wood chippings

[Swarm]

I think it's a bit strange that he objected, considering he offered you the site in the first place. Does he intend to move you on next year in order to plant? Doesn't sound a very jovial type, does he? I think I'd be looking around for another site myself.
I mentioned renewing the hive stands to my landlord and he offered to help me and bring a machine over to scrape the area level and free of brambles.

 

[user 6228]

I expect the saw blade would make short work of anything that gets in its way!

....
.

a brushcutter on its own, makes for difficult progress in tall brambles. The brambles fall on the operator like barbed wire. The hedge trimmer is needed to break up the tall brambles to remove the barbed wire effect.
I have the scars to prove it

 

[Heather]

No, Swarm, been there 5 years, and bee-keepers there before me. He apparently strimmed etc, but brambles getting out of hand and I am bit older than he was!!
Farmers are a lovely couple but rent the land and worry the owner will object.. have 8 hives there and supply their shop with honey year round.
Off to chat with them today. Will take up the article re chippings eventually replenishing the land. May be useful. Thank you

 

[Finman]

.
It should not be a big issue to get rid of nettles. But I have netles in front of my every second hive entrance. Perhaps weeding them is not very interesting thing. I have Roudup and what ever tools to do that.

Burning with propan fire is one weeding method.
.

 

[Heather]

Not allowed any weedkiller. Organic farm, or I would Roundup to oblivion
Nettles just nuisance, Finman, can sort them, but the brambles that loop in the midst, trip me, rip boots up and seem to be rampant are a problem to me, have tripped me frequently. In a bee suit my vision seems to miss the traps they set!!
Maybe propane then.

 

[philipm]

I use a stimmer with a saw blade will even cut blackthorn saplings.I did use wood chippings once but never again the brambles loved it just as much as horse dung!!!

 

[Finman]

.
I do not use Round Up around hives, because bees forage morning few from leaves and they may drink the poison. IT takes 2-3 weeks before Round Up kills nettle. Not a good method.

 

[Beefriendly]

Had a similar problem a few years back. Strimmer, small saw and spade did the job...and some very thick leather gloves. Spent half a day clearing them and digging up their stumps. It was a few hours well spent, any regrowth has proved easy to deal with.

 

[MartinL]

I think it's a bit strange that he objected, considering he offered you the site in the first place. QUOTE]

They'll be bound by The Soil Association rules & regs.

I don't see that a ban on weed-killer is unreasonable. The whole farm needs to be organic and if that means a bit more work for any sub-letters so be it!

Nettles are beneficial to many insects & a fundamental requirement for the sustainment of Peacock butterflies.

Controlled Brambles will provide pollen & nectar for your bees too. Perhaps now is the time to ask Father Christmas to bring something in the way of a high powered strimmer & secateurs?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Goat

 

[Finman]

Goat

Edible snails, Helix pomatia likes to eate nettles . Second next favorite is dandelion. Make a cage and put it over the nettle. Snails eate them and bees do not sting. Them move the cage onto next place.

And you may rent snail cages to other beekeepers, who have nettle problem.
.

 

[madasafish]

High powered paraffin burner...Sheen X300 Flame Gun
http://tinyurl.com/y6u5eqj3


Or this - Sheen 500
http://tinyurl.com/yaw94gjd
Supposed to be the dogs danglies.. (and would burn them off as well)

 

[Beefriendly]

High powered paraffin burner...Sheen X300 Flame Gun
http://tinyurl.com/y6u5eqj3

Supposed to be the dogs danglies.. (and would burn them off as well)

Yup, have one of those...make sure you get the trolly, it's quite heavy when filled with paraffin...but boy does it do the job.

 

[Finman]

.
Quite a price to nettles plus paraffin.

 

[For want of a better word]

Edible snails, Helix pomatia likes to eate nettles . Second next favorite is dandelion. Make a cage and put it over the nettle. Snails eate them and bees do not sting. Them move the cage onto next place.

And you may rent snail cages to other beekeepers, who have nettle problem.
.

Great... where is that LIKE button?

Could go into snail farming with Native Black Cornish edible snails of course!!!

Nadelik Lowen

 

[Finman]

Great... where is that LIKE button?

Could go into snail farming with Native Black Cornish edible snails of course!!!

Nadelik Lowen

IT seems to have conservation status in the UK. But surely you can sell Cornish Black Natives. They are used as fish bait as dehydrated
£ 7/dose.