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Category: equipment

Swarm Shenanigans & Queens in Supers.

July 19, 2024 Ann Chilcott 8 Comments

Introduction. A big warm welcome to all you lovely new Beelistener subscribers, it’s great to have you join us. Also,…

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Posted in: beekeeping, Catching Swarms, equipment, queen bees Filed under: collecting a swarm, Heavy varroa loads in summer, Safety travel net, using Apiguard

Australian Beekeeping and the Role of the Queen Bee.

October 27, 2023 Ann Chilcott Leave a comment

Guest Blog Introduction. I enjoy coincidences and serendipitous moments a lot; don’t you? The longer I’m around the more I…

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Posted in: around the world, Beekeeping in Australia, equipment, queen bees, Sharing Knowledge Internationally Filed under: beekeeping in Australia, Oz Armour, The Australian queen bee

Varroa Control: Comb/Queen Trapping.

April 28, 2023 Ann Chilcott 7 Comments

We reach the end of April and the weather is still too cold for opening the hives for regular colony…

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Posted in: Apiary hygiene., Comb trapping, equipment, Varroa, varroa testing, Varroa Treatment Filed under: Biotechnical/cultural varroa control, comb trapping, pros and cons of comb trapping, pros and cons of comb trapping., queen trapping and how to do it, sugar roll testing

Siting Your Apiary & Cool Smoke.

December 9, 2022 Ann Chilcott 2 Comments

You’ve decided to keep honey bees, and you’re not allergic to their stings, as far as you know. Congratulations on…

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Posted in: Apiary hygiene., Beekeeping Education, Beginner beekeeper equipment, equipment, Siting an apiary, The art of smoking bees Filed under: Advice for new beekeepers, Essential beekeeping kit, Planning the new apiary, Using beekeeping records, Why honey bees need water

Insectpedia by Eric R. Eaton: Review

April 29, 2022 Ann Chilcott 4 Comments

I was very pleased to be invited by Princeton University Press to review this new book on insects by Eric…

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Posted in: Beekeeping Education, book review, equipment, other insects, Varroa Treatment Filed under: Formic Pro varroa treatment, Insectpedia by Eric R. Eaton: review, wax foundation maker, wild colony rescue update

Into Spring & Swarm Season: What to do if You Can’t Find the Queen.

April 2, 2021 Ann Chilcott 8 Comments

It’s officially spring today on April 1st; yippee! My five-years-on-one-page nature journal announces this, and the garden birds believe it…

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Posted in: equipment, swarm control Filed under: Swarm control

Fumigating Combs and Preparing for Winter.

September 25, 2020 Ann Chilcott 21 Comments

The glorious sweet scent of heather honey greets me on opening our front door now. I’ve harvested the last honey…

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Posted in: Beekeeping Education, Beekeeping in Scotland, Children in Beekeeping., equipment Filed under: fumigating comb with acetic acid, harvesting heather honey, Preparing bees for winter, scales for honey, Scottish beekeeping education

Summing up the Season.

September 11, 2020 Ann Chilcott 5 Comments

Warm sunny days in early September are good news. The Victoria plums in the back garden are the best and…

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Posted in: Bee Health, Children in Beekeeping., equipment, honey, honey bees, Varroa Treatment Filed under: marking queen, uniting colonies, Using APILIFE VAR, using fondant, vaseline to poly hives, wasps

Honey Harvest, Marketing and More.

June 12, 2020 Ann Chilcott 2 Comments

Harvesting Oil Seed Rape Crop. Three weeks of gloriously warm and sunny weather ended abruptly last Tuesday. The temperature almost…

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Posted in: equipment, honey, plants for pollinators Filed under: After Swarms, Bait Hive, Honey Jars, June Forage, Oll Seed Rape Honey Harvest

This Week in the Apiary: The Good, the Bad and Euthanasia.

May 8, 2020 Ann Chilcott 12 Comments

A Difficult Decision. I’ve been rescuing animals since my childhood on the farm and I hate it when they don’t…

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Posted in: bait hives, Bee Health, diseases, equipment Filed under: chronic bee paralysis virus, euthanasing honey bees, Mining bee, solar was extractors, wild bees

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