Recent content by Limousin Lass

What is the latest you would use MAQs? I am running Dadants and Bees are working late Sunflowers.

Ask on here, http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php

I can't like this post enough. Why is there no "like" button on this forum?

This is my first full season, I started with 2 swarms last summer. I am doing some courses with my mentor at the moment and asked him this last week. He thinks we are 3-4 weeks ahead of last year and the forage gap will be in May. Fields of Oilseed Rape, Colza here ,that my bees are on is going...

I was taught that a shook swarm was the answer, also that antibiotics are banned now (is that just in France). Thought Chinese honey had been stopped because they had found Tetracycline s in it. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Moved my Bees to the Rape last week, so had a look. http://s1340.photobucket.com/user/lebonpaysan/media/Farm/BEES/01April14Bees026_zps2d6d4cd7.jpg.html

Looks bad for the South. http://www.weatherweb.net/wxwebtv2.php

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=en&CONT=euro&MODELL=gfs&VAR=prec

I've just changed my mind about buying a Camo Beesuit

Would you think putting an already established colony onto Rape is a good opportunity to do a split. I was thinking of putting another Brood chamber on top of the present one in the Spring as the Rape starts to Flower. I have been asked to move my hives onto some Rape further North of me. All...

Yes, you are talking about Club Root. When we started growing Rape 20 years ago there was a 7 year gap before it could go back in that field. The gap dropped to 5 then 3 years and some Farmers (we don't grow it here) now alternate Wheat and Rape. You would not have done that on our old place as...

You say the rape is there every few years. Just because you can't see it from the road , doesn't mean it's not on the farm. The farmer probably has a 2 or 3 crop rotation going. Wheat , Rape and Tenerife is a favourite with Arable farmers.

OK it was Tuesday, not today but I Hefted the hives, shut down the mouse guards to 2" and propped plywood against the fronts. Ground temps of -5 are in the 10 day meteo, though the Snow that was forecast looks less or we might miss it all together.

Why?

This is my 10 day forecast temps, I wouldn't open a hive in these temps but I only started this year and know nowt! Température minimale 0 2 2 4 -2 1 -1 -1 0 0 Température maximale 8 8 9 7 5 4 4 3 4 5 Température minimale au sol -3 1 0 3 -5 0 -3 -3 -2 -2 All with a good NE breeze