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  1. C

    Fire in the Apiary

    Best of luck to them with all good wished for a quick and successful relaunch.
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    Building a cob oven

    Check old electric heaters (esp night storage heaters) for asbestos.
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    Safety of calcium chloride as a honey desiccant - any chemists out there?

    Penn & Teller's How to Play With Your Food
  4. C

    Looking for a shed...

    Metal sheds are good and strong, but the problem is condensation. It is quite surprising just how much water can drip off the roof.
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    Happy ...

    You too, thank you
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    Cleaning honey extractors

    Following Peabee's statements which are spot on, may I add a couple of notes? In the food industry there are two 'sterilized' states. One is sterile as in no organisms, the other is 'commercially sterile' which means that organisms may be present but cannot grow or multiply in that environment...
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    Economist article on varroa research

    The study does make sense. Whilst limited, it suggests a change in behaviour of the bees. It does not suggest that the behaviour controls, or even attempts to control varroa; that is another question entirely. The observation adds to the accumulating body of information on bee behaviour in...
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    What's flowering as forage in your area

    Bees incredibly busy and bringing in lots of pollen. Never seen such activity before in November. Ivy in woodland but not identified.
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    Buckfast

    Buckfast are lovely to handle although many, including myself, have found superceding or walk away increasing does lead to a sudden appearance of very nasty bees. Nothing is written in stone, it's a case of being prepared. There is no doubt that bees on a mono-crop such as rape do become touchy...
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    DNA tests for varroa resistance traits

    Agree with Michael and comments on 'Western' beekeepers, but not sure that smoke itself is the key, as Brazilian beekeepers I know use lots of smoke. They smoke every hive heavily then leave for an hour and go back to open up using smoke just as in UK.
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    DNA tests for varroa resistance traits

    My experience is that apiary bees in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi can be very 'naughty'. Never tried individual hives.
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    Bees refusing syrup

    Yes, try fondant. I've given up on syrup due to drowning and variable uptakes. Mine are all happy taking fondant - make sure it is in solid or no container. The advice to use food wrapping is wrong as they try to remove it through the entrance. Usually they are successful, but what a waste of...
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    Newbee shopping list

    extra hive tool - paint yellow and blowlamp to light smoker
  14. C

    Soda / bicarb

    :)
  15. C

    Selling Lip Balm

    or make you come out in hives.
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    Winter hive protection

    I've successfully used builders' one ton bags (e.g sand and gravel) for several years. The hives are insulated and there doesn't appear any problem with condensation. I did try DPC but it became brittle.
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    Has anyone used this?

    Have used a cheap pan vapouriser for years with a car battery. Last vape time I realised that I'd fitted it into the car (!). Tried 18V deWalt drill battery. Very light. It worked and did not get warm. Used several times since and both drill and vapouriser are happy.
  18. C

    Today they were nasty.....

    See what they're like after a good feeding (fondant s my go-to). Here we have a word (?) Hangry. Bees are like people, much more laid back if feeling full and happy.
  19. C

    Today they were nasty.....

    Usual answer ; depends on the bees. I've two hives that peering in through the entrance from 1 metre is no problem but I have had bees where 200 metres was pushing your luck.
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