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I am thinking of investing in a new stainless steel settling tank. Looking at a sloping floor one or a conical floor one to improve ease of bottling. Just wondered if anyone has any experience of these and is able to make any comments. The conical floored one has a pipe to the honey tap, and I...

If the bees are in a cluster, spreading over a number of frames, when they contract, as it gets colder, how to they get closer if the comb is in the way. I can't imagine that they would walk around when it's cold. Do they nibble holes to get through? Or does the cluster just contract the other...

Just reading up on all the bee Body workings for mod 5, and was left wondering about where the queen must defecate. I assume she must defecate, and she doesn't leave the hive, so does anyone know where and whether the workers have to clean up. She can't just keep storing it forever, surely.

Any ideas as to why Apis ceranae are able to coexist with varroa, whereas Apis mellifera succumb. I am guessing that perhaps they have a shorter brood cycle?

Has there been an update to the Bee Disease and Pest Control Order of 2006 to include the Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina? I looked at a copy of the 2006 Order in the appendix of Yates, and was unable to decipher the useful information! Why can't law things be written in a clear concise way?

Can any one tell me what signs might allow discrimination between colonies infected with Nosema Apis and those infected with Nosema ceranae? A 2009 question? Thanks

Now Fumidil B is off the market, are there any recommended products to treat nosema with. I have read on here, perhaps Thymol, 'Hive Clean' and Comb change. Are these known to help nosema, and are there any alternatives? Thank you.

Hi, I once saw a triangular sieve rest for raising the sieves when filling a 30lb bucket in a bee magazine. I thought what a great idea. I will make one of those, so that I can fill the bucket up when sieving honey. But I am not very good at Maths to work out what size it should be, other than...

A friend of a friend needs me to come quick, as there is honey flowing in a river out of an air brick in the chimney into the conservatory. I haven't been to have a look yet, as I don't really think there is much I can do. I assume a colony's stores have got too warm in this hot weather and...

Does anyone have a preferred time for removing supers for extraction. I have put some clearer boards on tonight about 6 pm. One is a Canadian clearer board, one rhombus clearer board, and the other just porter bee escapes. I usually remove first thing for extraction that day. Are the bees more...

Hi, I'm going to spend lots of money, as I find 4 frame manual extractor a bit too much now. The M'more 9 or 15 frame radial , possibly electric is what I am looking at. Please can anybody, with experience, tell me whether it is OK. Why I am worried, is that our association have an small...

Has anyone got any top tips on how to get the blemishes out of a wax cake to make it lovely and smooth for the show?? There are little bits of pitting around the side. Perhaps my bowl wasn't smooth enough in the first place. Do I need to remelt or can I just polish out with a duster? Thanks

Does anyone have a metal candle mould from the the suppliers beginning withTh? I brought a lovely hexagonal mould, but the hole to put the thread through is ever so small. The mould is about 2 inches wide, so I wanted to use quite a thick wick. Just wondering if I need to drill the hole out...

Been to look at debris on the varroa trays, and notice quite a few hornets. They are catching a bee at the entrance in flight, and taking the bee to a nearby branch for de-capitation. I suppose they can only take so many bees a day, but I still don't like my bees under attack. They don't take...

I've been picking the lovely ripe plums from the top of the tree today with the wasps flying around, and not worried about being stung, as I was wearing my beesuit. I'm a bit of a wimp where wasps are concerned! Just wondered if anybody else uses their beesuits for non-beekeeping activities. I...

Can anybody tell me where to get butter muslin from for straining wax? I did used to buy it at Dunelm, but they never seem able to get it now. I think I have seen it in bee supply catalogues, but for too much money.

I have had a bee brought to me by someone who has bees in their house...don't know the full story. It looks very much like a honey bee, although it is smaller, and it's antennae seem a bit different. Can anybody confirm whether it is a honey bee or what else it could be. I've put one of my dead...

I extracted some OSR honey a couple of years ago, before I had a refractometer, and bottled it. I did test it a few days later, and it was too wet. It hasn't exploded yet, but is solid in the bottom of the jar, with about 1/2 cm of runny on top.It does smell a bit funny. Is it OK to use for...

Am really pleased to find 3 new queens laying today, and made an attempt at marking. I use a 'crown of thorns', but find when I pop it over the queen, other bees all rush on top and make it hard to see her. I think it might be that I perhaps catch other bees with the sharp bits, and then...

I am intending to use an Observation Hive for the first time at a fete. Has any one got any handy hints and tips. Is it OK to just pop the frame back in the hive, or will there be any fighting if they've been away for a few hours? Also, if I can't find a queen, is it still OK to take a frame of...