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Recommend a Hydropress. Swing cage useful if you have the means of agitating honey in frames first eg for heather blend. I’ve moved to Hydropress for pressing out pure heather honey - I bought a Vigo for our association. The Apiarist, David Evans reviews it in his weekly blog this week - worth...

Nice simple easy idea. Thanks

I think there’s a simply explanation of a temporary brood break in mid September. This often happens with my colonies - remember the annual population / brood rearing curve? This would explain a drop in humidity as less feeding going on. Brood needs temperatures of 35c and can drop 10c to 25c...

Me too!

Had a good chuckle at this, thinking about all the guys with a SWMBO in their lives!

Thanks I wondered about that re pollen, anyone with experience of propolis be good to hear from you

First day in last 5 that I’ve been able to get the bee van up the drive - snow up here in the Pennines since Monday. Checked a few colonies for stores and varroa boards all seems ok for now . Storm Isha is on its way and now blowing a hoolie and lashing with rain

Great pics

A customer asked if I sold propolis. As a hobby beekeeper with limited time I don’t but I had some in my freezer and she was delighted to receive it. She crushes the propolis in a blender and adds it to the odd jar of honey she buys from me. Made me think is there is experience out there of...

Totally agree. Also It’s DEFRA that decides the policy and strategy whilst the NBU then carries this out with the resources they are given

Oops said the same above! 🤣

Yes need x400 magnification for most pollens and a basic centrifuge from Amazon plus Rex Sawyer and Bob Maurers easy to read small books both available from Northern bee books

My sisters cat yes he’s a British blue x

Yes I centrifuged. A lot of pollen grains look similar but I identified sycamore but couldn’t for sure identify clover. Def not oil seed rape as not grown in my area of the Pennines. Will repeat the honey analysis at some stage …esp if happens again this coming season

like you said Mark, it was slow I’d say a few weeks gradually turned from my normal thick spring honey to b fine crystallised honey - have kept a couple of jars to act as a seed as folk seemed to like it.

Made one this week with the help of a friend. Wouldn’t attempt to keep bees in one but good to keep old crafts alive. Mine was made with straw and rattan.

thanks for all the comments

Out of interest could you pls briefly run through the uses of an apimelter and any pros and cons. Not familiar with one except I’ve heard beekeepers with crystallised rape talking about using one….

At that end of the market you could just take the macro setting off your iPhone and take photos through the scope lens with the phone. Needs a steady hand but your students might enjoy doing this. Here are some examples of dissections and pollen I did this summer - I took the photo with my hand...

I had a natural soft set for the first time this year. My sycamore honey at home softly crystallised with v fine smooth crystals . I tried extracting the pollen with a centrifuge but could only see sycamore. What nectar do you think could have caused the fine crystals? Rape isn’t in my part of...