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Just want to echo what Derek was saying about bees being used to living in a world of dust - there's a very comprehenive video/talk about Oxalic Acid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4WvPNmS7uc) which is worth watching/listening to - and here's a still taken from that talk which shows, not only...

So I'm not alone in having had this experience then ? I'll send a PM with same info. LJ

There are alternatives, of course - thus far I've been freezing brood combs (I don't use supers) and then storing them indoors in an unheated room under dust covers. So far so good, but I see that technique as always being a gamble. There's BT of course - which can last the life of the comb...

Her ash ? Maybe, maybe not - but if a person knows beforehand that they're going to be using ash for 'beekeeping purposes' - it would clearly be wise to select material to burn, as uncontaminated as possible ... LJ

Tell me about it ... I live about 100 yards from an A52 lay-by - and a Glaswegian lorry driver knocked on my door one day, asking for directions. I found it very embarrassing as I had to keep asking him to repeat himself. He could just as well have been speaking Greek. Luckily he brought his...

You found her voice "exciting" then ? Oh well, everyone to their own. I thought it was simply a very, very pleasant voice - charming even - to listen to. Much nicer than some of our regional accents. On the subject of the constituents of honey - how does one explain away the stagnant water...

About the only down-side I can see to this, is the need to have some kind of shed - or similar area - in which wood ash can be splashed about without contaminating other bits of kit in the process. I'm going to knock-up a small shed now, dedicated to frame storage - thus far I've restricted...

If the change is both sudden and severe enough, then the number of surviving individuals can be zero. Are humans beings not also part of the dynamic of Nature ? It would be arrogant to think otherwise. LJ

Here's a truly brilliant idea for storing frames - from the Ukraine ... (and she has the most delightful voice, too) :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-f92J67AU Until now, all my wood ash has either been going to landfill or spread around the land ... but not any longer. LJ

And it was a good thought ... Until somebody comes up with a really effective method of ridding the western world of these parasites, every avenue needs to be explored. But - as others have commented, this has been tried before, and without much success. A number of machines have been built -...

It's been bl##dy cold here today and yesterday. (Day before that was glorious) Forecast here for the next seven days (at least) is cold and windy - so I'm sticky to damp-set sugar, as and when the fondant jars are emptied. The problem with liquid feed (imo) regardless of the feeder type used, is...

If you were to put mesh over a hole in the crown board, in all likelihood the girls will promptly propolise the mesh until it was airtight. That's what happened to feeder mesh I experimented with in: http://heretics-guide.site90.com/beek02.htm (8th photograph down) after accidently leaving...

Just came across this talk - nothing particularly new, but a comprehensive 'lecture' on the subject, with some very useful slides. LJ

Correct - that's why the top bee-space (arguably the most important of the bee-spaces) between top bar and crown board needs to be correct. The only time holes in the crown board are left open is either when (say) an inverted-jar syrup-feeder (with no access) is placed over them, or when -...

Ultimately it's the quality of advice that counts - rather than nit-picking over word useage ... LJ

I've never had this problem myself, but have heard people on here talking about skimming off the cappings and then spraying/misting with warm water - then giving the frames back to the girls to recycle the honey. Presumably it then gets mixed with non-OSR honey and doesn't 'concrete' quite so...

I wouldn't use MAQS for two reasons: firstly, the need to purchase at beekeeping prices; and secondly I've heard of too many reports of queens being killed as a result of it's use. Wood Cleaner, on the other hand, is dirt-cheap and I've yet to hear a report of deaths from it's use. Might be...

I have used it, well-mixed with sawdust, as smoker fuel. Can be slow to get started, but once going the smoker is guaranteed not to go out. The only downsides are that the stuff stinks - even worse when burning - and it'll attract flies unless covered. Probably best used as chicken-feed. LJ

Hello Richard - just thought I'd offer you a third option, as it doesn't have to be metal or plastic. On the Dave Cushman 'queen excluder' webpage, you'll also see some plywood Queen Excluders. Before last year I had no idea whether these worked or not, but during a colony installation last...

Belated replies (sorry about that). Very pleased to hear VOA worked. It's always worth a try. I'm ahead of you on this one :) - it's number 3 on the list for a new momma - although mainly because it has a lot of running on the combs. Dunno if the two could possibly be related ? But yes...