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I've got just one hive with a bottom and top entrance and they seemed to largely use the top during the season, but I'll be checking on them again soon and I'll have another look now it's winter to see which they are using. . What about a top entrance only? What do they do then I wonder with...

What do they do with a top entrance?

I haven't found that to be honest.

I would have anticipated a residue of olive oil on the wax, but I assume you didn't find that happened? Is it an expensive leaf press? Stainless or aluminium? Please do post a little video in due course...

PM me if you like. There are a few unscientific myths bandied about.

I've rarely had much luck reintroducing a queen (after rescue) once they've been balled. Perhaps once or twice if put in a small nuc. I'll be interested to hear how you get on (y)

Yes, good idea when you have that second person. I get giddy spinning around sometimes.

After you take all your protective gear off, look out for bees on your suit etc. and any irritated bees still about, because not infrequently stings happen from bees hanging around on equipment, clothes etc. that you move with bare hands later.

Keep us advised!

We have a tree here that is apparently related to the Redwood. It's called King Billy Pine. Absolutely gorgeous figure at times. Here is a piece of salvaged wood as an example. Apparently it even produces viable seeds when grown in Scotland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athrotaxis_selaginoides

Yes, our climate favours the camellia too. This is a photo of them I took this morning.

That's a beauty!

I came across a whole bunch of hives in one of my sites recently where I had missing frames in the bottom boxes. I've missed putting frames in occasionally before, but not to that extent. I once put an entire box on a hive (with frames in it) upside down...they didn't fall out (as I lifted it...

I see. They are the ones I would have guessed. We call the dealbata "Silver Wattle" (beautiful coloured timber) , the melanoxylon "Blackwood" (renowned timber) and longifolia "Coast Wattle". I've got the silver wattle and coast wattle in my home garden. The first photo is the current state...

Great post Admanga. Ventilation has been argued about by beekeepers for a very, very long time. I was looking in an old American Beekeeping Journal a few years ago (perhaps from the 1870's) and there was a report there where the matter had been discussed at a meeting of some sort and the vote...

There are so many different ones. First cab off the rank is the Cootamundra. Yet to flower are the silver, the black and then the coast wattle, the blackwood (acacia melanoxylon, that's the one that produces the magnificent timber) and so on. All up, they flower for months on end. Here is a...

The English came to Tasmania originally to get the eucalyptus trees for boat building as you’d run out of decent trees over there. Beat the French to them.

With the passing of the shortest day down here, and the wattle blossoms out, hope springs eternal for the new season.

I go and have a look on the sixth day after emergence....providing I've done my sums correctly, I will sometimes see her. They will mate at 14 degrees, which is quite cool. I've only once seen one return with the mating signs and managed to get the camera out and film it🥸 The Apiarist has a...

Yes, and they are an explosion waiting to happen when there is a fire. Perhaps they are like a camel and drink up water when they can? What has happened here recently is that under stress, the trees defences are down and then they get attacked by insects. These photos show leaves of the...