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To follow on from my post above. I returned the Alize suit and order a StBK Pro suit (also in XL), which is much more like an XL (rather than a M-L)! It fits very well, seems comfy, is more khaki than the cream of the Alize (which is called khaki), and comes with a spare veil. On first try it...

Yesterday: I bought 2 complete National hives (from someone in our BKA) which were much better than described, along with some other bits and bobs. In the 'stuff' was an old Thornes smoker with perished bellows, so I replaced the material on the bellows and now the smoker is fully functional...

I bought one of the Alize suits, in XL, but it is really too snug for me (very snug around the chest and upper legs) and not that easy to get on and off. I'm well within the size guide on the website so i'm wondering if this particular one has been sized labelled wrongly (or, it's a ladies suit...

indeed! I've seen on BeeBase that there are 14 confirmed cases in my area - eek!

I've just had an alert from BeeBase that there is EFB within 3km of my apiary (well, it's my house as I don't have any bees yet).

Yep, I understand it now (which explains why the apertures on the crown boards of the hives we looked at on my beginner course this weekend were all covered up with a small, loose, block of wood) :)(y)

Now, that's confused me, as a beginner, as all the hives I've seen have vent holes in the roof (a hole/slit with mesh on the inside), surely the apertures in the crown board combined with those roof vents will provide top ventilation, and therefore ventilation (of sorts) through the hive from...

Ah right. But, @Finman surely the vent holes at the top of the hive are just as important as the underfloor entrance as the size of those will limit the amount of air that can flow 'through' the hive (same as a house - you can open a door but if there is no way for the air to flow through it...

Do you mean the entrance slot?

This is what mine is like (but I have a slide out varroa board in mine below the mesh by a couple of inches). Grabbed this pic of the net, this isn't mine.

Thanks - good enough for me (although i'm sure i'll learn what the bees 'need' as I go along :) )

Any feedback on the suit at all?

I've built an underfloor entrance for my hives (for when I get a colony, next year) which doesn't have a reducer - is a reducer a required part of the entrance or is it fine to leave it open full width? Edit to add: the floor is the same design that Laurence (Black mountain Honey) demonstrated...

I think the other problem will be that we have an annex that we use as a holiday let. The guests are allowed to share the garden so it may be best for me to use the other site anyway. I'll have a good old ponder before I do anything (it will probably be next year that I get bees anyway i'd...

Ah right. The entrances would face roughly East-South-East and the sun would get on the front pretty early (by 0730 at the moment I'd reckon)

There is a stream, good clean water, very close to the site, and I could put a screen of some sort against the stock fence to encourage them upwards. The only problem there may be blocking sunlight, unless I use a tight nylon mesh?

Thanks, more food for thought. (y)

Thank you. Perhaps I need to find a mentor and ask the to check the propose site

Thanks, Perhaps I need to consider my alternative option, which is in the corner of a field a few Mike's away.

Here are some pictures of the actual site that I was thinking of and I would also add that the entrances will face across the paddock. Also, the horses are usually at the local riding school in the day and stay in the paddock overnight so I could probably time inspections etc for when the field...