News Item: : Apiary report Saturday 5th June 2010
(Category: Misc)
Posted by Carole Brown
Monday 21 June 2010 - 20:28:40
Apiary report Saturday 5th June 2010.
21 members and friends attended the June apiary meeting.
Paula Edwards gave the introductory talk to the meeting:
Paula talked about the ‘June gap’ with a temporary lack of forage, explaining why bees are not so good tempered at the moment, and the importance of never leaving any honey exposed as bees will try to rob any uncovered supers.
Any honey on hives near to oil seed rape will need to come off very soon as the honey will be granulating.
There are hornets around, they fly day and night and are attracted to light. Their nests are ginger and of a less uniform shape than wasps nests. They will take a few bees but are generally gentle giants that are not inclined to sting.
Tests have been completed at the apiary for nosema.
If nosema is found the most important thing is to get the bees onto clean comb asap so that the nurse bees are not ingesting spores / infection.
Nosema is not usually a problem during the summer months when bees are flying and voiding outside the hive, but it can be a problem during the winter or when the bees are confined by a period of bad weather.
Fumidil B can be used during the autumn feed but should not be used as a prophylactic.
Paula is able to test for nosema if members send her a sample of 30 bees from each colony - examination made under a compound microscope (400 x magnification) when spores can be seen. Bees should be put in a matchbox and into the freezer for a few hours: this kills the bees quickly.
Paula said that she has recently experienced the loss of two colonies through pesticide poisoning – extensive enquiries appear to indicate that this is likely to originate from a ‘cowboy’ pest control operator who has used poison and that the treated nest has been robbed and the pesticide taken back to other colonies.
Peter Gregson has written an article about this for the Bridport News and his parish magazine and will send it to the Western Gazette.
A copy will also be included in the WDBKA newsletter.
Varroa:
One week before each monthly meeting the varroa trays are put under each hive at the apiary (by those on the apiary rota) so that a mite count be done.
A drop of 7 or more mites per day indicates ‘danger level’ and action needs to be taken or the bees in that colony will die.
At the apiary each hive is on a high stand and has a mesh floor – any mites that fall from the hive will drop down and not be able to get back in.
Drone comb trapping (using a super frame in the brood box) can also help.
Apiguard can be used as soon as the honey has been taken off and while the weather is still warm (as it needs heat to vaporise).
Oxalic acid can be used in December (during the broodless period).
A ‘shook swarm’ where all the bees are shaken onto new frames / foundation and fed can be effective.
Hive 2 at the apiary has been shook swarmed and so their varroa levels should be lower than the other hives.
Some strains of bee seem to cope better with varroa than others.
Paula then explained the mechanics of an artificial swarm.
Hives 7 and 4 at the apiary have been artificially swarmed.
On the 24th day after an artificial swarm there will be no brood in the hive and any varroa mites will be on the bees: This is the time to add a sacrificial frame of mature larvae from another hive. Any varroa mites on the bees will go into the cells, these will then be capped and the mites will be trapped.The disadvantage is that the virgin queen in the AS will have hatched at 16 days and adding the sacrificial frame at 24 days, probably just before she is mated, will disturb her.
This news item is from West Dorset Beekeepers
( http://www.westdorsetbees.org.uk/news.php?extend.35 )
(Category: Misc)
Posted by Carole Brown
Monday 21 June 2010 - 20:28:40
Apiary report Saturday 5th June 2010.
21 members and friends attended the June apiary meeting.
Paula Edwards gave the introductory talk to the meeting:
Paula talked about the ‘June gap’ with a temporary lack of forage, explaining why bees are not so good tempered at the moment, and the importance of never leaving any honey exposed as bees will try to rob any uncovered supers.
Any honey on hives near to oil seed rape will need to come off very soon as the honey will be granulating.
There are hornets around, they fly day and night and are attracted to light. Their nests are ginger and of a less uniform shape than wasps nests. They will take a few bees but are generally gentle giants that are not inclined to sting.
Tests have been completed at the apiary for nosema.
If nosema is found the most important thing is to get the bees onto clean comb asap so that the nurse bees are not ingesting spores / infection.
Nosema is not usually a problem during the summer months when bees are flying and voiding outside the hive, but it can be a problem during the winter or when the bees are confined by a period of bad weather.
Fumidil B can be used during the autumn feed but should not be used as a prophylactic.
Paula is able to test for nosema if members send her a sample of 30 bees from each colony - examination made under a compound microscope (400 x magnification) when spores can be seen. Bees should be put in a matchbox and into the freezer for a few hours: this kills the bees quickly.
Paula said that she has recently experienced the loss of two colonies through pesticide poisoning – extensive enquiries appear to indicate that this is likely to originate from a ‘cowboy’ pest control operator who has used poison and that the treated nest has been robbed and the pesticide taken back to other colonies.
Peter Gregson has written an article about this for the Bridport News and his parish magazine and will send it to the Western Gazette.
A copy will also be included in the WDBKA newsletter.
Varroa:
One week before each monthly meeting the varroa trays are put under each hive at the apiary (by those on the apiary rota) so that a mite count be done.
A drop of 7 or more mites per day indicates ‘danger level’ and action needs to be taken or the bees in that colony will die.
At the apiary each hive is on a high stand and has a mesh floor – any mites that fall from the hive will drop down and not be able to get back in.
Drone comb trapping (using a super frame in the brood box) can also help.
Apiguard can be used as soon as the honey has been taken off and while the weather is still warm (as it needs heat to vaporise).
Oxalic acid can be used in December (during the broodless period).
A ‘shook swarm’ where all the bees are shaken onto new frames / foundation and fed can be effective.
Hive 2 at the apiary has been shook swarmed and so their varroa levels should be lower than the other hives.
Some strains of bee seem to cope better with varroa than others.
Paula then explained the mechanics of an artificial swarm.
Hives 7 and 4 at the apiary have been artificially swarmed.
On the 24th day after an artificial swarm there will be no brood in the hive and any varroa mites will be on the bees: This is the time to add a sacrificial frame of mature larvae from another hive. Any varroa mites on the bees will go into the cells, these will then be capped and the mites will be trapped.The disadvantage is that the virgin queen in the AS will have hatched at 16 days and adding the sacrificial frame at 24 days, probably just before she is mated, will disturb her.
This news item is from West Dorset Beekeepers
( http://www.westdorsetbees.org.uk/news.php?extend.35 )