Useful to Newbies?

[Luminos]

I've found it useful to write down everything of note at the time when I do a hive inspection, as there's an awful lot to remember.
I haven't been doing it long, this is only my 4th inspection!
Notepaper gets blown away, pen gets lost in the grass, by the time I've tracked them down, smoker's gone out... ...so I bought a sort of mini-whiteboard, write on/wipe off, in the supermarket's "kid's stationery" section.
It's ideal, I can write down what I'm supposed to be looking for, before I begin, and note quickly what I need to. It doesn't blow away and there's a holder for the pen. Being wipe-clean it's re-usable and any stickiness is easily dealt with.
It's called Bic Velleda and the pens are also available seperately.
I just wondered if this would be useful to other new beekeepers, I expect the experienced ones would not need it

 

[kazmcc]

Sounds like a great idea. I always have at least one other person with me, so notes aren't a problem, but I may still get one, just to focus the group on what is happening, and what is being done.

Thanks for the suggestion

 

[shudderdun]

Sounds like a great idea. I always have at least one other person with me, so notes aren't a problem, but I may still get one, just to focus the group on what is happening, and what is being done.

Thanks for the suggestion

One of those small tape recorders or mobile phone that records might come in handy, even better if its handsfree, then write it up later in confort!

 

[madasafish]

I use a Sainsbury A5 notebook 80 sheets ruled, hard plastic covers, spiral bound and elastic band to keep Page open. Fits in pocket..

Easy to use...

 

[Luminos]

...I haven't got Sainsbury's here...

 

[hedgerow pete]

i used to paint the inside of the roof or crown board with black paint and just carry around a lump of chalk

 

[Erichalfbee]

Voice recorder from Aldi for me........ press record and it gives you nearly 2 hours. I just leave it on top of the hive next to the one I'm looking at.

 

[Luminos]

...Ah! We do have Aldi. But then I'd have to buy another hive to put the voice recorder on...

 

[Erichalfbee]

...Ah! We do have Aldi. But then I'd have to buy another hive to put the voice recorder on...

There you are then.........do you need a better reason?

 

[nelletap]

Sticky velcro a recorder to your wrist, like a watch. Depending on cost of recorder, might be better to get the second hive first.....gives flexibility in all sorts of ways.

 

[Moggs]

Beetight Pro - Apple iPhone - works a treat with thin nitrile gloves.

 

[Iang]

Mobile phone has voice recorder - and always have it with me for emergency situations anyway.

 

[enrico]

Yuck, sticky phone for ever!!!!

 

[Luminos]

Surely this should have been under "Sticky Posts?"

 

[nonstandard]

Yuck, sticky phone for ever!!!!

I was thinking that, but then thought you could always put the phone/recorder inside a spare latex inspection glove or a plastic bag.

 

[Russel]

i used to paint the inside of the roof or crown board with black paint and just carry around a lump of chalk

I'd have thought you had a head cam HP

 

[Browntea]

I use the voice recorder on my mobile phone....

 

[drstitson]

how about well established memory cathedral approach?

a good idea might be to imagine an apiary with lots of hives in it. each hive could represent a colony. within each box of each hive you could store relevent information about that colony. likewise for each frame within each box.

for example - easy visual cues that one could "attach" to individual frames in brood box of a hive in your "memory apiary" might be - stores, pollen, eggs, larvae, sealed brood, drone brood, queen cups and queen cells. Assigning queens colours can also help remember them - you can find cheaps sets of White, Yellow, Red, Green and Blue on amazon and bright pink for really memorable girls on ebay.

 

[drstitson]

sorry that my TIC comment appears to have killed this thread!

(DOI: Professional requirement for good pattern recognition and visual memory).

 

[Headnavigator]

sorry that my TIC comment appears to have killed this thread!

(DOI: Professional requirement for good pattern recognition and visual memory).

You've lost me! Will have to try and use my own memory, yours doesn't work in my head!