todays news

[fatshark]

How do you manage that? Eke with the Apiguard and fondant over an open crownboard on top?

Nearly ... I have reversible, insulated covers containing Kingspan. I leave a QE in place, add a shallow eke (40mm?) and invert the cover over the top (omitting the insulation!). That leaves space for a half depth block of fondant. Usually I simply add a full block split in half and leave them until late October/November when I tidy things up and add the DPM to prevent woodpecker damage. This year I've yet to buy enough fondant, so gave them half a block each to be getting on with.

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I put the Kingspan on top, balanced a little precariously under the roof. I don't like making gallons of syrup, don't want to buy big feeders etc. and think the bees benefit from later brood rearing and that it encourages less robbing or attention from wasps.

I got the fondant tip from Peter Edwards and have used it for at least 5 years without any real problems. Sometimes they seal the QE in place pretty securely and removing it can be a little disruptive, so I choose a warm day in late October (or don't bother). Fondant keeps very well if unopened. Simples

Good luck with the queen rearing ... I've abandoned things this year.

[Black Comb]

This is interesting.
Do you slice the block longitudinally in half using a cheese cutter?

[fatshark]

No, but perhaps I should. I use a breadknife. It's quite hard work and you need to clean the blade in hot water every 2-3 blocks. I cut the blocks in my kitchen, slap a sheet of clingfilm on top and put them back in the box to carry to the apiary. If you're using full blocks you can slice them down the middle, add the clingfilm and then reassemble them. They can then be easily split open just before use.

I buy fondant from BFP Wholesale who usually have the best prices. About £11.50 last year I think, but I'm happy to negotiate a discount for multiples of 10 if I can. They have a Livingstone depot for those North of the border.

[lindsay s]

Alan Riach talking about beekeeping on Radio Scotland today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04dqshj scroll to 41:45

[HJBee]

Bit of a deviation on a theme ...
https://www.facebook.com/OddbinsHyndland

[lindsay s]

Last week Stephen Sunderland (lead bee inspector) visited Orkney to carry out some bee health surveillance. The weather couldn’t have been better with two sunny calm days and our bees were on their best behaviour. Sue our local secretary took him around several apiaries and I was lucky enough to visit three with them. It was nice to have an expert looking at our hives and samples of bees and wax were taken at each apiary. I’ve just sent off the floor insert that he left behind in a hive and my bees have made a good job of chewing it up. Stephen also gave us a talk on bee health in the evening followed by an open discussion.
Orkneys bees took a while to build up this spring and though we had a good spell of weather in July, August was a lot wetter than average. All the beekeepers I’ve spoken to so far have said their honey crop was down on last year. So all you beekeepers who have had record crops this year please feel free to gloat on this forum.

[HJBee]

My first crop this year but lots of late season issues taking the shine off it all Lindsay. Queens who won't lay and record varroa count and visible DWV - 3rd treatment this year - worried I will loose my colonies one way or another over winter.

[gavin]

No gloating here Lindsay - a moderate OSR crop, some lime, a good crop of clover from one colony, but not much heather despite the early promise thanks to the coldest August for many years. Probably an average year for most.

[alancooper]

- a moderate OSR crop, some lime, a good crop of clover from one colony, but not much heather

In much of Fermanagh, with its grassland and thick hedges we mainly get "hedge honey". I largely know what plants my bees are taking pollen from (I use a microscope on dropped pollen loads) but am less certain about where the honey comes from. How do you do it? How can I learn?

[GRIZZLY]

Difficult to do unless you can extract pollen from a sample and identify that.