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Thread: todays news

  1. #3841
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lindsay s View Post
    Earlier today I had my first phone call of the year saying “ help l’ve got bees in my house and l don’t know what to do”. After a quick visit to the house I discovered a Queen bumblebee was trying to nest in wall insulation which was uncovered during building work. Advice was given and l left. Then when I got home I decided enough is enough, no more bee phone calls. Over the years without charge I’ve climbed ladders, crawled around in very tight roof spaces and stuck my head in all sorts of strange places just to find bumbles or wasps. Even though the home occupiers were convinced they were honey bees. I’ve phoned the council and told them to take my name of their list, because 95% of the calls I get don’t involve honey bees and they just want to pass the buck. I’m also unavailable throughout the day.
    Am I being terribly MEAN?
    I had a mad woman call me (not mad as in annoyed but mad as in barking) this weekend asking me to identify a bee of some type over the 'phone.
    So it's started for me too.
    In general people seem to read my website, ignore the advice and then STILL call. Callers demand bumblebees are removed sometimes and some say that bees are 'swarming around a bird box' when there's 1/2 dozen bees flying around in the evening.
    One told me that snipped off all the flowers in her garden so she didn't get a bee in there at all in case one of the children got stung. Other swear blind that they have honeybees in a bird box and they are Bombus Hypnorum - the tree bumblebee every time. Well, every time but one. Last year there actually was a swarm that entered a bird box. It was a box for a Little Owl so much bigger that the usual tit box we have in our gardens. I didn't believe it until I saw a photo.
    I guess patience is a virtue!
    Last edited by Adam; 24-04-2018 at 11:43 AM.

  2. #3842
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    https://www.theguardian.com/environm...ing-pesticides

    Interesting development but not surprising.

  3. #3843
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Yep ... I got asked to comment on that earlier today for the Science Media Centre. I didn't. I suspect things might change after Brexit.
    I looked at a field of OSR a week ago and it was absolutely wrecked by something that had nibbled back all the leaves and growing buds. It didn't look like it would be much use for my bees.

    Actually, thinking about it, it won't be ... it's 5 miles from the apiary

  4. #3844
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    And todays news is ... it's bloomin' cold. Bees flying really well in the heat of the midday sun (10C) and probably still hammering the remaining willow, but by 3pm they'd all gone home.

    I built a new hive stand and my Travis Perkins receipt told me the breeze blocks I purchased weighed 159kg ... useful

  5. #3845
    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatshark View Post
    I built a new hive stand and my Travis Perkins receipt told me the breeze blocks I purchased weighed 159kg ... useful
    You must get some serious crops up there

  6. #3846
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Could you use the blocks for the building of a Zest hive maybe?

    it will be interesting to see by how much (or whether) pollinators increase once the ban has taken full effect.

  7. #3847

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    Quote Originally Posted by Adam View Post
    it will be interesting to see by how much (or whether) pollinators increase once the ban has taken full effect.
    I have a niggling suspicion that pesticides is a minor cause in the decline of pollinators compared to the destruction of the plants they feed on.

  8. #3848
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Inspected a few nucs last night. All low on stores despite there being lots of forage around and OSR nearby. The weather has been rubbish again!

  9. #3849
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paul_ View Post
    I have a niggling suspicion that pesticides is a minor cause in the decline of pollinators compared to the destruction of the plants they feed on.
    I say this tongue in cheek, but "THE wasp EX-spurt" on't'other forum reckons one wasp nest devours 5 metric tons of insects per year. Easy to see why there is a decline in insects.
    How they fit that much biomass through a nest the size of a football leaves one boggling at the tardis like properties of wasp nests.

  10. #3850

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    May I ask for some advice? I have overwintered three strong colonies on double brood. All are building up well. Last year I encountered problems with swarm control and have made demaree boards over the winter to use this year. My question is “how do you demaree with double brood”. Do you end up with a tower of boxes - floor new brood body with new comb/ flying bees and queen/QE/super/demaree board and then the two original brood bodies with brood and nurse bees? If so seems very unwieldy.
    Thanks for advice


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