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WOKE UP TO FROST Chris

You've got daisies? Been all wrapped up here for a while now, just feeding a few colonies, still Hornets of both types mooching around, "Asians" still taking bees surprisingly. Chris

Sounds about right. Chris

Oh dear, you're not another farmer living on the backs of the taxpayers are you? Chris

Nothing is horrible in the natural world, I even share my apples with them as well as a few bees. Chris

Once again sorry if this offends but I would have thought that with that much experience, chairman of your local BKA and therefore a knowledgeable bee-keeper, you may have known all this or researched it beforehand. Putting hives on other peoples property is risky for a starter as is getting...

Doing well enough to have all new kit, five houses and a swimming pool and that's only what he admits to. Cereals is "blue gold" all the way and MSA ain't that bad* - I've lived and worked here a long time before I retired. Chris *Other than the fact that their pension fund is €19 billion in...

I have masses of common wall lizards living under and around my hives, some pop in and out, possibly lots do - I'm not watching them all day! Anyway, never seen the bees bother them, in fact they ignore them completely and never found a dead 'un. Chris

Good advice. I refuse to do them this late in the year as the odds are so, so stacked against the colony being viable and surviving. In fact mid August is the cut of date for me and even that late I'm reluctant. Bands top to bottom and not side to side to prevent comb falling down. Chris

Potatoes? Well here in France the subsidies per hectare and any compensation for lost crops are easily enough for a good living, I understand they are the same for the UK. Cereals are good and easy, farmer I know has just brought in 100 hectares of sunflowers in the last 24 hours, now that's...

Given the small variation in the size of bees from the same Queen anyway it would be hard to discern "what was what" and "which was which", it's all a bit minimal. Chris

Well at least you get the subsidies and easier compensation payouts although personally if I wanted to do something with the main aim being making money or a "living" I wouldn't choose either. Even the man I know nearby with 1200 hives has other income streams. Bee keeping for me is fun and...

Sugar farmer it is then. Chris

Sorry to spoil the party but 100 hives isn't bee farming nor does it take that much time, certainly not full time. I know people that run 200 plus and have a full time day job albeit one where they can get those 2 week breaks at those important times. Sorry, but as suggested just enjoy it as a...

+1, it's all in the habitat. Chris

If you google harvest mites Elizabeth you will see that the picture I posted wasn't the best and that they do fit your description AND now is their time. Chris

http://www.bpca.org.uk/pages/index.cfm?page_id=185 Chris

This is the one we have here, even smaller than the Pygmy. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suncus_etruscus Chris

I like the idea of a slot I must say, I'll have a little play. Chris

Must be the mouse guards you use, it never happens with mine. Chris