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    Damp OA?

    I gave all my hives an OA vape yesterday, thinking to get mite numbers down before supers go on in a few weeks. I noticed a boiling sound from the instantvap, similar to what I'd experienced when using a gasvap and OA that hadn't been well sealed. It also seemed to take a bit longer and the...
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    Foundation alternatives

    Carrying on from a current thread on foundation I was wondering about alternatives. Obviously foundation free frames and starter strips are possibilities. I read in wartime of beekeepers using sheets of newspaper coated in beeswax. I wondered if a thin sheet of plywood (1.5-3mm) coated in...
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    Fondant question

    I've hardly ever used fondant before as I usually leave plenty of stores. Due to a combination of factors I've felt the need to give most of my colonies fondant this year. I've heard/read some conflicting statements as to whether the bees will still take fondant if they have adequate nectar...
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    Timing of spring unites

    I have 12 colonies of various sizes - some went into winter on double brood but I anticipate are much smaller now. I want to reduce to about 5. I'm planning lots of unites and am just debating the best timing. Currently thinking the middle of march if the weather is reasonably typical. Any...
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    Hybrids & defensive/aggressive behaviour

    Just musing about this year's beekeeping activities. Debating buying in a couple of queens. Many years ago I bought a buckfast queen, she was prolific and her workers were calm & gentle - the next generation not so much! Defensive, "following" & stung neighbours some distance away! I've read...
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    Labelling regulations

    I passed through the Christmas markets in Manchester yesterday evening. There was a stall selling honey and beeswax items. Very (?too) competitive prices I thought on seeing 12oz jars of chunk honey at £6.50. One item that they had was labelled "Lemon infused honey", out of curiosity is this...
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    Wasp trap bait

    What do people use and find effective for wasp trap bait? I had a recent wasp problem, now sorted though there are still plenty around. The waspbane trap I loaded with half a bottle of mild, some orange juice & zest, and sugar, has caught zero wasps!
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    Cleaning plastic excluders

    Anyone got any clever ways of cleaning wax off plastic excluders, I have several that got welded down with brace comb. I've scraped the majority off but there's lots of semi-blocked holes to clean out. Obviously a blowlamp to melt the wax off like I would do with metal ones isn't an option!
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    October swarm

    I got home yesterday after spending 4 weeks abroad to find that 2 hives are being attacked by wasps, and a small swarm in a nearby bush. It's likely from one of my hives but I don't want to inspect with wasps about. I've put it in a poly nuc. I do need to unite some colonies asap though. I guess...
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    Is this V. Velutina in S France?

    There were loads of these busy on the ivy flowers on an island off the south french coast. I think they are velutina. Am I right? Lots of hoverflies too, but I haven't seen a single bee!
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    If you unite hives do you ever end up with 2 laying queens?

    I have a bunch of hives to unite this autumn. I've always culled one queen prior to unites but have no real preference for some. If you unite 2 queenright hives do they always reduce to one, or do two occasionally stay laying? Also, how often do they both die & leave you with none?!
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    What to do with capped honey > 20% water?

    I extracted a few boxes today, including a couple of heather (pita!). The outside uncapped frames of a couple of boxes were 22-23% water, so not extracted yet. But then I checked the capped frames - over 20%! What can I do with them? I think they are heather too. Refractometer showed 27% with...
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    Rearing drones

    A bit non-seasonal but... Following a conversation with other beekeepers I was wondering about increasing the number of "desirable" drones in the area. My idea is to identify a queen with good offspring characteristics, transfer her and her bees onto a load of drawn drone frames and unite with...
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    Do super bees fight?

    Sounds like a strange question but I remember a commercial beekeeper telling me that as part of swarm prevention he would take the supers from a big hive and swap them with a lesser hive - I think there was a bit more too selection (young queen Vs older queen) and it may have involved exchanging...
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    Shook swarm to donate bees

    I know someone who wants to start beekeeping, they have built a top bar hive for them. I have a double-decker national nuc which is very full of bees. I'm proposing to shake them out into the top bar hive (around 10 miles away) & then unite the frames with an existing hive. I'll only charge the...
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    Bees For Sale What's the going rate for a nuc or full sized colony?

    As per title, what would you currently charge for a nuc or full sized national hive with a good population of bees
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    Do you extract honey from frames that have been brooded in?

    Frames that have been brooded in will contain pupal cases, and under them some larval faeces. Are you happy to extract from brooded frames or are you concerned about possible contamination. Possibly any contamination could be considered to be sealed in and so not a problem. It's not something...
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    Oz armour?

    I'm looking for a better suit to replace my STB cheap suit. Anyone got useful feedback on these? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01F6KZE2M?ref_=cm_sw_r_apan_dp_KQSA6TB2CHD9TMP3C0JP
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    Bees bringing in.....flowers?!

    I looked at the entrance to one hive today and spotted a bee with a flower, or really a floret, attached to it's pollen basket - possibly from elderflower. Sadly I couldn't get my phone out before it had gone in! Anyone else seen them take in strange objects?
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    Effectiveness of air freshener

    Today I united 2 hives after removing one queen - had to sieve through a QE to find her though! After an appropriate rest I united it with the next-door colony, with the Q+ colony on top using air freshener (Glade floral blossom). On the other side of the Q+ original site was a double nuc...
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