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I do find rapeseed oil spray (home-made to match made-up ‘Bug Clear’) is very effective against whitefly and other aphids (at least as good for whitefly or black fly as any commercial product). Virtually complete clearance with one spray but, as always, repeat after a couple of weeks to get...

l really dislike the use of emojii comments……..this one :icon_204-2::icon_204-2::icon_204-2: especially. I have seen it used on this forum and have had it directed to me personally. This is a great place for beginners to seek guidance, information and read about other’s beekeeping experiences -...

During the Springlike weather looked through six nationals and all queenright with brood ranging from three to five frames. Just by half removing frames and working in through stores until reaching brood without disturbing further in. HOWEVER, as suspected by the hefted weight of each hive they...

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QUOTE: Quite so. If Hiveanidea is in East Devon then that surely can't be too far from me, but there's precious little sign of things warming up here yet. James Tempting to say, l told you so………bar today.……..but not bah humbug - though my bugs will be humming for sure!

Hi Christine, l have exactly the same issue with some galvanised hive roof tops that l salvaged from some rotten hives last year. I’ve now made new roofs with built in insulation and will fix the ‘tin lids’ back on - painting them first. From experience of using various types of galvanising...

Ok, ok - all will be revealed next week when Spring proper arrives. At least there’s pollen going in during brief spells of glimmer. Raining now and Wind Warning notification just arrived.

Well, to start with, brood blocking is a fact if there are excess store frames left in the way of the queen right now. So much Ivy went in during October that the bees moved out for four nights (you may recall) and judging by weight these stores are still there. I returned supers at that time...

Desperately hoping to get into the hives next week as up to now temps only 10 max or so and WINDY! My bees hit the Ivy really hard last October and some are unusually heavy for this time of year. I’m almost certain that brood boxes will be stuffed with with it and cramping laying space for new...

Porter bee escapes, if you use them indeed, will get completely gummed up with propolis and a pain to clean! In any case, they have a bee (air) way through them. Unfix them and cover the holes in the crown board with plywood squares, as has been said, your bees will ‘glue’ them in place and you...

These came off the back of a lorry….literally! The timber that is, used for supporting the delivery of some huge galvanised gratings for the Council. Driver said to me “any use to you?”….he went away with a large bite on both hands! I support them on roof slate with a concrete block bedded...

I have a large insulated roller door and get some condensation on the inside in winter. The best features are that it is sealed to the floor by a pressure sensitive flexible strip and at both sides, slides down a draught proof channel. The top closes against the lintel when fully down and can be...

Some small movement from the under clusters but with wide open entrances and still frenetic over Ivy at 18.5 degrees. By 5 o’clock l decided to execute part B on the hive with the mega cluster. New floor ready in place, moved the brood box over and quickly ripped a wet super from its packaging...

Full width entrance on all three now. Clusters still not moving much yet but l’ll see how it goes during the day. Killed 4 wasps between us - me and the bees! Just hoping the wasps don’t come back full on. If there’s no sign of movement mid afternoon, then l’ll try some smoke. If that doesn’t...

Do you mean take out the entrance block to reveal a whole width?

So what do you order in the pub?

There were lots of spots of wax on the back of the hive where they were previously roosting - til l smoked them a bit to move back in……unsuccessfully! Can’t say for sure that they are making wax under the floor but they are hanging there in a mighty deep cluster, 10 inches deep on one hive. We...

Looked again at first light this morning and the’re still clustered underneath for the third night running (as last photos). Dani’s idea for physically extracting them seems drastic and some risk (clustered to the hive stand as well as the underside of the floor) BUT, l’m getting more desperate...

That might just explain the cause. I had fitted wasp defence tubes after the main flow (DIY conduit type - as photo) but now, due to an extraordinary Ivy flow in my location, you feel the bees can’t produce a sufficient air pump through the entrance to ripen the ivy honey. In my case, especially...

Ok then, lifting the floor, gently does it and hoping they don’t fall off and ……thump……most of them are in! l’m thinking this is the plan….might do it first thing while they’re still ‘chilled’. Need to go for a debrief later……in more ways than one.