tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37413066641841179642024-02-21T05:23:26.736+00:00Diary of a novice bee-keeperA new bee-keeper describes his experiences and what he has learned.Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-547335655470392642014-05-18T16:52:00.001+01:002014-05-18T16:58:18.100+01:00Bait hive has worked for the first time!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First time a bait hive has worked for me. I have swarms arrive and take up residence in piles of bee boxes, where they weren't welcome, but never into a pre-prepared hive.<br />
<img src="webkit-fake-url://8D88410D-709D-4FD4-BB24-0635BF866F2B/imagejpeg" /><br />
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-photo to follow-</div>
Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-16471882635161779792013-06-13T10:03:00.000+01:002013-06-13T10:04:03.288+01:00Bee hives on Greek Island of Naxos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are 4,000 hives on the island.<br />
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Here are just a few.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vaW_rsgpIpBNRFmEDvlWsztws9alJAG2W3Y8byMhekTzWbAlHIdo3mA1F1hy7g_bQr3svok_MIalZ4L9vOTBM7IXqmfvsYIEEDjNJfHh8j1l5xOJVuv_EbycZdkA53npsVt9x9-Z9Ig/s1600/IMG_3273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vaW_rsgpIpBNRFmEDvlWsztws9alJAG2W3Y8byMhekTzWbAlHIdo3mA1F1hy7g_bQr3svok_MIalZ4L9vOTBM7IXqmfvsYIEEDjNJfHh8j1l5xOJVuv_EbycZdkA53npsVt9x9-Z9Ig/s320/IMG_3273.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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What I like is the painting on the front. Bees navigate by sight and so if all 100 hives are identical and close to one another, there can be a lot of "drifting" - that it, bees going back to the wrong hive.<br />
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Not sure of the implications, but obviously any disease will spread more rapidly and I think it might encourage robbing. Perhaps some of my Greek followers can help.<br />
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Honey from these hive will be mainly from sage, thyme and other flowers that can survive the semi-arid conditions. It is wonderfully aromatic - and perfect for adding to Greek yoghurt for breakfast.</div>
Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-16925691269268144602013-06-13T09:36:00.003+01:002013-06-13T09:36:44.019+01:00Meet me on Saturday at the Corsham Food Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I shall be manning the Transcoco Community Bees stand at the <a href="http://transcoco.org.uk/food.php?id=128" target="_blank">Corsham Food Festival</a><br />
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I'm taking orders for honey this year. Last year I actually had some for sale - OSR honey - but it was to be the only honey I got last year.<br />
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-77775307179008545872013-05-11T16:05:00.000+01:002013-05-11T22:49:28.122+01:00The two faces of hypocrisyOn the back cover of today's Guardian newspaper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UxaX-lZSAg0W8yW9RxRAWDahlsVfRqxOXmKTsxSmYrKQwArDfqSKzmAetTVoLlMVpgvZ_PFZ_rnt7vYdU8TEj9iKoC7_Nvw78aUb2ZzjEt4w5hi43uIL3EvcLvO6DA12Fume7T3jO5I/s1600/IMG_0443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UxaX-lZSAg0W8yW9RxRAWDahlsVfRqxOXmKTsxSmYrKQwArDfqSKzmAetTVoLlMVpgvZ_PFZ_rnt7vYdU8TEj9iKoC7_Nvw78aUb2ZzjEt4w5hi43uIL3EvcLvO6DA12Fume7T3jO5I/s1600/IMG_0443.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
A nice, warm, bee-friendly advert for B&Q. Aw, bless.<br />
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In our local branch of B&Q, in the entrance, 30 litres of Bayer Provado, which contains <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiacloprid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thiacloprid</a>, a neonicitinoid, recently banned by the EU.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z1tIoopQ5_Jnfg2VIHVWUNPalpUHW-VzjH46TlTIIwmRRt4_AE64I_iEp6cZbtV-HW-XVzedr48nGPSfLGhpRa3u8nFFBHwPXpSuivZm71Kdgrdi5k8UkIhFLNl3Qnz7y1-raFbovPI/s1600/IMG_0440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z1tIoopQ5_Jnfg2VIHVWUNPalpUHW-VzjH46TlTIIwmRRt4_AE64I_iEp6cZbtV-HW-XVzedr48nGPSfLGhpRa3u8nFFBHwPXpSuivZm71Kdgrdi5k8UkIhFLNl3Qnz7y1-raFbovPI/s1600/IMG_0440.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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In this display there is enough pesticide to kill all the bees in the UK, 750 times over.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">In 2012, several peer reviewed independent studies were published showing that neonicotinoids had previously undetected routes of exposure affecting bees including through dust, pollen, and nectar</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid#cite_note-34" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[34]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> and that sub-nanogram toxicity resulted in failure to return to the hive without immediate lethality,</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neonicotinoid#cite_note-35" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[35]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> the primary symptom of CCD. (Wikipedia)</span></blockquote>
Sub-nanogram toxicity disables a bee. In this display pack there are 30 litres at 15% solution. That makes 4500 cc of the substance. A nanogram is 1 billionth of a gram. So with this display we can kill 4,500,000,000,000 bees. <br />
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There are about 200,000 hives in UK managed by beekeepers who register on Beebase. Taking these alone, that gives us about 6,000,000,000 bees.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeCvJD6SqX5YeTlgxOonwYUBtMt6M2FprOlaX-gcsMKI9DypOYM2TTzTc5jjWTgx1687yS5YoufGJFBOfHoWLmN_yHUiSUUHWK5Z03zgFpebypk6HqfKk1xSdPoC9W5FVmahaBUW9pGw/s1600/IMG_0437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeCvJD6SqX5YeTlgxOonwYUBtMt6M2FprOlaX-gcsMKI9DypOYM2TTzTc5jjWTgx1687yS5YoufGJFBOfHoWLmN_yHUiSUUHWK5Z03zgFpebypk6HqfKk1xSdPoC9W5FVmahaBUW9pGw/s1600/IMG_0437.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken in B and Q Chippenham 11.05.13</td></tr>
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Way to go, Bayer and B&Q! You are selling, in just one store, an overkill of 750 times the UK bee population.<br />
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Of course, I am exaggerating for effect. Not every drop would come in contact with a bee.<br />
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But the point is this: there is absolutely no need (beyond the commercial interests of Bayer and B&Q, that is) for domestic sales of these lethal products.<br />
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B&Q should withdraw them now.<br />
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Yeah, "say bye bye to bugs" indeed.Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-53885518081656925262013-04-22T17:07:00.001+01:002013-04-22T17:07:41.595+01:00First inspection of 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last year (2012), there were swarms before the end of March. Temperatures of 17c+ throughout that month encouraged the growth of colonies.<br />
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Not so this year: the first day that is was warm enough to open the hives was Thursday, April 18th April.<br />
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Good news, and not so good. Normal for beekeeping.<br />
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My polyhives are doing fine. I found and marked queens in four hives.<br />
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My polynuc is a mystery. There seems to be new bees (i.e. looking young and furry, rather than bald and black) but no sign of the queen, and no eggs. So I think she is recently departed. I will inspect again in a few days.<br />
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The two wooden hives both are queenless, with laying workers (only brood is drone brood, recognisable because it is lumpy rather than smooth. So that saves me the planned task of shaking the colonies in the wooden hives into their nice new warm polyhives.<br />
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So I am back to three (maybe four) hives.<br />
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The weather in 2012 dashed my hopes of building up my stock to 12 hives.<br />
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Hey, ho. It's a new year.</div>
Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-87146960107777259262012-09-13T10:18:00.001+01:002012-09-13T10:18:55.143+01:00Steam cleaning a polynuc<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I made the feeding hole in the top of a polynuc a bit bigger and poked in the steam hose. See below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnIvtiUm3eo7aQGs8NIcNPSrnOYI2twz_jrH_hy1FRaN9gnWUpnRPUvcR0kXxnz_AHW00cFUaHmyte5RrL_caEBFKj1tSABQh5iA5t_F5VSRjP9BGAX3K0Kr2h_xkrnIi7yhaqjK_byc/s1600/IMG_0333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnIvtiUm3eo7aQGs8NIcNPSrnOYI2twz_jrH_hy1FRaN9gnWUpnRPUvcR0kXxnz_AHW00cFUaHmyte5RrL_caEBFKj1tSABQh5iA5t_F5VSRjP9BGAX3K0Kr2h_xkrnIi7yhaqjK_byc/s320/IMG_0333.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
There is some tinfoil in the bottom of the hive, to catch the dross. I poked a hole in the foil to allow the wax to run out through the mesh floor onto the correx sheet below (just visible).<br />
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Very good results! See the dross left behind below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvpkZB0Q21sG8K6md0rjsWzi5GTyNN40_UkRp3Z3kwAKMy8u2IwtshptnZpQVSMv9NwhrxuZz2Hn7xpg9aS5nx5CV_ISo-5GtJ-kHLfagkboQHsxIubtI3ymMQjxCAqmW5EGFAGqhKt8/s1600/IMG_0334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvpkZB0Q21sG8K6md0rjsWzi5GTyNN40_UkRp3Z3kwAKMy8u2IwtshptnZpQVSMv9NwhrxuZz2Hn7xpg9aS5nx5CV_ISo-5GtJ-kHLfagkboQHsxIubtI3ymMQjxCAqmW5EGFAGqhKt8/s320/IMG_0334.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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So I like this very simple and clean way of rendering wax out of old frames.</div>
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-53779490046954460772012-09-08T14:32:00.000+01:002012-09-08T14:32:25.212+01:00Wax extraction by steam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here are the results of my new toy - a wallpaper steamer that serves as a steam-maker for a makeshift wax extractor.<br />
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Here's the problem. When a hive dies (like several of mine have this rotten summer), you have the issue of what to do with the frames.<br />
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Leave them in the shed? They will get attached by wax moth (see blog entries <i>passim</i>).<br />
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Cut out the comb and dispose? A waste of wax (and I need a supply for waxing plastic frames - see other blog entries <i>passim</i>).<br />
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Put all the comb in an old pair of tights and boil to remove the wax? Very messy, not very effective, and almost certain to promote domestic disharmony.<br />
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Put into a solar wax extractor? Cost to much, takes too long, and anyway, what bleedin' sun in this soddin' rainy island?<br />
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So my solution is below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mRzForc5sfhyt_uzqOyvhFviCPt8dzhqZEjnVa82QCujhsEXL46Dr8zj6L76L_0ySMmOEL1ulTuEaoHcl9wlkx4z0kFUnDtNehuv8Bs8HddDHM8CtP8xDfhPB8llP13FeEjKfkbM3AM/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mRzForc5sfhyt_uzqOyvhFviCPt8dzhqZEjnVa82QCujhsEXL46Dr8zj6L76L_0ySMmOEL1ulTuEaoHcl9wlkx4z0kFUnDtNehuv8Bs8HddDHM8CtP8xDfhPB8llP13FeEjKfkbM3AM/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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£22 from B&Q. Fill with 5L of water and switch on.</div>
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The wallpaper steaming plate (not shown) can be put aside until Mrs Novice has a redecorating hormone surge (thankfully not too frequent).</div>
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Place the broodbox, complete with frames to be steamed, onto a mesh floor (to catch most of the rubbish that falls out of the frames), with baking foil below that to catch the wax.</div>
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On the roof, I placed a polystyrene tile (as used in roof insulation) with a hole in the middle. Insert the end of the steam hose through the hole. Weigh the roof down with bricks.</div>
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In 90 minutes, the result is shown below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B5gSzLK1SVJ660QmPG4-MLla-qywVZeUuP3us3TssdjQJF8l42Qq-RWX7UUnVBoUmh8gfUljZjXdC-SChxRu5fWY_S3mx4FEfO9bufbQOny_0to7rSM2YgQUWoS3B1Kg2W83So9tb70/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B5gSzLK1SVJ660QmPG4-MLla-qywVZeUuP3us3TssdjQJF8l42Qq-RWX7UUnVBoUmh8gfUljZjXdC-SChxRu5fWY_S3mx4FEfO9bufbQOny_0to7rSM2YgQUWoS3B1Kg2W83So9tb70/s320/IMG_0328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Frames with just the larval cases remaining. All the wax has melted out, see photo below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE4oGGsX-V2vXZKAJma1n-dww_8yMYHMn9ivlfPfhoMDrtIQbRQw-0Lp17qaHA3g2gUUYbIzLWqCrSKSpBDt51-E6ysa6sCdG8uEeznforkjFDMYM7d43Claqh5amJzEKk6Bu4Z3hti4/s1600/IMG_0330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE4oGGsX-V2vXZKAJma1n-dww_8yMYHMn9ivlfPfhoMDrtIQbRQw-0Lp17qaHA3g2gUUYbIzLWqCrSKSpBDt51-E6ysa6sCdG8uEeznforkjFDMYM7d43Claqh5amJzEKk6Bu4Z3hti4/s320/IMG_0330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The result was 660g of clean(ish) wax, artfully displayed on a tea tray in photo below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_COblnSBdUOdPNn7qSqzDyrYUZOF8-5rW5SsIHDKttxBxkbEbCzjQGN7KlvweI6I0rUFiE3edS8r680MgNDdWFQfuE5dul22yunVAZcqTcH7lZdgydR_AqSbAAc7iAhPuTpbgPm0dl0/s1600/IMG_0331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_COblnSBdUOdPNn7qSqzDyrYUZOF8-5rW5SsIHDKttxBxkbEbCzjQGN7KlvweI6I0rUFiE3edS8r680MgNDdWFQfuE5dul22yunVAZcqTcH7lZdgydR_AqSbAAc7iAhPuTpbgPm0dl0/s320/IMG_0331.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It needs to be cleaned up for sale, but for waxing plastic frames, it's good enough.</div>
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Wax extractors from Thorne's are £550. </div>
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-10150808489143015272012-09-08T14:03:00.000+01:002012-09-08T14:32:48.974+01:00Review of Plastic Frames<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have used plastic frames (from <a href="http://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk/">Modern Beekeeping</a>) for the last couple of years, on one hive, as a trial. Here are the results.<br />
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<b>Good things</b>.<br />
Easy to prepare. Just melt some wax, get a paint roller (a small one!), roll in the hot wax, roll onto the frame. All the while supporting the frame from underneath.<br />
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Easy to clean. Just scrape 'em down, steam them off, and start again.<br />
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Bees like them. See photo below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn0hPY2pOpKraiikOLc1wqHP3INLh3HUIOMj18oT5I9Vh6AIIGVIR1VOgGrObFzYVRzVb1SLpRSiyZfYubma8-3us_tu9hUy4jrRYEodIh1P4wGztnHThNnveij5f6xzT_kL2g0ABLNA/s1600/IMG_2982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn0hPY2pOpKraiikOLc1wqHP3INLh3HUIOMj18oT5I9Vh6AIIGVIR1VOgGrObFzYVRzVb1SLpRSiyZfYubma8-3us_tu9hUy4jrRYEodIh1P4wGztnHThNnveij5f6xzT_kL2g0ABLNA/s320/IMG_2982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see that brood has been laid from side to side (see previous entries on the blog).</div>
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Remember, this is a Langstroth hive, so that's a lorra lorra bees.</div>
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<b>Bad things</b></div>
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They warp. See photo below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMW1eXVgmzN0n-xuiBOQh8UG4bMqxctD5u4mGuEUe8NC9a-aYgwkJ4ZwkRhTdq6cN2ywlBGKfDmWA4d8ZaSNFIXvhJFhrrTbglwVBgRzqQW44eZWzYe7MPEtGI0gphXOUB83D6hQXvI4/s1600/IMG_2983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMW1eXVgmzN0n-xuiBOQh8UG4bMqxctD5u4mGuEUe8NC9a-aYgwkJ4ZwkRhTdq6cN2ywlBGKfDmWA4d8ZaSNFIXvhJFhrrTbglwVBgRzqQW44eZWzYe7MPEtGI0gphXOUB83D6hQXvI4/s320/IMG_2983.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Where this frame has warped, the concave side has encouraged the bees to make brace comb. On the convex side (pictured), the frame is not drawn out into comb, because it is too close the next frame. The bees will always keep at least one beespace between frames (more at the bottom than the top, so that two bees can work back-to-back in the wider places).</div>
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They also warp banana-style, along the length, which makes it harder to get them all back in place in the hive after an inspection.</div>
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<b>Conclusion</b></div>
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I won't be using them again until I can find a solution to this warping problem. Pity, because they have a lot going for them.</div>
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-74126581478278235902012-08-22T11:18:00.002+01:002012-09-08T14:33:07.427+01:00Wax moth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is nature's way of cleaning up dead colonies. Send in the wax moth!<br />
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If it weren't for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax_moth">wax moth</a> (<i style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Galleria mellonella) </i>the world would be full of comb - there is nothing else that eats it, except for the odd desperate mouse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ221mdBCRDslDrcqzQ2mdLkbfXb3PXfcVDEUA-j9BOEt10q8Z1wWVV328FgF8qx2_zuBpbfnyglk5BsM9DJFft1ew295iQQkF0krdgM-oOJhY-oDsAdkC51-FowKw9gF5s_F76OGTP0/s1600/IMG_2948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ221mdBCRDslDrcqzQ2mdLkbfXb3PXfcVDEUA-j9BOEt10q8Z1wWVV328FgF8qx2_zuBpbfnyglk5BsM9DJFft1ew295iQQkF0krdgM-oOJhY-oDsAdkC51-FowKw9gF5s_F76OGTP0/s320/IMG_2948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sorry that this photo is out-of-focus. I should have removed my hood to take it.</div>
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This hive went queenless, despite my best efforts, and eventually all the bees died of old age. </div>
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Then the wax moth moves in. The larvae eat their way through the larval cases that the bees hatched from, leaving a disgusting mess of silk and faeces.</div>
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You can see the larval cases of the moth on top of the frames here.</div>
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-28476388583238607682012-07-12T18:40:00.003+01:002012-09-08T14:33:36.813+01:00Nice swarm, taken with aplomb<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My lovely near-neighbours called me to collect the swarm that issued from their chimney (as it does every year) and what a whopper it was!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gzbdqqx9liSlAGi-8J90txT6QbbrvlPCsRZkqrwyL6CHBWRtfvMvjLPPW0d6fnWPD919fJwwhvYWKU9VABsABzzGsEzMqWbYEyRTPdPLuwljvXf-1pNdVAKD8rpHCAIN377DvkPs6LE/s1600/IMG_2027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gzbdqqx9liSlAGi-8J90txT6QbbrvlPCsRZkqrwyL6CHBWRtfvMvjLPPW0d6fnWPD919fJwwhvYWKU9VABsABzzGsEzMqWbYEyRTPdPLuwljvXf-1pNdVAKD8rpHCAIN377DvkPs6LE/s320/IMG_2027.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
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Luckily it was hanging from a thin twig that I could cut above the swarm, and then walk the swarm down the ladder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZU3MaBTozHJ3PsRcldXZnRzbA6tt5uhofhr2rXTaKj6eIrMx3BKvO3VKTxtoAGO1xEIpUqYhiwVHSA-wNboro3ojJoOZc9JhCOBxsHwMJ07uMesKsXWb0FqhXs-bRGRulsRLNZj0y1s/s1600/IMG_2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZU3MaBTozHJ3PsRcldXZnRzbA6tt5uhofhr2rXTaKj6eIrMx3BKvO3VKTxtoAGO1xEIpUqYhiwVHSA-wNboro3ojJoOZc9JhCOBxsHwMJ07uMesKsXWb0FqhXs-bRGRulsRLNZj0y1s/s320/IMG_2037.JPG" width="143" /></a></div>
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And then lower them gently into the new hive, provided by another near-neighbour, who is keeping bees for the first time. Lucky her! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGlqMqb6di2XsVFKrNZTLwQ2YeWVYtU2PzCgcz-b03f8aUOwvHUXB7ulLIlKhwCJzANa32knaqsXIKoHfx8tOM3ibRlnE5x98p4XBYDh0hILwi6FwjVpediz0ApN9XnUshM47lTZsDI8/s1600/IMG_2039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGlqMqb6di2XsVFKrNZTLwQ2YeWVYtU2PzCgcz-b03f8aUOwvHUXB7ulLIlKhwCJzANa32knaqsXIKoHfx8tOM3ibRlnE5x98p4XBYDh0hILwi6FwjVpediz0ApN9XnUshM47lTZsDI8/s320/IMG_2039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Followed by a much-deserved round of applause (but I affected a show of modesty).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8I6o75ibLojah8OALQxbDySdjyt_yOx_fRzMnSEjcTeWvUmCPk1diB_Tkf_1BqUlUrmodUcbQps-Z2rmWFMnTZpZfZYxnSH6Yn1dzSK1dxV6JiPTbpX5vdrZXVh0NL9XJauSZLywBGcg/s1600/IMG_2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8I6o75ibLojah8OALQxbDySdjyt_yOx_fRzMnSEjcTeWvUmCPk1diB_Tkf_1BqUlUrmodUcbQps-Z2rmWFMnTZpZfZYxnSH6Yn1dzSK1dxV6JiPTbpX5vdrZXVh0NL9XJauSZLywBGcg/s320/IMG_2044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The easiest swarm I have ever collected.</div>
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Thanks to my son Tom for the excellent photos.</div>
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-86079688564050053612012-06-21T10:43:00.000+01:002012-09-08T14:34:02.380+01:00The punch method of getting queen cells<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Regular reader and commenter Joan asked what I used to punch the grafts.<br />
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It's a bit of 12mm steel tube (that's half and inch if you live in a backward country), sharpened with a file.<br />
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And a pencil for pushing the graft through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYveqwsHO92CDHVj2UL4ikjquP5mqi010hZQdKc08VvcLisVa9YgIl9LTYO1mNgF2NBTIZYSXQxXYSm9yOK51qWI-1ZVOeBGJt_rZYa6rO53uRMN4HDSaTSKw7hUUB0UXnWj5YGXkmv4/s1600/IMG_2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYveqwsHO92CDHVj2UL4ikjquP5mqi010hZQdKc08VvcLisVa9YgIl9LTYO1mNgF2NBTIZYSXQxXYSm9yOK51qWI-1ZVOeBGJt_rZYa6rO53uRMN4HDSaTSKw7hUUB0UXnWj5YGXkmv4/s320/IMG_2007.JPG" width="157" /></a></div>
I will of course, blog on the success (or otherwise) of this first attempt at punch grafting.<br />
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I am concerned about two things: the first is the strength of the colony and their nectar flow. It's a hive that swarmed and the new queen failed to materialise. You need a strong colony to raise queens. The second is the age of the larvae. I'm not sure what a three-day-old larva looks like, so I chose the smallest I could see.<br />
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I'll check the "finishing colony" in eight days time and report back.</div>
Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-40718532218712280272012-06-21T10:37:00.002+01:002012-09-08T14:34:28.946+01:00Hors de combat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Son Joe was taking the photos for the previous blog, but didn't wear gloves.<br />
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You can see the result below. Just one sting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eqeEOe7-AqH_FTuK20cKIcWVnKoNAWYvlE2g7jxyOUQN0swoVEh7Ke09mdigDtRgNcNlqMO2dZQXC9jhnzmf-8_7HEIsYifeo9k1laFWTIQ_QdvbS8eeZiyy564L9WcvV_ntkHyREIA/s1600/IMG_2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eqeEOe7-AqH_FTuK20cKIcWVnKoNAWYvlE2g7jxyOUQN0swoVEh7Ke09mdigDtRgNcNlqMO2dZQXC9jhnzmf-8_7HEIsYifeo9k1laFWTIQ_QdvbS8eeZiyy564L9WcvV_ntkHyREIA/s320/IMG_2008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Usually, rubbing some Piriton cream onto the sting immediately reduces the swelling and pain a lot, but in his case, it didn't help much.<br />
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But he suffers in a good cause - the edification of my several readers.</div>
Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-7377465760623511092012-06-20T12:23:00.001+01:002012-09-08T14:35:06.223+01:00Queen-raising with the punch method<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am attempting to make queens for four queenless hives by using the punch method of removing cells from a prolific donor hive and transplanting them into a queenless hive that will convert them into queen cells.<br />
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The photo below shows a super frame with the cells stuck onto the bottom rail using a hot knife and wax.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHit-BPkRbfkl2S1QoQAzI9ZWGq7ikYQOebVEX_kvHp6nF9LDjxYOuPGYCgT1BZG_sk1urEwvJpk-9s3-4fO0h5Pah0SVqN6xZA1SeVUQF_XHuxJAYA1coqwsKyOtcjx67NPzE3MNknVk/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHit-BPkRbfkl2S1QoQAzI9ZWGq7ikYQOebVEX_kvHp6nF9LDjxYOuPGYCgT1BZG_sk1urEwvJpk-9s3-4fO0h5Pah0SVqN6xZA1SeVUQF_XHuxJAYA1coqwsKyOtcjx67NPzE3MNknVk/s320/IMG_1990.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The next photo shows the donor frame, with holes where the punch has been used to remove the cells.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMe0x4QUyRIHgnI46Wuv6y1HmvnDZd6n6K9w6XzAwwc4zDZR5dLD82EtyCpn8n1F_d9Ysyy82udu_BZV-INDCykpj9rx-Hob30xE0MaBLoOOj4XPCr0PL02_odZBUiMhmxgq8doyxACEs/s1600/IMG_1992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMe0x4QUyRIHgnI46Wuv6y1HmvnDZd6n6K9w6XzAwwc4zDZR5dLD82EtyCpn8n1F_d9Ysyy82udu_BZV-INDCykpj9rx-Hob30xE0MaBLoOOj4XPCr0PL02_odZBUiMhmxgq8doyxACEs/s320/IMG_1992.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Now we wait 19 days until the cells are ready for harvesting and use in the queenless hives. Well, that's the notion. This is the first time that I have done this, so I am pessimistic. The cells were hard to handle and I may have damaged them.<br />
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If you have used this method, let me know how you got on through the comments button.</div>
Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-14166838818732408632012-06-18T17:36:00.001+01:002012-09-08T14:35:27.274+01:00End-to-end brood on a plastic frame<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A plastic frame in a polystyrene hive? Pretty unnatural, isn't it? But if it is so unnatural, how come the bees love it?<br />
Here is a photo of a plastic frame that has been layed end to end with brood.<br />
If you are unfamiliar with hives, you need to know that in normal hives, the brood nest is the shape of a rugby ball (for US readers, that's like an American Football, but not quite so pointy).<br />
The queen does not lay eggs close to the edge of the frame because it is too cold.<br />
But a polyhive is so warm that she will.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V2VBhb2dzEkDT2wmo01XRTNEcgyM0BROId1193Kg1eat4XFzaf6d-eMQoCdho2idM0PflB9_9EJfOJL4s3qDHeNnss6eMcBoaJ4b1GdCGsz4oOdZLW-wvQj32Z720Y-e33YGni29zSQ/s1600/IMG_0321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V2VBhb2dzEkDT2wmo01XRTNEcgyM0BROId1193Kg1eat4XFzaf6d-eMQoCdho2idM0PflB9_9EJfOJL4s3qDHeNnss6eMcBoaJ4b1GdCGsz4oOdZLW-wvQj32Z720Y-e33YGni29zSQ/s320/IMG_0321.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The following is a 10 second video that shows both ends of the frame. Even I did not believe it!<br />
The Langstroth format frame is much larger than the normal British Standard frame - although it is a familiar format in mainland Europe and the USA.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwXCbfj5OXaIytlEbcmRn9__dSuTXlP_L-IGdIUUsILMhnkBdZbKQ4SYs_W2LXoVMSwdKwa0AGrmPUkeqzzPw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
A lot of traditional British beeks will be horrified by the polyhive and/or plastic frame. But it's the way to go. The plastic frames are virtually indestructible and just need a steam clean and they are ready to go again. Just roller on some fresh molten wax and you're good to go.<br />
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-41644704054328449892012-05-07T16:53:00.002+01:002012-09-13T10:19:13.347+01:00Sting the day after<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidK1rKJ4Vg6eNnmKd7WMECdxh55AErFshNGR9qa5OfK_fCLUSvmrMksACHXgpZbBxeICZywa5FGYEiwNLZ37591Ad8B1M0dKZCBcvhOUevFRlM6be-AMdXUTohyphenhyphenrNxfW_XB4lt2Zuo6w/s1600/1205071643_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidK1rKJ4Vg6eNnmKd7WMECdxh55AErFshNGR9qa5OfK_fCLUSvmrMksACHXgpZbBxeICZywa5FGYEiwNLZ37591Ad8B1M0dKZCBcvhOUevFRlM6be-AMdXUTohyphenhyphenrNxfW_XB4lt2Zuo6w/s320/1205071643_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A sting on my chin, photographed the day after visiting the ferocious bees. </div>
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They are usually a bit feisty, but doing the artificial swarm on them sent them mad.</div>
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I accidentally put my chin against the veil and they got me.</div>
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Photo taken with USB Microscope from Veho. It has all sorts of uses.</div>
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Note to self: must get some of that Grecian 2000. Do they do it for beards? How come Sean Connery looks good with a beard and I don't?</div>
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-71412487558378838262012-05-07T16:26:00.000+01:002012-09-13T10:19:44.162+01:00Artificial Swarm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I successfully completed an artificial swarm last week.<br />
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Or so I thought.<br />
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The objective is to prevent a colony from swarming - so that you get to keep all your bees and not have half take up residence in someone's chimney.<br />
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When you see queen cells being formed, here's what you do:<br />
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- find the queen (not easy if she isn't marked and not easy if she is, but slightly easier -- you're looking for one bee in 50,000 at this time of year. A bit like Where's Wally, only all the faces look the same.)<br />
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- when you find the queen, put the frame that she's on in a new hive, with new foundation<br />
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- add another frame of brood and a frame of stores to that new hive<br />
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- move the original hive (with its inhabitants) to a new position, about (say) 5 metres away.<br />
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- put the new hive, now with queen and small retinue, in the old position.<br />
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Here's the clever bit. The flying bees (about half the colony) will go back to the hive in the old position, keeping the queen company and fooling them into thinking that they have swarmed.<br />
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The old hive (in the new position -- do try to keep up!) will have nursery bees and the queen cells. They will raise a new queen from the queen cells. <br />
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When you have both hives back to normal, you can either combine the hives to keep your honey production on stream (killing the old queen in the process and keeping the new one), or keep both hives so that you have one more hive next year than you started this year with.<br />
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What happened when I did this?<br />
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The bees were so ferocious that I forgot to remove a queen cell from the queenright hive and I think they swarmed two days later. I'm not sure because both hives have lots of bees still. But the owner of the plot reported "thousands of bees".<br />
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I'm going to let them settle down for a week or so and take another peek.<br />
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Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-25279432684552299512012-05-05T17:58:00.001+01:002012-05-05T18:00:27.401+01:00This weather is beyond a joke!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I went to an out-apiary today. Conditions were not great -- it was about 10c, but at least the sun was shining and it wasn't raining (for a change).<br />
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All the hives are short of stores, and as for filling honey supers -- forget it.<br />
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This apiary is sandwiched between two huge fields of Oil Seed Rape (OSR).<br />
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Here are the photos. Can you see what is odd?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GqOJsiy4OQS1wObr-0QqLqScYNX0ZzooW_SmKLWJyFXNf0lZbJq7zGINinSFNDaQqFLFsJZ6McuRE0kMIEeI4ijTZwGz44uy9F2rfurtbjUe6Gb-fig_CYM5tOvI2BD-skSZfKwPcGw/s1600/IMG_2929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GqOJsiy4OQS1wObr-0QqLqScYNX0ZzooW_SmKLWJyFXNf0lZbJq7zGINinSFNDaQqFLFsJZ6McuRE0kMIEeI4ijTZwGz44uy9F2rfurtbjUe6Gb-fig_CYM5tOvI2BD-skSZfKwPcGw/s320/IMG_2929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7hHMVjjEIWQGRd1_Dd2Tk_Nzlr8yZXZ8V1sHfbNQoHHQJWhEP6dcZjy1oIubOdWBTT-z2xGXzrHGrpW1OkawmCKcnPzcOlvB97nwMRBYciUg_n0vmYbJQpD45y9fMkQ6J1NvE35QsIo/s1600/IMG_2930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7hHMVjjEIWQGRd1_Dd2Tk_Nzlr8yZXZ8V1sHfbNQoHHQJWhEP6dcZjy1oIubOdWBTT-z2xGXzrHGrpW1OkawmCKcnPzcOlvB97nwMRBYciUg_n0vmYbJQpD45y9fMkQ6J1NvE35QsIo/s320/IMG_2930.JPG" width="182" /></a></div>
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See the two bees with the big pollen baskets? One has orange pollen (source unknown, but I'm sure someone will tell me); the other has yellow pollen typical of OSR. And many bees have lemon yellow dusting of pollen on their faces that shows they've been in the OSR.</div>
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I thought that will such a massive source of pollen and nectar literally metres away, they wouldn't bother with anything else.</div>
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But not so. The books are wrong, or at least, my bees haven't read them.</div>
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(Sorry for the out-of-focus photos. It's hard to get the focus right with a veil on).</div>
<br /></div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-14945081358422209402012-04-02T12:21:00.000+01:002012-04-02T12:23:04.897+01:00Changed back to surgical gloves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At first, I used leather gloves. Then I realised how impractical these are. You can't clean them!<br />
Then I started to use surgical gloves. But I got stung through them and my hands swelled into bananas.<br />
So I started to use thick rubber gloves. But I had to clean them after every inspection, and I was squashing a few bees.<br />
So now I have gone back to surgical gloves. I have been stung a couple of time, but I have discovered Piriton tablets. Two of those seems to reduce the swelling and pain quite a lot.<br />
I just discard them after each hive -- good for the bees.<br />
But I also find that I take such great care not to trap a bee (and get stung) that I am treating the bees with greater care, and they are calmer as a result.<br />
Anyone else find this? What are your preferences?</div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-76720478129836231222012-04-02T12:12:00.000+01:002012-04-02T12:12:48.260+01:00Now set up for the spring season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my last post, I wrote that seven hives had made it through the winter. Having now inspected all the hives, there are only six viable hives. The seventh, a swarm from June 2011, has weakened and is now queenless.<br />
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There are signs of starvation, so it looks like I didn't feed them soon enough.<br />
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The best colony is the polyhive with (traditional beekeepers look away now, take a blood-pressure pill) plastic frames. I have added a super of plastic frames to it.<br />
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The Oil Seed Rape in now in flower -- and there are two large fields of it near my out-apiary that has three good hives. So I'm hoping for a bumper crop.</div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-10074411140160615602012-02-16T13:57:00.001+00:002012-02-16T13:57:50.385+00:007 out of 7 hives are alive!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a warmish day - about 11c - with light westerly winds and pleasant sunshine.<br />
I noticed that the bees in the three hives in the garden were active, so Mrs Novice and I went on a bike trip around the other hive sites (about a seven mile round trip).<br />
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The polyhives on top the containers at the edge of the field are a-buzzin'. In December when I applied Oxalic Acid (as a varroa treatment), the polyhive with the plastic frames was the most populated - and today it had a thick stream of bees waiting to get back in through the single bee-space that I had allowed them (to keep out wasps, at first, and then mice).<br />
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So all is good. I will give them a feed in a couple of weeks and add in some pollen substitute to encourage the queen to get laying.</div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-22892256477515251562011-12-28T17:38:00.002+00:002011-12-28T17:38:54.875+00:00Just finished the varroa treatment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have just treated the last four hives with Oxalic Acid at 3%.<br />
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The instructions are to dribble 10ml per seam of bees. <br />
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It's a bit hard to determine a seam of bees. Is it a seam if they occupy just one third of the width?<br />
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Oxalic acid, applied when there is no brood, is very effective at knocking down the varroa. It erodes their extremities and makes it easier for bees to groom them off.<br />
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Varroa infestation is a prime culprit for colonies that do not thrive. The bees are weakened by the little bloodsuckers and are affected by mite-borne viruses, like "deformed wing virus".<br />
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The first three I treated just before Christmas, when there was a calm lull in the weather. And I was surprised by how active the bees were. I gave them some additional syrup because the warm weather has made them more active (and hence the consume more).<br />
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All seven hives are alive, but a couple are a bit depleted. They might not make it through the winter.<br />
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The biggest (and most active, interestingly) colony is in a polyhive on plastic frames. Who'd'a thought it? But that hive has a full width feeder and I gave them a LOT of syrup in later summer and autumn.<br />
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The polyhives feel that much warmer and dryer when you open them.<br />
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I don't expect to post again before the spring.<br />
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I wish all my followers a peaceful and bounteous new year.</div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-31750091847898552592011-08-19T17:49:00.003+01:002011-08-19T17:53:47.733+01:00Apologies for by absenceI have been too busy beekeeping to blog!<div>
<br /></div><div>Well, it's the best excuse that I can come up with (ending the sentence with two prepositions - naughty!) [the best excuse up with which I can come - there, that's better].</div><div>
<br /></div><div>A summary of the season: started with three hives, now have eight, but am about to give away one (the last hive on National frames - hence the generosity).</div><div>
<br /></div><div>The increase is down to swarm-catching. The downside is that I have no idea what sort of bees I have - their health, termperament, etc.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I will blog again on trumps and disasters of the season.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>A tout a l'heure.</div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-5292528987795819932011-08-19T17:38:00.004+01:002011-08-19T17:54:47.192+01:00Propolis by the kilo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUplhPM_3OyHtHmxdNmP5xVFASUywO8oUeM5kbPmQeU6nPevP1GNwFIo0_ZSvWIK1s56LMq6yUQ_ni51EF0EHj5TlaWgE47-2YLzOqEkptjP674Fi7QZpzyoCNkas3I2Jacu8-BYkqKs/s1600/IMG_2819.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUplhPM_3OyHtHmxdNmP5xVFASUywO8oUeM5kbPmQeU6nPevP1GNwFIo0_ZSvWIK1s56LMq6yUQ_ni51EF0EHj5TlaWgE47-2YLzOqEkptjP674Fi7QZpzyoCNkas3I2Jacu8-BYkqKs/s400/IMG_2819.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642608789611942466" /></a>
<br /><div>A swarm that I hived earlier in the year, in a commercial hive, has produced a huge amount of propolis. See photos.</div><div>
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<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0wuvOml_i3op1eh1BHdkmyjo4rySAkilB56vOVflrxEaeBLAwYcsT4LPb9Xq3_dtRdquxFYFMp-_cgfO53QNuxny4Jk1U1Y8KjmPz16bPA_ah4Xo9B_tpYUgTgT9RVtJXBnXPAjg5rU/s1600/IMG_2820.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0wuvOml_i3op1eh1BHdkmyjo4rySAkilB56vOVflrxEaeBLAwYcsT4LPb9Xq3_dtRdquxFYFMp-_cgfO53QNuxny4Jk1U1Y8KjmPz16bPA_ah4Xo9B_tpYUgTgT9RVtJXBnXPAjg5rU/s400/IMG_2820.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642607950142303490" /></a>The floor was, perhaps, a bit too deep, making the entrance a bit large.<div>
<br /></div><div>But I have never seen so much propolis. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>They made a complete blockade from it - punctuated by tunnels for ingress and egress.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I have now replaced the floor with an open mesh floor.</div>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-60426241349462051412011-05-11T12:29:00.003+01:002011-05-11T12:31:31.893+01:00Apidea update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ9_Hu-NWQkzDXQxI0nykum67pIs4386Hkajq80K8IcMn9Ehd_0mk69oB4sHCgwyLSM2BgIc-g-VWAYGvqwAvv5vDVO7ZkKB2JpKgPZI5R4KUeKa19rTj9IxPPD9ZzbXKL4z2ZbfEOkY/s1600/IMG_2576.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 368px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ9_Hu-NWQkzDXQxI0nykum67pIs4386Hkajq80K8IcMn9Ehd_0mk69oB4sHCgwyLSM2BgIc-g-VWAYGvqwAvv5vDVO7ZkKB2JpKgPZI5R4KUeKa19rTj9IxPPD9ZzbXKL4z2ZbfEOkY/s400/IMG_2576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605419313208621170" border="0" /></a><br />A very odd thing.<br /><br />The apidea with the virgin queen in was empty. See above.<br /><br />The apidea without the queen now has a laying queen. Photos to follow.<br /><br />Either my memory is faulty or the queen went on a mating flight and returned to the wrong apidea.<br /><br />Anyroadup, a result!Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3741306664184117964.post-89549515074448134872011-05-04T12:47:00.004+01:002011-05-04T12:57:02.972+01:00Carbon Dioxide Experiment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEBIMhdfPJTHdvrw8ZWCJbNkpdoXJT24uX6pV1vSrJ3YhGhtD2ZEC_gLkRthYU6dXFFKlpZly0N2FLBaVKIbAv5AhLt75gyC7cqDHyQyhfQY2isdku46Nbojbt7ulLp4bCmBSPbPwJsg/s1600/IMG_2574.JPG"><br /></a><br /><br />A very experienced beek who I heard talk the other days said that CO2 would anaesthetise bees. This can be very useful when conducting artificial insemination.<br /><br />Now you don't need me to tell you that I'm not planning any of that stuff - the clue is in the title of the blog :-)<br /><br />But I am always fascinated by gadgets, and I am nervous about handling queens, so I bought a CO2 spray that is intended for cleaning cameras, etc. See photo below. Your for £10 from ebay.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Et3r2dS54y8cXt_OyH30eB3zLvIN2FLRxPBBZM592pBtGma50RgGBfM47tIJrLDKzcY9WVIZ4IKDM1-SWZE9h-T4uYHBJSZrYBsyreoV7FsxnnunoZw30CjCeLMQ9e3A-5meULb5xzQ/s1600/IMG_2572.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Et3r2dS54y8cXt_OyH30eB3zLvIN2FLRxPBBZM592pBtGma50RgGBfM47tIJrLDKzcY9WVIZ4IKDM1-SWZE9h-T4uYHBJSZrYBsyreoV7FsxnnunoZw30CjCeLMQ9e3A-5meULb5xzQ/s400/IMG_2572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602827449611267522" border="0" /></a>I then put ten bees in a tupperware box and gave them a good squirt of CO2. Result: apparently dead bees. See next photo.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEBIMhdfPJTHdvrw8ZWCJbNkpdoXJT24uX6pV1vSrJ3YhGhtD2ZEC_gLkRthYU6dXFFKlpZly0N2FLBaVKIbAv5AhLt75gyC7cqDHyQyhfQY2isdku46Nbojbt7ulLp4bCmBSPbPwJsg/s1600/IMG_2574.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEBIMhdfPJTHdvrw8ZWCJbNkpdoXJT24uX6pV1vSrJ3YhGhtD2ZEC_gLkRthYU6dXFFKlpZly0N2FLBaVKIbAv5AhLt75gyC7cqDHyQyhfQY2isdku46Nbojbt7ulLp4bCmBSPbPwJsg/s400/IMG_2574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602827835877973170" border="0" /></a><br />Ten minutes later ........<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVmhd_tMsOj4j3fEDxORJhlfcK72zx00h36OLZlslfEQmr11MKJNeCsjUoej-m36AaPieG6rbJduj63FsWzg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Mortality rate: 0%.<br /><br />So I shall use this technique for putting queens into queen cages. Very useful for someone as hamfisted as me.Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11749896163352267347noreply@blogger.com0