Search results

On july 31st hived an enormous swarm into new hive with foundation and one drawn comb. A week later had to add a super. Seemed to be doing well but inspecting on Sunday there were 3 combs of sealed honey in super along with unsealed nectar. Brood box had about 1/3rd of bees since last...

If you want to do weed clearance cheaply and effectively then a solution of common table salt will do the job, watered on the ground. Not approved as a weedkiller by EU as has not been through expensive testing, ho, hum!

surely thymol treatment should be on a six week regime, so that it catches mites from two full brood cycles which should significantly reduce population of mites prior to winter. timing of treatment should be by season, not calender. I have not done apivar yet as bees needed a super to stop...

At last weekend's Birmingham honey show we were charging £5.00 a pound, £2.75 a half pound. Over the two days several hundred jars were sold, not sure of exact figure, but there were many people who bought 3 or 4 jars. No-one complained about the price.

never worked for me

Visited National honey show last year with John Narramore who won Frame for extraction class. 99% full and sealed using drone foundation. It is not just the filled/sealed comb that is judged. John spent a whole day using a cloth and supermarket Vodka to clean propolis off the woodwork. Result...

Not as many as last year, also finding woodlice under roof

noticed one of my colonies doing this yesterday, they are about half way across.

had sting on ankle last season which reacted similarly.Doctor diagnosed cellulitis. Needed 7 days antibiotics then all fine again. Seems the sting site had become infected. No problem now.

Yesterday watched a Russian beekeeping video. The men wore only shorts and a knotted hanky on their head. Still don't believe it, no stings. Perhaps the bees 'toe the party line?'.

rather embarrassed, last year from garden hive had 138lbs. Not extracted yet this year but four capped supers and brood box as super capped, they are still bringing it in, sorry, so much work

I collected quite a bit last week, fresh stuff which I put into the top pocket of my bee suit. As usual had mobile call which I answered put mobile into my suit, took several minutes to retrieve it from the propolis and many days to clean it. Otherwise I dissolve propolis in vodka or gin and...

Nobody wants it??? fetches a premium price here send me a couple of tons. Apiary Manager John Madgewick comments ' It's amazing the lovely stuff that comes that comes from an aphid's bum'

My understanding is that the OA dissolves the chitin of the varroa mite's jaws. So, no jaws, no feeding. Treated one colony with Apiguard last year, then end of January with Oxalic Acid. After 24 hours had a drop of over 500, after a further fortnight around a further 500. Bees still doing well.

Falling off a bike is an accident, placing a sticky super on a car bonnet, not sure that is an accident!

Hived a large swarm last monday July 30th. Looked yesterday, drawing out final frame of foundation. Brood box packed with eggs and nectar so super went straight on (drawn comb). Not holding my breath but good flow still on, can only hope!!!

Apiary member who does not like wearing a full bee suit, preferring his veil and BLACK trousers (never had any problem in 20 years) got multiple stings around the crotch area on july 21st, including one to left testicle. He was understandably subdued. At meeting on 28th appeared in full bee suit...

You shouldn't try to get the bee out. It is in ' attack ' mode and quite determined to sting. If it stings it is going to die anyway. I regularly have to kill bees that have got into the hair of lady beekeepers at apiary meetings. A well aimed slap and job done. I am always thanked for hitting...

Painted all mine with Dulux Woodland Green no. 3. All surfaces inside and out. find that inside of hive body is not getting proplised anywhere near as much as unpainted surfaces.

Saw on a new zealand forum that you should learn to keep bees in a tee shorts and shorts. Hardy guys there I suppose or masochists ?