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The beekeeper had been busy before Christmas boiling up sugar for bee candy and leaving it to set overnight. The next day she scraped the half-set, gooey mess out of the moulds into a pan and boiled it all again before pouring it back into the now very sticky moulds.

This time it worked and on Christmas Eve she headed out to the apiary with the bees' Christmas presents all nicely wrapped and stacked on a tray. The temperature had at last risen above freezing and as she removed each ...

I had an idea to start Oxalic treatment this weekend as we have just had two weeks of cold weather, meaning that there should be little or no brood present.

The ratio I use is 7.5g Oxalic acid dihydrate powder with 100g sugar and 100ml of water.

I multiplied that by 4, ie 30g Oxalic which I reckon will be enough for my 11 colonies and 10 nucs.

I measured out 400ml of water in a graduated cylinder and poured it into a pyrex bowl to heat in the microwave. ...

I know it gives me a good excuse to indulge in a small *ahem* glass of Talisker before bed, but sod off winter, I'm bored and I miss my bees.

I've spent my life savings on the Thornes sale on kit that I might regret buying come spring. I've done all I can do, it's now up to the ladies to get on with it.

Hurry up spring.

So the first talk is over an done with. Not quite the Steve Jobs of the beekeeping world just yet, but overall I think it went rather well.

The plusses:
Having tried very hard to avoid "death by powerpoint" I think I succeeded. I had several comments that the slides were helpful, clear, well presented and helped the talk rather than overwhelmed it.

Once I hit my stride things did flow together reasonably well. The slides didn't fit point for point ...

After a week of rain and stormy winds, the sun had finally put in an appearance and, despite the low temperature – just 5 degrees on the garden thermometer – the bees were out and about, doing their hive-work, dragging debris through the mouseguards.

Having been stuck inside for so long with their legs crossed at least in a metaphorical sense, they had also taken wing and headed for a suitable spot nearby for a 'comfort break'. It was unfortunate that the local painter and decorator ...