Some Like It Hot!

So, yes, it’s been a bit warm for quite a while now….the understatement of the
summer! The sustained high temperatures have posed a real challenge for bees and
beekeepers, as well as pretty much every living thing. The heat has dried up the
nectar in plants so pollinators have had to search high and low for food, and we’ve
noticed that the flowers that are still blooming (wisteria, buddleia, hollyhocks) are
covered in butterflies, bees of every variety, wasps etc.

Keeping Busy

“It must be a doddle being a beekeeper in winter, there’s nothing to do!” such is the kind of remark we often hear, but, au contraire, the winter months give us a chance to catch up on lots of jobs. We also still have to care for our bees to ensure that they survive the ‘downtime’ and emerge in the spring as healthily as possible. Just because we don’t see them as often as we do between March and October, that doesn’t mean we can forget about them.

It’s important to ensure that our hives are sound, secure and waterproof, and we have to check for dampness under roofs and on crownboards after any prolonged period of bad weather. If there are any stretches of particularly windy weather then we often place bricks or large stones on the hive roofs to weigh them down, and we know of beekeepers who have hives in exposed positions where strapping them to the stands is a common requirement.

Bees and Brambell's

We’ve recently been in conversation with a UK-based beekeeper who is studying for exams in Bee Health, studies that appear to involve for the most part killing bees so they can be dissected and examined. Not very healthy for the poor bees involved, but you can’t make an omelette without breaking  a few eggs, as they say…

Of course, we want the best for our bees and it has been interesting to hear about the new research centred on pest control, and the recent ideas around how to identify and treat for certain diseases. As in France, the same in England, with last year seeing an increase in the number of outbreaks of European Foul Brood, a disease that can lead to colony loss. The effect of varroa mite infestation also appears to be more insidious than first thought, with the mites being vectors for several different diseases that can deplete a colony of bees over time.

Make Mine a Pint!

 As we approach the Spring Equinox (and with it, a 'Worm Moon' apparently!) the longer days mean that we are seeing more and more of our bees as they venture out to inspect the lay of the land. Obviously locating forage as soon as possible is important as the queens will be laying and brood (baby bees) need to be fed. Finding water is every bit as key to the colony's survival as sources of pollen, so we always advise that you put out some water for your bees. This needs to be in a shallow container, ideally with various items such as leaves or pieces of wood for the bees to stand on to ensure that they don't drown while drinking. We diligently do this in our apiaries, along with placing pots of damp soil near the hives (the bees can suck the moisture from the earth).

However, you know the saying "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"? The same is true of bees; I have never actually seen any bees drinking the water that I carefully put out for them. The ingrates. Instead I find them around my watering can and the chickens' saucers. Their favourite drinking den, though, is the poor tortoise's water bowl.....who knows what it is but they love it! The important thing is that, like all living creatures, they need water to survive and so if you keep bees, please ensure they have access to a safe supply. If you don't keep bees, you can still do your bit to help them (and keep them from clustering around your swimming pool!) by putting out a pot of damp earth or a shallow saucer of water with a pebble or leaf in it. Cheers!