Martha Kearney

[Rosie]

I use bare hands for everything unless I have a particularly grumpy colony to deal with and fortunately they are few and far between these days. I have a tendency to lose scissors though and have tried various ones as a result and they all seem to work adequately, even the scissors on a Micro Leathermans and a cheap Chinese look-alike. However, I bought a shears type at the end of last season and this thread has reminded me to find it and finally put it in my bee tool box. The advantage I can see with it is that when in use the lower blade is stationary so that it can be placed under and in contact with the wing so that the top one can be lowered over the wing tip without disturbing its position. I try to do that with scissors but it's not so easy.

[Neils]

It's not getting any better though after all that nonsense about swarming it is at least not getting any worse.

It does really make me worry that anything else I watch on the beeb that is supposedly factual contains as much nonsense as this, I just don't know any better

Tying queens to gate posts and then tipping bees on them as an artificial swarm takes the biscuit though I suspect they were literally trying to create what a swarm looks like though that was really badly explained.

I get that it's a programme aimed at a wider audience than Beekeepers but you'd come out of that thinking we're all a bigger bunch of loonies than we already are.

[drumgerry]

It's interesting to see how the programme is perceived by non-beekeepers. My OH's mum thinks it is great and, as an avid R4 listener where she has been exposed to Martha Kearney before, trusts that the information is accurate. She has been most disappointed to hear my take on the programme! Having said that the final espisode was a bit less objectionable I think. But they were trying to do a River Cottage "let's sell our produce at a fete" type thing rather than doing much practical beekeeping. I thought the scientist's explanation of the waggle dance was nicely done.

[HJBee]

It has boosted my confidence in my beekeeping abilities no end, for that alone I'm appreciative!

[prakel]

It has boosted my confidence in my beekeeping abilities no end, for that alone I'm appreciative!

This has got to be a contender for 'Post of the Month'.

[gavin]

This has got to be a contender for 'Post of the Month'.

^^^^^^^^^^

[lindsay s]

Hive Alive BBC2 Tuesday 15 July at 20.00 Martha’s back on TV.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/lat...014/hive-alive

[Neils]

I will set my expectations low and hope for the best.

[lindsay s]

Only one more sleep till Hive Alive this is nearly as exciting as waiting for Santa. Here’s more info.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04b7b70

[prakel]

Hive Alive BBC2 Tuesday 15 July at 20.00 Martha’s back on TV.

Just managed to catch up with this latest offering. Very pleasant programme although I suppose the segment about the 'lost British race' and 'holy grail' of beekeeping was put in just to bring down the over-all quality "This one's pretty wild.....".