Longworth Allotment Apiary Group

Location Location Location

2010-04-11T10:59:00.002+01:00

Or The Bees Move House..

As responsible beekeepers as well as obviously looking after our winged charges, we have to keep one eye on neighbourly relations. When we first sited the bees on the allotment there were plenty of spare plots still, especially around the bees own plot and everyone lived in harmony and our bees were welcomed. But.. situations change. Now all the spare plots are in use by families and there is even rumour of a waiting list.

Yesterday it was clear during a routine inspection of one of the hives by Steve, that the bees were starting to get a bit territorial and could potentially bother fellow gardeners. This would set back the Bee's PR machine somewhat, which we were very keen to avoid. The last thing we would wish, is for people to not feel comfortable or safe tending their plots.

We work as a team; me, Tim, Steve and Lynne with Steve's longer beekeeping experience making him Head Beekeeper. So after a long discussion - ok in the pub but still... it was decided that the bees needed to be moved to an area where they could be grumpy if they wished, but without bothering anyone not in a beesuit and equipped to deal with them. Steve and Lynne live on a farm and since farms these days are eco friendly they'd had discussions with the farmer as far back as last year about suitable places for hives. We decided to act on this kind permission and set up an apiary with all the allotment hives being moved to it in one go. Its on a quiet and private part of the farm with no public access so really out of the way.

If you want to move bees then it has to be done once they've tucked themselves up for the night but of course whilst there is light for you to see what you're doing. So we all met at the allotment at 7pm just as the temperature was starting to drop and the sun was thinking of setting.

The photos show the process but I'll explain them as we go along. First of all you have to secure the hives. Their entrances are blocked up with simple foam just to stop them coming out to see what we're up to and because no one wants a car full of bees! Then the hives are strapped up securely to prevent the various boxes from coming apart, again with disastrous results. This is the most important part of the process and its all checked very thoroughly.

Then happy that the bees are safe (and so are we) they get loaded in to cars. Luckily we all have 4wd chunky cars. This is our national hive securely in the back of my car.

Steve and Lynne loaded their two main hives in the back of their car in the same way. The only hive that was more awkward was their top bar hive. This is a different way of beekeeping - more naturalistic and the hive is on long legs which doesn't readily fit in to boot spaces. So it needed a trailer of its own and a lot of strapping!

So off we all set. Lots of careful, slow driving to their new home. Perfect nice clear evening for a tricky job. Once we got to their new site its all about reversing the process. So the hives are carefully set on to their paving slab bases and orientation is thought of. We've tried to set them so that once the bees woke up this morning they would notice instantly that their hives were facing a different direction and therefore something important had changed. Foam blocks were removed but we've left the straps on for now as being a much more rural spot, there might be danger from predators like badgers who could knock a hive over.

At last they looked settled in their new home. Its a lovely spot with pretty trees already starting to blossom.

Welcome to your new home, bees! :-)

100 years ago

2009-10-22T15:22:00.003+01:00

Found this little story in a recent Country Life magazine and thought it might interest.

Dated Sept 25th 1909

Bee-keepers are subject to certain risks which are peculiar to the possession of their small live-stock. In their wanderings the insects are frequently irritated into stinging, and cases have arisen which show that in certain circumstances the apiarian is liable to the person who has been injured. In order to meet this liability the British Beekeepers Association has made arrangements with a firm of underwriters at Lloyds for insurance against liabilities caused by bees. The premium is at the rate of a penny per hive on the maximum number of hives kept, with a minimum of ninepence. In addition those who are not members of the British Beekeepers Association, or of its affiliated associations, are required to pay a registration fee of sixpence.

We currently pay a little more than that to insure our hives from certain diseases and public liability but it still represents good value to make sure everyone feels reassured and protected

Wasps: 'they do what it says on the tin!'

2009-08-10T22:09:00.001+01:00

This is our garden Top Bar Hive after it went queenless, and the small colony fell prey to a nearby Wasp nest.........lesson learned the hard way!

Omlet bee-hive

2009-07-30T22:34:00.001+01:00

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-bee-business-an-amateur-apiary-revolution-1752307.html
Looking forward to seeing this!!!!

Harvest continues!

2009-06-15T18:14:00.003+01:00

Just back from a fabulous Druidic weekend in Glastonbury, and have spent the day getting round our 7 hives. Today, we have extracted 31lbs of honey, making our total 42lbs for the year so far! We still have 2 supers to come off at some point this week, however, we're feeling pretty proud of our girls! The harvest should have been much larger, but we missed our 'window of opportunity' and found many frames crystallised. We can't complain, as it was our choice to go to the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids Summer Gathering in Glastonbury. As practising Druids, we're not in it for the money (so to speak), but more for our own personal use......and Mead of course!
For instance, today, we had our first experience of melted cut comb on toast, simply sublime! We urge everyone to do the same!

Relocation of a BumbleBee nest to our home apiary!

2009-05-26T22:45:00.001+01:00

Short video of Steve relocating a nest of BumbleBees to our apiary. They had moved into a colleagues garden, and taken up residence in an old bird box! However, they were causing a bit of a problem for the family and, as beneficial as they are, they had to move.

Swarm

2009-05-25T17:49:00.001+01:00

A little compilation of our day at the allotment with an errant swarm!!!!

Oxfordshire Beekeepers pay us a visit

2009-05-17T11:34:00.003+01:00

Yesterday afternoon we had the pleasure of hosting Oxfordshire beekeepers (OBKA)at our allotment apiary.
Like a flight of angels, our new, white bee-suited friends arrived at our lotty to a rather entertaining start! Not only did we have a top-bar hive (TBH), two National hives and a 2-week old nucleus of bees to show them, we also had a swarm!!! A few minutes prior to the first people arriving, I thought I would have a quick check around our allotment (which is immediately adjacent to our bees). Whilst admiring our fruit bushes, I began to wonder why the ground beneath was 'moving'! Quickly I realised that it was in fact a mass of bees, clinging to the now broken off top of our small apple tree!! Needless to say, our swarm was quickly claimed, and we were glad to hand them over to a newly starting beekeeper!! We are ever obliging!!!!!
N.B. In above photo, swarm is under the box at the base of the tree in the foreground - above rhubarb leaves.
Steve hosted the day and took the group of beekeepers through the hives. Most of the group had never seen or looked inside a TBH and enjoyed seeing the bees making 'chains' to shape the comb. All our bees looked in good health and behaved themselves by having a mellow attitude!!
The hi-light of the afternoon was hearing new Queen bees 'pipe' in one of Tim and Julie's hives http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_bee#Piping
Most people in the group managed to hear it and it was a most magical moment!!!
The afternoon was completed with tea served from our allotment shed and fine fruit-cake supplied by Julie.
All in all a most splendid day!!!

Hiving our little rascals!

2009-05-11T22:41:00.001+01:00

Gotcha!

2009-05-11T22:19:00.001+01:00

Cast Swarm under neighbours tree!

2009-05-11T22:17:00.000+01:00

2009-05-10T08:48:00.001+01:00

Thought we would get away with swarming in our first TBH season, but bees don't read the manuals!!!

Up-close and Personal

2009-05-10T08:46:00.000+01:00

Fantastic comb of eggs, brood and larvae!

2009-05-10T08:43:00.001+01:00

Lynne's second inspection - featuring our home-made, rotating Top-bar holder!!!

Interesting debate!!!

2009-05-04T08:52:00.001+01:00

http://www.beefarmers.co.uk/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=308&p=438#p438

Have a look at this forum and let us know what you think!!!!!

Bee hives

2009-05-03T11:13:00.008+01:00

Just a few photos of some of our bee-hives

Refurbished WBC hive ready for installation in the allotment apiary

Our top-bar hive in the garden at home

National hive in our garden

Steve, Julie and Tim at work at their hives in the allotment apiary

New Sussex Bee Research Laboratory

2009-05-03T08:14:00.001+01:00

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/newsandevents/index.php?id=383

Good news for beekeeping!

Lynnes First Inspection

2009-04-26T19:19:00.001+01:00

Lynnes first real day as a fully fledged Beekeeper! Here, she opens her Top Bar Hive for her fist single handed inspection! Well done you!

Bee appeal by the Co-op

2009-03-28T18:12:00.001Z

http://www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction/takeaction/planbee/

Please take a look ......................

You can take the 'Dame' out of the Panto, but you can't take the panto out of the Dame!

2009-03-18T20:44:00.002Z

Fellow Beekeepers!
You HAVE to read the above link and, after you've got up from the floor from laughing! contact your MP to ask just how on earth such a dizzy woman gets to be a Dame, let alone an MP!

Integrated Pest Control: it does what it says on the tin!

2009-03-16T22:33:00.002Z

We put in our Varroa floor at our home apiary a week ago, and checked it yesterday. Result.....only one mite after seven days! ONE mite! I call that a result for the common beekeeper! I think that that shows that Oxalic Acid at Christmas works. However, we have heard that many fellow beekeepers have lost colonies this winter, and locally, some have lost just about everything. That is really sad, and on a personal note, is upsetting. But we must all band together, learn from each other, and work (as the bees do) as one to defeat whatever is ailing all our bees! We are taking nothing for granted, and I fed the hive sugar syrup yesterday, and plan to do the same at the lottie in the next day or so. Our colleagues fed their bees 'Apifonda' during the winter, and their bees seem to be in excellent fettle, with a negligable Varroa count. Bravo LAAGS!

DEFRA register

2009-03-04T17:31:00.002Z

We were contacted today via a local friend who informed us of a news piece on BBC Farming Today concerning bees. In essence it was a discussion on the merits of hobby beekeepers informing DEFRA that they are keeping hives. This therefore enables a database to be maintained and for hives to be inspected for disease by an approved inspector.
We have always maintained our place on the register and have therefore been inspected every year since keeping bees - but other people seem not to be quite to happy to do this!
If we are to control the rate of disease in our bees, surely a national database of hives is the sensible thing? What do you think?
Defra link https://secure.csl.gov.uk/beebase/
Farming Today link http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/farmingtoday/index.shtml where you can download a podcast of the bee piece or just listen via direct link on the site.

Save Our Bees Campaign!

2009-02-15T20:32:00.002Z

Just found this link on the BBKA website, also on 'downsizer.net'. I would urge everyone to sign up!

The Bees of the Bank of England

2009-02-11T20:34:00.003Z

When we were on our beekeeping course with James, I remember him mentioning that the Bank of England had played host to colonies of bees. The subject had come up a few times over the last few months and a search of Google seemed to point that there had been bees at the Bank of England, but with very little detail about what had really happened.

I work just down the road from the Bank of England and I've been meaning to wander down there at lunchtime for a while and see if I could find out some more. So, this lunchtime, I popped down to the Bank of England museum to enquire.

Actually, the museum is well worth a visit if you're in the area. I loved the opportunity to lift a gold bar on my palm (sadly, I could not take it home with me...) as well as reminiscing over the old banknote designs. But this is all about bees.

I explained to the attendant that I was a beekeeper and that I'd heard rumours of 'Bees at the Bank' and I wondered if she could tell me more?

And so she did! She knew the story instantly. A previous governor of the Bank of England, Robin Leigh-Pemberton was a beekeeper. In those days, the Governor had a flat 'above the shop' and whilst he lived there, he had hives of bees on the roof of the Bank. Leigh-Pemberton was Governor between 1983-1993.

The Bees of the Bank foraged in the City of London during that period.

The Hives in the Snow

2009-02-07T17:05:00.003Z

With all the snow we've had this week, I thought I'd go to the allotments this morning and check the hives were ok. They looked fine - though at that time, the bees weren't flying. I don't blame them really.

What interested me about this picture was the tracks between the hives! Who goes there?

Newsworthy Article!

2009-02-03T16:27:00.000Z

Hi!
Just caught this article on the net!

Ten things to do to save honey bees

2009-01-29T14:05:00.001Z

A link to a great web-site and an even better place to visit and support.
Steve and I have supported CAT for several years and always find it a beautiful and inspirational place to visit.
Most importantly, as you can read from the link above - they support our bees!

Know your bugs!

2009-01-21T18:33:00.002Z

Hi Peeps!
I was teaching today, and used a picture of a Buff Tailed Bumble Bee taken in our garden last summer. I was trying to promote Bees as friendly creatures during a session on 'Anaphylaxis and it's Treatment'.
The picture was taken on a chilly day, and she seemed quite happy to be perched on my finger....('cupboard love' me thinks, as my finger was probably nice and warm!).
Can anyone identify the mites on her? I think that they are Braula Mites, but i'm not sure........don't phone in, it's just for fun!

Oxalic Action...Part 2!

2009-01-17T13:25:00.003Z

Hi! Just back from the Apiary on a bright, sunny, but chilly windy kind of day! Helped Tim & Julie with their Oxalic Acid treatment, and 'battened down the hatches' as there are storms forcast. Nice to see heaps of bees flying around the hive entrances, just stretching their wings and orientating........bless em!
However, Tim was less than enthusiastic about the couple of stings he recieved from one of their rather 'enthusiastic' hives! But lots of stores all round and, more importantly, lots of healthy bees!

Frost! .......it does what it says on the tin!

2009-01-11T18:39:00.004Z

Frost! "It does what it says on the tin.....", well, thats what the TV advert used to say! So I thought...painful sometimes! ...why not use this burst of wintery weather to my beekeeping advantage!
Hive & apiary hygiene are so important these days, and we don't have a chest freezer at home in which to freeze bits of hive to kill pests and harden off wax. So, why not use mother nature instead!
Hence, I put out our brace combed queen excluder and Miller feeders to let Jack Frost do his thing with them! After an hour or so, tapped the comb with the hive tool and, kerr-ching! Wax shatters into dust! Sooooo much easier to clean up!
Now for a Soda crystal wash up, and then re-varnish the feeders to seal them and...presto! Nice clean hygienic feeders ready for the Spring feed when required!
Also, we are in the process of ordering a shed for our garden apiary.....too much bee equipment for the spare bedroom!, as well as our allotment produce from this years harvest! Anyone who has seen the UK television series 'The Good Life' (from the seventies) will know what we mean! lol!

Greetings!

2009-01-02T19:07:00.001Z

Greetings to Beelore! Hi, and welcome to our small piece of Oxfordshire! Best wishes from the team at LAAG!

Oxalic Action.....The Movie!

2008-12-27T01:14:00.003Z

Happy Christmas Clan Varroa! .......NOT!

2008-12-26T17:24:00.005Z

Today dawned bright and sunny here in Oxfordshire! So we set our mid-winter plan in motion to treat all our bees for Varroa using Oxalic Acid.
This treatment was discussed at the Southern Regional Bee Disease Recognition day, where the experts felt that everyone should treat their bees at christmas. This forms just one element of an integrated programme, employing a variety of techniques throughout the season, to lessen the impact of these damaging pests.
I have reservations about using 'chemicals' on my bees, but after much research, it seemed the lesser of all evils........and my old mentor Wally, up on Anglesey, has been advocating it's use for years. So, after a quick chat with my beekeeping pal Ian, Lynne and I set off to the 'lottie' Apiary. The hive was briefly opened, and we were greeted by the heartwarming sight of a large cluster of gentle bees, who seemed unpeturbed by my clumsy efforts to attend to their welfare!
Back home, we opened our garden hive to be greeted by a large number of bees, again clustered on about 6-8 frames. Lynne shot a short video which we will link here when we can sort out the computer glich's....look out David Attenborough & the BBC Wildlife Unit!

More on the GM debate!

2008-12-05T19:48:00.002Z

Just recieved our latest copy of 'The Ecologist', and browsed their website. Lynne and I were, to put it mildly, very disappointed in the recent BBC Horizon programme which featured the very presentable Jimmy Doherty 'waxing lyrical' on the whole GM debate.
After his excellent 2 programmes on the plight of both the UK's Bees, and those of Tibet, we thought that we would be treated to a balanced review of this dificult subject. We urge everyone to form their own view, but we are NOT convinced that this is the way ahead! Please check out the link above.

London Protest!

2008-11-30T20:23:00.003Z

Our hearts were there with them! I urge everyone to read this article in the Independant newspaper (click on 'London Protest' link above).

Conflict of Interest? I think so...

2008-11-30T10:40:00.002Z

Just recieved this mail from Phil, and thought i'd re-publish it here:

Dear Beekeeper,

As you are probably aware by now, the British Bee Keepers Association (BBKA) has an arrangement with certain pesticide manufacturers to endorse some of their products as 'bee friendly', despite the fact that they are known to be toxic to bees. They have also failed to make any statement condemning the now widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides, despite the proven fact that they caused the death of millions of bees in Germany this year, and have done so in Italy and France since the turn of the century.

When making statements to the press, the BBKA seems very reluctant to even mention pesticides as a possible cause of problems to bees, despite massive European evidence to the contrary. BBKA secretary Mike Harris was quoted recently in the Yorkshire Post as saying "...Colony Collapse Disorder was caused by the varroa parasite. Pesticides were a separate problem..." (http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/farming-news/Insecticide-ban-plea-to-help.4558542.jp)

Many beekeepers consider that the BBKA's financial relationship with Bayer and Syngenta effectively prevents them from fulfilling their prime function as guardians of the interests of bees and beekeeping.

Now the BBKA appears to be planning to extend its endorsement of bee-killing pesticides, by becoming a rubber-stamping body for Bayer, with no requirement for independent testing - merely a review of the manufacturer's own data. You can read the full text of their proposals here http://www.biobees.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13413#13413

Considering that complete severance of financial ties to pesticide manufacturers could be replaced only a £1 increase in membership fees, it seems remarkable that a national body claiming to act in the best interests of its membership would compromise their integrity so readily and so cheaply.

Bayer is one of the most untrustworthy corporations on the planet, with a record that would shame the most hardened criminal (see their Wikipedia entry, just for starters), yet one of the oldest and once respected beekeepers' organizations thinks that 'taking their word for it' is an acceptable way to assess Bayer's toxic products.

We call upon all beekeepers to make their views on this subject known to the BBKA.

You can send them an email using this form http://www.britishbee.org.uk/contact-hq.php

or perhaps you would like to send the BBKA president, Tim Lovett, a personal message? If so, here is his email address - tjl@dermapharm.co.uk

And - just to be fair - my email address is phil@biobees.com

Phil Chandler
www.biobees.com

Also see:

http://www.bayer-kills-bees.com
http://www.britishbeekeeping.com

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."
(Origin unknown, often attributed to Abraham Lincoln)

Bees declared the winners in Earthwatch’s own Strictly Come Species battle - Earthwatch

2008-11-23T16:24:00.000Z

Bees declared the winners in Earthwatch’s own Strictly Come Species battle - Earthwatch

Outstanding!

2008-11-04T20:13:00.005Z

Fantastic sculpture, and it's great that the Eden Project are raising the profile of the plight of our native bees! Well done guys!
Just recieved a package from Bees for Development, containing a short eductional DVD titled 'Dancing with Bees' that the LAAGs can use in presentations (ideal for schools etc). It even has a nano-second piece of footage of a Varroa mite hitching a lift on a bee during the credits at the end! eeeeeeeew!
As well as a new book by Jurgen Tautz: 'The Buzz about Bees'. Amazing! just the most scrumptious photography! and hugely informative.

Eden Project recognises the importance of bees

2008-10-31T19:43:00.002Z

This is Bombus the bee - a rather splendid and large sculpture to illustrate pollination and its importance to plants and therefore us. We met him on a half term trip to Cornwall.

They also had a pleasing range of bee-keeping books in the shop. We got a book on choosing the right bee friendly plants in a garden which will be of use not only in our own garden but also the apiary as well.

Julie
x

Bees for Development

2008-10-23T11:02:00.004+01:00

Just a quick note to say that my membership pack from Bees for Development has arrived! Complete with natty 'tamper-proof' honey jar labels! Remember folks, 10p from every label goes to a REALLY worthy cause.
Snaggly day out there today, so i'm tucked up with a good bee book, mugging up for my BBKA Basic Assessment next year. The bees are also all set for the winter, well fed & just the mouseguards to go on. However, we'll also have to think about anti-woodpecker measures, which is a new one on me! .....rascals!

The LAAGS bag their first 'victim'

2008-10-14T20:36:00.003+01:00

Our friend Andrew stayed over with us at the weekend and as well as a walk at Westonbirt and sampling the delights of our village pub, he was keen to meet the bees on Sunday morning So we all met up with Steve to help show Andrew a glimpse of the fascinating world of the bees.

Andrew is in the white bee-suit. Steve is to the left of the photo and I'm lurking in the middle .

Inspite of Andrew receiving his first ever bee sting he went home determined to order bee-keeping books with a view to having his own hive at some point. That's what I meant about 'bagging a victim' - someone else has found them fascinating and worth further investigation. (and if you're wondering how he could possibly be stung dressed in all that, the answer is that he got handed some gloves about 10 seconds too late...)

We are keen to use our apiary to learn about bees ourselves, but also to encourage others to learn about them too . Often when we've been up there a plot holder has stopped what they were doing to watch and Sunday was no exception and a mum and daughter were shown a frame of bees at close quarters as they watched from the other side of the fence.

We call it the Bee P.R department !

Julie
x

Top-Bar Hives

2008-10-11T13:04:00.004+01:00

We have decided this coming season to experiment with a top-bar hive. This type of hive allows the bees to naturally build their own elliptical comb within the hive, rather than be constrained by our man-made frames. Our intention is to create a more balanced ratio of honey to wax, beautiful cut comb to eat, bees being allowed to live as they want, healthier drones, less disease and happier bees!!!

Watch this space...........

We have purchased our first hive via Thornes, from Bees for Development. Over the winter, we will build a stand and generally prepare it for use in the early spring. Our initial thought (always subject to change) is to have the top-bar at our allotment site, along with our newly refurbished WBC. This will allow us the unique opportunity to have three hive varieties in one spot for comparison. The idea would be that it would be a great training area for us, other local beekeepers and any interested villagers.

(P.S. The picture of a top-bar hive at the top of this post came from http://www.beesource.com/index.htm where you will find lots of inspiring hive designs)

New Link

2008-09-17T19:26:00.003+01:00

Hi! Just a quick note to say that I have joined the Bee Improvement & Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) and have attached a link opposite! Although my Beekeeping knowledge and experience may not meet such grand expectations! I felt that they are doing a fantastic job in trying to combat bee disease and improvement at a local level, and every extra member means more money going towards research etc.

The allotment holders take the bees to their hearts

2008-09-16T12:08:00.002+01:00

Or so it seems. Its nice to report that one of the first questions I'm asked if I bump in to a fellow allotmenteer around the village is 'how are the bees' or 'are the bees ok in this weather' . The postman even knocks on the door to enquire how they're doing!.

I'd like to think that our bees have captured imaginations, especially as they are in the news more recently with scary headlines about honey shortages etc. Having bees in the village brings the story closer to home and there is an engagement with, and a longing to understand this important insect.

This can only be to the bees advantage; its something we intend to capitalise on as our apiary area takes shape in the village.

The Sting in the Tail!

2008-09-14T21:48:00.003+01:00

Whilst collecting the samples below, I took the opportunity to inspect a bee that I found by the hive.
Here are a couple of pictures of the reason that most people are afraid of bees....the sting in the tail!
Clearly, you can see the 'barbs' that everyone talks about, what I didn't photograph, was the 1.5cm 'entrail' that came with it! It's now clear to see why bees die after stinging a human. I feel desperately sorry after a bee gets caught in my gloves or suit. Thankfully, the bees that came to me from Maismore are really mellow and gentle!

'A World Without Bees' is this the reason why?

2008-09-14T20:58:00.005+01:00

Last night, we had our dear friends Tim & Julie over for supper.

After a sumptuous meal, the girls retired to the sitting room to discuss worldly issues, whilst Tim and I got out my microscope!....ooer!

Here we can see our mutual enemy, the scurge of all Beekeepers the world over, plucked from the board below.

Like all creatures that make you go....ewww! it is simple in its destructive beauty.

Meet the scourge of beekeepers worldwide!

2008-09-14T20:49:00.003+01:00

I took out the tray from our hive at home, and here are the results!

Having been inspected earlier in the season, I knew that I had a substantial Varroa load in the hive, after which we removed the drone comb.

But this is the drop after ten days! Each spot on the board is one mite, carrying lord knows what load of virus and disease!

Todays match: Steve V Varroa!

2008-09-14T20:35:00.002+01:00

It's that time of year again! Off with the honey (not that we had any!), and in with the pest control!
I am following the advice of the boys at DEFRA, and going with Apiguard. I put in a tray about ten days ago, and now it's on with the second tray for each hive. The girls at the Lottie have done well and, i've taken the risk of re-opening the entrance (to a narrow one). The re-united hive at home has done really well, and has lots of sealed brood, eggs and stores.
Yesterday, I placed new wasp traps at the Lottie, as the others were full.......rain and wasps!
However, we are not out of the woods yet! This time last year, Lynne & I went upstairs to bed.....fnarr, fnarr! to be met with at least 80 wasps in our bedroom! They'd nested in the eaves, little tykes! So it was on with the bee suit.........NO dear readers, titter ye not! and after much swatting, I reclaimed our scrummy sleeping space!

Bees Scoff at Credit Crunch Rumour!

2008-08-25T21:37:00.002+01:00

Just a blog of complete bee based nonsense, but!.........I am reminded that we used a copy of the Financial Times to separate our two hives when we amalgamated the two home hives last week. Does this mean that bees can officially be said to have 'scoffed' at rumours of the Governments 'credit crunch'.........(recession, by anyone elses standards!).

Education for all!

2008-08-25T20:54:00.005+01:00

Bravo, Bravo!
Bee's should indeed be (s'cuse the pun!) at the heart of everyone's agenda right now, not least of which in the new school curriculum.
We too introduced a potential new-comer to the challenging, yet exciting world of beekeeping at the weekend.
We were at a BBQ next door when 'Josh' (the 12 year old son of our neighbours sister), heard that we kept bees, and he was intrigued to see our hive.
So, never one to shy away from a challenge, I got him into Lynne's jacket, and off we went!
Mum, who is a professional photographer came along at our home apiary (unsuited) to take some pictures and, we had a fantastic hour or so looking into the workings of a hive.
I also gave him a basic bee biology lesson (in our kitchen) with my new 'scope! Lynne is awaiting the pictures by email, but they should be lovely!
Josh was, and I quote......"blown away by the bees, they were brilliant!, I never knew they were so complicated, yet lovely!"
It all bodes well for our combined efforts next year to promote our bees, and get the village truly behind us, as well as any picking up any new members along the way!

A Bank holiday with the bees

2008-08-25T16:18:00.003+01:00

Julie and I have been away for the last week, so I was keen to take a look and see how our hives were progressing today - not a detailed inspection - but a quick look-see. In addition, I guessed that the feeders would want topping up.

We've been feeding both the hives since we did the split in late April. Hopefully this has served to build up the colonies. Sure enough, when I popped the roof off on both hives, the feeders were down to the dregs (which doesn't look pretty). Cleaned the feeders out a little - another use I'd never expected to use a hive tool for....

The feeders? We're using Ashforth feeders on the hives at the moment. They're simply trays where you can pour the sugar syrup in. The bees come up and take the feed through a series of slots.

Both hives seemed quite strong - there was a sense that the newer hive was more vigorous than the original one - though there were plenty of bees in both!

This afternoon, I went up to the allotment to pick some raspberries. I ran into some friends out for a walk; Phil and Cathryn with their children, Henry and Joanna. Phil had expressed some interest in seeing the bees before, so invited to come and meet them. Plenty of bees were flying, so it was nice to be able to explain a little about beekeeping. Yes, Henry, honey IS bee-sick.

After they'd gone, I filmed a little video at each of the hives, which you might find interesting. Sorry there are no real close-ups. I didn't have my bee-suit on - and even with nicely tempered bees - you still have to be a little careful!

A World Without Bees by Alison Benjamin & Brian McCallum

2008-08-25T13:36:00.005+01:00

I've been quietly reading this book whilst on holiday. It is written by two journalists who are also bee-keepers. It sets out the background, history and current thinking over the whole CCD thing (Colony Collapse Disorder) which is gripping world headlines and worrying bee-keepers on a global scale. And dear reader it should be worrying you even if you are not a bee-keeper - read on!

For bee-keepers its a balanced read. No scaremongering just solid research gathering all the possible threads and ideas that may well explain CCD. There is no overall solution offered but some food for thought as to possible areas that as bee-keepers we should be aware of. It adds background to our practical knowledge and fills in the gaps of our theoretical and historical notes. Not a technical read by any means but as a bee-keeper I learnt a lot.

For naturalists its an insight in to bee-keeping both small and industrial scale. If you care about all creatures then its not always a comfortable read as you realise just how bees are treated especially in the commercial world of bee-keeping in the States. Sobering and not a little worrying. Bees are seen as a 'commodity' to be brokered as such. Feels wrong doesn't it?

For ecologists and environmentalists its a must read. Not only to understand bees and their potential demise and the huge implications this has on our food supply, but to view its implications for life on a much wider animal scale. As the authors ask are bees the 'canary in the coal mine'? Is their decline and suffering an indication of our own environmental mess. Are they the sign we need to heed that we are next. What can we learn from this to help the bees and indeed other creatures.

This book is not a sensationalist read; its objective, clearly written and well researched. There is no 'agenda' or authors own pet theory to cloud the ideas. Just calm facts which makes it a more worrying read.

Its an important book.

Julie
x

A Day with Hive No 1

2008-08-24T10:12:00.008+01:00

Steve and I decided to go through Hive One yesterday while the weather was good (for once!).
Our aims were to check that the girls were thriving after our wasp attacks of the previous weeks. We had also decided to give back a Super containing at least six frames of capped off honey as winter stores. This had come from our garden hive. As these bees at the lotty had come from a nucleaus created by our garden bees, this seemed synergystic!

As we started to go down through the hive, we realised quickly that the bees had done absolutely nothing with the top Super. No stores, very few bees, foundation not being worked at all.

But as we removed the Queen excluder and explored the brood box below it was thankfully a different story!

We were very pleased to find our Queen and find lots of capped and uncapped brood. There were plenty of honey and nectar stores ........altogether most satisfying!!

So now happy with the hives state, we were then able to replace our untouched Super with our one filled with honey and to most importantly add our Apiguard.

This is the early Autumn treatment as recommended by our regional bee inspector (Robert). This is the first varroa treatment which has to go in during mid August while the temperatures are still high enough. The next treatment is with Oxalic Acid at Yule and followed with Pyrethroid strips in Spring and maybe icing sugar in between. This is known as integrated pest management and is followed by responsible beekeepers in the UK.

In conclusion ....... a goodly day with the bees!

A little poem

2008-08-22T19:04:00.002+01:00

Some bee poetry for inspiration

Nectar Flow
- for all beekeepers, who live by the seasons with their bees

The song of bees has made you wise,
taught you about flowers and trees,
once so foreign, now old friends.
Watching wide eyed for their comings and goings,
the ebbs and flows of nature's sweetness,
you've come to know the seasons,
learned that weeds can be wonderful,
secret allies instead of foes that help create ambrosia a drop of sugar at a time.

Honeybees sing out with insight,
living their lives against our definitions that we prescribe,
line by line, an attempt to classify, identify,
cement in stone what is and isn't.

The beating of small wings,
thousands fanning together,
a whirlwind of silky air is the music playing in your ears,
your hearts and souls,

The miracle of something as simple,
as complex as honey, defying definition,

A sweet reminder that we are just human,
and some things are still beyond our understanding.

© Kirsten Shoshanna Traynor 2003
Return to Poetry index.

BBC Green

2008-08-21T08:38:00.002+01:00

Just added a cool link to the BBC Green website, today they are featuring the plight of our Bee's!
Just click on the BBC Green title above!

Where's summer?

2008-08-19T18:19:00.002+01:00

Awful day again! where did Summer go? Unable to get into my Bee's again today because of almost consistant rain!
Oh well, at least it'll be just as wet for the wasps! But we really need to be thinking of putting Apiguard into the hives about now, to combat the Varroa load before Autumn.
However, as I sip on my pint of fine foaming ale, engrossed in the Olympics, I can see the Sun peeping out from the clouds above........just as the BBC announce yet another 'severe weather warning' for tomorrow! Pants! ...........big baggy ones!

Winters project!

2008-08-17T19:21:00.003+01:00

I bought these two old WBC's from a retired bee keeper near Burford. They are truly snaggly, but VERY cute and, with a little tlc, will provide a few more years service.

So having 'divie'd' them up into two, and donated one to Tim & Julie, I got straight onto Thornes for a new brood chamber and supers!

The lifts all seem to be in reasonable nick, and just need a light sanding and some obligatory white paint!, although Lynne wants to paint ours Shamanically! .........could be fun!

Either way, it's a good bit of bee recycling in action!

Now meet one of my girls!

2008-08-17T19:08:00.002+01:00

It only seemed fair to post some pictures of one of my girls! She was found dead at the hive entrance at the start of the 'Helms Deep' style war that I found last week! as upsetting as I found the situation (sorry, i'm VERY soppy about my bees!), it gave me a golden opportunity to get 'up close and personal' with Apis Mellifera!

I used the basic set of lenses that came with the 'scope, and our little digital camera pointed down one of the optics........a bit Heath Robinson, but the results are fabulous!

I am now in even more awe of these amazing creatures!

Once I get a bit better, i'll publish more pictures, as I explore their unique anatomy & physiology!

Know your enemy!

2008-08-17T18:44:00.004+01:00

After attending this years National Bee Unit, Southern Regional Bee Disease Identification Day at Benson, I have invested in a microscope which I have been able to put to immediate use in identifying my assailants!

Meet Vespula Germanica! (the German Wasp) a member of the 'social wasp' family. These blighters generally do a fantastic job of predating on pests around the garden and allotment. However, at this time of the year, the nest breaks up, and they search for food to stock up for the winter, and new homes!

Honey, and bees, are high on their list of scrummy treats!

There is little that can be done about their sustained attacks, and the key would be to find and destroy their nest........not very ethical! As ground nesting wasps, their home could be almost anywhere in a 400 metre radius of the plot. We have a rubble pile at the back of the apiary, and my money's on that being the site! However, the jam traps seem to be working, and we will be better informed next year!

If all else fails: machine gun nests with interlocking arcs of fire may be employed! lol!

Batten down the hatches!

2008-08-17T18:35:00.003+01:00

Those of you with a keen eye for detail, will notice that there is a strip of varroa mesh over the entrance to my hive! Shortly after moving the girls in, the local Wasp population exploded, and the hive suffrered from a major robbing attack! I found dead bees everywhere, and wasps moving into the hive at will!
After a little research, and with the support of Tim & Julie, we restricted the entrance to 'one bee space', and deployed 8 'jam n beer' wasp traps around the site. These measures seem to have been successful so far, and the bees are at least now able to defend their home!
However, after an entertaining hour at the hive entrance, I brought one of the assailants home for closer inspection!

Nuc finds a new home!

2008-08-17T18:29:00.003+01:00

After a relatively short time, the nuc had expanded to fill all 5 frames, so it was time to move into their new home!

Who's who?

2008-08-17T18:09:00.003+01:00

As friendly and responsible bee keepers, we felt that it was important to have some way of local people being able to contact us in case of problems, or to answer any questions they may have. Indeed, the educational potential of the Apiary is something that we fully intend to promote within the village and local community. To this end, I made up a small sign for the apiary from a recycled slate roofing tile with our contact details!

Future projects include an information board regarding the bees as the season progress', as well as information on BumbleBee conservation.

Our membership is NOT exclusive, and we would encourage any other plot holders/village members to join us in our quest to promote and conserve one of the country's most precious resources!

First: the layout!

2008-08-17T17:56:00.002+01:00

We decided to fence off the plot to add a degree of 'security' from walkers and inquisitive children! This will be backed up by 'bee friendly hedging', which we intent getting from an ethical supplier. This will help to 'push' the foraging bees up and over neighbours and fellow allotmenteers! Thus reducing the risk of any conflict, even though we have the enthusiastic support of every plot holder that we could canvas!

Next in were the paving slabs to act as a base for the hive stands, these provide a grass free area under the varroa mesh floors, and allow easy inspection of the debris falling from under the brood nest. Sadly, the bees don't seem to have any concept of sweeping up after themselves! so that will be our job!

New Beginings!

2008-08-17T17:41:00.002+01:00

Having teamed up with Tim & Julie, and having gained permission to start the apiary, the bee's arrived!

We first moved in T&J's bee's from their 'out' apiary, then I moved in my newly formed 'nuc' from home. I was able to make this up from the bees that I bought from Maisemore Apiaries in Gloucestershire a few weeks earlier.......fabulous people, cheaper than many of their rivals, friendly and eager to impart nuggets of bee wisdom! I whole heartedly reccomend them!

Hail and Welcome!!

2008-08-17T09:26:00.002+01:00

Well here it is - our new beekeeping Blog.
The idea is to follow the trials and tribulations of our group as we go through the seasons on the allotment and with our bees.
We formed the group this summer with the kind permission of our allotment manager Tony and also our Parish Council.
Our aims are to successfully keep our bees on the allotment in harmony with, and to the benefit of, our fellow allotmenteers. We want to show the importance of beekeeping and use it as an educational tool for anyone who has an interest.
Please contact us if you want to know more.