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... and people wonder why I stopped posting here ... Too much pedantry (by those who've obviously never heard of rounding-up), too much anal retention, too much testosterone, too much negativity, too much unpleasantness all round ... I may call in again in another 3 years. But then again...

"Him indoors" ... love it ! Yes - take a photo and let's have a look. Plastic pallets ? From my local pallet yard. They buy and sell standard Euro-Pallets only, so are glad to get rid of anything which doesn't fit the EU specification. During one visit I noticed a single stack of nested...

3 yrs later, and a bit of an update ... Although I still have a few Long Hives housing 14"x9" frames, and which are proving ideal for the production of combs for donation, I very much agree with Goran's comment that the use of deeper frames is desirable - and indeed, during the last 2 years...

Just popped in to provide some feedback for those people who may have shown a positive interest in this experiment, which has been hugely successful. We are now only in the first week of June, and yet the 'National-Dadant' Beehive is out-performing every other hive in the apiary, without...

I didn't 'forget' - I outlined the absurdly simple (but very clever) principle of the method, which is to introduce the queen into a bee-less environment. That is the genius of the method - imo, of course. One expects seasoned beekeepers to use just a little common-sense. If I had posted...

I gave you the source - if you can be arsed to read it (p.180 - "What is the best way to introduce a valuable queen?") - the answer can be found there. LJ

I came across this method yesterday, whilst researching something completely different. It's from the pen of C.C.Miller, and you'll find it within his book 'A Thousand Answers'. What suprises me is that I've never heard anyone mention this method ... ever. It's intended to be used when you've...

I tried eggs with a Cupkit system on 3 separate occasions, and each time they just scoffed the eggs. Feeling pretty miffed, I then researched the problem and came up with the explanation I posted. Glad to hear that you were successful - that's bees for you ... seems that nothing, but nothing...

I normally work with: 1x application when broodless, or 4x applications every 5 days when brood is present. LJ

Assuming that you hope to directly raise a new queen from those eggs - I hate to be a 'party-pooper' (honestly !) - but this plan may be doomed to failure. When a queen lays an egg, it is coated with that queen's pheromone as it leaves her body, and so bees are then able to distinguish between...

I clearly said 'imo' - in my opinion. I reserve the right to hold my own opinion, and express it whenever appropriate. If you consider expressing an opinion to be "preaching", then heaven help us, for no-one would ever be able to express their own views on this forum. 'Rude' and 'wrong' are...

I think that comment speaks volumes. Swarming is, of course, a natural phenonomenon - but - within Britain in the 21st Century, honeybee swarms are faced with the major problem of setting-up a new home within a highly unnatural environment, for the days of huge ancient forests with their aged...

Yesterday - with it's bitterly cold north Wind and sleet showers - for a few minutes only I watched in amazement as a few brave souls ventured forth on their foraging sorties. Then - it was quickly back into the greenhouse which I use as a summer workshop. Once out of that biting wind, it was...

Exactly - the oxalate cation is pretty stable. Perhaps if the solution were to be kept in a clear glass container and subjected to light for a very long time it 'might' undergo some UV degradation - however, that's only conjecture. But I fully agree - add some impurity or other - such as...

Degrade into what, exactly ? Of course it isn't a contradiction in terms - and to be uber-pedantic - Oxalic Acid crystals, as usually supplied, already has water added to it - that's why it's called a dihydrate ! LJ

Can't comment on Thornes seconds-quality. I'm talking about around 10% of the frames I bought (from another supplier, who'd better remain nameless) - requiring this kind of remedial attention. If you were to cost your own time at even the minimum wage rate, the savings (again, from this...

It may not be relevant, for as you say an experienced beekeeper checked those cells - but during my first inspection of this year I found quite a number of what appeared at first sight to be supercedure cells. They were far more advanced than 'play cups', but on flicking their sides open each...

In what form - liquid or dihydrate crystals ? If the latter, then it won't have 'gone off'. Not sure about the liquid - depends what it's been mixed with (if anything). LJ

So much depends on where knots are located - Mann-Lake's National box sides were curable with glue, but their rails (locking bars) gave me a helluva lot of trouble - and many were condemned as being unusable. I bought a couple of hundred 'seconds-quality' frames last year and - luckily - put...

I think what a few of the later posters in this thread may be missing is that the excess 'stores' in question contain largely, if not entirely, sugar syrup. And that as these stores are held on large frames (14x12), they don't really lend themselves to making nucs with - at least not initially...