Newsletter : February 2006
1. Editor's Notes
I recently attended the BBKA Annual Delegates' Meeting on your behalf. A full report of that meeting will be published by BBKA in its own Newsletter but in the meantime you may like to have some comment on one or two items.
First, there was considerable interest in the debate going on at European level about treatments for bee pests and diseases, particularly for anti-varroa treatments. No progress has yet been made on their availability, i.e. whether 'off the shelf' as now, or only through veterinary services as has been proposed. One of the problems here is that different countries apparently have different veterinary classifications for licensing people to do such work.
Secondly, there is an issue is to do with the type of treatments that might be sanctioned. Many beekeepers currently use oxalic acid in one form or another for the winter treatment of varroa. However it seems unlikely that any commercial company will invest the considerable sums of money involved to gain approval for what is basically a raw product. BBKA is exploring the possibility of various European beekeeping organisations pooling their resources to submit proposals for oxalic acid treatments so that they might continue to be available. Unfortunately this is likely to an uphill struggle since many other countries do not seem to have a national organisation that can speak with the authority that our own BBKA on behalf of its members.
What had been expected to be the main event turned out as rather a damp squib. As you will know, the BBKA has been developing a new Constitution to replace the one last agreed in 1990. The rationale for this has been to do with meeting revised requirements from the Charity Commission, and taking on board new developments within the organisation itself, particularly over the establishment of a direct membership contact list and the growing importance of the Examination programme. However, it quickly became evident when the debate began that there were still a number of issues that required further review before final approval was likely to be achieved. Accordingly it was proposed that the issue be referred back to the Executive and resubmitted at a later date.
2. Next Meeting
This is the right time of year to begin planning out the coming season. Our President, Brian Goodwin, will be talking us through the vital springtime preparations that we should be making to ensure that our bees are healthy, our colonies well managed and our eventual harvest plentiful.
3. Last Meeting
In January we were lucky to have Gordon Hartshorn, a very experienced Honey Judge, lead an informative and encouraging meeting, where members who had submitted samples of honey, wax and mead were able to have their efforts scrutinised and commented on by an expert. Gordon particularly focused attention on the need to abide by any published schedule and to present all entries as cleanly as possible. He has provided the following feedback:
"I was pleased at the number of entries put in by novice beekeepers. The flavour of some of the honeys was excellent, and on flavour they would have won at some of the major shows. Unfortunately, most of the honeys had not been filtered properly, with the result that bits of wax and other matter was floating on the surface. I was surprised when talking to some beekeepers after the show, that they did not filter their honey, but bottled it straight from the extractor!! A beekeeper needs a bottling tank or settling tank, and I think it is an essential piece of kit if beekeeping is to be taken seriously.
When I am extracting honey, I run the honey out of the extractor into plastic buckets, and leave it for a day. This allows all the larger bits of wax to rise to the surface and they can be scraped off before putting the honey into the bottling tank. This way 90% of the wax is removed. Most bottling tanks have a rough filter at the top, but a piece of muslin can be laid on top of this filter, this will take out even the fine bits of wax. What now goes in the bottling tank is well-filtered honey ready for sale. Bottling tanks can be purchased from equipment manufacturers. My own, which I have had over 30 years, is a 54 lb size, which is sufficient for anyone with up to about 30 hives. N.B. when purchasing a bottling tank (stainless steel or plastic) make sure that it has have lifting handles otherwise it could be very difficult to move when filled, especially at extracting time when everything seems to have a sticky and slippery touch!! Honey should be left in the bottling tank for about three days (except for heather). This will allow air bubbles and any remaining bits of wax to rise to the surface. This debris can be scraped off prior to bottling.
One of the arguments that I often hear is that if honey is filtered, the pollen grains are removed, and this takes away most of the goodness in honey. Let's examine this argument and kill it stone dead once and for all!! Most pollen grains are very small. For example, the pollen grains of dandelion, heather and lime are 10 microns in size, while those of myositis (forget-me-not) are only 6 microns in size. N.B. a micron is 1/1000th (a thousandth) of a millimetre. So unless you have some special space-age type filter, it is obvious that the pollen grains will pass through a filter.
The star exhibit was the mead, which proved popular with all who tasted it.
Finally, I would like to thank all the new beekeepers who entered their honey, and for the spirit in which they accepted criticism. Perhaps next year, the committee would like to put together another show, and we could see if there were any improvements."
4. An Inspector Calls (to give news) - RBI Report
As you know, Robin Hall, the Regional Bee Inspector for our Western Region retired from the post last November. I'm sure that we all wish Robin well and thank him for his efforts amongst the local beekeeping community during the years that he held the position. Regrettably, Tony Davis the Seasonal Bee Inspector who was appointed last year to cover the Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Bristol and Avon areas, has also found it necessary to give up the job. This meant that we were spread very thinly and were struggling to cover your part of the area as thoroughly as we would have liked last season. However, I am able to report the following:
Generally it would seem that 2005 has been a good honey season for most beekeepers in the region although poor spring weather held back colony development in many areas. There were quite alarming winter and spring losses in some parts, due to beekeepers failing to recognise and deal appropriately with the significant varroa mite burdens that had built up in their colonies the previous autumn. These losses was compounded by increasing incidences of resistance which beekeepers had either failed to spot or where they had undertaken corrective measures too little or too late. Sadly, cases of starvation were commonly seen too.
During the inspection season April to September 2005, Western Region Inspectors (an under strength team of 2 part time and 1 full time persons) carried out complete inspections of 457 Apiaries and inspected 3801 individual colonies of bees. Of these, 25 Apiaries (6.3%) were found with incidences of EFB. The total number of EFB colonies dealt with was 125 (3.1%). Only one apiary (in Avon) was found to have AFB and only one colony therein was infected. In your (northern) part of the region, 42 Apiaries were inspected and 392 colonies examined. Only 3 of the colonies inspected were found to have EFB with varying levels of severity.
All instances of foulbrood disease in the region were dealt with appropriately, promptly, and within the timescales allowed. Follow-ups and monitoring of all disease occurrences took place and will be ongoing next season, together with localised sweeps to identify and deal with any possible spread. Worryingly, 2 quite severe cases of EFB were found where beginners had bought bees and equipment from far out of the region after responding to adverts on the Internet. Unfortunately these bees had to be destroyed with the consequent disappointment and loss to
the purchasers. Our advice is to get potential purchases of bees looked at and given a health check before buying from outside your area or from unknown sources locally. This is a free service readily carried out, on request, by Bee Inspectors. Interestingly, we know from the figures that of all the cases of disease (and resistant mites) that are recorded, Bee Inspectors have discovered 99.4% of them - hardly ever is it recognised or found by beekeepers themselves.
Although not strictly part of our function, Western Region Inspectors have continued to carry out numerous tests for resistant varroa mites during their work, aiming to achieve at least one test per apiary visit. Since its discovery in your part of the region (Market Drayton and surrounding district - was it really two years ago?) and then in the Wem area the following year, indications are that it is beginning to be found more widely in your area. When inspections resume this season I expect the incidence map of resistant colonies/apiaries to begin to look as if it has a severe measles rash! No particular pattern to the spread has been seen so far, and the conclusion is that resistance is spreading randomly, occurring both spontaneously and by introduction (colony movement). In our region it is now well established in the north of Avon, in the Bristol district, both north and south Herefordshire, in Warwickshire, and as mentioned, in sundry parts of Shropshire. This spread will undoubtedly continue with increasing rapidity, and you can safely assume that resistance is present or will arrive in an apiary near to you before too long. It behoves everyone to carry out at least some form of regular testing, to establish if it is present or developing in your colonies. Then, take some of the recommended measures to counter it, before you loose your bees - as has happened all too frequently elsewhere, when beekeepers failed to recognise or deal timely with the problem. Next season this must be a priority task for all and remember that help and advice are readily obtainable from your local Bee Inspector or direct from the Bee Unit.
19 Honey Samples were taken at random from beekeepers throughout the region as part of the Bee Unit's remit to provide samples to the Food Standards Agency for analysis of illicit or harmful or noxious residues. With the current emphasis on food safety and an increasing awareness that unapproved (and approved) substances are frequently being used to treat colonies inappropriately, we expect to be asked to resume and increase this level of random sampling next season.
A late item of news - legislation is due to be enacted by Parliament on 13th March 2006 which will make the presence of Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle) and the presence of Tropilaelaps (parasitic mite) statutory notifiable diseases. Also the same statute will make the presence of Varroa destructor no longer notifiable, as it is now recognised that it is present in all colonies throughout the UK.
I hope this short report and overview has been helpful and interesting. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible again this season and I do thank you all for the help and co-operation that you give my Inspection Team and me.
Dave Sutton. (Deputising Regional Bee Inspector; Western Region, NBU)
5. Extract from an article about Foul Brood in 'The Beekeepers Record' dated March 1906
Alan Wright has sent in this snippet of advice from 100 years ago!
I recently had a birthday present of a copy of The Beekeepers Record journal dated March 1906, almost 100 years ago. It was interesting to read the article on foul brood control (see below). Is this not the new highly advocated "shook swarm technique"? It proves the adage what goes around comes around. Don't things move fast in beekeeping circles?
"At present my chief reliance would be placed on a complete clearing out of internal works and fittings, and a thorough renewal of the whole hive interior. The more drastic the measures taken, the more certain will be the cure. ---- All frames are better burned; all quilts should be destroyed; all comb and honey should be placed beyond the power of working renewed havoc.
The bees should be confined in some box or skep for two days at least, after which they should be shaken into another and the first burned. After another day or two they should be shaken in front of a fresh one and allowed to walk in as a swarm. If full sheets of foundation are given, copious feeding with medicated syrup carried on expeditiously."
6. Round and About
Ludlow & District BKA: Tuesday 14th February: 'Control of Pyrethroid Resistant Varroa Mites' at Methodist Church Hall, Ring Road, Stourbridge.
Sat. 25th February: AGM at Bishop Mascall Centre, 2.30 p.m.
Details Andy Vanderhook. Tel: 01299 841379
7. Minister Stung by Bees Question
(Cutting from North Shrops. Westminster Report submitted by Robert Swallow)
Following reports of a proposed cut of £250,000 in the nation's bee health programme, the issue of cuts was raised in questions to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
After Minister Jim Knight initially denied that any cuts had been made, he then confirmed that a study into the programme was under way. Owen Paterson argued that the bee industry was not being taken seriously and that it is a vital component of British agriculture. "The Minister is not being straight with us. This morning I spoke to Dr. Ivor Davis, chairman of the British Beekeepers Association. He is adamant that pollination, which is worth £120 million to British agriculture, is jeopardised by the proposed cut, which would reduce the number of inspectors. Will the Minister confirm that the programme and the number of inspectors will be maintained in full? "If DEFRA needs to make savings I suggested to the Minister that he look at cutting the department's £2.2 million travel budget, or a reduction could be made in the £9 million DEFRA spent on outside law firms last year," commented Owen.
In response, Jim Knight agreed to maintain the programme and the number of inspectors unless research suggested that savings could be made.
8. Use of the website
Thank you to those members who have notified me that they are willing to download their Newsletter from this website. The more of you who do this, the more money we will save, thereby relieving pressure on our finances and perhaps delaying the need to increase subscriptions in the future. Please explore this option and let me know if you want to make the change.
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left." (Attrib. Einstein)
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