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Cheap Chinese stainless smoker, stuff to the brim with hay, close. Point your blowtorch to the lower side of the smoker and heat until the metal is cherry red. It doesn't matter if you are in a torrential downpour (why would be the next question!) your smoker will light every time. Warning -...

Fed the nucs today and very pleased with them, some are still too light for my liking though so keep piling the syrup in while I can.

Trained as a nurseryman/horticulturist in the late 70's but have always had an interest in nature pretty much from day1, then went on to run my own business building gardens which I still do today. We have had friends with hives on the family land and I sort of drifted into it after they left...

The bees worst enemy? Mr Beekeeper. Lack of stores and the time of year means patience is a virtue, one you can correct the other is self explanatory. Oh lordy i'm sounding like finny!

Received the last bit of my Thornes order today - bit of a mistake on their part but very promptly resolved by Gill. Excellent service that is much appreciated and ensures my future custom.

Topped the feeders up - that's a quarters of a tonne gone already.

So many methods making life difficult. All I do is take some of the frames out of the brood box on the edge of the nest and place them over the excluder, and replace them with foundation. All single size boxes and the bees are kept busy continually expanding their brood nest but actually keeping...

All of the above are good informative channels and hopefully the viewers have enough common sense to make the distinctions necessary for the different climates etc. The real gem among them is undoubtedly Bob Binney with his 40 years of practical experience. There are those who like to bash the...

Another thumbs up for the Minima range from Lyson, and of course Abelo who were excellent.

If you are on single broods of whatever type the time to check for stores is as you take the supers off. Single broods often don't carry much in the way of stores as it will have been put above the excluder, indeed this year I fed mine right after removing the supers as they were very light...

Efficient use of hive stands - splits double stacked with entrances at 90 degrees until they are ready to go to a new apiary probably in a week or so. All fed and treated today and a bit of a pain for inspections but it is only for a short while and cuts down on trips with extra equipment.

Prepping for another apiary - once you get known it seems to be a lot easier to find good sites, this one nestled in the Arun Valley was offered to me via another apiary site owner of mine.

I had another look at the nuc with the bees under and sure enough there had been a sneaky supercedure and the Queen was underneath. All back in the box now!

Something tells me the girls are not too keen on the smell of apilife var, not to mention the yearly overcrowding problem!

One stack of supers obviously didn't get sealed properly......

The weather is finally breaking here and we have rain for the first time in lord knows how long. It is not heavy yet but I have high hopes. On another note I have been surprised at the lack of robbing here so far, at least until today. It has been very thundery and this seems to have stirred...

I am speaking from my own experiences of other treatment free beekeepers that I personally have experience of, I cannot see how me telling you of those experiences or of my opinion based on those experiences can in any way stifle discussion. An open mind means listening to ALL points of view...

Feeding the little ones early before it gets too hot.

It always amuses me when I speak to the treatment free brigade whether online or face to face that when challenged as to how they know they are 'free of varroa' (their claim) they mostly clam up as few if any seem to test properly. I even made the offer to one chap that I would come and do an...

More feed for the nucs and then a session mixing yet more feed for the out apiary. And of course the inevitable hunt around for feeders which I must learn to put in one place!