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I went through 48 colonies today and while I put on another 20 supers here and there they are definitely beginning to cap the honey and the earlier flowering OSR here probably has around another 7 days flowering (apart from the tramlines) and a later field perhaps 14 days… Then a big job to pull...

I replaced the drive belt on the bottom of my Konegin rotary steam wax extractor / frame steriliser and have been running back to back batches to clean up old frames ready for re-waxing I had a brain wave and also threw in the used muslin I strain wax through and also the dried patty of slub...

It's interesting to find that even multiple weather forecasts can get it wrong these days. Rain was forecast for tomorrow, much of the day before a heatwave begins on Thursday...however I woke to a drizzly misty start and it's only now just beginning to dry up. Still, the Purple Tansy and...

First rain for a month and a day early…more tomorrow

So a summary of the GBKA auction on Sat 7th May 2022 at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Glos The 2nd time I've been to the auction at this location (it used to be at the Cheltenham Racecourse) and this time in a different hall and outside lots too. I think I'll begin with a moan...

see GBKA auction thread

I’ll put a report up on GBKA auction sometime….tired and bedtime now but I think it had 300+ lots and some bargains to be had…..

Starts 1pm

Bump. Both tomorrow !

A busy few days… I think since Saturday I’ve inspected 50 colonies, 2 complete splits (double broods make it so easy) 22 nucs, 2 swarms collected from the general public, 3 swarms captured in bait hives, 10 queenless nucs made up today ready for queens tomorrow and I also managed to finish...

So no publicised effects. If he is spraying early in the morning, which can be negotiated, it can pay to close your hives in with dried grass in the entrances eve night before so they only get flying 1-2 hours after the spray has dried. I’ve got bees right on OSR crops at the moment. They...

And if you are patient then the next sale is in June - Maisemore online and they’ll do 50 2nds for £27 or thereabouts but you’ll need to buy the foundation separately .

As a learning for next time get used to clipping and marking drones using nitrile gloves fingers and get rid of the contraption ! That’s my best advice S

A good day checked 37 colonies, made 3 nucs up. Most still not wanting to swarm yet but caught two hives just in time and they are on 7 day inspections too clipped and marked 6 queens that had proven elusive thus far and popped a fair number of additional supers on. the weather has cooled off...

you missed out Sweinty Breezer....my choice every time now

Can I throw in the Swienty Breezer suit as an option ? I got one from Modern Beekeeping and prior to that direct from Swienty on their very good website (it has an English option) Ok they are a little heavier than the standard suit but as they are pretty much sting proof and have a very...

As my grandmother always told me when I asked her ' I'm as old as my tongue, and a little bit older than my teeth'. I think she lived to 92 KR S

Well dear reader, A long story but I am currently signed off work for the time being. A lot going on which has brought on work related stress of the kind I would never believed I would ever have suffered from in the past. Luckily I have a good GP who I managed to see face to face and hopefully...

Yes - I'm not the oldest member here by a long shot, just one of the earlier ones... My observation is many who became banned could have remained if not for better moderation originally. If someone has 'beef' with another then that should be taken 'offline' so to speak and that's what the...

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