Matchsticks

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It's there, in black and white in the October edition of the BBKA News. Page355. "Matchsticks are completely unnecessary"
Now what shall I do with all those I've collected? Perhaps I'll make a model hive.
No ... you'll be able to sell them to all those that don't believe what they have read ...indeed, I can already hear the clatter of quills to parchment with the resignation letters being written ...
 
It's there, in black and white in the October edition of the BBKA News. Page355. "Matchsticks are completely unnecessary"
Now what shall I do with all those I've collected? Perhaps I'll make a model hive.
Poor bugger - I can see the other members getting the wicker man out already
 
Did the weekly family shop today. Panic buying is prevalent again. Thought about starting a new trend. Hoarding matchsticks. Just in case! ;)
 
Maybe they were talking about how to light smokers and were suggesting a blowlamp could replace matches... :eek:
 
Maybe they were talking about how to light smokers and were suggesting a blowlamp could replace matches... :eek:
Matches for lighting smokers!!
I didn't realised they'd been allowed to upgrade from their flints and steel!
 
Yes, no bloody blogrolls again.
Never mind, now that the newspapers have avoided the blockaders you can always buy the telegraph or, at a push, the mail - but be careful, my grandmother once used the daily mail as toilet paper and caught a nasty case of racism.
 
its alright, normal service resumed. Local meeting with presentation from master beekeeper / bee farmer where he stated he vents hives in winter and doesn't use insulation (even listed 'matchsticks' in the presentation). When pushed about this and the beecraft article he stated that its what he does not what he is necessarily recommending, although I personally felt this was ambiguous at best based on his presentation. Other MBs suitably ambivalent about insulation
 
When I got my first hive (a WBC) in 1959 it was custom and practise with these hives to have loads of sacking etc on top of the quilt ( crownboards were not commonly used in my part of the world back then except for clearing with porter escapes ) and many people packed the gap between the inner boxes and the outer lifts with all sorts of stuff including straw, old blankets etc. Swapped over to Nationals in 1972 and have always covered the feeder holes apart from when feeding. I have never ever used matchsticks for ventilation although do admit to using one (sometimes two) still to light my smoker or to suspend introduction cages (if I don't have toothpicks to hand) I have known hundreds of beekeepers (including Ted Hooper, Eva Crane, Cecil Tonsley and Geof Hopkinson) over the years and only ever come across a few that actually propped up crownboards with matchsticks for ventilation . I have been using 50mm squares of Celotex etc under the roof for insulation for about 20 yrs and find colonies use about 3 Kg less sugar over winter and wintering 25 to 30 colonies that saves me about £45 a year on current prices. Surprisingly apart from using less stores I have not noticed (and I keep good records) any obvious difference in colony losses or in honey production from using the insulation layer.
 
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When I got my first hive (a WBC) in 1959 it was custom and practise with these hives to have loads of sacking etc on top of the quilt ( crownboards were not commonly used in my part of the world back then except for clearing with porter escapes ) and many people packed the gap between the inner boxes and the outer lifts with all sorts of stuff including straw, old blankets etc. Swapped over to Nationals in 1972 and have always covered the feeder holes apart from when feeding. I have never ever used matchsticks for ventilation although do admit to using one (sometimes two) still to light my smoker or to suspend introduction cages (if I don't have toothpicks to hand) I have known hundreds of beekeepers (including Ted Hooper, Eva Crane, Cecil Tonsley and Geof Hopkinson) over the years and only ever come across a few that actually propped up crownboards with matchsticks for ventilation . I have been using 50mm squares of Celotex etc under the roof for insulation for about 20 yrs and find colonies use about 3 Kg less sugar over winter and wintering 25 to 30 colonies that saves me about £45 a year on current prices. Surprisingly apart from using less stores I have not noticed (and I keep good records) any obvious difference in colony losses or in honey production from using the insulation layer.

Excellent post masterBK.
 
The only time I've ever used matchsticks ( cocktail sticks ) is when uniting colonies in mid summer when the hives are in full sun.
Stick them under the corners of the top box, never under a crown board or in winter.
Those poly nucs overheat real quick.

edit
Sometimes between brood boxes on double brood colonies with solid floors when shut in for spraying in hot summer days. Hives are always in full sun.
 
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The only time I've ever used matchsticks ( cocktail sticks ) is when uniting colonies in mid summer when the hives are in full sun.
Stick them under the corners of the top box, never under a crown board or in winter.
Those poly nucs overheat real quick.

edit
Sometimes between brood boxes on double brood colonies with solid floors when shut in for spraying in hot summer days. Hives are always in full sun.
I confess to also using matchsticks under a lid and between the top box when moving colonies once. They love to get warm when moving but it was a cool day, about 6 degrees, so the matchsticks seemed perfect. I thought the travel screens would have been too cool ....
 

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