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Sorry, misread 20 ft as 200 ft.. Believe magnolias were around before bees so pollinated by various other insects. On holiday in Turkey at present so no access to reference books!

magnolia stellata ? 200 ft?... Seems a bit big, even if it is.

Thanks for those links all digging. Absolutely fascinating watching: so confident and casual - just a trilby for protection! The equipment and methods have hardly changed at all.

Tried the hot air gun method this year but was not impressed. Maybe it was my poor technique but I found a small wax lip was left on the cells which impeded extraction. However, the gun is ace at melting off propylis and cleaning wax off QE etc. May have another go next year but wimped out and...

Thanks to the experienced beeks! It is obvious that I need to achieve a higher temperature before extracting, by one means or another. I' m not sure I can run to a full cabinet with only 4 hives Finman, but thanks for the advice. I think I shall try to jury-rig a small plastic tent in my...

Over the last few seasons I have always extracted the harvest as soon as it came off the hives. This year, due to ill health, I have had to store the supers and am only now getting round to extraction. Despite bringing the supers indoors and stacking them in the lounge - near the log fire - for...

For small quantities you can't beat a kitchen sieve, a square of muslin and a mixing bowl to catch the filtered honey. For "a warm room" read "a car, closed up and stood in the sun". That is bee proof. Despite having an extractor, when I want to nick some stores from a 14x12 frame, that's what I...

I conducted my usual casual walk round of four hives last night, just to check all was well. All vigorous hives which have produced a good honey crop this year. However, I was dismayed to see a heap of dead bees on the ground outside just one hive. First thought was insecticide! On scraping up a...

Double brood The major problem we have with Finman's crafty manipulations is that our brood box frames won't fit into a standard extractor. I have adopted his non use of a QE as an experiment, but I can't move honey frames out of the BB (14x12) into a super, or extract capped honey from these...

Double brood Ever one to experiment, I too have tried double brood this year and run into the same problem. Adopting a technique from "The Rose Hive Method" (threads passim) I have had some success with putting the undrawn super between the two brood boxes until it is drawn out and got some...

Stings I'm like Roola: ho, what's a little old sting -only smarts a bit. Two days later, significant swelling. Yesterday was ironic. Recovered a primary swarm from 15 feet up and hived without a hitch. As it cooled down in the evening went up to the vegetable garden to pick broad beans and got...

Red spider mite? Usually found in glasshouses in this temperature, but I came in from a stroll round the orchard with several crawling over my hands and arms. Just a suggestion.

Can I agree with both views in the interests of balance? Read the books, listen to the contrary views expressed on the forum, then use your own judgement and live with the consequences! If it goes wrong it's not because you made the wrong call- other variables might have been at play, such as...

Thanks itma, this is the procedure I am, in general, following and I am feeding well, as advised. I will let the forum know how it goes.

Thanks guys for the responses given, even if the thread has started to drift a little.... Richard. I know there will never be a consensus among beeks (all part of the fun) which is why I take my own decisions and live with the results. Contrary to your sound advice, I was advised a month ago...

This is a hypothetical question because I have decided to experiment with alternative configurations just out of interest. If adding boxes to a Warre hive they are put in at the bottom of the stack on the grounds, as I understand it, that "bees prefer to build downwards". Why then, when...

Hives seemed a bit light so the mild weather provided an opportunity to put some fondant on. Used my new hat and veil over all the usual winter stuff - why kit up fully at this time of year? First two hives were mild and placid. Last one got really stirred up when I fumbled the crown board and...

Thanks Finman, but it doesn't actually address the question. Is there any advantage to repeating the treatment rather than wasting the spare bottle?

I purchased two ready prepared bottle dispensers of OA but found I could treat the clusters using only one bottle. Is there anything to be gained from doing a second treatment in the New Year if weather conditions are suitable?

All mine are painted with Sanxxxxx ebony and they are doing well. Merge nicely with the background, especially at this time of the year - when green tends to shout at you.