Natural Beekeeping

Our Warre bee hives are now known as Garden North and South.

The North beehive did lack stores in April and this did hold them back, however the bees are doing well with a significant increase in honey bee numbers and I can see new stores through our Warre inspection window. This bee colony is still only on two boxes but I am going to add a third box later this week.

Our South Warre beehive is just going from strength to strength and is four boxes high! Two weeks ago I thought they were going to swarm; a beard of bees had formed on the Warre hive entrance. I added the fourth box just in case they wanted more space and this quickly resolved the situation. Therefore so far my bait hive has not been tested for suitability by any scout bees.

The South Warre bee hive wintered totally on its own stores and without any Varroa treatment. They do have Varroa, but this does not seem to hold them back in terms of strength. They are actually aggressive, any approach towards the beehive is quickly noticed by several guard bees and a quiet retreat is required.

Therefore, we are going to move them from the garden to a more rural setting thanks to a kind offer of a sheltered corner of a field, organic I am pleased to inform you.

In my next blog I will let you know how the moving the bees to a new location goes and how the bees settle into their new environment.

Any questions do please ask.

Best regards,

David

Now is the time of year you may be returning home with your first bee colony in a Nuc box.

Here is a summary of actions you will properly carry out:

• When you get the bees home, position the Nuc box on your landing board in the exact location and direction that your assembled Warre beehive will eventually be in.
• Take the stopper out of the Nuc box entrance and watch your bees fly.
• After a day or two place two Warre boxes on the Warre floor and landing board and put top bars with wax starter strips in the bottom box.
• Place a sheet in front of the hive taut from landing board entrance to the ground.
• Carefully lift the top bars with natural comb and bees (keep in natural vertical position) and place into the top Warre beehive box. Keep the bars in the same order.
• If your Nuc is on frames see chop and cut video on www.biobees.com.
• Use a feather to brush the honey bees away to prevent them being trapped under the top bars. Shake any bees left in the Nuc box into the Warre beehive. Try to make sure that all of the bees fall into the hive or onto the sheet.
• Place the Nuc box on its side so that any remaining bees (I expect there will be some) can walk into the hive up the sheet.
• Now is also a good time if you wish to dust the bees with sugar.
• Place the quilt, quilt box with insulation and Warre roof onto the top of the beehive.

Other than returning later to take the empty Nuc box and sheet away your bees are now transferred to your Warre beehive.

I have also been asked by several of our customers to recommend a good reading book on bee behaviour on the landing board and entrance to the beehive. I recommend “At the Hive Entrance” by H. Storch. Try-

http://www.beedata.com/nbb/olderbeebooks.htm

Very best regards,

David

Now is the time of year that for the new beekeeper the winter’s beekeeping courses and reading turns into reality.

Purchasing a bee nucleus, discovering bees in your bait hive or catching a swarm, you’re naturally going to be apprehensive about installing bees into your new Warre beehive.

Do read our very first blog posts to see how we got on. To help make your natural beekeeping enjoyable here are just a few hints and tips:

• Plan what you are going to do carefully. Have a plan B as well.
• Carry out all practical beekeeping operations quietly and smoothly.
• Do have suitable bee suits and gloves; make sure you are tucked in, bees loving climbing upwards into any open clothing.
• If you do get stung, remove the sting as soon as possible; use a peppermint spray to avoid other bees stinging you in the same area.
• When positioning bee hive boxes / lids, slide rather than place, use a feather to gently brush bees out of harms way.
• Replace bee smokers with a fine water spray; its less stressful. Some people use a very dilute sugar solution as a spray.

Also for all our customers do use our natural beekeeping helpline.

Best wishes,

David

The Bad Bee Keepers Club

I was asked to review a new book titled ‘The Bad Beekeepers Club’, written by beekeeper BBC television presenter Bill Turnbull and described by the Daily Mail “as a must read for honey lovers”.

As a natural beekeeper with Abbe Warre bee hives “To be honest it was a read that left me shattered by man’s intervention in nature”.

“If we need a book to question traditional beekeeping practices then Bill’s honest story has done this”.

I would encourage all potential new beekeepers to read in-depth before simply following the BBKA bee husbandry methodology. Natural beekeeping is a rapidly growing choice for beekeepers and those wishing to be bee guardians.

Bill Turnbill’s book is on sale from 5th May 2011. 

Best regards, David