Search results

Belvoir Sawmill in Leics have a good amount of UK grown WRC. I dropped in on them the other week, to have a look at what they have..... It's seasoned

Lay off the lad. The press (well, "The Sun" - let's not give credit where it's not due) obviously have nothing better to do than write fiction about his potential honey branding etc... As if, really. So he has a Flow Hive and is enjoying his "beekeeping" ? Good for him. Good luck to DB in all...

The way I look at it is that, in bee husbandry, there is a sliding scale of practice in regard to sustainability/bee-friendliness. One end (typically) is inhabited by commercial bee-farmers - the other by people wearing jesus sandals. One end of this scale is pragmatic (i.e. bought in queens) -...

Good luck with the 21st century Afermo. Let's just be clear, 1) standard PayPal = no card reader, and 2) nobody should begrudge a business (heaven forfend !) charging for a value-add service. You will of course remember the days that banks charged consumers for the privilege of banking their...

iZettle Perfect in every regard IMHO. Simple. Technically flawless. Relatively inexpensive (i.e. the % transaction fee) for the type of sales we make (e.g. no flat fee element). Better integrations than most and decent reporting (if that's what you want). p.s. I agree with Ian completely...

Thanks Eric. Very interested to hear what you have done. 3-frame nucs seem like they could be a goer. However, yep - risks.... I learned last year that making late nucs is a gamble. I made one which looked to have gone into winter OK (strength and stores), but wasn't stong enough in the event...

Hi all. I am exiting the season with 11 strong-looking hives (though I have one which was 'query-queenless' on latest quick inspection at the weekend, plus one which was in a similar position a couple of weeks prior which was not opened this week - noting though there is now plenty of pollen...

I did the same (warming cabinet for 24h), with similar results. One thing that I do wonder, though, is whether this is actually counterproductive - as I presume that whilst it might remove a smidgen of the water, this warming might actually help activate the yeasts, and actually INCREASE the...

A helpful warning. I had exactly the same at my main out-apiary last week, after a short holiday, but only a week and a half after having inspected them fully, and them being in a good place........ All without any stores, and desperately so. For the first time ever, I wished I'd taken no...

In my experience, anything galvanized (runners, castellations, slotted Queen excluders) will sustain some surface corrosion to the zinc. Any exposed steel will rust. Stainless steel (grille-type) Queen excluders are OK. ... the formic having a not dissimilar effect to that (albeit less...

I agree Dani. The forage is deifinitely implicated. I'm certainly not drawing conclusions - but I am wondering out loud whether the frames/system had a role to play also. I just find it surprising that, in the same locality, in 7 years, harvesting all types of honey in all types of...

Earlier this year, I sold a colony of bees to a local couple (new beekeepers). We have maintained contact, and I have been helping mentor them a little. Off their own backs, they elected to buy a Flow super for the summer flow, rather than use the National super I sold them. I don't want this...

- Apiguard September 19 - MAQS April 20 Planned > - Apiguard September 20 - MAQS April 21

My experience with my Waspbane has been good. Downwind better in the case of a hive attack, I guess, but it will hoover up your wasps anywhere. In the case of 'non-specific' wasp activity, I site well away from my hives, to lure the wasps there (one or two will escape - no matter what, and I...

Hi Eric. I think if I were observing this thread as a 3rd party, I'd be inclined to agree with your 'live and let live' advice. However, my >3-mile option is my main out-apiary. There, wasps are also rife - although all my hives appear to be strong enough to cope. I fear it would be out of the...

What, JBM ? The use of chemicals ? I've just had a look at the Ficam product information sheet (fatal if swallowed; fatal if inhaled; very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects). Hmmmm. Nonetheless, the prevailing advice here seems to be either: 1) Hoover (effective, if not a little...

Hi all. Wasp season seems to be underway here - with a vengeance. I have 5 nucs in the garden, and whilst three are guarding their entrances OK, two are being plundered, I today observed. So, out came the Waspbane, and I am pondering if/where I might have a better location to which I can move...

That's one way of looking at it. Covid is largely driving this, but, as it forces business to rethink models, it would not surprise me if this were the beginning of the end of e.g. sale days at Rand as we knew them. No more human experience (waiting with the throngs for the cordon to be lifted...

Thanks all. Really good thoughts from everyone who has responded. I took the swarm this morning. I don't need any more bees of my own, so I'm not too precious about the outcome; but I do hope (as with any swarm) they are viable, disease-free and do not abscond. When I got there this morning...

... and sorry if that sounds facetious - it's not supposed to. I would appreciate your collective and individual advice here, please. Today, a village neighbour (we've been in the village nearly 20 years now, and he over 30, and we've never met; which is bizarre in itself) knocked on my door...