On 31 August 2026, Turkish authorities confirmed the detection of Tropilaelaps mites in the Borçka region that borders with Georgia, where the pest has previously been reported. UK authorities have introduced additional import controls aimed at reducing the risk of Tropilaelaps entering Great Britain through trade pathways. Details of these…
How to : Feeding fondant
Why choose fondant, where to buy it, and how to use it. Save money by using fondant to feed your bees in autumn, and — perhaps more important — make your beekeeping easier.
Did the treatment work?
When, why and how to take pre- and post-treatment mite counts, and what to do with the numbers. Is it routinely needed, and when should you definitely do it? And if you thought that was confusing, when do miticides work but not work?
Yellow-legged hornet 2025 nest genetic analysis
Given the large number of nests found in 2025 (163), it was not feasible to complete the genetic analysis undertaken in previous years. Instead, Defra commissioned research using an alternative genetic method, to look at relatedness between the nests found in 2025. This method used far more genetic information per…
Odds and ends
A variety of late-season queen-related topics; finding, missing, marking, judging, and clipping them … together with discussions of some DIY ‘mods’ that make all these things easier. All that, plus the sad news that the season is pretty-much over 😞.
Just read the instructions
Licensed miticides, used correctly, are very effective at controlling mite infestations which would otherwise kill the colony. However, the manufacturer’s instructions for miticide use are often poorly worded, confusing or contradictory. Could they be improved?
Apiguard (Apilife Var & Thymovar) advice
Thymol-containing miticides offer many advantages (no mite resistance or wax-soluble residues) but must be used properly to be effective. Temperatures are critical, and high brood levels may negatively influence treatment efficacy. If you’re going to use them, understand their limitations.
Are slow-release oxalic acid strips the solution?
Slow-release oxalic acid (OA) strips are for use on colonies rearing brood, in contrast to one-shot trickled or vaporised OA. Are they an effective solution for winter treatment when predicting broodlessness can be tricky, and when climate change is making it increasingly rare?
Super tips and tricks
Everything you wanted to know about honey supers but were afraid to ask. Adding, managing, removing, lifting, extracting, nadiring, storing … along with anything else I can think of.
Taking stock
Why tolerate poor quality bees? Simple positive and negative selection strategies can produce significant improvements in colony behaviour. However, increased productivity and pathogen resistance (e.g. to mites and viruses) appear harder to reproducibly achieve.