Amanda Hayes
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Death and Destruction

26/5/2015

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May has been a month of mixed weather, some sunshine but generally cold, windy and some rain.  Even so the bees at home and at the Kenwood Apiary have been building up their colonies.  Inspections have focussed on checking that queens are laying well, brood health and swarm prevention.  The pictures below show (left to right): icing sugar dusting to stimulate the bees to clean and thus dislodge varroa mites; a full and almost capped super frame full of honey and an exposed queen cell with larva and royal jelly.
The Garden Hive
The garden hive has built up well and I am poised to split it into two colonies.  To this end I have done a lot of reading about the different methods of creating an artificial swarm and as soon as I have a good queen cell I will do it.  In order to be ready for any eventuality I have set up the new hive as a 'bait hive' ie it is higher than the other one, is facing south and is in the shade and I have reduced the entrance to the width of a match box.  I also have my 'swarm kit' including water spray and white sheet ready in a cardboard box next to my standard hive inspection kit.  Many thanks to my friend Connie for lending me Thomas Seeley's research on the way that honeybee scouts select the 'perfect' new home.  I look at the hive entrance every day and try and gauge whether they are 'thinking' of swarming e.g. build up of bees at the entrance, change of buzz tone.  I am now doing an internal hive inspection every six days which includes a careful check fro queen cells hidden down the sides or at the base of the frame.  I have been shaking the bees off each frame to minimise the chances of them hiding a cell from me.  This of course agitates the girls more than I would like.  I see the queen every other inspection.  Today I did not see her but there were eggs so I am not too concerned and certainly the hive was rammed with bees and  so she has not absconded yet.

One of the things I have noted when on entrance watch is that drones are being chased away from the entrance by the guard bees and on a couple of occasions have been bundled to the ground.  On inspection these drones were perfect ie no sign of varroa mites or deformed wing virus but were drowsy and died.  Although there is a huge amount of nectar stored (3 supers) I wonder if the colony has decided that they do not want extra non-productive mouths to feed in this poor weather? 

Although all is fine to date I have become obsessed with the fear of losing half my colony in a swarm and annoying the neighbours in the process.  I am also worried about disease and every odd looking pattern of laying or funny coloured cell gets me prodding around with my tweezers usually to find a weird coloured pollen or poor bee that was cutting its way out.  I also thought that the hive smelled odd but was slightly reassured by an article that said the smell is 'pleasant to beekeepers' but that others would find it somewhat unsettling.  A bit feral, perhaps or gamey' .  Also the hives smelled like this at Kenwood so it may be seasonal.  Either that, or we are incubating a dread disease.  

Kenwood Apiary
The Thursday people are working busily on the hives and this week we set up the observation hive ready for taking to fetes and events.  We have found quite a few queen cells but we do not seem to have lost a swarm yet.  I am being assisted each week by two very capable and thoughtful new beekeepers which makes Thursdays a joy.

Other Bee Related Activities
I have been meeting regularly with four other beekeepers to prepare for the British Beekeepers Association 'Basic Assessment' examination.  It seems a bit more than a basic level but is of course very useful information which one should have inwardly digested and be able to use in practical day to day hive management. 

I have had a serious setback with my new front garden bee border.  Hackney Council sprayed herbicide along the pavements and managed to kill off many of my new plants which had been doing rather well.  I usually grow plants from seed, or cuttings so it is an extra annoyance that on the occasion I bought plants from an award winning nursery they have been killed or badly damaged.  Of the plants that survived I cut off the yellowed and dead stems and can only hope that this stopped the herbicide getting to the roots.  I am feeding them with a foliar feed and have bought and planted replacement plants.  I am yet to receive a response from the Council to my letter with photographs attached.  I am not including here as it is all too depressing to see the death and destruction.

I am delighted that my husband is taking a great interest in the bees this season and is supporting me by taking photographs during my hive inspections.  This means that I can include them in my blog.

Finally, I have become interested in finding out more about where my bees forage by analysing the pollen that they bring in.  I am therefore considering getting a microscope.  Given my obsession with disease I probably need to get a dissecting microscope as well.  I will report on progress next time.  Meanwhile here are some positive images of my bee border and bumble bees in the back garden.
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Flying solo - one year on

4/5/2015

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Well my bees and I had a good first year.  I have learned a huge amount but there is so much more to learn and put into practice.  I have made some good beekeeping friends and that has been an additional joy.  I have put together a review of the year's achievements and some thoughts about the next season.  As ever with bees my plans may need modifying! 
ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIRST SOLO BEEKEEPING YEAR 2014/15


  • Tended one colony successfully for twelve months

  • Monitored my colony for varroa, treated as necessary and maintained accurate records

  • Made two batches of honey soap using hive and garden ingredients

  • Won first prize in North London Beekeepers Association Honey Cake competition

  • Created a new front garden to provide forage throughout the season

  • Created and regularly updated a website with basic information on bees and gardens

  • Recorded experiences and progress of my first year of solo beekeeping on a blog

  • Refined wax from honey comb and made beeswax candles

  • Successfully completed L2 Food Hygiene course and co-wrote notes to help other beekeepers

  • Designed labels for honey and candles that comply with legal requirements

  • Harvested 28lbs of honey

  • Sold £73.40 of hive products

  • Contributed to the national Great Bee Count 2014

  • Volunteered at two public events and informed the public about honey and bees

  • Built a second national hive from a kit

  • Attended Kenwood Apiary regularly throughout the beekeeping season and contributed to care of NLBA colonies

  • Learnt how to make a bee skep

  • Improved knowledge of beekeeping and disease control through reading, attending lectures and demonstrations

  • Devised and year plan for caring for my bees and up-dated inspection paperwork

  

TARGETS FOR 2015/16

  • Maintain healthy bee colonies for another twelve months

  • Carry out monthly disease checks in addition to varroa mite checks

  • Develop honey soap making to include flowers and other natural ingredients (own use)

  • Produce high quality wax candles – and not get disqualified for ‘failure to re-light’!

  • Bottle jars of chunk honey through controlled wild comb production

  • Revise honey jar labels to be more attractive and garden themed

  • Harvest and bottle a good quantity of honey

  • Sell £100 worth of hive products

  • Contribute to Great Bee Count 2015

  • Contribute to more educational events on bees and beekeeping

  • Continue to improve website e.g. photographs, news section

  • Publish monthly blog with more photographs

  • Split colony into two without losing the honey crop

  • Attend Kenwood regularly and support at least three other beekeepers in their learning

  • Successfully achieve the BBKA Basic Assessment in July

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    Hello, for many years I have been a passionate gardener and have encouraged wildlife into my urban garden.  Three years ago I joined a Beekeeping Association.   Last year I installed a beehive in my garden and started this blog to record my  experiences.


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Photos used under Creative Commons from kaibara87, U.S. Fotografie