Category Archives: Bee-keeping

Memory Lane, 7th April 2023: A mesh underfloor entrance

Posted on May 5, 2024 by james

Having made some underfloor entrances (UFEs) with solid floors, I thought I’d do the same thing with my mesh floors. There wasn’t a huge amount of difference between the two types other than the need to cut the mesh back … Continue reading →

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A little more fat dummy progress

Posted on May 5, 2024 by james

After a full day inspecting bees I thought I might as well finish off by doing the next stage of my fat dummies, so I sliced some scrap 50mm PIR insulation board into 33mm-ish widths and fitted them into the … Continue reading →

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Busy (Star Wars) bee day, 4th May

Posted on May 5, 2024 by james

In contrast to our recent weather Saturday was a really lovely day: warm, sunny, very few clouds. Proper shorts weather. So I did 🙂 Given the fact that it was so pleasant, first order of the day was to inspect … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 6th April 2023: Next stage of the “tree rescue”

Posted on May 3, 2024 by james

Today I attempted the next step in my attempt to rescue bees from the tree that was cut back last October. I opened up the cover that I’d fixed over the top of the cavity and put what is basically … Continue reading →

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More fat dummies (the beekeeping sort)

Posted on May 3, 2024 by james

Roofs remade, brood boxes repaired, crown boards made, today was time to get started on some more (insulated) fat dummies, which also helps clear the large stack of ply in the workshop. So, first job: cut a load of rectangles … Continue reading →

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‘Twas on the Thursday morning that the SBI came to call…

Posted on May 2, 2024 by james

It seems we have an outbreak of EFB locally, so the (not at all) local bee inspector has asked to check over some of my colonies. All fair enough, and I couldn’t stop her anyhow (and I would be stupid … Continue reading →

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Once more unto the workshop…

Posted on May 2, 2024 by james

Crownboards today. I’m still looking for reasonably-priced perspex to use for clear crownboards, but need a few in hand just in case I don’t find any in time. I have plenty of 5.5mm ply and realised that a set of … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 4th April 2023: Loads of brood frames

Posted on April 30, 2024 by james

Getting ahead of the game a little (for a change), I decided to use my new frame-making jig to, err, make frames. I got a little carried away (because I’ll need them one day, regardless) and ended up with around … Continue reading →

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It’s all go…

Posted on April 30, 2024 by james

Sadly not in a good way in this case. My first EFB alert of the season has just arrived together with a request from a seasonal bee inspector to check some of my hives. Fingers crossed that none of them … Continue reading →

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Beehive moves successful

Posted on April 29, 2024 by james

Though it’s mostly been yet another fairly grim day weather-wise, there was sunshine earlier this morning and bees were flying, so before lunch I took the opportunity to check on the site that I’d moved the hives from yesterday. There … Continue reading →

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