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    PET jars

    Does anyone use PET jars instead of glass? They are lighter and have other benefits when supplying honey by mail order. If so which supplier do you use? Thanks
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    Local Associations not aligned with BBKA

    I’m interested in making contact with local associations who don’t pay BBKA capitation. I’m aware of Bedfordshire BKA as well as Leicestershire & Rutland BKA. Are there any others? Thanks
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    Winter varroa treatment for nucs - OAV?

    I will be treating my hives with oxalic acid vapourisation soon, and am wondering about the best way of treating nucs. I can make a support to go under the nucs so that I can get a vapouriser underneath and sealed all the way round, so that the mist goes up through the bit of open mesh...
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    Charity status for local beekeeping associations

    Hi The BBKA is proposing to move to CIO status. I would be interested in any experiences anyone has had of moving their local Association to this status. Thanks
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    Feral honey bee nest sites

    Over the years most of the older trees in much of the country have been removed, thus leaving fewer and fewer sites for bees to call home. Has the time come to provide bee nest boxes just as many do for bird species? I'm not suggesting back gardens for these just in case you were wondering...
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    Thorne's news & matchsticks

    If you get Thorne's emailed news then I note that the their expert is suggesting matchsticks to increase ventilation. Apparently I need my bees to cluster to reduce consumption of stores so a good dose of cold achieves this. Although he does talk about wrapping hives in spring & summer. I'm note...
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    Moving a swarm in a Paynes poly nuc - overheating?

    I have collected a swarm in a Paynes poly nuc today and the remaining bees have gone to it tonight so the queen is in there. My choices are 1. To move it to my apiary a few miles away tomorrow morning or 2. During tomorrow hive it in a National box with a travelling screen on top and move it...
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    Virgin Qs ready to emerge

    Checked my strongest colony today & found half a dozen sealed Q cells. The bees were keeping the queens in. When I cut one out and put it to one side a virgin emerged. Hopefully an artificial swarm will help.
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    Drones pupae on the landing board

    This morning after another frost I found a number of drones which looked ready to emerge dead on the 3 hives with landing boards. This includes hives which I haven't opened yet so not down to beekeeper interference :-) I guess it's either because they decided they are diseased or because they...
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    Varroa mobility on board under OMF

    When counting varroa on the board under the OMF I found a number of live mites. These attached themselves quite strongly to the tweezers I was using to sort through them, however I didn't notice any of them walking around. I was wondering if they tend to lie in wait for passing bees and hitch a...
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    old fridge for wax filtering?

    Rather than have to go through a process of warming and filtering in batches I was wondering about setting up a filtration process in a 70C environment so that it could be more continuous. All I would need to do is feed raw wax onto the filter and clean wax would come out into a suitable...
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    Colour in the nectar

    On inspecting my hives last week one colony had the occasional cell with a blue nectar in it. http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Blacky-50/media/003_zps160b43f4.jpg.html Probably from a sugar source somewhere, however would the contents of one bee's honey stomach be sufficient to colour that...
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    MAQS and bee viruses

    I treated by colonies with MAQS for the first time earlier this month and have noticed an immediate decrease in the number of bees with DWV and the few shiny black bees I had in one colony. Does MAQS kill these bees off along with the varroa mites? Has anyone else noticed this? I did find one...
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    Pxxxxs poly hive coverboard & winter

    The coverboard supplied is a sheet of polycarbonate and the hive is bottom bee space. When the coverboard is on the bees have to go round the sides of the frames to move about. On the Thornes national wooden boxes (and no doubt others) the coverboard has a 10mm or so rim to enable the bees to go...
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    White patches on worker wings

    Hi My partner was looking at my bees this morning and saw several with white patches on their wings - see them on my web page as I'm not sure how to upload pictures http://s1299.beta.photobucket.com/user/Blacky-50/media/Beepics011_zps7e662b3f.jpg.html These bees were working hard to remove...
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    My first poly hive - advice on using

    So I have purchased for first poly hive and judging by comments on this forum I will soon see the benefits and convert completely. This one is from ******. I'm aware of the need to paint it and have a feeder which can also be used upside down to assist in apiguard treatment & feeding fondant...
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    To add a super or not

    I hived a good swarm 2 & half weeks ago and just checked them over for the second time. Its my first hive so go easy on me :-) They are on a national brood box and have drawn 5 or 6 frames and I saw the queen, eggs, uncapped larvae & capped larvae so all looks to be developing well. However...
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