different essential oil?
Lemon grass and poppy seed is not a combination I’ve encountered before (I’m not keen on seed inclusions because they leave bits in the bathroom sink and I’m not a fan of extra housework 😉) however plenty available...
Do you have the IFRA document for the essential oil? A quick rummage online suggests a maximum percentage for safe use in bar soap 6%, but this will very depending on supplier.
Are you following a recipe from elsewhere or is this your own, also are you adding the poppy seeds at the same time...
I personally haven’t used lemongrass essential oil so I don’t know if it’s a common occurrence. What oils are you using for your soap base and what percentage of essential oil are you adding relative to the total weight of your soap mixture?
The Soap Kitchen and Sensory Perfection both produce food safe flavours and provide IFRA and other documents for their products.
Avoid US suppliers since the FDA regulations are far weaker than EU/UK and products may not pass CPSR. They often don't have the supporting documents you will...
Looking at your photo CVB, some flowers have five petals, some have six. This seems to be consistent with online images of Stonecrop, including one from the Encyclopaedia Brittanica which asserts 'usually five petals' illustrated by a photo with a mix of five and six, like yours.
Thank you; it will be a valuable talking point.
Pleased to see the queen is usefully occupied now.
What process do you use for nicotine smoking braula?
I use thymol and thus far no phoretic mites in my colonies (famous last words...😉) but I'm not sure I would have spotted the difference during a routine inspection. One 'waving' at me as in Anripode's photo here might draw attention, otherwise probably not: if expecting varroa that's possibly...
Would be interesting to hear how the rescue plan pans out, Antipodes; I hope it works.
Because of the superficial resemblance to varroa I'm beginning to wonder if we have braula in the UK but just not noticed...
He is a very good speaker; I saw his presentation at the BBKA AH conference in Leamington and we managed to have a brief discussion after his talk.
Whilst C19 has wrought havoc in many areas of existence, it has given us the chance with online meetings to learn from high quality speakers...
Tomorrow, August 20th at 8pm, Prof Xesús Feás will be giving an online talk on the impact of AH infestation on society generally, not just beekeepers. In his native Galicia forestry, viticulture and all outdoor activities have been affected. Register for free tickets on Eventbrite here...