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Pin cushion hakea sounds & looks amazing. I've found reference to it in Italy & Barcelona so will have to see if I can get hold of one. Mimosa here is extending it's reach up the valley day by day, & almond blossom started a few days ago in Perpignan - should be with me in a week'ish. Your...

I'd forgotten Mimosa originally came from Australia! I find it a fabulous for lifting the spirits early in the year with it's over the top mass of yellow blooms. For some reason I've always thought of it as pretty much just pollen, however, my hives are saying otherwise. I do see eucalyptus, but...

I do like gorse although there's none right by me. Beautiful flower / shrub.

Could be - however I've just realised that Mimosa produces pollen & nectar & is coming into bloom in abundance here. It's the first sign of Spring to me ..... even if that's some way off!

Down my way (France) the weather is stupidly warm right now. Bees very active, recorded 24°C in the shade today & so I took a peak to check on stores. They're bringing nectar in from somewhere such that I know i'll be taking frames out in 4 weeks or so to give the queen space to lay. But where...

That looks amazing. Top marks there!

Thanks for that - I can see where Karol was coming from then (if that's what he meant). As I understand it they are territorial so in theory.... there should only be 'x' per square mile anyhow. I take your point on 2 being easier to kill than 6 too.

I understand where you are coming from, & wasn't trying to have a go at you personally - my apologies if that's how it came across. In the figures I mentioned above, c. 7kg of the average insect catch by an Asian Hornet nest are not bees. Apparently a fly weighs c. 12mg, a wasp 250mg & a...

Personally yes, 2023 was a bad year for VV. I would guestimate 50% more than last year. I'm not aware of a decline in the number of indigenous species that you refer to - could you be more specific as to what you're referring to please? Let me give you examples of three apiaries in the my broad...

Now I've never gone into the depths of statistics here but still, this seems like a very lame argument to me. An average AH nest consumes just over 11kg of insects in a season - 6.92kg are not bees 38% are bees, 30% are flies, 20% are wasps and the rest a real diverse range of insects - a...

Maybe I've missed something here, but come spring why would you not want to trap mated queens who are looking to set up home?

I think a more accurate name would be it's your 'first line of defence'. Once they get past the south coast.....well, it's over. For those who choose to do nothing but have a nest or 2 in their vicinity then this video shows you what will happen once they find your hives - (it's in French, but...

No, not a climbing level. Maybe more on the edge of a precipice. And with the scary examples in a number of countries across the channel where the problem has exploded there's is absolutely no excuse for the UK to fall from the precipice (just yet) ..... unless it's not being taken seriously...

Thanks for that - useful to know.

At what point / mite drop would you say, that's ok - I'll stop now? Yesterday I did my 4th vape as following the first 16 days ago now one hive had a drop of c. 350 in 24 hours..... & around 6/700 over 5 days. Today, 24 hours after the 4th vape, just 2. I'm thinking that's ok. What's your...

Interesting the 20% v's 80%. How do you get to those figures? I really like the idea of using that as a rough indication of infestation level.

In my experience course are pretty hard to come by (in the south at least). Personally I've learnt through YouTube videos and over time have build up a small network of local beekeepers who I chat too / meet up with from time to time. It's handy to have people you can bounce ideas off & who...

As someone who unfortunately has to deal with asian hornets my best recommendations would be: catch, apply custard early on and release before they've built up. keep your colonies strong certainly from September onwards as late season is the worst time trap - any asian hornet taken out is a...

I pay €1.41 (£1.23) per 1kg bag.....! It's doubled in 2 years for me.

Everything I've read or seen about it is super positive. I'm on my second season with the GasVap & I do find it problematic / temperamental at times - i.e. it just won't work. Playing around with how far I put the butane torch into the GasVap tube & how much gas I burn seems (I think) to help me...