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Mae gwlân wedi cael ei ddefnyddio ers tro fel deunydd gwerthfawr, sy'n fwyaf adnabyddus am ei ddefnydd mewn cynhyrchu ffabrig a dillad. Mae ei wead meddal a'i briodweddau inswleiddio uchel wedi golygu ei fod yn ddeunydd naturiol delfrydol ar gyfer dillad cynnes fel siwmperi, siwtiau, hetiau a menig.

Wool has long been used as a valuable material, most commonly known for its use in fabric and clothing production. Its soft texture and high insulating properties have meant it is an ideal natural material for warm clothing such as jumpers, suits, hats and gloves.

Lanolin is a natural waxy material derived from sheep fleece. Its physical and chemical properties result in it having a wide range of uses in a wide range of industries, from beauty products and healthcare treatments, to rust prevention and machine lubrication. It has been utilised as a natural ingredient for hundreds of years, and today remains as a more sustainable alternative to petroleum jelly and various other petrochemical derivatives.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) infestations within a hive above a certain level will harm a bee colony. Smaller and weaker bees unable to work as hard with shorter lifespans, more susceptible to disease and higher levels of viruses result in lower production and higher potential for colony collapse. Varroa mite is the number one management challenge for UK beekeepers.  The effects on a hive from varroa infestation depend on the level of infestation. Monitoring Varroa population is key to its management with varroa mite treatments used when a certain threshold is reached in order to support a healthy colony.  Support healthy and productive colony Reduce disease transmission within a hive Increase colony survival   What is Varroa mite? Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) is a species of mite. It is an external parasite (ectoparasite) of honeybees (Apis spp.). Varroosis is the term used to describe the infection and subsequent disease development from the varroa parasite. Varroa feed and live on both adult bees and their brood. The mites feed on their host’s fat bodies reducing the condition of an individual bee and its ability to fully complete its role within the bee colony. Female Varroa mites are easily recognised by their flat, reddish-brown oval bodies (1.5 x 1 mm). Male Varroa mites and immature female mites only exist within brood cells, and are smaller and pale in colour. Adult females carrying fertilized eggs are carried around the hive (or between hives) on adult bees. The females enter suitable brood cells before they are capped. As the bee egg develops they lay 5-6 eggs, the first being male, the following all being female. These hatch, feed on the bee larvae, mate and then females leave the cell carrying fertilized eggs when the host bee emerges in search of new brood cells to enter. The presence of a significant proportion of the life cycle protected within sealed brood cells is one of the challenges with Varroa management strategies.   Varroa destructor in the UK The original host of the varroa parasite was the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana). The varroa mite was originally only located in Asia, but in recent years with increased international trade it has spread and is now present on four continents. Varroa destructor was first reported on continental Europe in the late 1970s. The first record in the UK was in 1992 located in Devon from where it has now spread across most of the UK. Its original host the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) has some natural tolerance to its presence due to prolonged exposure and co-evolution. Western honeybees (Apis mellifera), as found in the UK, do not yet have this experience of prolonged exposure and therefore little natural defence or tolerance against it. Varroa mite is now so widespread in the UK and is no longer a notifiable pest. Its management has now become a routine and essential part of bee husbandry.   What are Varroa mite treatments? The entire life cycle of Varroa destructor mites occurs within the beehive. A significant portion of the life cycle occurs within the sealed brood cell which affects which and how varroa mite treatments are used. Andermatt offer a range of varroa treatment products fully approved by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) for use in the UK. Which of these is most suited for use will depend on the time of year a treatment is to be carried out and Varroa population. Thymovar. Wafer strips containing Thymol. Discover more product information and where to buy here. Oxuvar. Liquid Oxalic acid can be diluted with either water for a spring spray application, or with sugar for a winter trickle application. Discover more product information and where to buy here.   How to use Varroa mite treatments in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program? Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the use of a combined approach to manage the risk of a pest within a production system. The fundamental aim of Varroa control is to keep the mite population below the level where it causes economic loss, therefore maintaining healthy colonies of bees for the production of honey and other hive products, and for pollination. The stages of IPM for varroa start at hive husbandry, include varroa monitoring followed by cultural control (e.g. physical management) through to varroacide treatment (e.g. Thymovar or Oxuvar). Key to success of any IPM program is measuring the pest pressure. For Varroa mite there are a number of different methods to measure varroa population: counting dead mites which collect on the hive floor in a given time period (mite drop) counting mites inside sealed brood cells counting the number present on a sample of living bees. There are however, no clear thresholds above which a Varroa population causes harm. A commonly used value is 1000 mites/colony during the beekeeping season. When using varroacides to treat a colony or hive there is no single ideal time for treatment. The most suitable product to be used and time of treatment will vary depending on location, hive system, site history and varroa population.   Best practice for managing varroa mite: Good husbandry. Maintain apiaries to minimise the effects of robbing and drifting, strong vigorous colonies and trying to select strains that showing some Varroa tolerance Regular monitoring of varroa mite population through the year Physical measures to manage varroa population and its rate of growth within the colony Apply varroacide only when needed as an action threshold is passed as a result of mite population monitoring When using varroacides, vary the treatment the varroa is exposed to: Rotate active ingredient used Rotate time of year treatment is carried out Keep accurate records of treatments given to a beehive, including all relevant details such as dates, dose, product name and batch number   Benefits to the environment. Managing varroa mites within bee colonies is an ongoing activity. Its continuous monitoring and action based on thresholds will support bee colony health and reduce its potential for transmission and spread between colonies. Maintaining healthy bee colonies provides important support for both wild and cultivated plant pollination.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) infestations within a hive can harm a bee colony. Varroa infestation results in smaller and weaker bees unable to work as hard with shorter lifespans, which puts stress on a bee colony and is considered as a contributing factor towards the risk of colony collapse.  Support healthy and productive colony Reduce disease transmission within a hive Increase colony survival Any varroacide product used as a treatment against Varroa should be used as part of a combined Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy alongside good husbandry, hygiene and physical measures and not relied upon as the single solution.    When to use Varroa mite treatments? There is no single ideal time for treatment with varroacides. The optimum time for treatment will be determined by factors such as beekeeping practice, health of the colony and varroa population. Treatments should be carried out as a result of varroa monitoring (e.g. mite fall) passing an action threshold. The best controls result from using a combination of methods at different times of the year depending on the level of infestation.  However, for most beekeepers the main treatment time is late summer to early autumn – between harvesting honey and preparing colonies for winter. At this time colony size will be reducing while infestation will be continuing to increase. The aim of treatment is to significantly reduce the mite population, thus protecting the last few brood cycles that produce the young bees needed for successful colony survival over winter.   Which Varroa mite treatment to use? The best suited product will depend on the time of year treatment is to be made. Spring: Oxuvar (liquid Oxalic acid) spray to reduce the varroa infestation before the honey frames are mounted. Summer/Early Autumn: After the honey harvest the prolonged gradual release period of Thymovar (Thymol) provides extended treatment period to ensure maximum number of open brood cells receive a treatment. This is the most common treatment period for UK beekeepers. Late Autumn/Winter: Oxuvar (liquid Oxalic acid) trickle application to brood-less colony to reduce adult varroa population riding on bees through the winter.      Winter: Oxalic acid dihydrate crystals can be vaporised with Varrox vaporizer. Under UK law, veterinary medicinal products must be authorised before they may be marketed or administered to honeybee colonies. Authorisation requires a thorough scientific assessment of data to show that the product meets statutory levels of quality, efficacy and safety (to the user, bees, consumers of bee products and the environment). Details of products approved for use in the UK can be found on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) website.   How to use Thymovar? What is it: Foam strips containing 15g of crystallised thymol. When to use it: Summer/early autumn directly after honey harvest. How to use it: (click here to watch our demonstration video) Remove honey frames for harvest. Provide the bee colony with enough food for 4 weeks to cover the treatment period. Arrange Thymovar strips according to the type of hive being used and size of the colony. Remove the Thymovar strips after 3-4 weeks. After a pause of 1 week to allow food to be replenished, repeat the above for the second treatment. Why use Thymovar: Thymol in crystal form gives an advantage of more gradual release: causes minimal agitation to worker and queen bees provides prolonged period of activity ensuring higher number of brood cells are open at some point during the treatment Sponge carrier has a built-in matrix to prevent worker bees destruction and removal from the hive ensuring thymol remains in the hive where it is needed. Slim design placed directly onto brood bars means no need for additional structures to be added on top of the brood chamber to make space for their placement. No negative effects on plastic structures.   How to use Oxuvar for spray application? What is it: Liquid oxalic acid to be diluted with water and sprayed onto the colony. When to use it: Spring/Summer to swarms, artificial swarms and brood-less colonies. Treatment provides a quick knock-down effect within two days. Oxuvar has a zero day with withholding period but should be applied without honey supers mounted.   How to use it: (click here to watch our demonstration video) Dilute 9 parts water to 10 parts Oxuvar. There is space within the supplied packaging to allow this. Decant solution into a hand-held trigger sprayer. Using a sprayer held at 45 degrees to the frame (to avoid spraying into open brood cells), spray as a light mist. Spray at a rate of 3-4 ml (4-5 sprays) to each side of the comb. Bees in a cluster should be sprayed with 20-25ml per kg of bees. Bees should not be dripping wet after application. Best results are seen when the bees remain within the hive for a few hours after treatment. Oxuvar as a spray treatment should not be applied more than twice on one generation of worker bees.   Why use Oxuvar spray applications: Flexible early season treatment with quick knockdown. Treatment option for swarms. Pure formulation minimal agitation to bee colony does not leave sticky residue, affect bee wings or glue hairs Long shelf life even after diluting with water.   How to use Oxuvar for trickle application? What is it: Liquid oxalic acid to be diluted with sugar and trickled onto the colony. When to use it: Late Autumn/Winter (November to January) to brood-less colonies.  How to use it: (click here to watch our demonstration video) Dilute 1 part Oxuvar to 1 part sugar. There is space within the supplied packaging to allow this. Mixing Oxuvar with sugar may need to be done in a water bath to help the sugar dissolve. Decant solution into a syringe. Trickle over the bees sitting between the combs. Consult the product label for the volume to be trickled for UK (Northern Europe) depending on hive type. Best results are achieved when the bees remain within the hive after treatment.   Why use Oxuvar trickle applications: Late season treatment to improve condition of colony going into winter. Sugar solution will remain active for longer than spray or vaporising treatments due to hydroscopic sugar attracting water and maintaining solution.   Benefits to the environment. Managing varroa mites within bee colonies is an ongoing activity. Its continuous monitoring and action based on thresholds will support bee colony health and reduce its potential for transmission and spread between colonies.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is increasingly becoming an ever-present pest of honeybee colonies across the UK. A short lifecycle gives the mite the potential to reproduce at a rapid rate and there is constant risk of introduction of new mites to a population from bees entering a hive from a different colony. It is therefore essential for the health and productivity of a hive to monitor and manage varroa mite throughout a year. Maintain varroa population below a critical level Rotating products reduces the risk of development of resistance Best practice for managing Varroa is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy combining good husbandry, hygiene and physical measures as well a varroacide treatments when the varroa population reaches an action threshold. The aim of season long varroa management is to maintain the varroa mite population within a colony below an infestation level which causes significant harm to the colony health.    When to use Varroa mite treatments? Varroa treatments should be carried out when monitoring (e.g. mite fall) passes and action threshold. There is no single ideal time for treatment with varroacides. The choice of varroa treatment should consider varroa population, speed of knockdown and persistence required.   Sustainable season long varroa management. The aim of a varroa management program is to create a healthy colony going into winter and a strong productive population the following year. Figure 1: Overview of season long treatment program for Varroa mite control.   A winter treatment with a trickle application of Oxuvar (LINK) reduces the varroa mite population so that when they start to reproduce in the spring it is starting from a lower level (Figure 2) which will take longer to build up to a population high enough to harm the honeybee colony.    Figure 2: Effect of a winter varroa mite treatment on population growth the following spring.     As the varroa mite population increases through spring towards a critical infestation level (Figure 3), further management can be achieved by colony management practices such as drone brood removal to remove brood cells containing varroa or with treatments such as Oxuvar sprays to brood frames. Spring management of varroa mite can be carried out before honey supers are placed in the hive and does not interfere with honey production. The aim of spring applications is to prevent the build-up of varroa during honey production so delaying the need for further action until after honey harvest has been completed.   Figure 3: Spring varroa mite management by drone brood removal or spraying brood frames with Oxuvar.   Varroa management is then minimal through the honey producing late spring and early summer to avoid the risk of contaminating or tainting the honey produced. After honey harvest, several treatments are available including thymol containing strips such as Thymovar or products containing formic acid. The product best suited for use, and number of applications required, will depend on beekeeping practice and varroa population (Figure 4). Formic acid products can give faster knockdown, whereas thymol products work over longer periods of time however take time to build-up within the hive and so can have a delay of several days after application before mite drop is seen.     Figure 4: Summer varroa mite management by applications of thymol (e.g. Thymovar) or formic acid once varroa populations approach critical infestation level.   Multiple late summer/autumn treatments may be required depending on the varroa population and its rate of rate of growth (Figure 5). Monitoring varroa population is key to ensure treatments are timed correctly. Figure 5: Second Summer/Autumn varroa mite management by applications of thymol (e.g. Thymovar) or formic acid may be required depending on the varroa population and health of the honeybee colony.    Which Varroa mite treatment to use? Under UK law, veterinary medicinal products must be authorised before they may be marketed or administered to honeybee colonies. Authorisation requires a thorough scientific assessment of data to show that the product meets statutory levels of quality, efficacy and safety (to the user, bees, consumers of bee products and the environment). Details of products approved for use in the UK can be found on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) website.   Benefits to the environment. Managing varroa mites within bee colonies is an ongoing activity. Its continuous monitoring and action based on thresholds will support bee colony health and reduce its potential for transmission and spread between colonies.  

Insect netting as a barrier to protect garden plants against pest insects has always been used. A well-known and trusted gardening method for protecting plants from a wide range of pest insects, they are however made from plastic. Until InsectoNet!

Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is a significant pest of box bushes (Buxus spp.). The attractive lush green foliage and decorative architecture of the box bush can be devastated by feeding box caterpillars, and if pest numbers are high enough can results in complete defoliation of the box plant.

Garden sprayers come in a range of sizes and designs to suit a wide variety of uses. They offer convenience, be it from watering plants to applying cleaning materials as well as spraying plant fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals.