Apiary visit 18/06/2011

Today I visited the apiary to see how my Bees were settling in to their new home. Before going I made up some syrup to feed them; this is done to help the Bees get off to as best start as possible meaning they can concentrate on building wax comb rather than foraging. The syrup was a 1:1 ratio which means 1kg of sugar to 1 litre of water, but today I made 2:2 which made just over 3 litres.

The 3 litre pop bottle was full to the brim with syrup and I still had to take a small container to take the rest!

When I got to the allotment I put my suit on and headed to the apiary. My Dad called me earlier to say he had been up there today and put a door on the apiary at the back making it easier to get in and out.

The newly fitted door at the rear of the apiary and the back of the hive

Once inside the apiary I took the roof off the hive and lifted the feeder out. It was a good job I went up today as the feeder was almost empty! I poured all the syrup into the feeder and after taking a couple of pictures put it back in place. Although I didn't open the full hive up, it was good to see a small bit of the inside when I lifted the feeder. I could see the Bees have been busy and are building new comb, they had even built some on the bottom of the feeder!

The lid of the feeder with wax comb built on

Inside the roof where the feeder has been. The 2 white things are porter Bee escapes

A close up of the opening. Sorry it's slightly out of focus, it's hard to take pictures with a veil and gloves on!

I will be going back to do a full inspection some point next week and see how they are developing inside the hive!

Wakefield and Pontefract Beekeepers: February Meeting

Monday just gone was my 3rd time attending Wakefield and Pontefract Beekeepers Association meeting and my first as a member.


This month the subject was "Preparing for the New Season Ahead" with guest speaker David Aston. In the meeting he talked about the importance of getting ready for the new season. 


Such things as removing mouse guards now that some flowers are starting to bloom and we are having the occasional nice day, the bees are starting their first foraging runs. With mouse guards still in place some of the pollen can be brushed off the bees as they re-enter the hive. At the beginning of the season bees need this early pollen as it provides them with protein needed to thrive.


Also mentioned was the importance of cleaning comb and disposing of old, damaged or diseased comb. This is of greater importance than ever with the recent decline of bees. The best way of disposing of old comb is to burn it as this will get rid of any potential contagion. Also with frames being so cheap it would often be cheaper to replace comb rather than risk infection and end up having to replace whole colonies! 


Other pieces of equipment that were mentioned that need checking before the new season are your smoker, hive tool, suit, veil and gauntlets (heavy-duty elbow length gloves). 
Without a working smoker you can end up working with angry bees as smoke makes the bees think there's a fire so eat lots of honey; they do this in case they need to make a speedy get away and by doing so makes it harder for them to physically sting due to their bellies being so full. He also mentioned another option which is to spray water across the mouth of the hive; the advantage of this is that it doesn't scare the queen as much so she may be less inclined to hide when the hive is opened and if a hive is smoked too much bees can think there is a problem and leave.
A hive tool is essential for removing the comb that bees build to glue everything together, also known as burr comb. It is also used to pry frames apart so inspections can take place.
The suit, veil and gauntlets are all for the Beekeepers safety so are essential. They all need to be thoroughly checked for gaps that bees can get through and kept clean so disease is kept from spreading. There was also recommendation to not use gauntlets where possible and use disposable rubber gloves if needed. By using disposable gloves your are guaranteeing the cleanest possible approach.

There was more talk on bee health and several slides, one including small hive beetles. These little nasties haven't made it to our shores yet (from the other side of the Atlantic) but due to the size of them it would be hard to see them so could be accidentally brought in on something else. In the picture you can see the little black beetles (click to enlarge). The larvae of the beetles can burrow through the comb, defecating as they go, which can in turn discolour the honey and cause it to ferment, thus spoiling the honey! A common sign of this damage is a smell of decaying orange and a slimy froth. If the infestation gets too bad the bees may abscond the hive.


At each meeting there is a raffle and I took part this time for the first time and am happy to report I won one of the prizes. If your number comes out you can choose your prize from a variety of things, I choose a bottle of beer which I shared with my better half when I got home. 

The Suit!

This is me in my Beekeeping suit. The jacket and the veil are combined but can be separated as there is a zip for removal. The jacket has several pockets at the front for carrying your hive tools and any thing else you think you'd need when inspecting your hive. The gloves have incorporated gauntlets with elastic at the end so bees will find it tricky to get in there and sting me (I HOPE!!). There was no bottoms included in the kit I got and i prefer it this way. I think it will be easier getting in and out of the suit if it doesn't have trousers as well plus jeans offer very good protection as long as you ALWAYS make sure your fly is pulled fully up!!!!!