My reaction was the same as Adam's - and I use solid floors. Matchsticks to my mind are part of that well-meaning "fiddling" that accumulates at the fringes of beekeeping - very involved but with little real impact.
Granted I'm in a warm and dry environment, but with the coming of OMF's we seem to have assumed that any condensation within the hive is problematic and should be prevented at all costs. All things in moderation!
Just be careful in your assumptions; I know Chris and I mean him no ill but being chairman is a different game to being an expert. One of the problems that the BBKA and the English county associations have suffered from for many years is that committees attract committee types, who then try to make beekeeping decisions. I speak as one who tries to bridge the gulf between both camps - so see it from the inside and could be accused of being a committee type myself! I firmly suspect that golf, sailing, embroidery, and pretty much any hobby with a committee suffers the same disjoint.
Last edited by Dan; 03-10-2011 at 01:11 AM.
Being chairman is a different game to being an expert.
Problem is if their opinions are put in print the opinions then become fact!
Never bothered, they're on an open mesh floor and they seem to be pretty good at looking after themselves, but then I don't really insulate either.
There are some very odd decisions going on in the BBKA news letter at the moment. On top of ropey advice (Leave two queen cells in an AS is another one this year) I think if you're going to put an attack against "natural" beekeepers in the national association magazine, for example, the least you could do is have the courage of your convictions and write under your real name. Likewise this Pingu fella.
Yes I know I Don't post here under my real name, difference is, I don't represent anyone's opinion other than my own.
Neil
In the Warré the quilt is filled with moisture absorbing materials .The roof overlaps the quilt, and completely seals it with a wooden cover board that is parallel to the hive floor. Above this board, the roof is open on the four sides to allow a good air flow above the wooden board. This causes the moisture in the quilt to be gradually absorbed by the wooden *lid* and evacuated. Otherwise the water absorbing material would just become a soggy mess. Like the bits of carpet used before as insulation above the crown board in a normal hive. Or cardboard or newspaper. I wouldn’t use a water absorbing material for insulation unless it can dry out.
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Agreed.
The 'general articles' don't do much for me - and as you wrote, there are some funny suggestions in there as well as typos (I'm pretty good at those mysefl !).
The article "Its been a funny old year" is worthless if you don't know which part of the country the author lives. This is from another anonymous author called "The Forager" I wonder if they just have to write something to fill up the pages.
The occasional technical article is OK.
"The Forager" is the author of the article that laid into the Natural crowd.
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