Search results

My 3 frame nuc has something like that around the front and I panicked a little too a couple of weeks ago, a quick check of the top bars put my mind at ease and I fed some thymolated syrup as there were very little stores. Yesterday the nuc was buzzing with loads of flying bees and lots of...

Been painting paradise honey jumbo langstroth poly b boxes yesterday and today, they recommend 3 or 4 coats, luckily the weather held out and it was nice enough to do it outside while watching the hive and the nuc coming and going. Bright orange and pale yellow pollen coming in. I did get...

Looks like some kind of insect poo, a beetle or grub of some description? Any signs of damage to the comb in that area? It's going to be warm enough (15c)to take a look on Tuesday I believe.

I'll be there as I'm only an hour away, swmbo decided she wants to come too so my spending will be curtailed ☹️. I just hope she doesn't discover the true cost of beeking equipment as everything I've bought online so far "only cost £15" haha 😟

I had a super with 10 frames of part drawn wax and 2 brood boxes stored with a tray containing acetic acid inside. Opened it to find the wires in the wax had corroded significantly and ruined the wax. Also the galvanised frame runners are knackered. Lesson learned.

Have you thought about a poly nuc and add that to the cost. People like myself who would buy a colony are probably starting out and would appreciate the colony to be housed in something that I could keep it in while it develops then move to a full size hive early next season? I picked up a...

Correct James. It's the other kind of vapes that contain glycerine, all of those people inhaling soap manufacturing byproducts, much healthier than smoking apparently 😐

The only product licensed for use in the UK is APIbioxal available from all good beekeeping suppliers. HOWEVER, the ingredients in APIbioxal are just oxalic acid and I think glycerine. I'm not suggesting you buy it but pure oxalic acid is available on eBay 😉 for a fraction of the price. It's...

I have the old battery off my Landover which was failing on the vehicle but plenty of oomph left for jobs such as this. Lead acid batteries can be bought quite cheaply from eBay and the like or put an ad in your local shop or on Facebook, I'm sure quite a few people will be changing batteries...

Sorry I didn't clarify, the drop was 5 on the first vape, 3 on the second and 0 on the third. I didn't think mite drop was a particularly good indicator so I did the recommended 3 to cover all stages of brood rearing. My queen was laying like a train in October and I've read that not all queens...

Thanks Ian, I didn't know that. I was just following what I'd read online but that makes sense if there is no brood present. I'll have to invest in a boroscope or learn to read the tray for cappings next year.

Good morning Norman, I was in a similar position to you a couple of months ago. I treated with apivar late on and wasn't sure if it would be too cold to open up to remove the strips but I was reassured after asking the same question and it turned out they were clustered and very docile. I think...

That's terrifying!

I bought a load from Amazon last week, it was 80p per kg. The deal has disappeared now though. They probably got hammered with orders.

I grease with a v. little petroleum jelly. I tried a sticky board as used in the greenhouse but it just caught 50 or so bees which had tried to re-enter the hive from underneath and got themselves jammed up in-between the mesh and the sticky board. I've not had any ants on there and would be...

Some solder and lots of flux down the tube to help with heat transfer and a couple of grub screws to be sure, that way there will be no need to widen the entrance as the screws will be flush.

I built a still a few years back, I tig brazed part of it but found silver solder sufficient for other parts (lead free) It all depends how strong a joint you need. You just need to remember to have a very good fitup for either process. If I were to build another I'd probably just gas braze the...

Yeah I saw that one with The big eyes. The mystery bee went down the same seam you can just see it's bum. The photo doesn't show the size of them they're easily as big as the queen I introduced and the old one I removed. Massive long bodies but slightly blunt unlike a queen . I'll definitely get...

Next vape is Christmas day weather permitting. I'll get a better photo maybe. Going to leave them to it until spring now apart from the oa of course, 3 more applications. I've had 0 mite drop this last week so could I forego maybe the final 2 vapes? The nuc with the old queen in is still doing...

Ah, mystery solved. I just nipped out and only managed to get a pretty poor picture of one of them as it disappeared down a seam. Can only just see it's bum and my phone seems to have merged it and adjacent bees like something out of "the fly". Ahh well. I think it was the vape brought them to...