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Tim Lovett MBE ... joining Geoffrey Hopkinson, Michael Badger, Anne Buckingham, Colin Weightman, Ted Hooper. Who've I missed?

I know there are a few on here that have these machines ... has anyone managed to source the sealing rings for the OA 'cup' from the UK? I've worn mine out and the shipping from France (Icko) is about 5 times the price of the rings. With thanks

Glass sided so you can see what's going on ... This turned up in a search for 'observation hive' ... My recollection is that workers only dance on brood frames and that the things to observe in the supers are likely to be relatively unexciting. Especially on the ends of the frames or outside...

I need to number grafted queens this year. Has anyone used anything other than the glue provided with the queen numbering kits sold by places like B u z z y B e e s? For example, has anyone used the non-runny superglue? With thanks

I have a couple of strong hives and some mated queens in mini-nucs. Is it too late to prepare a five frame nuc containing stores and brood, and then pop one of the mated queens in? I'm intending to overwinter most of the mini-nucs but suspect there's a chance for some late season expansion...

Has anyone managed to purchase this book recently? It's available from the authors website (www.apiservices.com/fert/fert_us.htm) but the pages are not secure and so I do not want to use my credit card to order. I've tried calling the phone number but got no response and the email address (the...

I carefully wrapped leftover fondant from at the end of the Spring feed in layers of clingfilm ... and it's gone rock hard. Is there any way of softening it up again for use? Overnight soak in water? Gentle microwaving? Or perhaps I can use it directly, though cutting it to fit into a...

I have a number of Kielers with mated queens I'm intending to overwinter. I have the upper body fitted. I've found the bees draw down the comb from the upper body into the feed compartment. This makes replenishing the fondant/sugar a pain as you have to cut off the excess comb first. I...

EU will ban 60W incandescent bulbs from 1st September 2011 ... perhaps time to stock up so that your honey warming cabinet will be future-proofed. -- fatshark

Hives offered to London offices ... Is that a new-fangled bee brush the girl is waving about?

Has anyone used one of these - usually sold for chicken egg incubators - in honey warming cabinets? In a well insulated cabinet can it reach high enough temperatures e.g. for OSR, and does it keep the temperature well with little variation? I have built a cabinet that is sufficiently insulated...

When holidaying in France I've previously bought pale coloured, relatively mild flavoured and coarsely granulated honey from farm shops - no label to indicate source or anything helpful like that. My wife considers this is the best honey she has ever had ... the coarse granulation being...

I'm interested in overwintering queens in Kielers. How late can I reasonably expect to be able to graft and get queens mated? The Kielers are already populated and have drawn comb etc. so it's simply a case of getting the new queen laying. I was hoping to graft early August with the...

Quietly reading through a pile of work reports in my garden when the sky darkened and a very large swarm descended on my pile of empty brood boxes and supers. An hour later and they are all in - miraculously choosing the single brood box with an intact floor and roof. Couldn't get easier than...

I have a broodless colony that has received two test frames over the last 3 weeks. On the first they appeared to eat the eggs and young larvae, the second they've just ignored. There have been no eggs for a month, no evidence whatsoever of a queen and seemingly no prospect of getting one. I...

I have to transport bees a distance of about 500 miles. They will be in nucs. with travel screens and OMFs, space underneath for good airflow, securely strapped up. The journey will be overnight to prevent overheating. Other than stops to spray them with water a few times are there any...

I have some old brilliant white masonry paint (from doing the house) and a pile of poly hive bits and mating nucs to paint ... but I'd rather they were green. Has anyone had success in adding powdered dye to white paint? I'd rather not pay for new paint when I've got litres of perfectly good...

I didn't treat with OA last year and am not certain I will this. However, if I do, it's going to be tough finding the seams to trickle the OA down ... ... this was the view under the roof insulation yesterday. Clearly the warmest part of the hive is just under the crown board. Should I...

I'm interested in creating 'half-frames' for a project, in which the queen can lay on both halves (and faces) and they can then be separated and moved to different locations. Dave Cushman's site has examples of bifold frames which are more complicated than I need. I wondered about using...