Category Archives: Smallholding

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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Memory Lane, 4th April 2023: Solar greenhouse revisited

Posted on May 2, 2024 by james

I’ve not been keeping up with this one very well, but the project has been slowing moving forward. After levelling the area for the greenhouse, I used various bits I had lying about to make a base for the structure, … 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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Memory Lane, 4th April 2023: The greenhouse is filling up

Posted on April 29, 2024 by james

Just waiting for an opportunity to plant out now…

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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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Roof rebuilds finished

Posted on April 29, 2024 by james

At last! I finally finished rebuilding my last roof today (for the moment, at least). Oddly the last one had an aluminium sheet roof covering rather than the more common rusty galvanised steel. This whole process has taken far longer … Continue reading →

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Memory Lane, 4th April 2023: Teasing bees out of a tree

Posted on April 28, 2024 by james

As the bees were starting to become active again I visited the bees that I’d attempted to protect from the worst of the Winter because the tree cavity they’d been living in had been chainsawed through when it was being … Continue reading →

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