Recent content by Mart_got_hives

Lost one out of 11 here and picked up an abandoned colony. Spoke to another beekeeper based in East Yorkshire a couple of months ago who'd managed to lose 19 out of 20 colonies but I think that was more to do with inept beekeeping than anything else - was a little organic farming operation...

A few years ago Simon The Beekeeper shipped me a suit with a broken zip and wouldn't take a return outside their 2 week return period. Pretty sure there's some statutory rights they ignored there, but they did send a replacement hood in the end - albeit in a different wrong colour and with an...

There's tonnes of honey being sold on eBay as Organic despite having no certification. Doesn't matter where it's imported from it still needs Organic certification to be sold as Organic in the UK, however Trading Standards don't seem interested in doing anything about it. If you look at the...

I know a few people who have been really impresed with the effects of propolis tincture applied to cold sores. I think they just dab a bit of tincture straight on. I'm not 100% certain (or making any medical claims for an unlicensed product..) but I suspect that as well as whatever is in the...

Yep, got this stuff down the allotment. Kurtail which everyone's reccomending is the stuff to use but just a small amount added to your usual Glyphosate weed killer is all you need. You'll need to repeat it every seaon too for a while or forever if it's growing in from beyond your boundaries. I...

I think it may vary depending on the species of pea but I'd pass on it myself Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

Peas are wind pollinated. O.o Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

Yep, got a blog called hivemindandme hosted on blogger (--------), it documents my progress/errors from no bees to many bees and includes some local bee related things. It's a bit typo heavy but averages 30 readers a day and more when I actually post a new article on it. It has a banner use to...

Yep weevils. Might be able to identify them with this page: http://www.thewcg.org.uk/pages/curculionidae.asp Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

Loads of illegally labelled honey on eBay, often claiming to be organic with ni certificate.

Make your own table saw from a forty quid circular saw and an old table top or workbench Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

I'm still using a capping fork myself but may give a heat gun a try this year, so I have questions.. What temperature does your heatgun put out? and how long do you keep it over the cappings? Maybe you could tell us the model. Does the molten capping wax affect the comb later? I'm wondering if...

:iagree: I've read somewhere that the glycerin dries the area reducing the venom's action -not sure if that's correct but it certianly seems to work. I suspect the pH probably has an effect on the venom too and the mint smell probably masks any sting pheromones. I also use an Aspivenin to...

Thanks, it's going to be a case of controlling it rather than eradicating it as it's growing unchecked on other parts of the site Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Tapatalk

There's a problem with Mare's Tail at my allotment site. Many years ago some genius thought it was pretty and planted some, since then it's spread across the area and this years shoots are coming through on my patch at the mo. I need to get some Curtail sorted but in the meantime I've been...