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  1. Chris58

    MJBee has left the hive.....RIP

    Just to let you know there were three beekeepers at the funeral this morning. Ashes being interred 4.00pm St Estephe cemetery, Dept.24.
  2. Chris58

    MJBee has left the hive.....RIP

    I'm sad to say that this morning MJBee left the hive for his final flight. Many of you know the amount of help he gave to us all. He will be sorely missed as friend and mentor.RIP
  3. Chris58

    Anyone around Piegut/Nontron with spare bees?

    Unfortunately, we've either had a swarm or something, and our remaining hive of bees have gone! They re-queened last year and were very strong (one and a half) in Feb. when they woke up, seemed ok, had stores, but on opening last week, just a few dead bees, no queen there and nothing else. Still...
  4. Chris58

    Hive Alive BBC2 On Now!

    Watching now - the observation hive seems to have a lot of sealed drone cells. Hope this is not live - surely late for drone cells!
  5. Chris58

    Size: Queen wasp Vs European hornet Vs Asian hornet

    The European hornet seems to be a lazy bugger, and not interested really in stinging you, but the Asian seems to go for everything just for the heck of it! I was inspecting a hive last year when one appeared to my side, hovering waiting for my bees to come out the top! Over here they say if you...
  6. Chris58

    Hornet trap

    As Luminos says, over here we use plastic bottles and mix a concoction of fruit juice and alcohol! Last year the Asian hornets were flying around the hive when we opened them and were try to get the bees from the top of the hive - thankfully there were not many. They do say though that hornets...
  7. Chris58

    Asian Hornet

    Through the traps we've managed to kill a few around the hives - this year definitely been more European than Asian though.
  8. Chris58

    New jars, would you wash them first?\

    Over here in France we use plastic pots with plastic 'pop-on' tops. Even then I wash them and rinse them before filling. Can't sterilise them but everyone uses them!
  9. Chris58

    My dog smells awful

    Some cats apparently can detect illnesses by their change in behaviour towards their owners. A normally friendly cat can and will become indifferent or unhappy to be around someone who has a serious illness like cancer. I just thought my two were like that all the time- indifferent to everyone!
  10. Chris58

    What did you do in the Apiary today?

    Spent a time watching the front of the hive with a worker firmly clasping a drone and 'frog' marching him away from the entrance of the hive. He got back to the entrance several times and each time a worker grabbed him firmly around the body and marched him back up the front/up the side of the...
  11. Chris58

    Straining honey with muslin

    I just put the extractor on a higher surface then have a large metal strainer and put a sheet of muslin in that - double strainer and rest it across the bucket below and in front of the tap from the extractor! If the muslin was wet wouldn't it add water content to the honey as well?
  12. Chris58

    3 of 4 'Bee Quick' and clearer boards

    Our bees don't like/use the porter escape - they just can't pass through them! We have 2 supers on and have discovered top supers rarely have many bees on - so we move lower frames to higher super and collect the following week - just lightly brushing off remaining bees. Seems to work.
  13. Chris58

    Well, it was like this, dear.....

    (He's asleep beside me at the mo - so shuush -) I just love this beekeeping - doing our bit and managing to pollinate the veg and fruit on our land - don't need bribery (yet), but if it wasn't for a certain local beekeeper he might have given up when badly stung a couple of years ago! So thank...
  14. Chris58

    What did you do in the Apiary today?

    Checked first hive, 2 supers, filling and starting to cap. Saw eggs so left it at that (Phew - thought we'd lost her!). Bit pingy but so would you be if you thought someone was trying to pinch your honey - will recheck for capped honey at end of week. Second hive again 2 supers, nearly all full...
  15. Chris58

    loads of pollen but no nectar

    Balsam in flower - white legs seen arriving when inspected today- and they're busy on the lavender in garden.
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