Recent content by Christine Hamilton

Wordle 1,050 3/6 ⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

After the really cold spell we’ve just had and then adding a few days on giving 11 to 12 days so pretty sure that there will be very little if any sealed brood. The science clearly shows that getting rid of as many varroa as possible in early winter gives the best start for the following year.

Ive done mine today with a Gasvap. All the experts seem to recommend early December rather than the Christmas - New Year week.

I have bought a Gasvap and will use it in the next few weeks. Do I need to block,up the floors of the hives before use? I bought the full kit. Do you have any tips for me?

A few years ago I was on a farm in France with husband and daughter. My daughter had a cough and the farmer brought us some miel and told us to make up honey and lemon. As this was a standard thing of my childhood I was happy to do it. For whatever reason I didn’t try the honey first. Once my...

To join or not to join. I’m a member with no regrets. I like the magazine, I find it informative. I’m happy to have the insurance. I’ve joined the local club which has been extremely helpful for advice and support and they are lovely friendly group. I’m impressed with the way that they are...

Very bad very me in north Lancs. Full supers in June were emptied over Summer . That teaches me a lesson to remove at least some of the full ones as the year goes along.

Your scenario is only true if there is a shortage of forage. If there is a lot of forage then four queens wil thrive and there will be four times the offspring, than if they weren’t killed in the Spring. If there is a shortage of forage and three are killed then you may get a larger nest from...

Ive seen photos of the AH compared to EH and bees and wasps but ive not seen photos of queen AH compared to workers. What is the size and appearance differences. Does anyone know?

It looks like the drink bottles do much better than the proprietory traps. Do you just leave the top off or do they have an entrance lower down?

The ascetic acid evaporates after a week. So it’s hardly there all winter

The brood supers stay in the colony for three years and then get replaced. They are never in storage and never mixed up with the honey supers.

I use brood and a half with the super on top so it’s not heavy to move and leave the full brood unmoved at the bottom. This configuration gives them the extra room they need for a good sized brood nest.

What’s the best way to store the empty frames to prevent wax moth and mould growing on them?

I discovered the Apiarist a while back. There is so much on there. I also use Wally Shaws booklets as a guide.