Newsletter : February 2004
Newsletter : February 2004
1. Editorial
Our current weather is making life very difficult for the bees. We finally had a couple of really cold days last week with the temperature down to around zero and, for virtually the first time this winter, no bees were flying. However, this week has been much warmer, but also very wet and windy. My bees have been very active again but I strongly suspect that many of those that have been out will have come to a sad end. Regular checking for adequate food stores is a priority.
2. Next Meeting
The meeting on February 11th will be a talk by our Regional Bee Inspector, Robin Hall. Those of you who attended our AGM last October will remember his practical demonstration of how we should be examining our bees to see if we have pyrethroid resistant varroa mites present in our colonies. The high attendance at that meeting was an indication of the importance we all attach to this new threat to our beekeeping. The audience was extremely attentive and the range of the follow-up questions showed members' concern to manage this new threat effectively.
There was insufficient time then to talk through all the issues raised, so Robin has kindly agreed to explain in detail the advice now being promoted for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an approach that is designed both to control the incidence of varroa and slow down the spread of resistance to current methods of treatment. As always the presentation will begin at 7.30 p.m. in the Rosa Room at Radbrook College. Come and share your experiences with fellow beekeepers.
3. January Meeting Report
Gordon Hartshorn's talk was about the selective breeding queen bees. He first reminded us of the reasons for wanting to return to the purebred British bee apis mellifera mellifera (free from 'foreign' viruses, suited to our climate, a good honey producer and, above all, an excellent temperament if not cross-bred with other stocks). He then described the project he undertook last year, with the support of David Myers, produce pure mellifera queens at an isolated apiary in Wales. The first step was to create a hive of bees that could be used to start building potential queen cells. A colony was established on a double brood chamber and fed constantly to encourage the bees to draw foundation and rear young. Once there were sufficient bees, the queen was put in the lower box beneath an excluder while the eggs and unsealed larvae were placed above it, the nurse bees being drawn up within two hours.
Meanwhile, a 'breeder' colony that contained the most purebred mellifera stock had been identified and the queen confined to a Jenter frame holding a set of plastic cell-plugs. These cells with the resulting eggs/larvae were removed after four days and transferred to a queenless nucleus box into which, 24 hours previously, had been brushed the nurse bees from the double brood colony.
After 24 hours those cells that had been started (about 80%) were transferred to the queenright broodchamber for completion. Finally, after a further 10 days, the now about-to-hatch cells were placed into Apidea mini-nuc boxes, each with a cupful of bees and plenty of food, to complete the hatching and mating.
This very brief summary does not do justice to the detail of Gordon's account, illustrated as it was by slides of the work in progress at the apiary and by a chance to see the various ingenious pieces of equipment that David had made to ease the transfer of cells from one box to another. We were also given some useful tips (e.g. using a 'cup' with square sides to scoop bees out of a container and dipping the prepared queen cells in syrup before putting them into the Apidea boxes to encourage the bees to work on them). Future work on breeding will include the use of grafting as a technique for transferring eggs and an investigation into the use of a computer program to examine wing morphometry when identifying particular races of bee.
4. BBKA Annual Delegates Meeting (January 2004)
This is the BBKA's annual 'Business Meeting' when the Executive Committee reports to members and seeks approval for its plans. There will be detailed report of the meeting in the BBKA's own Newsletter, so this account is only of the edited highlights. In his Report, the Chairman referred to the increasing cost of public liability insurance for the Association. Between 1998 and 2002 the budget for this item almost doubled (c£5,500 - ££9,500). In the next year alone it doubled again, to £18,000! - due in part to the changing attitude to claims (no win, no fee) that is encouraging more and more people to put in claims for incidents that would not previously have merited consideration. This inevitably translates to the 'bottom line' in terms of the BBKA's own financial needs. The General Secretary also pointed out, in his Report, that though the public liability insurance covers members against claims by third parties against them, it does not cover such things as accidental (or deliberate) damage to our own apiaries (for example through vandalism or theft). Separate insurance has to be taken out for such events.
There was reference back to some issues raised last year. On the subject of the government subsidising farmers to plant land designated as set-aside with bee-forage, it was reported that it is not possible under current rules to be so specific, though payments are made to farmers to plant crops that could be beneficial to them under various schemes. Currently, they could also be given seed, such as Phacelia for planting on set-aside land, although the rules for next year have still to be decided (presumably in Brussels). It was also reported that a long-awaited leaflet offering guidelines and advice on swarm collection and removal (particularly in the context of beekeepers facing claims for consequential damage for their efforts) has been prepared and should be available shortly.
The Technical Committee described meetings that have been taking place about new regulations for food labeling that all honey producers will also have to comply with. The latest advice currently available is given on the opposite page, but it was stressed that discussions are still going on and there may be further changes. BBKA will keep everyone up to date.
There were five propositions from Local Associations to discuss. One was that BBKA should persuade DEFRA to extend the period of time that Seasonal Bee Inspectors are employed for. This was linked to the spread of pyrethroid resistant varroa and other threats to beekeeping. There were strong supporting speeches from the floor and the proposition was carried almost unanimously.
Two propositions were concerned with the direct mailing of BBKA to members rather than relying on its distribution through local associations (one for, one against). The case was well examined and the result, which this association supported, was that in future BBKA will mail out its own Newsletter direct.
A fourth proposition was that BBKA & DEFRA should do more to assist beekeepers against the threat of resistant varroa by widening the scope of treatments available. The executive had commented that this would require legislation to remove the issue from the control of the Veterinary Medicines Department who license products for use in the UK. The mood of the meeting was much influenced by one member who happens to be a vet and who described some of the treatments that are used on the continent that have the potential to be extremely damaging to honey, wax, bees and beekeepers! It was generally agreed that it was important to maintain 'quality controls' on available treatments even if that seems to slow progress down somewhat. The issue was referred to the Technical Committee for further research.
The last proposition read: "The BBKA is an Association of Associations" - which seemed more of a statement than a proposition. The speaker was concerned that, with the creation of its new individual membership database, that the BBKA is moving more towards being a direct membership organization with the Executive able to appeal to its members over the heads of the Local Associations. However, there has always been a mix of membership options and current proposals for the constitution make it clear that ultimate control remains with this ADM where the only voting voice is that of the Local Associations. While the speaker's misgivings were shared by one or two other Associations most were content with the status quo
Appendix: Current Labelling Requirements for Honey (As summarised by Thorne's and printed in the current edition of BeeCraft)
5. In My Apiary
I came to beekeeping because it had been an enthusiasm of my wife when she lived on her parents' farm. She had acquired a few WBC hives and kept bees successfully for several years but by the time we married the hives had been long since abandoned and were stored in a shed. About 15 years ago we had the chance to extend our garden by buying a small piece of adjacent land from our neighbouring farmer so we decided to create an orchard and set up some bees on it to pollinate the trees. At that time my image of a hive was the traditional WBC shape - in fact I did not even know that other kinds existed. When we saw someone advertising a colony in a WBC for sale it seemed that we were being guided in that direction so, having collected the old hives from their storehouse, we set out to buy the bees.
Now moving a WBC full of bees is never easy at the best of times, but fools rush in.... We went after dark to collect the colony and just about managed to get it into an old van we had borrowed for the purpose. The bees were not pleased and, since they were soon flying freely round the van, we were both fully dressed up in protective gear for the careful 20 mile drive back home. Goodness knows what passing motorists thought as they saw smoke pouring out of the van windows and two people dressed up like nuclear scientists inside. We finally arrived but, instead of leaving the hive where it was till the next morning, we niaively thought it better to move it to its intended position right away. Inevitably the floor fell apart as we were lifting it out of the van and brood box and supers spilled out onto the ground in the driveway. At that point we decided that discretion was very much the better part of valour and beat a hasty retreat. When the postman arrived the next morning we shouted to him out of the bedroom window to leave the post outside rather than walk past the disturbed bees to get to the door. Inevitably, as he continued his round, he told our neighbours that we were trapped upstairs by swarms of angry bees.
Fortunately, in the clearer light of day, we were able to reassemble the scattered parts of the colony and set the hive up properly, with the bees apparently none the worse. Indeed, one useful outcome of their treatment was that they swarmed about two days later and kindly clustered on a low branch from which even someone as untutored as I was able to collect them and start off a second colony. So started my long lasting interest in bees. Our 'apiary' (such a 'grand' word for a few hives in a field!) has now stabilised at 6 - 8 colonies, still all in WBC hives. I think they protect the bees well but they do make for extra work and cost and need more space when being worked because of the lifts. If I were starting again I have to admit I would go for single-walled hives but we've been through a lot together.....
Peter Hampson
6. A poem for beginners (and others!)
The beeman with his smoke arrives
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