Dave Cushman's Site

[pargyle]

Yes, my recent and ongoing experience with that site is that it hasn't changed much. Was recommended this one for a decent exchange of views and ideas. Reading many of the current threads, I'm impressed.

Yes welcome ... It's a great forum here ... we have our disagreements and there is the widest possible variety of beekeepers on here but it's a light touch moderation which works very well. Questions are always welcome and inevitably you will get a number of potential answers to a problem ... but that's what beekeeping is about - no point in doing it if you don't want to think about what you are doing.

 

[itma]

Has anyone noticed that Roger is gradually adding his 'opinions' to the old site. One of the things that I always liked about Dave Cushman's original site was that it was immensely impartial .. just facts, dimensions and accumulated beekeeping information - no opinions or recommendations offered. ...

I just wish he would keep his opinions out of it ....

For example:

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/nat1412.html

Opinionated twaddle - which cannot be challenged on the website.

Plenty more examples ... How about -

Much has been said and written about the direction in which bees build combs naturally. They can be built in any direction and the bees don't seem to mind, but the main combs always seem to be built in the direction of ley lines. In July 2013 I was involved in taking 3 colonies out of the same wall of the partly derelict railway station building at Selham, West Sussex. ... There was a ley line running the length of the wall and several crossing it where the bees were. Not all the main combs were built in the same direction, but they were all in the same direction as ley lines, with each colony being different. ...
...
I am aware there are other people who write and lecture on bees in the wild. I have read and listened to some of it and I have to say that some isn't my experience, which can be for a number of reasons. ... The sample size is probably much smaller than the number of colonies I have dealt with. ... I am not saying the other folks are wrong, just that we should be careful to compare like with like. ....

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/natbeenest.html


How long before there is a page explaining that the smoker should be held between the knees and another pointing out that all brood boxes ought to have castellations?

 

[Thymallus]

How long before there is a page explaining that the smoker should be held between the knees and another pointing out that all brood boxes ought to have castellations?[/quote]

Damn I thought it was a little awkward to use like that, Just assumed the jumping up and down and knee squeezing was part of a beekeeping ritual.
I think when we get to Leylines though you can assume the plot has been truly lost. Apologies of course to any leyline followers.

 

[pargyle]

How long before there is a page pointing out that all brood boxes ought to have castellations?

Apologies of course to any leyline followers.[/QUOTE]

Castellated spacers ? Already there ....

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/cast.html

Apologies accepted ... I'm a firm believer in Leylines and I dowse for where to site my hives ... my best hive is sited bang on the spot where the rods crossed.

But ... I'm not sure it's something that is sufficiently proven to warrant this:

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/leylines.html

 

[Thymallus]

Yes I see what you mean. I love the bit about have talk please ask me.

 

[Finman]

.
Ley line writing is one of the best.

Polyhive writing is a miracle too

"There are claims that bees are warmer in the winter. If so, I assume there is more brood, with possibly no brood break. Although this may appear an advantage, I wonder if it means that oxalic acid isn't as effective as it would be if there was no brood."

I can convince that they are warmer after using them 27 years.

Possibly no brood brake.... well, then all hives will be dead in Finland because we use only insulated hives in wintering. If hives have brood in autumn, they die in December and winter has even started then.

.

.

 

[Finman]

douple

 

[mbc]

Thanks...and nice larvae....SHB or Wax? Difficult to spot the spines at avatar resolution!

You're welcome.
Aethina tumida, it's coming if we don't do anything to stop it.

 

[domino]

If the current owners want to edit the information on there I don't think it's a huge issue.

There are plenty of excellent resources on beekeeping that are actively maintained and updated that I'd rather go to before this site.

 

[wessexmario]

There was a ley line running the length of the wall and several crossing it where the bees were. Not all the main combs were built in the same direction, but they were all in the same direction as ley lines, with each colony being different. ...

it was almost reasonable until the last clause

 

[domino]

it was almost reasonable until the last clause

Now now, I find my hives facing Mecca do much better than hives facing Watford. There is something to this stuff.

 

[Thymallus]

You're welcome.
Aethina tumida, it's coming if we don't do anything to stop it.

Yup, its coming. I don't think it's coincidence that in both Australia (NO bee imports) and Italy (Bee exporter, not importer) it was picked up in sentinel apiaries/bait hives at major shipping ports. Twice in Oz ( a double entry wammer) and once (to date) in Italy. Rep of Ireland had a ban on bee imports pre-varroa, only delayed its arrival slightly.
It makes you wonder how effective an embargo on Bee imports may really be.

I guess I should get my hard hat on now!

 

[itma]

How long before there is a page explaining that the smoker should be held between the knees and ...

Damn I thought it was a little awkward to use like that, Just assumed the jumping up and down and knee squeezing was part of a beekeeping ritual.
I think when we get to Leylines though you can assume the plot has been truly lost. Apologies of course to any leyline followers.

Mr Patterson believes it is VERY important that people should learn how to use their smoker "correctly".
Which in his personal opinion involves holding it between the knees ...

See for example https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...epage&q=smoker between the knees bees&f=false
And surely soon on the poor old Cushman site ...

 

[Thymallus]

Mr Patterson believes it is VERY important that people should learn how to use their smoker "correctly".
Which in his personal opinion involves holding it between the knees ...

If you hadn't posted that link I was thinking peetake. Unbelievable.

 

[Finman]

.
How to get it smoking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39j7xKa3ViI

 

[BeeJayBee]

[...] believes it is VERY important that people should learn how to use their smoker "correctly".
Which in his personal opinion involves holding it between the knees ...

If you hadn't posted that link I was thinking peetake. Unbelievable.

No, not unbelievable. I know a good few beekeepers who do just that - hold the smoker between their knees during an inspection rather than putting it on the ground, on a hive roof, or hooking it over the side of a brood box. It works for them, it doesn't work for me.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Mr Patterson believes it is VERY important that people should learn how to use their smoker "correctly".
Which in his personal opinion involves holding it between the knees ..

Well then, Roger and I have something in common. He probably doesn't wear shorts either.

 

[Thymallus]

Unbelievable to me as I've never heard or seen of it before. I just tried holding one between my knees and trying to reach for bits and pieces like doing an inspection removing supers etc....wife killed herself laughing watching me waddle around. It would make a great party game passing it between consenting adults.
But an interesting topic. where do you hang your smoker?...my hive stands (homemade) are long enough to hold 2 hives plus about a foot of extra room. That is were I place my smoker on the stand when only one hive, or on roof of other hive when 2 hives in use or back on stand between hives when inspecting poly hives. Interestingly , to date, when I forget to put on stand and stand smoker on poly roof....well no damage to report to date.

 

[Thymallus]

.
How to get it smoking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39j7xKa3ViI

I think every hive in the apiary was smoked enough for immediate inspection after that lighting.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mr Patterson believes it is VERY important that people should learn how to use their smoker "correctly".
Which in his personal opinion involves holding it between the knees ...

Wouldn't like to try it the day after a vindaloo.