Quick questions quick answers

[Codford]

yes

How?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

through the air, honey is hygroscopic, eventually the water will get through the cappings, just take a frame of honey out of the hive and leave it lying around for a few weeks and see what happens.

 

[Karsal]

What smoker fuel doesn't fill the smoker with black gunk that carboard does.

I'm want to make a change after spending a few hours scrapping it off.

Old cotton terry towels from the charity shop cut up works great for me.
Very little black gunk left to scrape off the inside of the smoker and they last for ages

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks Jenkins... "Capped honey does not absorb moisture from the air", needs to go in the beekeeping myths list.

 

[madasafish]

Old cotton terry towels from the charity shop cut up works great for me.
Very little black gunk left to scrape off the inside of the smoker and they last for ages

Old egg boxes, dampened , formed into cylinders to fit smoker, left to dry.

Very clean slow burn..

 

[Codford]

Old egg boxes, dampened , formed into cylinders to fit smoker, left to dry.

Very clean slow burn..

Interesting - how do you form the wet egg boxes into cylinders?

 

[Lancs Lad]

Old cotton terry towels from the charity shop cut up works great for me.
Very little black gunk left to scrape off the inside of the smoker and they last for ages

Brilliant tip, tried it out, I'm a convert.

 

[Murox]

Old cotton terry towels from the charity shop cut up works great for me.
Very little black gunk left to scrape off the inside of the smoker and they last for ages

Old egg boxes, dampened , formed into cylinders to fit smoker, left to dry.

Very clean slow burn..

Top tips. Thank you both.

 

[XYZ]

Two quick Q's resulting from a look through the clear crown board:

1. Should I be concerned about a colony that has shrunk to four seams (with a new buckfast queen)?
2. Should I be concerned about a millipede/centipede walking around freely in said colony?

 

[Murox]

Two quick Q's resulting from a look through the clear crown board:

1. Should I be concerned about a colony that has shrunk to four seams (with a new buckfast queen)?
2. Should I be concerned about a millipede/centipede walking around freely in said colony?

1. Not necessarily, the usual provisos apply of course; keep an eye on it.
2. Generally the bees will sort them out, they seem to cohabit with all manner creepy crawlies. Centipedes are carnivores and millipedes feed mainly on decaying organic matter.
“Nice” video of the two. The first one is a Centipede
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ddAXRskpK0

 

[madasafish]

Interesting - how do you form the wet egg boxes into cylinders?

roll them out flat by hand.. then roll them up by hand...

edit they shoul be damp and not wet or it will be messy and the box may tear.

 

[Poly Hive]

The best smoker fuel I have used is very dry rotten wood. Lovely cool smoke and very little tar residue, and free with no messing about.

PH

 

[Finman]

Interesting - how do you form the wet egg boxes into cylinders?

Tear pieces from box so much what you need. Then add if it is not enough.
.

 

[Heather]

Cotton smoker fuel from 'Bee- equipment'
Stays lit for ages..

 

[Ian123]

cotton smoker fuel from 'bee- equipment'
stays lit for ages..

you pay for smoker fuel!!!!!!!

 

[Newbeeneil]

The best smoker fuel I have used is very dry rotten wood. Lovely cool smoke and very little tar residue, and free with no messing about.

PH

Plenty lying around at the moment after the storms...... just got to get it dried out in the greenhouse.

 

[Courty]

The best smoker fuel I have used is very dry rotten wood. Lovely cool smoke and very little tar residue, and free with no messing about.

PH

I agree it’s a great fuel, but it does depend on the type of tree as to whether or not it leaves burnt resin. Tree identification isn’t my speciality unfortunately!

Courty

 

[Norf Bee]

I agree it’s a great fuel, but it does depend on the type of tree as to whether or not it leaves burnt resin. Tree identification isn’t my speciality unfortunately!

Courty

If it smells like resin or is sticky it will have resin.
Usually anything with spikes has more, with leaves less.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I agree it’s a great fuel, but it does depend on the type of tree as to whether or not it leaves burnt resin. Tree identification isn’t my speciality unfortunately!

Courty

I use dry wood too.
I can usually tell where it’s come from by looking up.

 

[For want of a better word]

you pay for smoker fuel!!!!!!!

Trialed nice fragrant Dried donkey poo from donkeys in our local donkey park!

Smells like the breezes from the North York Moors......

Fresh dried Cornish meadow hay is even nicer and now our preferred smoker fuel!