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Having had a wander around the local area and finding (my) bees foraging on ivy industriously I'm sure it is. Not sure why there were only small, darker pollen loads from another ivy source 🤷‍♂️

The degree of regulation is different if less than 10%, look at the bottom of the regulated poisons section: "When the concentration of these poisons is lower, they are reportable poisons." So it becomes reportable rather than regulated.

Wandered past the hives this evening after the bees have been very busy during the day to hear a couple of them humming, with fanning bees at the entrances. That will be the quick-setting ivy honey that they then "can't use". Amazing all my colonies aren't packed with it after foraging on ivy...

My bees are very busy again today, I've no idea what they are foraging now as they have changed from small dusky yellow pollen loads to large bright yellow pollen loads.

Council recycling uses hot composting, the thorns will be fine.

If there's fighting at the entrance then robbing is likely. Close the entrance to allow just 2 or 3 bees to pass and hope for the best (unless you can move them away by 5 kilometers)

Your video didn't stay on the high point you looked at. Is there an opening they are scouting?

My mains pressure hot tank (heated by an immersion) has a pressure (expansion) vessel that is pumped up with air, so there may be  some exposure to air.

I thought this too, I suppose a strip of duct tape or similar over the edge would seal off the cavities.

I reckon I have enough of the stuff I don't use to not last about 30 years! 🤣

I looked at some of these machines on amazon after a previous thread, what really put me off was when I enquired about spare parts they couldn't provide any.

This would reduce the bees mobility over the top bars to access fondant or syrup, on the other hand in an adequately provisioned natural nest there would be no top void to bridge combs......

Yes

I still get it even with ultra-thin acrylic crownboards and more insulation on top than the sides have, so I suspect there is condensation on all hive surfaces. I have had very low winter losses though, so it doesn't seem to create too much of a problem to the bees.

That link doesn't seem to work, however I know what you mean, though does depend a bit on what sort of QE. I've been concerned fondant may be soft enough to migrate through a QE. A block of PIR with a hole cut for a takeaway container of fondant which has slots in the bottom, then another sheet...

I can't agree with this entirely, though it will reduce it. Using a poly hive with a clear acrylic sheet crownboard (top beespace) and a poly roof (and even with extra pir under the poly roof) I still get water droplets on the clear crown board.

If you are even considering putting fondant over the (hopefully currently closed) feed holes in the CB later in the winter I would remove the QE now to minimise distance & obstruction to them getting to the fondant.

Or get them to produce a national sized version!

Walls do look a bit thin - but still more insulating than wood. Price does sound the "too good to be true" alarm though. Shame it's not national sized!

We're in a similar position, part of the house dates back to 16th century, "newer" bit is elizabethan, apart from a new extension by us 20 years ago. Thick stone walls, listed so external insulation definitely out (& we wouldn't). We only installed double glazing a year ago, after having to...