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I very much agree with that. Based on my limited experience of swarming (from former days when I used to collect them), much appears to depend on how the swarming procedure itself is conducted. Some swarms re-assemble on a convenient tree branch, and are then off and away within minutes of...

It's the best of the bunch, certainly - and I used to use one ... without any door. But - if you think the Cloake Board is good - then check out the Joseph Clemens Q-ve Starter-Finisher system. It's exactly the same as the system used by Laidlaw, only scaled-down to Nuc proportions, more...

Belated thanks for your comment - but my own effort went in the bin a year or two back. I've pretty-much stopped the swarming problem (although they surely must swarm at some point) since I started to house colonies in much bigger boxes. Seems that's where the lion's share of the problem lay...

I once attempted to read an article "How to use a Snelgrove Board", and my eyes glazed-over after just two paragraphs - couldn't be arsed to wade through that verbage a second time. Apparently the S/B has multiple uses - what do you intend using it for ? As there's probably a much simpler way...

A word about corks ... If you're going to buy them ex.Ebay - then avoid the overseas sellers, especially the Portugese. I had a few dozen samples sent over, and their cork sizes vary enormously. A great pity, 'cause their used cork prices are excellent. I only use corks ex. British...

Well - I'm not entirely surprised ... :) Like a lot of folk, I've been religiously running bottom entrances for years - partly because it fits 'the theory', and with OMF it kinda 'makes sense' ... and yet so many Americans are really keen re: using top entrances. So - "sod it", thinks I -...

It's certainly very tempting ... Inspections demand most of my time, feeding comes a close second. My main concerns about bulk feeding are the unintended feeding of wasps and other people's bees. Other than those concerns, it could be a good idea. But - as I labour away for hour after hour...

Are you absolutely sure about that ? From: Beekeeping For All, Emile Warre, 12th Ed. " To my great surprise, I noticed straight away that the bees consumed less of their stores in the hives with single walls where they would feel the cold still more in winter. This is however normal. In...

Have just finished the second of two rather unusual 14x12 nuc boxes which will initially be used as 20L swarm bait boxes, and then combined (stacked together) for an experiment. Why "unusual" ? Well, both boxes will have vertical entrances - running right from top to bottom. Afaik, no-one has...

I know you were. prophylaxis: treatment given or action taken to prevent disease. That's exactly what it is - from the Greek pro-philasso "an advance guard". LJ

Resistance, of course, which can be beneficial - depending on who gains it. Childhood immunisation, tetanus jabs etc - I'd probably have died on several occasions if it were not for having received such pre-emptive treatments. LJ

A touch chilly again this morning ... While I'm posting - here's a shot of the vinegar-sugar I mentioned recently. To put this picture in context - this is the only colony which had scoffed all of it's fondant (that fondant being in TINY jars used soley as indicators). So - I put another...

I've been noticing for some time now that you appear to have a predilection for posting flame-bait where AMM is concerned - it's as if you are actively inviting people to enter into acrimonious exchanges on this subject. LJ

In the workshop at the moment - I'm making-up box sides and ends (from pallet-wood) with which to make-up nuc boxes - dozens and dozens of 'em. Beginning to feel the pressure right now, as Spring isn't that far away. There's so much to do, and so little time. One consoling thought is that I'll...

That's a very nice workman-like solution. The technique I use is to raise the rear legs of the stand, by increasing the height of their supporting pads - so that the whole hive then leans forward by 5-10 degrees. I guess in your country, you'd call that a 'red-reck' method ? :) LJ

A few years back I was caught short, fondant-wise, and so bought some of the Tesco's fondant icing to try. My bees wouldn't touch it, but you may have better luck. It's a bl##dy expensive solution, mind. Baker's Fondant is much cheaper. Damp-set sugar is cheaper still - my girls seem to...

The problem ain't nothing to do with the frames being 'Hoffman' - that's just a method of self-spacing. The problem of the 11 vs 12 with Nationals is due to just about every manufacturer of off-the-shelf frames making them 35mm wide - as if there were such a thing as a 'one-size-fit's-all'...

What wire is that ? Never use the stuff - one less thing to purchase ... :) LJ

The Modified Dadant uses Jumbo Langstroth frames. I made some 14"x14" extra-extra-deep National frames which have the same comb area as Dadants - so 14"x12" frames are only two inches shorter and of course readily available. Any particular reason why you dislike a divided bottom bar ? I run...

Wow - now that is seriously impressive - any chance of a close-up/ diagram/ whatever of those traps ? I've been trying to eliminate my little furry 'friends' (some friends ...) using a couple of old-fashioned traps - the sort that look a little bit like gin-traps - but they don't work too well...