Season has started for me.

[Poly Hive]

Pollen patties and syrup went on yesterday.

One colony had had its roof knocked off by the plough for which the farmer apologised. They were clustered pretty tightly but on my disturbing them they opened out fast enough.

First sting of the year too right on the tip of the bloody nose..

I must find a reliable smoker material which so far is eluding me.

Hi ho and off we go again.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Did you open up without a veil on?

 

[gavin]

I must find a reliable smoker material which so far is eluding me.
PH

Not the time of year to be collecting it dry, but I changed a couple of years ago to dry, rotten wood, the kind you can break up with your fingers. A few carrier bags collected after a dry couple of weeks from the floor of a wood or, in my case now, just topped up in the old orchard where the bees are when supplied get low.

Bees flying strongly here now, bringing in mostly snowdrop pollen.

Gavin

 

[Poly Hive]

No veil? Hell no, never. Just the angle I was at and the mesh came too close.

PH

 

[Finman]

Pollen patties and syrup went on yesterday.

Almost all say bees get pollen enough from nature. But why they eate patty?

- They need more protein than what they get. When they get enough, they stop patty eating.

 

[hedgerow pete]

just like every one else my ladies are starting to fly and collect. as for my smoker i have been playing with corrigated card board with a hessian layer inter rolled, warm smoke but you can choke to death in a bee shed with it going. I can get hold of tobacco leaves in my area the local asians use it in the water pipe thingys £4 for half a kilo has anyone tried, main stock before was just hessian sacks we use loads of hessian on building sites you have to leave it outside to weather for a few months first but was the best i used

 

[Hivemaker.]

Dry rotted wood ,with a twist of grass on top,works well and lasts a long time.