Smoker Fuel.

For the 25 years, beekeepers in Britain have been using oxalic acid to treat their bees for the varroa mite; for the last 25 years that has been illegal. Fortunately, there was a loop-hole in the law in that it is perfectly legal to use oxalic acid to clean a hive and oxalic acid has a long history of usage for bleaching woodwork. The methods that beekeepers used are rubbish at achieving that end but have a devastating effect on the mite.
 
This year, bureaucracy has been overturned and we can now use it as a medication – at 5 times the price it used to be. There are also issues with the dosage in that the legally permitted dosage is not that which has been established by beekeepers the world over the last 40 years as being the most efficacious. It may be that we will search out those who sell the stuff for cleaning timber and sod the law.
 
Today is derelict Sunday, thanks Maisiebeth for running it this week. This tree, a few yards from the apiary and probably a lime, might just sneak in under the wire (I do believe in pushing the rules as much as possible); there is plenty of rotten wood still inside its cavity which makes excellent smoker fuel for those Aberdonian apiarists too mean to buy the commercial stuff. Personally, I find Amazon are a good source of corrugated cardboard which is a cheap and convenient substitute.