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There’s not a lot we can do this time of year apart from keeping the hive secure & keeping them fed. You’re on the ball with knowing how much stores are left. Mine in 2016/2017 waited till the 31st Jan to start changing weight, some increasing but most decreasing. Just keep on monitoring every...

I see queens not infrequently reduce or stop laying end Summer / start of Autumn. I’ve never requeened the colonies as It’s something I expect & see each year. Why did you decide to requeen?

That makes sense. A wire brush is getting most of the holes back open.

Decided to try and unblock the mesh holes on my rhomboids. First question is are these holes necessary for them to work? I ask the question because every hole has been sealed up by the bees & I’ve been using them like that for several years. Giving them a soak in washing soda/fairy to remove...

I wish you a swift recovery & thanks for the safety reminder. Alway should tell myself I must use that push-stick.

Hi James. You’re spot on. In the old days when cedar brood boxes were cheap in the sales I bought a couple of dozen. Made them up & as you said table saw to cut to size & 18mm ply to the side. Same goes for 5 frame nucs- must have 50+.

Strong colonies high mite numbers poor response to varroa treatment. Most of us can’t be bothered to check mite numbers after treatment to make sure the treatment worked.

Bees are dying all the time. Finding them in the fondant tub is no different from finding them on the OMF.

Depends what device you are using to delivery the OA. I do both bottom & top vaping & prefer the top. Quick & simple reversal of CB, then straight into the hole.

The bigger the holes in your strainer the more bits & pieces get through so nothing added & nothing taken away. I do usually fish out the legs & wings.

The bees can often chew their way through fondant wrapped in plastic. I now use these takeaway containers with insulation.

Can’t understand why folks are having trouble with the gasvap unless the design has changed since I bought an original. Been using it regularly since it first came out. Always used it with blow torch on full power otherwise nozzle can clog or slows down between vaps. Did 51 colonies spread over...

Last seasons Cheshire beekeepers auction had correx nucs going for £300.

Found this tucked away. 2017 weight change Jan to March. All weighed either side using luggage scales then summated (bees cold ways & often see a difference of 10-15lb between sides) One apiary with 3 colonies increased weight end Jan. Flow started 19th March.

I’ve been using it for 4-5 yrs. generic software download onto pc or Mac. Does the job, readily portable. Can’t say if it would work with a phone: the usb runs the light on the microscope.

This is the one our students used. I have one for looking at Lichen etc.

How are you planning on sealing/protecting the 40mm PIR once you’ve cut the rebate for the lugs? To stop the bees chewing the PIR.

What’s happened to the advice that fondant fed during winter should be placed directly over the frames or on a queen excluder to make it accessible to the colony. Me thinks this was the advice before we all got involved in superinsulation were bees can happily wander round naked! I’m a takeaway...

Take a look if it’s got an air inlet adjustment. Should be visible where air mixes with the butane.

My blowtorch has an air inlet adjustment & the hole needs to be fully open to get the best flame. The ring that adjusts the air inlet does rotate so needs to be wedged open.