Henry Ford on "Experts"

No one ever considers himself expert if he really knows his job. A man who knows a job sees so much more to be done than he has done, that he is always pressing forward and never gives up an instant of thought to how good and how efficient he is. Thinking always ahead, thinking always of trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible. The moment one gets into the "expert" state of mind a great number of things become impossible.

-Henry Ford Sr.

Taking Beekeeping to a Higher Level - Part 2

Finally got around to updating the "story so far". Just before Easter I put together some equipment.

The modified crown board is equiped with a porter bee escape which only allows the bees out but not back in again.  A foam rubber strip around the edge compensates for uneveness of the stonework.

The other side has a plastic ready-meal container with a hole in the bottom to take a plastic 1 inch basin overflow pipe.  I have also put a one inch hole in the back of a standard brood box.  There are a couple of frames with stores in and a couple of frames with old comb.
I took this lot back to the site and was very pleased to discover that the whole lot including my tool box could be lifted up to the top of the scaffolding with a fork lift crane.  I put the box in position and put the board over the holes in the chimney.  A piece of stone and a lightweight concrete block held it in place.

I left the site and because of the extended Easter and Royal Wedding Bank Holidays had to leave them for rather longer than I was anticipaing.  Unfortunately, in the intervening period the board must have shifted a bit and the bees have worked their way around the foam at the top.
The other day I went back and with the help of one of the carpenters we have repositioned the board and sealed around the outside with expanded foam.

 Spot the handsome beekeeper in the high vis jacket!  Hopefully this will now encourage them to use the box as the entrance and move their operations and queen there!