Trevor Gillbanks

Welcome along @Graham Wood Please enjoy the forum. I find you opening remark interesting. First you say so many negative with no substantiation. Then you say they do a lot of good work without substantiation without so much as 1 example. Sorry but you can't have it both ways.

Yes. That is what I expect. The field bees will not reorientate when it is virtually the same place. It will take about 3 weeks before they are all gone.

The bees are not worth that much effort @Stoney

17-10-17 30-9-16 10-10-15 So about 2 to 5 weeks early.

I agree 100%. But I thought I would put a more balanced approach to your argument. I agree, they can do a heck of a lot better.

I got called out to the first 2 swarms of the season today. Unfortunately they are both for extermination as they have gone behind an Oamaru Stone wall and vertical cedar wall paneling. I guess it is time to get the swarm gear out.

@Ali I think you are being a bit tough on ApiiNZ. They only have access to their own voluntary data base. They are not allowed access to the mandated membership of AFBPMP database. I know they could have harvested all the personal details off the MPI web site (public information) which I know a lot of others have done so.

I certainly get my wires very tight. You have looked at my videos. Over to you. Every beek has there favourite way of doing things. Work out what is best for you.

What you use for home does not matter. Small batches can be done with a wooden spatula or similar. If you are selling, bartering or just giving the honey away, then I suggest that you need to have a Stainless Steel beater. However, saying all that. I think a brand new paint stirrer will be fine and not cause any problems.

I would like to see what your wrists are like after doing a few hundred staples in 1 go. RSI The idea looks good.

Try this. Without melting all the crystals it will stay the same.

They are still effective until the bees have removed them completely. I do pick up the scraps off the baseboard but that is not required also as the bees will walk over it and still be getting an effective does. Yes you can move the strips out or just replace the ones that have been heavily chewed. You can test the strips for chemical by touching the strip to your tongue. Any acid on it and it is still good.

You are not going soft and mushy in your old life are you James.

I use a Delfast 10/97 stapler. https://delfast.com/nail-products/tools/staplers/97-series-stapler/ These are not cheap but are repairable if they break down. Mine has done many 1000's of frames without fault.

Sorry. I didn't see it. Yes I understand about the surplus OA.