Murray McGregor @calluna4u Twitter profile

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Emily back from Deeside...just HAD to show me examples from the boxes for cut comb calluna she was clearing today. This good for 14 pieces...whole boxes of it

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

By mid afternoon the clouds were breaking up...and the bees went nuts. Was raining 20 mins before.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Linnet wondering how to take the rock off the top....

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

The heather also starting to go off peak a bit. This is one of my favourite type of ling site...old Caledonian pine forest...lots of heather in the understory. That ling needs to be young is one of beekeepings many myths.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

This is more about the scenery than the honey....stunning location in a deep valley wirh heather all around...sadly prone to katabatic winds...but gets serious honey most years.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Had no signal all day in the hall! The team all ready to meet the publix before it all kicks off. L TO R...Linnet, Jolanta, Helen, myself, Sandor, Kasia

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Was not finished until late last night....but said somectime ago I thought it might be a belll year

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Sure sign of winter. The mog fleet laid up for now......will not run again till around start of March.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

5 years

Somewhat special day here. Our business was started as a hobby by my father in 1950 with home made hives built in his garden shed in the winter of 1949/50. Today would have been his 100th birthday.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

And this one could be a pic for a corporate Christmas card this year. 9th Feb and Chris Manton has the supers on...and other reporting bee flight and pollen. Only black bees can bring nectar in this.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Jolanta happy (ish) today. Finally got her own shipping box made. Looks better than the old ones, more professional. She has been looking for this for a long time......

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

5 years

When the team were harvesting queens they found one with a damaged body.....a dented abdomen...laying a few sporadic eggs....was dismissed as failing and about to be got rid of. Jolanta decided to try to save it by spending a few minutes straightening it out. This is the result.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

The little darlings can be sneaky at times. Only open cells in the broodnest. Last team had not centred the combs properly.......gave them a tiny opportunity to do this.......the only sealed cells in the hive.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Blimey. On a run round with Ian Wallace.....all the places were pretty good. Then at the end of the day came to this lot..completely full and needing boxes. They last got boxes 5 days ago. Will be averaging 3 full deeps. Was stunned.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

1 year

When you get pollen bars this colour it grabs the attention. Working bees near Crieff this evening. Not often you see so much hawthorn pollen at once. Looks like catatrophic chalk brood!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

1 year

So...after the bad bit. The promoted nucs was working on were so good. Last years Jolanta queens....right across the brood boxes they were put into last visit...and half needed split...also close to filling a deep super up above the excluders. No surprise with brood like this!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Same pic as yesterday after yesterdays fresh dumping.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

A box with a few stories to tell. The boxes my father made in the winters of 1949/50 and again in 50/51 are still in service today...made out of wartime tractor packing cases from the USA. This one however is even older.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Just taking a break from admin tasks and having a little run round. Checked 24 new nucs that got queens last week...32 nucs 30 laying..2 with Q running but no eggs yet. Then went to several normal sites.See this.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Was out checking the splits. Our system involves putting the old queen into the fresh box down below and the top part stays queenless for us to decide its fate a few days later. Open top.part and find lots of eggs and this. The very old lady...paint gone. 2018 queen.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Another day...another stack of frame culling/overhauling/waxing. Little run out for a break at lunchtime and look at a group of bees. Whistle contentedly.....these are GOOD.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Was up north yesterday with Helen checking obe site. Team doing others reported some hives I had boxed around 10 days ago were needing more. They were right. Needed 40 more on 52 hives. Some getting very big.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Sometime things make you smile...just HAVE to move to this place!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Something really unusual. Jolanta and Kasia still tidying away the mating boxes...and still...even into November...are finding some layong queens with nice worker brood.....so...on 5th November...they are out making nucs.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Have been asked by Jolanta to post on her behalf that she is very pleased that her work over the last decade is now protected. She is a trade mark! Her name and the activity 'Jolanta's Queens' are registered and secondary vendors can now only use the names with her permission.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

1 year

Darek's 2 truck team stopped in by for a 'comfort break' on their way north from Edinburgh to Aberdeenshire. Forced them into a group shot. Just 10 min ago. L-R.. Andreas, Mentor, Emmanuel, Romeo, Darek, Jamie.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

This place had zero heather smell and no heather honey on Thursday....just a few vells in the best colonies. Four days later and these are the pics...see nothing? Enlarge and look closer.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

10 months

After a very circuitous route meeting lots of surface water I finally reached the site adjacent to West Water. The bees are all still there!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Sad to hear the news of the death of the Queen this afternoon. She has been one of our steadfast heather landlords for over 35 years, and we will always be most thankful for that. Moment for quiet reflection.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Vile day on the moors today. Stormy wind and heavy blustety rain...but had a fun trip to Glenesk with Jim Lowther and his assistant (also Jim). Good crop on there. Pic in a very brief shaft of sunlight.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Also today I meet with a customer for bees whilst down there. The bees were wintering in he area. You will need to enlarge to see the 10 seems of nice quiet bees looking up at you. 6 bars of brood..much sealed...so ready for action

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

1 year

Yesterday at the queen unit....Kasia removing cells from the finishers to the incubator. Rare to see such a perfect cell bar of big well fed cells.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 years

Things carry on however. Extracting started and the first wax run of the season is done. Nice colour too. About 200Kg in that load.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Frame boiling squad got some job on over the next few days......

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Up heading off on OSR work...no peace for the wicked. If I had been nearer these old pines could have caught this deep pink sunrise and made the pic look like Japanese art. But I like the pic anyway.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 months

Our crew at the Beekeeping Show. L to R Andrew Scarlett of Scarletts Scotland helping out, Helen McGregor, Linnet McGregor, Myself, Monika Jambrichova, Jolanta Modliszewska, Kasia Syrek, Colin McGregor

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Jolanta believes that even the queens customers might see as defective should get a chance. She has a kind heart about her 'babies'. Writing on box self explanatory. Then see the colony this 'disabled' mother has built.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Was at a few groups of bees today and was very happy with what we saw. Some of the brood is exceptional....this is an Italian raised daughter of Jolanta's J31 line and had a good crop of honey in a generally .odest location.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 months

In at 7 this morning waxing frames....was here until 23.15 last night getting this wall of boiled sterilsed frames ready....wires all retensioned/replaced and frames repaired and straightened as needed. About 400 ready.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 months

Enjoying a completely anti social weekend on my own.....still at the frames this evening. Nice to see the results piling up...will be glad of the effort put in now come heather time. This batch of wax is just sensational stuff....

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Some things really get your goat. This is the gap in the trees the bees funnel in through on one of our best heather sites. Another beekeeper..with no permission has stuck three national hives on the end of the row right in the flight path...effectively stealing our flying bees.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 years

The law of unintended consequences has bitten me this morning. The neonics ban has left one of our biggest and best farms having to plough in ALL their OSR as flea beetle has decimated it. Now have to hunt English homes for another 250 colonies that now have no spring crop..

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

28 days

Still having issues loading pics from phone......so here are,a few from the heather taken by Helen and then sent on to me.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

In the afternoon visited a different area. The bees have more honey there and some are huge. 2 of the three groups we did are great. Josh...who is no dwarf...found putting them back together a challenge!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Thats them on their way! The long awaited trip to train with Sue Cobey in the USA is underway. Dropped them at Edinburgh airport a short while ago. Helen, Jolanta, Kasia (aka Ginger). An excitable bunch this morning.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Off out for a bit this morning...just want to wish all my followers a nice peaceful Christmas. Thoughts with all our colleagues in places where that is not possible!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Thats load 2 away this afternoon. 72 drums of Calluna. Still all from Aberdeenshire bees.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Not much twitter output...had a nightmare trip to continent collecting first of new seasons Italian raised Jolanta line queens....Buckfasts been on the go already. All sotting..cages changed...ready to go to customers. Attendants and shipping cages ready for SASA checks.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

First 96 off to the cherries tonight.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Heading for home after last place. Huge tract of great heather. Again full to the top and fanning. Should have had even more boxes added. When ypu open hive six and 7 boxes high and they are solid sealed you sleep happy.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Next in line for beekeeping. Team.including Helen (my daughter) has a new gopher today. My grandson Rohan. Will see how this goes.......

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Not had many white mornings here this winter but today is one...just frost however. Only seen a dusting of snow 3 times. View from beside queen unit. Set of overwintering hives. Many are star marked as meeting all the breeding criteria for selection as queen or drone mothers.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Nice afternoon at some of the overwintered nucs....a little over a month ago most of these were still in 6 frame boxes. Today...of the 17 here...14 had to be split.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Guys unloading some hives from our old Smiths unit in Angus this morning. Beautiful morning...but the frost had just lifted and it was 4C.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

7 months

And another..the height of being sneaky. This colony had NO queens cells on the combs, was apparently fine..until THIS was spotted. Yes...drawn on one sidewall of the hive........little sods!

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Here is another myth buster. The tinfoil hat/phone mast/ power line 'worriers' think I am mad. Have used this place for nearly 40 years now....inside the footprint of a large high voltage pylon.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

5 years

People think its an exaggeration when I say we are overcrowded and need to relocate. Home base is stuffed full. Some pics here from the overflow shed on a nearby farm....

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Yesterday wentvup to one of oue eastern heather areas and found the hives pretty full of bell....indeed probably around 20kg average...a few pics...these are triple deep colonies and as heavy as lead.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

On the other side of the lscales of uck .....Jolanta was checking her nucs after ghe storm and a,dead pine had come down in the storm. Managed to fall in a gap and clipped the only stand with only 2 on it...just where the vacant place was...

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

The scene at 8 this morning at the main queen unit. Harvest of queens started yesterday and the results are good...about 80% on first round which is superb.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

It always looks especially perfect into new buckets when there are also no wasps around to take a header into the molten wax.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

In a different area today. Flowering of the bell is superb. Visited 3 groups. 2 have many full hives...the other just getting going.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

First full site all set down for winter....full feed on...and actually some have takennearly all 14 litres in 2 days. 177 here. Most pretty good....a couple CBPV cases.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Just finished the extracting! Big relief...last full 300kg drum is 347. Plus a tpnne of cut comb awsy and 5 tones of perfect combs held in reserve.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Out checking a couple of sites that had impossible access recently. This set....all nucs and promoted nucs from last summer. 6 dead from 182. Had been disturbed by sheep too....a few more may tail off...but for nucs this is an outstanding result.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Some pics from yesterdays run up north. 22nd August...too late really to add boxes...but have slight doubts about that conclusion. The heather still has good colour.... well behind the Angus glens but that is normal.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Second last load of 2022 heather loaded and on its way this afternoon. One more truck to around the end of January. Helen up on the truck...Linnet threatening her with a nrush. Sandor by rhe wall. Others are the Joda dtiver and a passer by.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Jolanta has started hygiene testing her graft mothers. First two done yesterday in 12C...checked first thing this morning. J33 and J16. Impressive outcomes. 18hrs is longer than some would give but to have 100% and 99% is decent.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 years

Hmmmpphh. Whilst cooking dinner for the family I went out to refill our bird feeders as the squirrels and woodpeckers had emptied the peanuts. At which point a bee got stuck in my hair...the hives are flying a little........bingo...first sting of the year...9.20 am New Years Day

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Was in Glenogil this afternoon...the bell there was a bust...and a week ago had the four sites down as poor. What a difference one week makes. Ling flow on and nectar pouring in. Foundation lazt week. Whole boxes of this. Full but not sealed. Sign of a rapud flow.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

It must be very dry at Ross on Wye.....the owner of the farm two groups of our hives are on sent this picture of his birdbath.....

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Had a few folk asking why nothing abput the wax rendering this winter. Actually nothing new to report..all going swimmingly. Near to finished...last load or two going through. Approx 4.5 tonnes sitting ready.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Need queens lol? 600 Jolantas and 400 Buckfast here cooling off and getting a drink after arrival. Northern stock raised further south to use the advantage of earliness.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Here is Jolanta standing beside some colonies on the heather that were her overwintered nucs........apart from the newest boxes they are more or less full.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Had no access to this lot all through all the storms from Arwen onwards due to fallen trees meaning we could not even get close. Until today. Npt even one dislodged roof. 92 hives...looks like one dead. Not utterly massive. Almost no small. Most like this one.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Yard getting a bit packed out. Guys moving pallets inside in the dark to start warming for extracting...scariest bit is not even half the honey home yet.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

6 hrs stuck in front of a monitor this morning was enough in one stretch so went out for a break. Not so easy to see but there are 108 nucs and promoted nucs here. Looks like very few actual or potential casualties.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Back from England last might where thoughts of spring were in the air...bees carried a lot of pollen on Wed. I wake up to head to the office and meet this...

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Overnight made a last minute decision to have a token presence at the Beekeeping Show. Will be showing examples of equipment we offer, and taking orders for delivery afterwards, Not actually selling at the show. Linnet made up a customer's order for wax National broods yesterday.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

9 months

I am content. I like rewaxing frames. Taking a break for a few hours from other stuff. This new lot of foundation is superb.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

To get 100% wintering siccess in a site of any size ia rare (we count ALL causes) inc QLS and DL. For a site to do it two years in a row and three in four is special. 47 put of 47 here...amd looks like every one is strong.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

11 months

First of the three trucks back....with 92 hives lifted away from the storm on board. Just waiting to see the next two... Conditions on the mountains terrible.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

I tell them time and time again NOT to bottom super. Several reasons...but making hives top heavy and with empty fresh boxes in the middle makes them liable to slipping.. add a southerly gale....chaos ensues.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Good afternoon to all...it challenge time. 'Guess the staff member!' Serves them right for showing off the aftermath of a spot of vandalism. This may be my last ever tweet. Likely I am deader than dead for posting this pic.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Busy morning...unexpected arrival.of a truck which took away a full artic load of heather honey in drums...>21 tonnes. Went to collect my lunch and now just having a look in at a local set of hives.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

You like interesting pictures?

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Yesterday up the Angus glens....beautiful day.....you can spot a group of hives in the valley bottom.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Woohoo. 2022 heather extracting FINISHED. Final tally 361 drums and 4 tonnes of cut comb. Been a long stretch.....major investment and upgrade needed.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Said it was a mixed few days..... also found put...and am hugely proud of it...that my youngest Linnet, has now been offered the PhD placement working with bees at Aberdeen University. She is very excited at the prospect.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Bees in south very strong and working like mad despite the date. Worried about congestion kicking in before we get back down and/or wild comb in the feeders. So one of the hire trucks heading down tonight to add boxes...and another goes on Monday. 200 boxes and excluders aboard.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

3 years

Out on a little run round checking some already set down for winter. 146 here...have taken a full feeder of 2:1 surup. Havecdrawn a lot of foundation and the vast majority are wall to wall solid with bees. Look great going into winter. Less than 10 smallish ones.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Yard starting to fill up. 55 pallets in the yard already from 9.5 sites and one more truck still to retirn tonight......its about 11% home. All tagged and stacked in sequence for going into the hot room and for traceability.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

4 years

Another myth buster about feeding dates. These were fed on Monday 25th. There are 102 plus 2 splits...so 104 units. Over 90 have finished all their syrup. So at least 14kg taken in three to four days. This is it in the slightly peachy sunset a few minutes ago.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

Holy moly....... West of Ecinburgh right now....panic stations

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 years

Just to show the autumn comb drawing. This is the outside comb...drawn from foundation in October in Scotland. Its the least drawn of 6 new ones. All perfect.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

1 year

15.00 this afternoon in Badenoch atea and 17C. Bees actually pretty busy. What you can't get from this is the SMELL in the apiary....Bell Heather.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

10 months

At another winter site with radish not 20 metres away....loads of yellow pollen going in, and such activity on 5th November. Bees been largely battened down for a month with endless storms and floods through October..just sitting ready to bounce back.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

17 days

Helps if I attach the pic....its still warm and truck full of the smell.

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

2 years

The same nuc today.....outside bar newly drawn in its entirety after feeding. I think I have lost this argument by a clear knockout....stuffed from wall to wall. March in Scotland????

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Murray McGregor

@calluna4u

6 years

Out doing some queens this afternoon...........and at one very large wintering apiary there was so much nectar it fell like water. No OSR, no dandelions, no sycamore..........but there were quite a lot of *maples*. I stopped to listen and watch. They were heaving with bees!

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