- Varroa treatment should have been completed. Note treatments are temperature dependent and may be less effective as temperatures drop.
- Unite small healthy colonies or unite to stronger ones.
- Assess stores. Nationals need approximately 40lbs /18kg of stores feeding should be finished by mid -September. ( A brood frame holds 5lb/2.3kg, supers 3lbs/1.4kg).
- Feed 2:1 syrup. feed all colonies in the evening at the same time to avoid robbing. Avoid spillages or clean up.
- Reduce entrances against wasps, plug with sponge down to one bee space.
- heck all equipment is sound with no gaps for wasps to get in. Continue to have monitoring traps out. Asian hornets will be looking for carbohydrate/ sugar. Keep an eye out as the ivy comes in or in traps.
- Extracted super combs can either be put in freezer for 24 hours or use 80% acetic acid to kill wax moth larvae.
- Scorch boxes especially in corners before replacing frames.
- Store supers stacked with paper between once treated. Combs with pollen are more prone to wax moth.
- If your brood box is already full of stores and there is a good ivy flow, consider putting a super of foundation on to let strong colonies draw it.
- Clear debris and grass etc from under hives to avoid damp.
Having a super time!*
4 of us taking the supers off for extraction at the apiary today: the leaf blower might seem a little brutal at first but actually it doesn’t harm the bees at all and is significantly more efficient than using clearer boards. We also started the Varrora treatments (Apivar this year).
*This, by the way, is an excellent pun and I will not hear any arguments otherwise!
Apiary Sunday 14th August- Closed
I had planned a meeting based on uniting colonies this Sunday.
Due to the very hot weather I feel this is better postponed.
Look at the posts for a revised meet date.
End of season apiary sessions
As the season starts to draw to a halt so things at the apiary have slowed down too. We’ll not be generally open each Sunday from now (August) but there will still be some open sessions you’ll be very welcome to attend:
Removing Supers
Uniting colonies
Applying Varroa treatments
Feeding for winter
Look out for times/dates of those sessions here, on the Facebook group and via email.
Apiary not open Sunday the 24th
Just a quick note to say that the association apiary will not be open this Sunday 24th of July 2022, due to a clash with the annual Bee Safari. Please do sign up to that event if you have not already and we look forward to seeing you at the apiary on Sunday the 31st.
Sunday 10th July 1400 – Introducing a Queen
Come along to Nowton Park Apiary this Sunday where we will be looking at the Nucs we set up two weeks ago to see how our queen cells have faired. Do we have newly mated queens to clip and mark?
We will go on to introduce a Queen to an existing colony. You might want to do this if your colony temper is poor, your queen is failing or you want to move to a low swarming high productivity strain of bees. This is possibly the hardest beekeeping task you will carry out as a beekeeper so lets see how we can make it easier and increase our chances of success.
Remember we always finish with cake and a chat or catch up
Nowton Park Apiary open from 12:00 every Sunday
The Nowton Park apiary will now be open to experienced beekeepers and novices alike, from 12:00 every Sunday. Please do come along to help out with the inspections, brush up on skills, share your experiences, get advice and meet up with fellow members for a chin-wag!
Complete beginners and members of the public are also welcome but please do contact us first via the website, our Facebook Group or by emailing wsbka@yahoo.co.uk
Sunday 26th June – Make a Nucleus Colony
Why make up a nucleus colony?
We can use this to aid swarm control, make increase in colonies, a spare colony to overwinter or to re-queen a colony. We will go over the equipment needed, the techniques used and the follow on care.
As we will be moving frames and material from hive to hive we will look at the disease risk and apiary hygiene, and the all important record keeping.
Nowton Apiary 1400
Sunday 19th June 2022 at 1400- Find the Queen
Do you have trouble finding the queen in your hive? Come and see some techniques to make it easier.
Do you clip and mark your queens? We will look at advantages and the different techniques and equipment available – have a go, it really is easy!
In case you can’t find the queen we will go over what do you if you suspect your colony is queen less.
Nowton Apiary at 1400 – weather permitting.
Rain stops play – apiary not open Sunday 5th June
Just a quick update to say that unfortunately it is looking like there will be too much rain to carry out normal inspections tomorrow, so the association apiary at Nowton Park will not be open. We look forward to seeing you all again next Sunday!