What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Newbeeneil]

Where did you get your crates from? My jars are in boxes currently but I’m worried about the weight and the cardboard failing.

The crates are from my local greengrocer who gets about a dozen a week that he puts outside his back door for anyone. They have had mushrooms or salad onions in them.
They take 21x12 hex or 28x8hex I think they do about 18 lb jars I believe.
I have never had a problem with them breaking and I stack them up to 6 high in my racking. Edit …. It appears you can get 39 x 135g hex in as well

 

[Moobee]

Where did you get your crates from? My jars are in boxes currently but I’m worried about the weight and the cardboard failing.

I chatted up the Sainsbury’s delivery driver and he ‘accidentally’ left one behind…..

 

[Moobee]

First bash at candles but have a few sink holes by the wicks…. anyone have a remedy for this? Tried a hairdryer on top but as soon as the wax started to melt it flew everywhere!! And I don’t have a heat gun……

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have a few sink holes by the wicks…. anyone have a remedy for this?

check them every few minutes after pouring, top up the wax when you see it starting to slump

 

[Moobee]

Determined that the hives are broodless (no brood cappings on varroa boards after 3 days) so did the first OA vape. Spent the rest of the day with people asking me why I had creases in my face (from the PPE!)

 

[Moobee]

check them every few minutes after pouring, top up the wax when you see it starting to slump

Stupidly left them to set without checking so now have solid candles with unsightly sink holes

 

[Ian123]

Determined that the hives are broodless (no brood cappings on varroa boards after 3 days) so did the first OA vape. Spent the rest of the day with people asking me why I had creases in my face (from the PPE!)

That’s a surprise they are broodless, I checked a few nucs last week and still 2-3 frames of brood and fresh eggs in all of them. Is there a lack of ivy in your area.

 

[ericbeaumont]

back to the drawing board

Box must be light yet strong enough to carry from car to location in wet weather and avoid dirt and dust on the way.

The bigger the box the more unwieldy, and open crates risk damp labels and dusty jars.

Customers expect a clean product and you want the same between bottling and sale, and I know of no other means to provide that transit security.

The RUB 9 litre holds 14x340, 18x227, 25x135g jars (12, 8 & 4oz) with handles and a locking lid.

Jar fit is just right, as if the box was designed with hex jars in mind. 4s have a little slack.

These boxes stack (even full) up to eight or ten high in storage.

Carry more weight to events and it becomes a struggle, especially when carrying excess home at the end of a tiring day.

https://www.ryman.co.uk/really-usef...3s1bp7OLhq51aNM--80vum4eBoxfa-VYaAv6aEALw_wcB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Stupidly left them to set without checking so now have solid candles with unsightly sink holes

Put them in the oven on low heat making sure you have the wicks held centre and remelt. Turn oven off and leave them to cool there.

 

[John Twidle]

Box must be light yet strong enough to carry from car to location in wet weather and avoid dirt and dust on the way.

The bigger the box the more unwieldy, and open crates risk damp labels and dusty jars.

Customers expect a clean product and you want the same between bottling and sale, and I know of no other means to provide that transit security.

The RUB 9 litre holds 14x340, 18x227, 25x135g jars (12, 8 & 4oz) with handles and a locking lid.

Jar fit is just right, as if the box was designed with hex jars in mind. 4s have a little slack.

These boxes stack (even full) up to eight or ten high in storage.

Carry more weight to events and it becomes a struggle, especially when carrying excess home at the end of a tiring day.

https://www.ryman.co.uk/really-usef...3s1bp7OLhq51aNM--80vum4eBoxfa-VYaAv6aEALw_wcB

I use these too and find that, although there is a little more "slack" between jars than I would prefer, they comfortably take 11 one pound jars.

 

[Moobee]

That’s a surprise they are broodless, I checked a few nucs last week and still 2-3 frames of brood and fresh eggs in all of them. Is there a lack of ivy in your area.

Ivy has gone over - probably due to the high winds and salt laden rain.
Interesting article from The Apiarist a few weeks ago re timing on colonies being broodless earlier than thought so decided to check.

 

[Moobee]

That’s a surprise they are broodless, I checked a few nucs last week and still 2-3 frames of brood and fresh eggs in all of them. Is there a lack of ivy in your area.

Put them in the oven on low heat making sure you have the wicks held centre and remelt. Turn oven off and leave them to cool there.

Thanks Dani

 

[Moobee]

The ones you can pick up from greengrocers are fine for 20 x 12ox jars - I've been using them for years without a problem. Unfortunately, the grocers have realised that there is a market for these trays and they are asking more for them than the 'jar of honey' I used to get away with just to take them away.

They are selling regularly on ebay ... search for mushroom trays .. if you are lucky you might find some locally - it's the postage that kills the cost ... these are about the cheapest I've found with postage..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22513745...HB7znrA+5YpJxl15K5RYBGYSY=|tkp:Bk9SR5Kky46SYQ

I was lucky and found someone getting rid of 50 on Freecycle. Just had to collect from about 15 miles away. It was fun trying to get them all in the car!

 

[pargyle]

I was lucky and found someone getting rid of 50 on Freecycle. Just had to collect from about 15 miles away. It was fun trying to get them all in the car!

Wow ... that was a stroke of luck ... if you don't need all of them I'll take some off your hands !

 

[Garry R]

Not really the apiary - more the workshop/kitchen.

I have heated the honey ready to jar up the next batch from buckets and want to seed with crystalllised honey for soft set so made this mixer. It's a Kenwood whisk attached to the tube via a slot which locates the pin on the whisk' The tube is an old curtain track with a 10mm internal diameter -throw nothing away!! There is a 50mm aluminium rod of 10mm pushed up the tube to fit the maximum id on the drill. The whisks on ebay are around £5 so a cheap stirrer with no sharp edges to rip the plastic settling tank. I have been advised not to use a conventional electric drill in case it burns out but the rechargeable drill works a treat.

 

[JamezF]

I visited the bee shed to put some stuff away and noticed that in the wind early this afternoon (we had a warning for yellow wind today) a couple of stacks of empty brood chambers had blown over. Fortunately no damage done other than a couple more dents in a poly box. I've restacked them in smaller numbers, but I think I'll be needing to move them somewhere more sheltered.

Tomorrow is supposed to be dry during daylight hours so I'll try to get around my other sites to check the hives are all ok.

James

 

[Moobee]

Wow ... that was a stroke of luck ... if you don't need all of them I'll take some off your hands !

I pretty much use all of them actually - line with newspaper & use as seed planters, or for winter lettuce in the greenhouse, carry seedlings in pots round the garden, for picking and washing lettuces (I sell some to neighbours), stack kindling to dry in the log store…..

 

[Newbeeneil]

Wow ... that was a stroke of luck ... if you don't need all of them I'll take some off your hands !

Maybe I should collect the pile from my greengrocer every week and offer them on here at a VERY reasonable price..... of course

 

[pargyle]

Maybe I should collect the pile from my greengrocer every week and offer them on here at a VERY reasonable price..... of course

There you are - nice little earner and saving the plastic in landfill ....

 

[Newbeeneil]

There you are - nice little earner and saving the plastic in landfill ....

I know but I have no storage for them. I use them to deliver honey to shops and large private buyers but the buggers keep giving them back!