Sales

[Curly green finger's]

I don't usually need to buy fondant ... at any cost. The principle is the issue here.

I spent enough years working as a business consultant, advising Blue chip companies on good business practice and latterly owning and running a business for 20 years with a £3.5m turnover and 35 people employed to consider myself an entrepreneur and a doer ...and to know what I'm talking about, at least in business, if not in beekeeping.

I've seem more small businesses fail because the owners don't understand the basic principles of business and economics than you can shake a stick at - they expand rapidly and then find they have run out of cash to service the business, pay themselves and the taxes. Perhaps, as Mark is employed by a couple of millionaires who fund the business, he does not have to worry too much but ... there will come a time when he has to look at it as a business and not paid employment.

If you want to succeed and grow in what is supposed to be a business you have to look after the pennies ... if it's just a hobby then it's less vital as you expect to contribute to the costs or let it fund itself.

I also run my own don't forget I don't have all my eggs as I said above!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I also run my own don't forget I don't have all my eggs as I said above!

It’s probably a good idea to lay in stock before tax year end anyway. All those eggs attract the watchful eyes of HMRC so best mitigate your tax bill.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It’s probably a good idea to lay in stock before tax year end anyway. All those eggs attract the watchful eyes of HMRC so best mitigate your tax bill.

Already done, my accounts get done every month anyway as to keep ontop of it been like that for a few years now.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I didn't mean you weren't doing your accounts....just agreeing that it's good thing to buy stuff you might need before tax year end

 

[Curly green finger's]

I didn't mean you weren't doing your accounts....just agreeing that it's good thing to buy stuff you might need before tax year end

Aye i know what you meant

 

[Nige.Coll]

The stuff I have would make your hair curl lmao.
Fondant, foundation, frames the list goes on got a shed full.

 

[Curly green finger's]

The stuff I have would make your hair curl lmao.
Fondant, foundation, frames the list goes on got a shed full.

I can imagine and my hair is already curly

 

[RichardBeeW]

Fondant's great for mini nucs, at mini nuc setting up time there's not enough hours in the day to do everything, even getting on the blower to order fondant, I have lots in stock for this reason, I imagine that's what Mark's up to too.

I hadn't thought of fondant for mini-nucs and queen rearing to be honest. I'm hoping to breed from the lovely queen I bought from you late last year (she's been doing very well through the winter and I've been meaning to write and thank you) and I'll be looking to replace all my Buckfast F3s or F4s or Fwhatevers with something more homogenous.
I'm guessing a slab over the frames when making the mini-nucs up so they can be left alone until the new queen is mated and laying?
Did okay in the last two years going from 1 nuc to 2 Nationals and 2 nucs at the end of 2020 and with no losses over winter up to 10 Nationals and 2 nucs by the end of 2021. So far all the resulting mongrels are all looking strong and surprisingly gentle but that's as many as I want now (well, not really as many as I want ).
Also got one of the lovely N. Ireland black queens to run alongside yours and hoping something good will come out of the blend.
I really wish I'd got some of yours to begin with rather than Buckfasts again (had my first ones from Br Adam himself way back in 1983) but I ordered the 2020 nuc in desperation just before I found this forum. Glad I found your bees in the end though!

 

[Murox]

Simon the beekeeper is having a flash w/e sale - frames and wax seem reasonable.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve just bought two of his suits for visitors. A tenner each

 

[W0otz]

I’ve just bought two of his suits for visitors. A tenner each

I bought one of the lightweight suits for my wife, who doesn't particularly care about the bees and won't be wearing it often, and I wasn't overly impressed - the fabric is very thin, but for visitors they should be ok.

The professional range is fantastic for the price though, good fabric thickness, quality zips and a spare veil. I've ordered myself a jacket in the sale and already have a full suit.

 

[JamezF]

Anyone tried his gloves? I have terrible problems finding gloves that fit. From the photos they look to be quite long in the fingers which is really the opposite of what I want. If they're reasonably well-made though, perhaps it's worth risking £5 on a pair to see what they're like.

James

 

[Wilco]

Anyone tried his gloves? I have terrible problems finding gloves that fit. From the photos they look to be quite long in the fingers which is really the opposite of what I want. If they're reasonably well-made though, perhaps it's worth risking £5 on a pair to see what they're like.

James

I've used them but have switched to Marigolds. I thoroughly recommend the change.

Which style of his gloves do you want to try? Probably still got some knocking about.

 

[JamezF]

I was going to try the latex ones. Leather's nice, but not very washable.

I did try Marigolds a few years back, but the bees hated them. If you find they work ok then perhaps it was down to the colour rather than them just being Marigolds and perhaps I should give them another try.

The whole glove thing is a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I'm not brave enough to work bare-handed, but pretty much all gloves I've tried either have fingers that are too long (which end up getting caught between boxes and so on) or are too tight across my hands, which in summer usually means my hands start to sweat and it runs down into the fingers And if the cuffs are too long then they won't fit over my forearms either. I am completely the wrong shape to be a beekeeper really

James

 

[Boston Bees]

I was going to try the latex ones. Leather's nice, but not very washable.

I did try Marigolds a few years back, but the bees hated them. If you find they work ok then perhaps it was down to the colour rather than them just being Marigolds and perhaps I should give them another try.

The whole glove thing is a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I'm not brave enough to work bare-handed, but pretty much all gloves I've tried either have fingers that are too long (which end up getting caught between boxes and so on) or are too tight across my hands, which in summer usually means my hands start to sweat and it runs down into the fingers And if the cuffs are too long then they won't fit over my forearms either. I am completely the wrong shape to be a beekeeper really

James

Worth trying again with the Marigolds. Suspect you were unlucky with the bee's reactions, unless you used the black garden ones (in which case turn them inside out so they become grey). I have found them ideal (when combined with gauntlets)

 

[JamezF]

Ok, looks like I give Marigolds another try then. I wonder if Tesco will think me weird if I stand in the aisle opening packets up until I find a size that fits

James

 

[Boston Bees]

Ok, looks like I give Marigolds another try then. I wonder if Tesco will think me weird if I stand in the aisle opening packets up until I find a size that fits

James

They are very cheap, and if they don't fit give them to your better half as a present. Job done.

 

[JamezF]

if they don't fit give them to your better half as a present

I can already hear the squeals of delight and gratitude

James

 

[robinharman]

I find Marigolds are a little thick. Try the supermarket own brands which are thinner and cheaper. Go through the washing machine a treat.

 

[Wilco]

I was going to try the latex ones. Leather's nice, but not very washable.

I did try Marigolds a few years back, but the bees hated them. If you find they work ok then perhaps it was down to the colour rather than them just being Marigolds and perhaps I should give them another try.

The whole glove thing is a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I'm not brave enough to work bare-handed, but pretty much all gloves I've tried either have fingers that are too long (which end up getting caught between boxes and so on) or are too tight across my hands, which in summer usually means my hands start to sweat and it runs down into the fingers And if the cuffs are too long then they won't fit over my forearms either. I am completely the wrong shape to be a beekeeper really

James

I'm my experience it makes a big difference to handling. You almost certainly won't get stung with the rubber ones but it doesn't mean they wont try.

With the marigolds you almost certainly won't get stung and they're less likely to try. But DM me if you want a pair of the rubber ones posted.