Recent content by Bob D.

From my experience working on public displays, sometimes in country parks. This is not the case. Let off one initial bang and all the wildlife ducks and hides, it's a thunderstorm right ? Soon as the displays over they're back on the lake, before the audience has left, certainly before we've...

A 200W 12V transformer will set you back about thirty quid, although second hand or surplus could be a lot cheaper. For the same money you could get a regulated supply, look for 12V LED lighting supplies. Then you'll need a box to put it in. Alternately why not try an old car battery. Just...

Hi, I've been reading the NBU how to build a hornet trap instructions. http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=607 Sounds simple enough, they go into detail about constructing "escape holes" but say nothing about how they are to be used ? Do you hang the trap up with the holes...

Firstly these are European hornets not Asian so nobody panic please. I'm a new beekeeper, first full season. We've noticed a lot more hornets than I remember in any previous year, three instances in three different locations. Is this just that we're new to beekeeping and taking more notice or...

Ditto for Basingstoke & District BKA. Other books are availabe and it's worth having several in my opinon so you can compare different methods and various tweaks.

Four lengths of pressure treated studding from Wicks (under #20 total), a bucket of coach screws from the garage spares pile, 4 recycled half slabs and some time. Gave me two sturdy parallel bars 180cm long and 50cm off the ground with cross braces I can strap the hive(s) to. Only thing hive...

I don't have chickens so this is just a wild idea. Instead of a ramp, what about a seesaw counter balanced to take the weight of a few chickens but not the fox ? How many chickens equals one fox I wonder ? Might be an issue if they flock together. Won't help with the stoat either.

I'd shoot the traveller children on sight, the fox I might give the benefit of the doubt. Only kidding realy. My experience to date. Foxes, a couple of hours lost sleep, sent to investigate a horrendous rape, turned out to be urban foxes doing what urban foxes do. A slightly trashed rose...

Bees were installed in my Paynes poly about two weeks after the last coat. Unless you've used something particularly nasty they won't care. Seen some condensation, best solution is to add bees, they'll either use it or ignore it. One year in here, but already begining to realise that bees can...

That's why I put the absolute bare minimum of information in. I certainly did not agree to my information being deceminated to third parties, so I guess NBU are already in breach of the Data Protection Act.

Been a Unix/linux user for 35 year. Twice been bothered by "hacks", anyone remember the sendmail worm ? Possibly the first worm ? Anyway, 35 years almost rock stable systems, then last year was forced to use a Microsoft system. Blocks most days, database corruptions that require expensive...

Actually these days I bet they pay peanuts, they just charge premiums. Better to enjoy it yourself.

Yeah but those little things are just a side effect of the magma chamber that it building under the 40 mile diameter caldera that is most of the park. Errupts every 600K years or so, last one approx 600K years ago. There has been a lot of uplift in recent decades. Still the Norks will get us...

Oh from a sysops point of view it realy is. Linux user: "One of the drives in my RAID array is failing, I'll need a replacement drive soon." Windows user: "The last drive in my RAID array failed. Where's my data ? What's a backup ?" Linux server motherboard failure: Replace motherboard...

Am I being stupid here When the ambient temperature drops below freezing, cut the power. Storage temperature for the freezer itself has to withstand nasty below freezing temps or they wouldn't be able to container ship them and stand them on open docksides for months. Next question, why do...