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I acquired a Burgess Fogger some years ago when there was an interest in fogging mineral oil to control varroa. It's been sitting in my shed unused for many years but I now see that it is being used by some beekeepers to fog oxalic acid dissolved in alcohol. Does anyone have any experience of...

It's not old men getting their kicks sneering at beginners. It's called experience.

I saw some brood but no eggs. So I suppose that could be a possibility. In that situation though I would have expected them to supersede in their original hive and not swarm.

I picked up a swarm about ten days ago and because I was going to move it on put it in a five frame Nuc it was fed sugar syrup and they seemed quite happy bringing in pollen etc. I opened the Nuc yesterday and they seemed OK drawing out the new foundation quite calm I needed no smoke but what I...

Matchsticks not used them for thirty years. I overwinter my bees with insulation above the crown board, which stays on all year, fondant on the crown board if necessary. My mesh floor is open fully my hives sit on a stand around which I wrap a polypropylene weed suppressant blanket. This has all...

When I tried vaporising below the mesh floor I got quite a build up of condensed OA on the mesh so I wondered how effective from below would be.

I don't particularly, but I was interested to know what effect these chemicals have. I wouldn't say GWM was a minor pest. If you have had experience of them I don't think you would say that.

I am well aware of the effect Formic Acid has on the varroa mite but I wondered if anyone has any experience on its effect on Greater and Lesser Wax moth in an occupied hive. Also I doubt that trickling Oxalic Acid would have little effect but evaporation might. Does anyone have any experience...

I have use Mypex which is a woven polypropylene weed suppressant material

If you have open mesh floors then the entrance block needs to be in and with an entrance width of only an inch width mid winter UK. I have adjustable entrance blocks into which I clip a castellated mouse guard in mid winter I can reduce the entrance width and as activity increases I can give...

I have kept bees for forty plus years and until the last few years have always made my hives from shuttering ply. I had the same problem with rot although the ply did last a few years longer before succumbing. Whatever I tried to protect them was never successful until I started to wrap them in...

An acrid smoke will stir up bees just as much as it offends our nostrils a gentle smoke like that produced by lavender is more acceptable to bees but does burn to quickly. I mix mine with my shredded prunings from my apple and pear trees. Makes for a slow burning and pleasant! smoke which when I...

I have two poly hives but have insulated my wooden hives for many years believing that keeping the hive that little bit warmer in extreme weather contributes to the hive maintaining adequate food stocks for when they really need it. Which led me to using poly hives. Because the poly hive is so...

I have voted for a hive stand but in addition I will wrap a skirt around the legs to prevent cold draughts blowing on the underside of the mesh floor as I have to leave the insert out to minimise the humidity. Mesh floors are brilliant and the bees are able to control their own ventilation but...

Just a thought, why not stick with the Maisemore hives and cut the honey supers in half and on the cut face glue and screw a piece of ply. You would then have two half supers just like the Dartington uses butted together. I have two Maisemore hives and although I haven't done so yet as at 74 I...

From using hives with solid wooden floors I am aware of the amount of condensation that can form in a hive over the winter and as far as the mesh floors are concerned apart from the Varroa element I think they are a life saver for the winter and I never insert the board only when I treat with...

Thank you for all you responses. Unfortunately none of you have answered my question, your replies, are all correct I know that, I don't disagree. But if you read what I wrote you will see that I won't have the luxury of endless frames of brood and food to introduce queen cells but can rear...

We reared a good good few colonies by introducing queen cells into 3 frame Nuc's last summer. But they were greedy for bees, brood and food as is well known. It is colonies rather than mated queens we require. I considered using Apidea but whilst they are economical on bees to get a mated queen...

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