Recent content by John Taylor

I have used intrances from the start of my beekeeping. They are expensive, some would say too expensive, but in my short 4 year experience they work extremely well, no wax moth at all, very very few wasps get in and no robbing as far as I am aware. I do not use the super entrances now as I have...

I really admire the whole construction. Full flexibility for "bee manipulation" too. Did I even see a gas filled strut used on the roof? Brilliant!

Should have said 460x460

4 for me please, no rim or central hole.

I should have said that this forum is very enjoyable and extremely informative

Plenty of bramble, dandelion, campion and many other wild flowers, acres of buttercup but bees not so interested in that? They are extremely busy, no June gap it seems this year.

Thank you both for your helpful comments and reading list. The hedgerows are left fairly wild away from the lane sides and contain a lot of haw & blackthorn as well as damsons/damsines. I have a small young orchard of 20 or so trees of mainly heritage varieties, which my bees missed last...

Having started BK last spring, I currently have a garden apiary with 2 hives and am planning to expand this to 5 or 6 this year. I am surrounded by mixed woodland and plenty of 6 metre wildlife margins and hedges around not too intensely farmed fields. Trees are I guess a good source of...

Thanks for the explanation and I yes understand there would be stringent controls at the breeders end. As a general rule I have no objections to trade imports of anything but when there are excellent homegrown breeders , producers and suppliers why opt for imports? I would happily pay same...

As one of those back garden beekeepers and a newbie to boot, I have no intention of buying imported bees there are plenty of home raised queens and nucs to be bought from reliable BBKA members. So no, I will not be signing their petition.

I have used these since I began bee keeping earlier this year, two hives both equipped with Intrances. Very, very few wasps as bees can defend the holes easily because of the back plate, no mice and no signs of moth wax either! Easy to block off one or more holes in wild weather or numbers of...

I fully agree Greg but the timber sizes and lack of availability of deep boards is a pain. I have used best quality ply for the BBs but I am going to glue up timber next time around. Making Langstroth style would be a whole lot easier than National?

I am a first year bee keeper here is rural Staffordshire. I am also a DIY carpenter and so decided to build my own standard National hives. I read a lot about the subject beforehand and watched countless hours of videos and decided after encouragement from an established friendly BK to get...