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Your local baker will have some white sugar fondant that they use for icing all the cakes etc, this is normally sugar and water. I bought a full box from my baker as they didn't want to let me havea part box (they ordered it from their supplier for me at cost price). I can't remember how much...

I did have a beard, grew it for 3 years at my wifes request, then one day she decided I had to shave. As SWMBO demanded, so I obeyed, now I'm a market day shaver. That's country talk for only shave once a week on market day (although our town doesn't hold a market any more!) Frith

I did tag this question on the end of another thread but wanted to ask in a new thread to get more opinions. I have two of my hives that are in the shade up until around 10:30 am through the summer. I could move them although it would mean they are in shade after about 5:30 pm. Which is...

This bee has spread as far as it's going to in the southern states, as mentioned above there is a lot going for them and a lot of beeks are choosing to use them instead of the european counterparts. They are more of an issue with the general public due to the very high defence instinct although...

I'm not hugely experianced, however I wouldn't class any of my hives as weak colonies, there are plenty of bees there, they're just short on food. I'm putting fondant in for them and will keep putting it in all winter so hopefully the ladies won't starve. Two of my hives are in the shade in...

tesco now sell an fondant made by silver spoon, the ingrediants are icing sugar and glucose, it's about 85p per 500grams, probable a safer bet than the one you've got there. Frith

If you phone around your local bakeries one of them will be able to get you some baker's fondant at a reasonable price. My local has just quoted me £12 for a 12.5kg bucket of fondant, all I need to do is pick it up from them when it's delivered in. I don't think I could make it any cheaper...

It's always the case that whoever finds and collects the swarm then owns the swarm. it doesn't matter if it's just flown over a garden fence from someone's hive, if you pick it up, then it's yours by law. You might start arguments with the original owner nabbing a swarm like that and I think...

The other thread with the same name I've said what I use (hessian sacking) so I won't repeat it all. The closest beek to me uses orange peel (other thread as well) along with any wood lying around. We're out in the countryside here so there is always scrap of wood in the hedge or lying around...

I would be very careful about trying to lock them in, maybe just introduce a reasonable charge for swarms to people in their first year? That way they get something that's not a ripoff and the ones that stay get some funding towards something that could really help them in later years. Several...

I was a member of my local association several years ago, after a break from bee keeping I cam back this spring ready to go again. My local association has differant people running it now and these people seem to focus on less important issues, such as who makes the supper and what food...

It's also rather hard to stop them once they've started attacking a hive. I said that they are very sensitive to climate etc, there is a smaller version of this wasp that lives in china. People have already tried to introduce this wasp into other countries, I read of one instance where a...

That's an awesome action shot there :hurray: My wife has just purchased a new and rather expensive camera so next year I will be borrowing it to take some action shots deep within the hive, I'll post some of them up here for all to see bee-smillie

P.S. a guy I know not far from me uses old dried orange peel, he has all his family keep the orange peel and he dries it on the roof of his garage, he says it calms the bees more than normal smoke and he likes the smell. I've personally never noticed a differance and don't like the smell much...

hessian taken from the bottom of old sofas, armchairs and mattresses. I always stuff it into a bucket of water and leave to soak for 24 hours, then rinse a few times in clean water to get rid of any fire retardent and any other chemicals that may have been sprayed on. Cut into strips keeping...

I've given the ladies the fondant I made up yesterday, it's a bit more gooey than I think it's supposed to be but they were very enthusiastic about it so no problems there! I've also ordered some from my local bakery, £12.00 for 12.5kg which seemed reasonable. I've placed it directly on the...

My first year returning to beekeeping this year and I must say this forum has been invaluable to me, the advice and the helpful comments have made a real differance. It's also good to know that there are so many helpful people out there willing to give their time so generously. Big thankyou...

The fondant that I've made has set to a creamy paste, however it has some failry large crystals in it, can anyone tell me if this means that I've got something that might harm the bees? I'm only asking as I've read that letting water continue to boil as you add sugar for sugarsyrup can cause it...

Well thakyou kindly for all the advice, I've attempted to make some fondant of my own the last of a bag of sugar I had, given the amount of work required I will look into purchasing more rather than spending hours making the stuff. From what I've read elsewhere on the forum it appears to be...

fortunatly we don't have them in the uk, they are the Japanese Hornet. An absolutly fascinating creature, there is a really good 4 part series all about them on your tube called something like The bee, the monk and the hornet, it's all about a monk in japan who keeps japanese honey bees and how...