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  1. S

    Bee stings

    Prescribed by your GP/specialist. Don’t be concerned about tales of shortages and failures, just follow the advice. I was advised to carry a Jext 500mcg, which delivers the same dose I would give if I arrived in my ambulance. As for the OP, my reactions improved locally but worsened...
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    What did you do in the 'workshop' today

    Thanks. I’ve got a set of plans from you, although the diagrams are jumbled. I’m going to try “the apiarist” design as I happen to have wood of the correct size. Hopefully I can get something built and tested soon. Then I can get more out to the apiary for wasps and the winter. Do you use a...
  3. S

    What did you do in the 'workshop' today

    Downloaded an assortment of plans for Kewl/Underfloor entrances. Knocked up a bodge version to get my head round it and will cut the prices properly this evening.
  4. S

    Food hygiene certificate

    They’ve changed their tune. I spoke to Leicestershire Trading Standards last year. I wanted them to cast an eye over my labels and highlight any issues before I started selling. They offered advice at £53/hour and wouldn’t even talk to me for free! I’m registered with the local Dnv Health and...
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    Requeening after MAQS

    Yeah, I’m not convinced vaping under the floor works well. Perhaps more of an issue somehow with GASVAP type devices rather than the Varrox type? Think about your 7 vape comment - I was really bad at checking counts after the treatments. It’s an out apiary and I’d developed my allergy, so...
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    Requeening after MAQS

    I think it’s varroa. There are none of the classic CBPV signs anywhere in the hive. The pile isn’t an overnight thing. The stand is probably 6” off the ground, and it looks like many have been there for some time. The queen has always laid like a machine but having found a few bees who appear...
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    Requeening after MAQS

    Was horrified on Monday when I cleared the grass outside one of my hives and found a massive pile of dead bees. This hive have been great all year in terms of behaviour but have never really gathered too much honey or filled the second brood box. I’d seen a bit of DWV about 5 weeks ago but never...
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    Tips for an ivy honey crop

    Having missed most of my objectives for this year, but retained a sense of humour, I’m looking at my list again. I would like to try to get a super of ivy honey if possible. What is the best way to do this? I presume I need to keep a strong colony and make sure they don’t need feeding so as...
  9. S

    Mini nuc - QC fallen to floor

    Thanks all. I decided to envoke the Beekeeping methods of Shrodinger. I thought that if everything was OK in there, all I could do was mess it up. If everything isn't alright, I don't really know how I could quickly fix it. I'm due to open them up for flying this evening. I'll let them...
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    Mini nuc - QC fallen to floor

    So I went beekeeping with my mentor today in his hives. He’d run out of kit when we found a brilliant hive had loads of capped cells. As I had them in the car I made up 3 mating nucs, as much as anything just to give it a go. 2 have capped QCs, 1 has a virgin who emerged during an inspection...
  11. S

    Oops - “wet” OSR supers

    Good idea, thanks. I have one that is a bit weak. Could use them. Presumably I need to be careful not to induce robbing when doing it? Also occurred to me that I could soak frames in water to soak the honey out, but this seems a bit of a waste of the bees can make use of it.
  12. S

    Oops - “wet” OSR supers

    I was searching for my drawn super combs at the apiary. Turns out, after extracting 4 supers of OSR honey in May, I forgot to return them to the bees. Any left over honey in the comb is now like rock. Am I right to think that if I spray the combs with a little water the bees will clean out...
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    Queenless? What ARE they up to?

    Thanks for all the advice. I’ve united (with newspaper) this colony and one which is 100% queenless. I left the two cells they had started. Once they are united I will start adjusting the supers. Plan is to see if this odd box sorts itself out. If it does then I can shuffle frames to rid...
  14. S

    What's flowering as forage in your area

    There are bumbles working the two European limes (Linden?) in our garden. I can’t see any honeybees but there must be something. Brambles around my apiary were being worked yesterday. First clear signs of fresh nectar on the frames too.
  15. S

    Queenless? What ARE they up to?

    Ok, seems the consensus is that maybe, just maybe they may have a queen lurking. I’ll give them more time. Should I destroy the newly capped queen cells that are on the test frame?
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