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6 weeks and it will be starting to crystallise - anything less you should hopefully be OK. I split the OSR harvest in two, so one harvest after a month or so and the other when it has gone over

:bump:

Funnily enough I had a poor layer (late swarm) in a relatively small colony at the end of last season that I doubted was going to last the winter, but she seems to have turned it around thus far and is now firing them out like a good 'un.

Those of you that don't mind sharing, it would be interesting to have an overview of what losses we experienced last winter. Divided very simplistically into those with more or less than 5 hives. Drone laying queens count as a loss. I've done these the past few years, results here 2015/16...

Beautiful weather. Removed a mouse excluder to lessen the queue to get in and out

I've glued some ripped up net bags of the type that supermarkets sell oranges in to the side of a frame feeder with very good results - up to then it was carnage. Seem to recall RAB mentioning a few years back that water is helpful for brood rearing, so I've just given a weak sugar syrup to a...

All good possibilities - there are a lot of crocuses about at the moment so could well be they - as you say snowdrops coming to an end. Laurel another poss, its flowering around here

Anyone know what this is likely to be - loads up my way as well

Dived in for a quick inspection in glorious sunshine. Relieved to see all three seem to have come through the winter well and queens starting to get going.

Popped some Neopol on. Glad to see all three hives apparently active though not yet looked inside.

Final varrox round, and all fed I think, though may double check one later on. Only remaining jobs once the weather cools is put on mouse guards, and top insulation on wooden hives.

Without having to fiddle around pressing ignore buttons and possibly missing something of interest, I find the ability to scan for 0.2 sec each post and move my eyes and attention down to the next if it seems of no interest quite effective. That said there is a particular poster on another...

Did second of three oxalic blasts. First one seems to have been very effective judging from the number of mites shed from one hive.

Did harvest, if it can be described as such. My estimate of 12x12oz jars was wildly optimistic - got 7.5 in the end (about 5.5lbs). Some of the frames had honey registering a water content of 23, but as I don't intend selling, would have had even less, and intend to give away and eat the...

Granted, but when one is more efficient, quicker and cheaper than another then change for changes sake seems pointless. Sugar dusting anyone?

:thanks:Thanks all, yes it was the varroa thymol treatment I was referring to rather than the anti-nosema. Thanks also for the timings which are now noted erichalfbee - do I get the impression that mantra has been posted many times before? :rolleyes:

Having earlier in the year become the proud owner of a vaporiser, I have been thinking that I may forgo the thymol treatment this year, and instead give them two blasts of oxalic before the winter. Flack jacket ready, and I suspect I'm missing something - any reason why not?

To be fair, we do steal their honey, even if we regard it as a surplus. That said, so what! Whose to say they don't prefer a bit of (vegan approved) thymolised sugar syrup.

Popped into a bad tempered colony that had no sign of a queen two weeks ago. Now a load of brood, but still bad tempered. Hopefully the next generation will cheer up a bit.

Many Thanks HM