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50mm PIR (Kingspan etc) on top of the crownboard. I fit it in an eke like this but others fit it inside the roof, sometimes removing the strips of wood round the inside edges.

I'm not! (Apparently I'm not very clear either!) I wrote: Thür argued that the health of the colony depended on preserving the hive atmosphere, which he described as warm, humid, odorous, germ-free and pheromone-laden – a microclimate that should not be ventilated away. And how are we to avoid...

I wrote a response to David Wilkinson's article on Derek Mitchell's research in the October issue of BBKA News. It wasn't printed in the following issue so I'll attach it here. Easy to ignore and not click! :)

Yup, we're thinking the same thoughts Neil. I'm going to put it in the winter jobs list.

A number of us on here put a piece of 50mm PIR (Kingspan, Celotex etc) at the top of the hive. That could be inside the roof or on top of the crownboard inside an eke. This is one of the frequently recurring topics here so you'll find pictures and many different approaches if you open a search...

I'm a bit concerned that I do nothing to maintain my Konigin 12-frame extractor except good cleaning. I looked up the manual and found this: Care and maintenance of the machine No special preparation is required for general cleaning. After removal of the honey, clean the unit with warm water...

1970 was the last year that the Latin and Greek exams required translation from English into a dead language. Pity I wasn't a year younger.

That's great to hear, Steve. Also a good outcome for your beekeeping career! Year's ago, when I heard the old air borne - insect borne pollens argument against honey providing any relief from hay fever, I felt so smug. To move on from that bad place, I now think it's fine to say to interested...

Thank you (for 2.) I shouldn't have mentioned it. I was really hoping to hear what people thought about honey shows becoming more about tasting than looking. If they can manage it at Apimondia, it should be possible anywhere else, being smaller scale.

That's a rather narrow interpretation of 'corner'. I had a wonderful cycling holiday in south Bavaria in the 'Pfaffenwinkel' which translates as the 'priests' corner' - because there is so much evidence of religion there. Anyway, what I really want to say is: Is nobody here excited at all that...

That was a little reminder of a great read for me some time ago: Children of time, Adrian Tchaikowsky

Pallet dismantling us a no-no for me. I cut the boards with a battery circular saw beside the nails and don't take any which will give me pieces shorter than 460mm.

I carried a pallet home at the end of the dog walk this afternoon. An hour later I had four very serviceable ekes. Then I used some offcuts of 50mm PIR to make a cosy for a mini nuc (Apidea). This is a colony which was hiding in the honeysuckle when I was closing down my queen raising stuff at...

I quite like the idea of tasting honey rather than just looking at it. From the above link: THE GLOBAL HONEY BAR - Every Taste is a journey! Join us at Apimondia 2025 in Copenhagen and set off on a delightful journey through the world of honey. At The Global Honey Bar, you’ll get the chance to...

I've just finished my supply of hex jars and the new ones are round (and smaller, so they look fuller). I've not considered that my wide (85mm) labels don't work on hex jars, but I'd admit that they are easier on the eye on round jars. As for honey judges, they just don't rate my efforts at...

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Yesterday I went to the further away apiary with my InstantVap. I've boasted before about how it does x hives in x minutes on one battery. Turns out it doesn't manage any hives if you forget to take the batteries. Job done today, in the cool misty air. What happened to the warm temps we were due?

I didn't expect my much-loved STC1000 to break, but the heating part of the thermostat failed. Result: the cooling part stayed on, struggling to keep the heat down. I spotted it before any honey was damaged. It was a simple matter to get a new unit, fit it, and see everything working again...

Getting a decent hourly rate is not just about covering your expenses but also being efficient and getting a lot done in an hour. I've kept tabs on income and expenditure and am only now in the black. I haven't kept a note of time spent. Having a lot of colonies forces you to get more out of...

Fantastic! Big time saver I think.