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Smith hives I know of someone who is selling some craftsman made Smith hives very cheaply.

Did anyone else watch Little England on ITV today ? It gave quite a lot of space to Bridget Beattie who was shown tending her hives in the Dordogne and mentoring and coaching beginners for the BBKA Basic Assessment. She appeared very knowledgeable and it was very positive PR for beekeeping...

Tremble Dance He quoted Karl von Frisch, the authority on the Waggle Dance as having been mystified by the Tremble Dance which he eventually dismissed after many years as of no significance. In a private conversation afterwards he admitted that the significance of the Tremble Dance as a call...

I see that LIDL are due to have a Wood Burning Iron in on 15/8 - apparently intended for that old craft of Pyrography which still flourishes in some European countries. It strikes me that while less quick than a Branding Iron, I can use it to inscribe my postcode on both hive exteriors and...

Polish Honey Cake Here's a recipe for a traditional Polish Honey Cake - rather like gingerbread and associated especially with Christmas. Mix 4 eggs with 5 ounces of sugar (14 dkgs), add 1 lb (.5 kilo) of honey and .5 pt (.25 ltr) of milk and 1 lb (.5 kilo) of self raising flour. Lastly add a...

Apis Mellifera Ruttnerii Having looked at the website indicated by John Wilkinson, it's interesting that the Maltese sub-species of honeybee is named after Friedrich Ruttner, after whom our new member has named himself - shows he has some basic knowledge of local beekeeping surely - unless he...

Tom Seeley Tom Seeley is speaking at the National Honey Show this autumn and has agreed to speak at the Lincolnshire BKA autumn lecture subsequently. He's considered to be a world authority in his field I undesrstand and certainly a leading light in the USA.

Can't see it Russell - can you direct me ?

Yorkshire Beehives I attended the YBKA Conference at Burton Latimer College in Beverley about 7 weeks ago and saw the stand featuring hives being sold under the Yorkshire Beehives name. They appeared more solidly constructed and reasonably priced compared to the larger firms. The proprietor...

The latest issue of Beecraft is carrying an ardent testimonial in the Letters page for Varroa-Gard, alongside a full page ad (pardon my cynicism). The claims being made for it appear little short of miraculous and superior to any other chemical tratment. Does anyone have any experience of...

"Build It!" book by Joe Jacobs I've recommended this book before on similar threads and a previous inquirer reported that they had purchased it and used the instructions very successfully. It gives instructions for a number of DIY projects connected with smallholding including Nat hives and...

Thanks, I thought as much.

A farmer friend has invited me to put a hive in a field in which he has planted linseed. I cam't find any info whether linseed (aka flax) blossom is a useful forage for bees. Has anyone got any further info ?

In the talk that Kim Flottum gave to Lincs BKA last autumn he mentioned that he with associates is trying to breed varroa resistant bees and went on to include "Russian" bees amongst the stock that he has used to breed varroa resistant bees. Am I wrong in understanding that what the Americans...

Workmate All the advice on using sach cramps etc is getting a bit too technical for me !! I've been making some ply Nats and nucs as per the instructions in Joe Jordans book that I've mentioned in another thread. I've been using a Workmate to clamp the end board flush with the surface and then...

In defence of Local Government / NDB ? I referrred to my experience of local government because since the Thatcher years central government has, while cutting funding to local government, made small grants for specific purposes that in many cases ran counter to the normal practices of...

Yes Adam, I'd seen all that and find it quite non-specific. I've seen suggestions that in France commercial beekeepers use Warrés successfully but if this firm is producing commercial quantities using natural methods I'd be intereted to find out how they are doing it. They supply Nats and WBCs...

Hmmm, Adams and Dans explanations of the difficulties in responding to funding available at short notice was very reminiscent of similar situations that I encountered during 30 plus years in Local Government so I have some sympathy with them. Remind me - why did I go for early retirement ? I...

Dan, Thank you for your courteous and considered reply. I think that you noticed that I'm rather cross about my experience. I did make clear to your father that as secretary of the Training and Education Committee of Lincs BKA I am involved in promoting beekeeper education - an initiative...

Access to courses I made repeated contact by email and phone to the co-ordinator of this programme of training, being told that the course that I was interested in was originally postponed and that I would be advised when it was re-instituted. I was even offered a place on another course a...