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As a moderator of this forum you will have a duty of care to the people you advise, so it would be advisable to keep to the manufacturers instructions and regulations.

If you filter with a 200micron filter most pollen comes through. Your previous method seems better and less work!

Hi Ueanuwug, I would say that your colonies died from heavy varroa infestation as evidenced by bees uncapping cells containing larvae and pupae as well as mature bees too weakened and sick to emerge from their cells. Some of the dead bees on the OMF would appear to have stunted abdomens which...

As public forum advising beekeepers on good practice then it should be paramount to follow manufacturers instructions on how to apply VMD approved treatments. Thus Apilife VAR or thymol treatments should only be made in autumn after the honey harvest. If thymol is used during a honey flow...

For the future, as part of your over-wintering preparations you should make sure all colonies are +Q. If not, unite in the autumn, so you get some use of the bees. Now you will have a lot of mess to clear up including messed up combs.

You are basically going treatment free with Integrated Pest Management tools such as brood removal. It is common if you go treatment free for colonies to die within 3-4 years. The varroa board that you put under the open mesh floor for your varroa count is very very unreliable. It can tell you...

My nucs are always last out and some days they don't come out when the larger colonies are out. Less bees to go around for all the tasks and keep the brood nest warm. I put my ear to the hive body when they are all in and you can hear them working to keep warm, which is reassuring.

I have supers on in March/April, even though I don't have OSR. There is still a chance of thymol being moved up from the brood box into the super. No good practice.

Thought my colonies were bringing in some Blackthorn pollen. Saw some in flower on my way to get my ***. Must get out a bit more often.

Nothing like a bit of thymol to spice up the OSR honey. It is an autmn treatment!

I saw someone taste Hiveclean the other week on the premise that she would not give her bees something she had not tried herself. Judging by her facial expression I think she regretted it!

Hi Neil, I remember you telling the forum that your bees were not taking the syrup in the autumn and me thinking something must ail them as mine were taking theirs. From what I gather they went into winter as a small colony with little stores. The BIAS you had in Oct. would represent the full...

I would not bother to taste the mousse. Maybe you just stirred a lot of air in?

I have heard that if you want to sell your honey wholesale to a bottler they don't accept it over 18%

My German Shepherd, years ago, ate a squirrel and my 3 year old said "squirrel does not like Sabre any more?"

I thought you were it!

Still common place. I saw the bank vole up close yesterday. Half my laburnum arch is dead no roots? I think now that I must have a rat or two in the garden as well! I need to get a trap. Anyone wants are rat before complaints? It will not be shot.

Problems of early spring! Fingers crossed that it will not be too bad for you.

I was so proud of some of my bees as they had decided to make a tupperware container filled with crystal clear rain water their watering hole. The rest of them are in the pond. They are collecting water with gusto at the moment so no doubt they are all brooding!

OSR honey is known to ferment. The glucose content of OSR honey is far greater than the fructose content. Thus it crystallises very quickly as we all know. In doing so it releases water in the top layer of the bucket enabling localised fermentation to commence in that top layer. This may...