Apiary

How to attend?

WDBKA Teaching Apiary is preparing to open for the  2024 season. We hope you have enjoyed following the record of our winter management. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back! Thank you to all those who have helped to care for the colonies. We harvested a lot of honey last year and the bees continued to fascinate and delight us all throughout the season. There is always something new to learn.

In the new year priority will be given to students from the Beginners’ Course. Their practical sessions run from April. There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to visit as the season unfolds. 🐝🐝🐝

Weekly email reminders will resume for specific dates and times.

The track to the apiary can be rutted and muddy. Please let us know if you require adjustments or access assistance. If you would like to go along, please check timings and remember to wear clean suits, gloves and boots. There are always plenty of suits available to borrow.

The Apiary Management Committee -AMC –  have agreed to stand for another year. They have updated the policy for the new season. Please take time to have a read … it explains the aims and management approach  we hope to achieve!

Latest reports from the Apiary Management Committee:

There were just two brief checks of the colonies in February to ensure that they had enough stores and to check the varroa counts.
Three of the seven colonies have now had their stores topped up with fondant over the hole in the crown-board.
We are almost certain that we have lost one colony, which was one of the weaker hives and now has no debris on the varroa tray, remains heavy and only had a few bees observed on a quick check under the crown board on 12th February.
The varroa counts had improved at the last two visits, presumably as mites are now all migrating into the enlarging brood nests.
A band of willing volunteers met at the Apiary at the end of February to work out a plan for maintenance at the site as there is a lot of work to do before the new season. We are very grateful to everyone who has agreed to help with this. Phil Clifton has kindly constructed two more of his excellent hive stands, which have enough space to hold everything up off the ground when we open the hives. We have also purchased six new varroa floors which will replace some of the older floors.
We are looking forward to checking the colonies more fully next month in preparation for our first student teaching session.

Kindly by Carole Astbury

At our one visit in January we were relieved to see that nothing had been washed away in the rain and the flooding. Both the cabins were dry so the floodwater hadn’t gone into either of them.
There was evidence of activity in all seven colonies but two (No 6 and No 7) seem very small so may not make it to the spring. All were hefted and two (No 2 and No 3) required fondant. The varroa counts were not reliable as it had been a month since they had been treated but there were significant numbers of mites (>100) on all but No 3 and No 6.
We plan another check next month to make sure they all have enough stores.
Carole Brown has been busy ordering replacement equipment and new frames and foundation so that we are prepared for the coming season.

Kindly by Carole Astbury

Carole Brown and I braved the weather to visit the Apiary on 7th December. The plan was to check the colonies to ensure that they were broodless, prior to hopefully treating them at a members session at the weekend.
The weather was dire. The track down to the site was full of very deep, water-filled potholes and the first sleeper on the small bridge had been washed away. We just about made it over the gap with both cars. There was a massive amount of mud going up to the gateway. Whilst we were there the water level in the stream under the concrete bridge went up by over a foot and as we were leaving it was starting to come over the top.
We made the executive decision to treat the bees that day as the access was just too dreadful for a members’ session in the next week and there was a good chance we might not get down again if any more sleepers got washed away.
As we hadn’t made up the Api-Bioxal, we used the spare bottle of Varromed (LV22VM04A-B) which can be used for one treatment in the winter if the bees are broodless. There was horizontal rain and they weren’t very tightly clustered. Several were very small, so may not make it through the winter especially in view of the high varroa counts. The advantage of using the Varromed is that we can treat again in the spring if the counts stay high.
All the colonies were heavy. The AMC will be asking for more experienced beekeepers to volunteer next year and hopefully commit to two or three sessions alongside the AMC during the season.

Kindly by Carole Astbury

FAQ

Becoming a member of West Dorset Beekeeping Association puts you in touch with a network of experienced Beekeepers. We enjoy our hobby and love to share our enthusiasm for our craft. See the list of benefits on the Membership page. A monthly newsletter keeps everyone involved and up to date with events and activities throughout the year.

Meeting other members and comparing colonies in the Association Apiary helps to develop practical experience and knowledge.

Yes! We would always encourage anyone who might be thinking about starting to keep bees to access some training. The WDBKA  annual course for beginners  is a good introduction and gives access to ongoing training with attendance at the Association Apiary throughout the season.

The time commitment varies through the year. During the active season each colony needs regular weekly inspections. Depending on the manipulations required this can take over an hour … or a matter of minutes! It is likely that your Beekeeping will absorb as much time as you are able to spend … once you catch the Beekeeping bug it seems to grow.

A good bee suit can cost up to £100. A hive and basic equipment will be around £300. A small nucleus colony will be about £200. Sometimes local swarms are offered to members for a donation to club funds.

The amount of surplus honey each colony produces will vary from one year to the next. A good beekeeper will always be sure to leave plenty of stores for their bees to use during the winter.

A strong, well established colony could give around 50lbs if the forage and weather are favourable … but there are always a lot of variables to consider.

The Association has close links to Kevin Pope, our local Seasonal Bee Inspector. He is always available to give advice and will visit your Apiary to check your bees.

Timely reminders are shared through the Association newsletter to guide members in good practice and to encourage close monitoring of Bee stocks.

All Beekeepers should register with the National Bee Unit.  Their website contains a wealth of valuable information. They will also send direct email alerts to raise awareness of potential issues to Beekeepers e.g. reported sightings of Asian Hornets, how to identify diseases etc..

WDBKA Apiary is now closed … hope to see you there in the New Year - spring 2024!