Recent content by sainfoin

On 23 Jan on Facebook/ Beekeeping Photos sent their latest stuff which included some info from Futurism.com. They were commenting on some research by German scientists from Hohenheim University published in Scientific Reports. Please look for this yourselves but they have inadvertently...

I thought I'd read on the BBKA or Fera that Virkon S would work. We use it a lot for chicken house cleaning and sterilizing stuff during foot and mouth so it seemed ok. I will try contacting the Virkon website and see if they give advice.

I think I am more likely to burn than singe my equipment so am planning to scrub with Virkon and then use the hot air stripper after suspected Nosema. I'm burning the frames though its a wrench to lose apparently clean drawn frames. Is this a reasonable approach or should I reverse and Virkon...

I thought MAQS sounded a great idea and was keen to try it wasn't too sure after the first year but still persisted reckoning to give it a reasonable try before trying something else. I do think this time that because of the very wet weather I applied them later than ideal so probably your right...

We personally have flowery fields and bumble bees did very well with us last year. I spend a lot of time cutting thistle heads after they've flowered to avoid total thistle overload. To avoid animal damage and preserve the bees from the nuiscance neighbour they are not in the ideal place but...

We live in a very windy, rainy area of Cornwall and the bees are kept out of the wind sheltered by trees. I cut the branches back so they get as much sunlight as possible but keep the bramble growth within bounds. Sadly yesterday, the first its been warm and dry enough to look I found three dead...

I have to look hard to see the bees in the sycamores as they seem to head for the tops but the whole tree is one big buzz. OH says he can see them with no trouble. Personally however hard I search have never seen a bee on the hawthorns and we have lots.

just opening here too.

Lidls proved to be completely gloveless! Don't know why, considering the stings happen anyway, but I am just too wimpy for no gloves indeed with one of the hives would really prefer total armour. I do already use washing soda to clean my hive tool between hives and should have thought to do the...

Not in my first youth so I use a small slim hive tool and often find I'm stung on the inside of my hand where my fingers curl round the tool when lifting the frames. Well the other hand gets stung too in the same place, (finger next to little finger) holding the other end of the frame. Any hints...

neighbours, neighbours, neighbours, fences We did what you hope to do but with horses and rare breed cows in mind. Many happy years but now one of those neighbours. Make absolutely sure there can be total access rights, no problems with fences and no options for a malicious person to cause you...

As ordering starts at 12noon where is the list? Do you have to accept cookies to see it?

My first hive has, or maybe now had a white queen, but about midday today we saw a torrent of bees fighting to get out through the mouseguard. I can only guess that they need a new queen and the temperature had risen a little so they were attempting a mating flight. Yesterday I saw two drones...