Activity!

Just been to check Genesis. It is a balmy 10C today and indeed the bees are flying - taking cleansing flights - they don't pooh in the hive but store it up until they can get out. With this prolonged cold snap this is the first chance they have had in a long time. They were also dragging out the dead: it is certainly a question of survival of the strongest through the winter.

Christmas and winter

My lovely wife got me a stethoscope for Chtistmas! We used it yesterday - the idea is that you hold it against the hive wall and listen. We could hear some short buzzes and then picked up more of a low background hum. It was cool.
This December has been the coldest on record with local daytime temperatures at or below freezing for several weeks now. Cold is not a problem to their survival right now but I wonder if they are using more stores as they consume honey for energy to keep warm. They may need that fondant earlier this winter.

Snow!

Here is Genesis in the snow. The wire mesh is to stop woodpecker damage - it is rather untidily folded over at the top as I was short of time when I put it on and have not wanted to disturb the colony by going back to trim it. I will do a tidier job next year!

Bees in Winter

Numerous people have asked me if bees hibernate. The answer is no, but they do dramatically change their behaviour and physiology.
In the summer, a worker bee will live for about 6 weeks. The queen is continuously laying eggs through the summer (up to 2,000 per day!) and so new workers are being produced. The queen stops laying in the winter and so the workers have to survive until Spring when she starts laying again. In late August and early September the workers feed heavily on pollen. This builds up their stores of fat, protein and glycogen. In this way they can live for up to 6 months.
Bees can survive in low temperatures as long as they are dry. As the temperature drops in Autumn they begin to form a rugby ball shaped cluster within the hive. This reduces heat loss - much like the penguins in the film "March of the Penguins". The bees at the centre of the cluster eat honey and create heat as they exercise their internal muscles. A cluster temperature of 31 C with an outside temperature of - (yes minus!) 28 C has been recorded. Without any eggs or larvae to care for, the cluster temperature is normally 20-30 C. They only leave the hive on warmer days for cleansing flights
There are a number of factors that determine whether a colony survives the winter. Last winter losses were 20% nationally. I have done all I can this year to help Genesis colony survive - I really hope they make it.

Seasons

I think that I am finding myself being more aware of the changing seasons now that I am a beekeeper. The bees are governed totally by the season that is current and particularly by the season that is coming - they started preparing for winter months ago! We, in our modern, western world function largely unchanged through the seasons - we might choose our leisure activity by the weather and the outside temperature but much else remains unaltered. God gave us seasons for a reason: we should take the time to appreciate them and go with the flow of our seasonal calendar. What an amazing God we have.

Varroa!

So, I decided that I should see how much of a Varroa problem I have. I placed a oiled A4 sheet beneath the Genesis hive for 24 hours and then counted the number of mites on the sheet. I counted 5 and figure that my A4 sheet represents about 50% of the floor area. That gives me a count of 10 mites in 24 hours which according to various Internet sources is a low infestation rate. I chose to use an organic treatment called Api Life Var that contains Thymol, Eucalyptus and menthol oils. I placed a quarter of the pad in each corner on top of the frame bars and left it for a week. The instructions say repeat again but I didn't. They also say it works better in warm weather so I probably should have done it earlier but temp has been 16-17C this week.
I have wrapped some small mesh chicken wire around the hive to keep the woodpeckers off.
Paul, my mentor, says I should have stopped inspecting a few weeks ago and that beginners like me should start with 2 hives - 1 to play with and 1 to do properly!
Just had surgery on my shoulder so good timing there as I should not need to check inside the hive again until March.

Autumn Watch

Cooler nights now - 3C last night. 14C today. Stopped feeding now - I did wonder if I was over feeding them and not leaving enough room for the queen to lay but today there were plenty of eggs, larvae and eggs on the central frames and in a good pattern. Saw the queen and added a bit more green paint to her thorax as my last effort had left only a feint green tinge!
Went to a NFBKA meeting on Friday with Steve - Clive De Bruyn (pronounced - Brain). He has so much experience from all over the world; he was fascinating. Easy to remember life cycle - it goes in 3's: Egg - 3 days, larva  - 6 days (2x3), sealed - 12 days (6x2). 3 + 6 + 12 = 21 days to hatch. After 3 years beekeeping you think you are an expert - in reality you never stop learning because no one year is the same in terms of weather, pests, colony characteristics etc. 1 hive for 100 years = 100 years experience OR 100 hives for 1 year = 100 years experience

Cooler weather

This weekend was decidedly cooler (my good lady insisted on having the central heating on this evening!) but the sunshine meant the bees were out foraging. I did notice that the propolis was harder and everything cracked as I moved frames around rather than the usual sticky sound. Saw workers bringing on propolis too. Now feeding with 2x1 syrup.

More guests

My good friend Kevin came with me to do a hive inspection this weekend. Although he was initially nervous, he did really well and even held a frame! He took some video with his camera but thought he was taking photos so it wobbles around a bit but here it is:

We saw the queen and Genesis is looking pretty good - plenty of eggs and brood and stores building up. Gave them the first feed of 2x1 syrup today. Will continue with this until mid October - depending on the weather. All frames are now either being drawn or filling with honey.

Inspection 6 - Queen spotted!

My daughter's boyfriend's dad came with me today. He has no experience of bees but was very calm around the hive and enjoyed his visit.
Saw the queen today and managed to get a spot of green marking paint nicely on her thorax - sounds easy doesn't it? It wasn't! I got her in the queen clip OK and then put her on a frame of foundation. I don't have a press in cage but got some paint on her (and also on a few workers!). Anyway, job done and that should make her easier to see in the future. She looks a bit like this:

Plenty of brood and eggs today. They are now drawing comb on the final frame of foundation now.
Girls were very quiet and calm today but got quite agitated when I was dealing with the queen so I shut things up and left them to it.
Gave them the large feeder full of 1x1 syrup today - 5 litres.

Inspection 5

Today, I brought along my good friend Steve to watch. I think he enjoyed himself and may be inspired to take up beekeeping himself - I know he has been thinking about it for a while.
Genesis is building up stores nicely now. The shallow frame is almost full and they have completed the natural comb underneath it - this is now filling with worker brood - I think it is too late in the season for them to build drone comb (I was advised by someone to keep a shallow frame in all year round as part of IPM) but it is and will be additional stores for the winter. Fed them another 2 litres of 1x1 syrup.

Inspection 4

Did this one after work and so it was 6 in the evening by the time I got there. It has been wet most of the day and although it was then sunny and windy the girls had a bit of "cabin fever" and were just a bit more tetchy. They are drawing comb on one of the frames of foundation and on the shallow frame they have completed the comb off the bottom now and are filling the frame with honey. I gave them another 2 litres of feed. No queen seen but there are plenty of eggs and brood.

Feeding

Checked the feeder yesterday (with my youngest daughter - she is now a beekeeper's daughter!) - empty! Put 2l of 1x1 syrup in. Had a quick look at a frame of foundation and they are drawing that now. Some capped honey on the shallow now too. Away for a few days now so let's see how they look on my return. Very crowded with bees in there now - brood is hatching - thinking about putting that super back on!

3rd Hive Inspection

Emailed and spoke to my mentor Paul whilst on holiday last week - he is great - so much experience and so willing to offer advice and encouragement to complete beginners like me. He was initially concerned that it is a bit late in the season to start but after I had explained that it is a full colony with bees covering 7-8 frames he felt it should be fine: His concern was getting them through the winter if I was starting with low numbers. I asked about a super but he said it would do no goos on top but may help on the bottom. He said they will need 40 lbs of stores to get them through the winter and a full frame weighs about 7 lbs (Hooper says 5 lbs). Currently I reckon they have 2.5 frames of stores. Paul said I should feed them with 1x1 syrup until mid September and then 2x1 until mid October.
Hive inspection revealed PLENTY of sealed brood and larvae and eggs. The super was empty and they have now drawn the comb on the shallow frame that I put in with some natural comb below, They are now putting honey into the shallow. I tried moving the super to the bottom but it looked like the returning workers were confused - they were going in and then coming straight out again and so I took it out. They were a bit upset by this and lots came out buzzing round but I did not get stung! I added my smaller feeder with 1.5l of syrup. I'll take a look in a couple of days to see how much they are taking.
Must join the BDBKA.

Second inspection - saw some amazing things

Did my second inspection of Genesis yesterday and things look good.

Bees on the comb

The super I put on last week is being completely ignored! They are building up stores in the brood chamber and drawing out foundation on a shallow frame I put in. They are building comb off the bottom of that now and this is part of my IPM strategy for Varroa. It was fascinating to see them linked together in chains as they build the wax.

Workers linking together to build comb

I saw the queen - she is unmarked. I also saw a worker just emerging from her cell - amazing! I shook some bees off each frame to see the comb better and they do have some pollen stores there. Saw plenty of eggs.

Queeny - a bit blurred - you try holding a frame and camera whilst keeping an eye on her!

Supering

Made up 10 shallow frames and put them in a super. Took them down to the apiary - the place was buzzing - literally! Sunny today so they were in & out in great numbers and the hive was noticeably noisier. Put queen excluder on and one super - let's see how much honey they store in there.

First inspection

View of the inside of the brood box

Did my first full inspection of Genesis yesterday - under the watchful but distant gaze of my wife and son. Very exciting doing it on my own with my own bees! They are very docile and placid - good!
Went well, I think I remembered everything I've been taught. Didn't see the Queen so still don't know if she is marked. Saw some eggs, larvae and sealed brood - not loads but I believe brood production is supposed to drop now as they prepare for winter and population begins to drop. 3-4 full frames of honey seen so they are busy building up their stores for winter. Plenty of bees on the comb and so difficult to see if there is much pollen. 2 empty frames at one end with just foundation on - guess they may have been put in late by the supplier to fill the brood box - will try moving those nearer the centre to see if they draw them. Will put a super on as it looks quite full in there: Not expecting to get any honey off this year but if they put store in there I will leave it on for them through the winter.

close up of bees on the frames

Bees have built some comb to bridge between frame and side of box

Robbing

Went to apiary yesterday to remove the travel screen - was an easy job. The bees seemed very calm and few came out. Put the glass crownboard on. I noticed a few wasps around the hive entrance trying to get in si I removed the travel staples and replaced the floor with my mesh one. I was thus able to put in an entrance reducer to help them defend the hive more easily.

The bees have arrived!

Genesis Hive

Yes, it has happened at last - I picked up my bees 2 days ago and installed them in my apiary. After years of wanting to, 1 year of planning to, 6 months of research and 4 months of training I am now officially a   beekeeper! A head full of knowledge and zero experience I now enter an unfamiliar world. Looking forward to learning how to work with these amazing creatures that God has created - very exciting.

A few of the girls venture out

Still waiting!

Thought the bees might arrive this week. Last minute 'phone call from supplier saying they were currently sited within 3 miles of my out apiary and so I would have to wait another week or so while they move them to another apiary over 3 miles away and then I can install them in mine! Grrrr - they have had my address for weeks. Patience dear boy, patience.

Waiting

Everything is in place. I have been patiently waiting for news of a swarm - I am on 2 contact lists in the area. No calls yet.
So, I've ordered a colony from a local commercial beekeeper. Just a few weeks to go now. Did a hive inspection the other week at the local association apiary. Got stung on the fingers - twice! Think it was mainly my roughness and they weren't smoked. Good fun though.

Have now bought Ted Hooper's "Guide to bees and honey". Everyone says it is the beekeeper's bible. Had to wait to get latest edition - only been out a few weeks.

The hive is in!

Prepared the frames and assembled the hive on site. Bit of a heave getting all the gear there - tramped across the field and then realised that the gate would have been nearer! Chose a good spot I think. Took the strimmer and cut down the new bracken around it and also cleared the entrance to the site a bit. Levelled the ground and laid 2 large bricks with a milk crate on top. Think I might remove the crate and stand the bricks on their side with the hive on them - I think it will be more stable. Hoping to get a swarm from somewhere now - weather been cold still but due to warm up this week. Let's see!

The hives are here!

Have managed to get hold of some secondhand hives (some Nationals and Commercials). Have cleaned and flamed them all. Have now ordered frames, foundation, suit, smoker and hivetool. All I need now is the bees! As I am now approaching my budget for this project I will hope to pick up a swarm rather than buying (currently £150 for a nucleus locally).

Out Apiary site

Went to look at the local farmer's site today - looks very promising. Plenty of established trees but not enclosed. Quiet, sheltered and secluded. No immediate water source but troughs and streams quite close. Need to check risk of pesticides from surrounding fields.
Think I might invest in a hive soon and then see if I can pick up a swarm. Considering Thorne's Budget flat pack National. Would like 14"x12" brood box but not available in budget format. May just get an eke next year and then buy bigger frames then - may well do shook swarm anyway.
All the bee suppliers are not taking any orders for nucs now anyway and prices are pretty high this year - min £200!
Exciting times.

Potential out apiary

Exciting news! P got an email yesterday from Christchurch Countryside Officer to say that the farm up the road may have a site suitable for a few hives. It is a little wooded area. Hope to go to look at it this week - water may be an issue and livestock!

Tips

If you use drone foundation in the supers you get less wax and more honey - it can be a bit more fragile though.

Put a super frame in the brood box and the workers will build comb underneath to fill the space. This is nearly always drone comb and when full of ripe drone larvae, slice it off. It is likely to contain large numbers of Varroa mites and so is a method of controling their number. Freeze for 48 hrs what you remove and then put out for the birds!

Beekeeping Day Course

What a great day!

The was billed as a 'Taster" day and was excellent. There were about 30 people there.

The first hour was a talk about bees and their life cycle etc. I knew most of it but the presenter was very good and the powerpoint was good. We broke for coffee and there were 2 displays to look at: One from Thornes showing some of their products, the other was of a virtual hive.

We then broke into 4 groups, each with an experienced beekeeper. We could ask any questions we liked and I learned a lot from someone who has been working with bees for over 50 years!

After lunch we went off to the apiary in West Moors. We got to put on bee suits and gloves and observe a hive inspection, hold frames etc. We then had a lesson on frame making and were told about honey extraction.

David, the chairman, was having a garden open day at his house the following day so I took Pauline along to see how hives can work in a garden. We could see their flight path and how the plants and fence near the 3 hives drove them up before they flew off. The reverse process occurred as they returned and there were very few bees in the main garden. I think Pauline realised how little they interfered with the rest of the garden and how the flight path could be directed away from houses and neighbours' gardens.

So, now need to decide where they could go in our garden and if this year is practical to start. It is getting a bit late in the year to give enough time for the colony to build up sufficiently to get through the winter. I may need to spend this year shadowing a beekeeper and visiting the apiary to get more knowledge and experience (and equipment!) with a view to getting bees next Spring. The other factor is my impending shoulder surgery which would prevent me from doing hive inspections for a few weeks. Mmm... disappointed really but I want to do it well and properly and my original plan was to start next year and use this year to learn.

I may get some hives this year - second hand if some good ones come up at the right price.

Latest books read

Just finished reading 'Keeping Bees' by Paul Peacock and 'Beekeeping - self sufficiency' by Joanna Ryde: good background and useful as an introduction to the subject. Now need to start reading more detailed reference books.

Currently reading 'Practical Beekeeping' by Clive De Bruyn (Poole library).

Steve and Dave O have offered to have  hives in their gardens (Dave used to keep them at Twynham when he was at school). Need to have a look and check if the neighbours are happy!

Hygiene & Honey

Notes from NFBKA meeting on 18th March 2010 given by lecturer from Brockenhurst College

CONTAMINATION

• Biological - very low risk in honey
• Physical - foreign objects (e.g. bees!)
• Chemical - cleaning products, paint
• (Allergens - peanut products etc.)

FOOD POISONING

• 90% is bacterial:

Salmonella - 20,000 types

Clostridium - in soil - survives heat - autoclave/pressure cook to kill

Staphylococcus - e.g. MRSA

Bacillus Cereus - found in rice

Campylobacter

Listeria

Typhoid

E.Coli

• Moulds
• Chemicals - copper, aluminium, mercury - make sure you only use cleaning chemicals before or after honey preparation - not DURING.

PREVENTING FOOD POISONING

• Store food out of "danger zone" - 5 - 60 C
• Keep high risk food at room temperature for the shortest time
• Preserve - pickling, smoking, curing, vacuum packing, irradiation
• Store dry foods correctly
• Thorough cooking - at least 70 C for 2 minutes
• Heat processing
• Exclude human carriers

PROTECTING FOOD FROM CONTAMINATION

• cover food
• avoid handling
• separate raw and cooked food
• good housekeeping
• practice personal hygiene
• careful refuse disposal - black bin bags are covered in rat repellant
• eliminate pests

PERSONAL HYGIENE

• Jewellery - remove
• Clothing - wear a clean apron
• Cuts and sores - blue, waterproof plaster regularly changed
• Hand washing

Be sure to read the Honey Regulations

Research and preparation

Am a few weeks in now. I am reading up and have joined the New Forest Beekeepers Association (NFBKA).

I have read or am reading the following books:

Practical Manual of Beekeeping - David Cramp (in Christchurch library) - Definitely a manual for once you have bees as it goes in to detail on how to do stuff etc. Good opening chapters on colony function and how the colony works. British author with British view on beekeeping.

Beekeeping for Dummies - Howland Blackistone (in Christchurch library) - Takes you through step by step from equipment to acquiring your first bees and how to install them. Good section on systematic inspection and disease control/prevention. American author and some things are typically American. Good general handbook but American influence probably too much to warrant buying as a reference book.

Bees at the bottom of the garden - Alan Campion (in Christchurch library) - good beginners book although it seems a bit old now. Has been updated to include Varroa info but still shows its age. Lovely drawings and amusingly written. Not one to buy.

Books I hope to read are:

Guide to bees and honey - Ted Hooper

Practical beekeeping - Clive de Bruyn (in Poole library)

A world without bees - Alison Benjamin (in Poole library)

I am also listening to some podcasts:

"The Beekeepers Podcast" This is by a guy in Northern Kentucky and goes through what a beginner needs to know. Very enjoyable

"The Natural Beekeeper" By a guy in the UK who uses top bar hives and natural methods - quite interesting and a bit political too.

Looking forward to getting started but I need to get some experience around bees and hives via the NFBKA and it would be good to do a beginner's course before I start. Unfortunately that means some delay as I have just missed the Spring ones and the next will not be until the Autumn with the NFBKA but I can do a taster day with Bournemouth & Dorset BKA.

I also need to think about location - I would love to keep one in the garden but I'm not sure how the neighbours would react or how much of a nuisance they could be in the house. The site is ideal in other ways due to shelter, sun, water etc. Finding somewhere local may be difficult, I may put a notice in the church bulletin to see if anyone knows of a suitable site.

Getting started could be expensive BUT I have just got a modest but unexpected bonus from work (!) and I would like to set that aside for set up costs.

Next on the agenda is to attend the Beginner's Beekeeping One Day Taster being run by Bournemouth & Dorset BKA in April and see how I enjoy being around the bees and getting into the hives.