Author: apiarymanager

Soggy apiary meeting!!

apiarymanager Events, PBKA

Thanks to all the hardy souls who turned up for today’s apiary meeting, despite the weather! We managed to inspect all the hives in between the showers to ensure all was well! Let’s hope for a bit more sunshine after today!🐝

Thanks to our trainers Linda, Lesley, Aisha, David and John for taking the groups, and thanks also to Jamie for the pics!

Starvation Warning!!🐝

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

In most areas of the UK our Bee Inspectors carrying out inspections over the last few days are seeing bee colonies which are extremely short of food stores within hives. Sadly, we have also attended apiaries where colonies have already died as a result of starvation.

After such a prolonged wet and cold Spring beekeepers should monitor their colony food levels closely, particularly if apiaries have not been visited for some time. Despite the forecast suggesting that temperatures will increase during this week colonies will still need to be checked for food levels.

Feed can be prepared from refined white sugar and water mixed at a 2:1 ratio or one of the proprietary ready mixed syrups available from beekeeping equipment suppliers.

More information about mixing up sugar can be found in the Best Practice Guidelines found on BeeBase.

https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/3_Resources_for_beekeepers/Best_practice_guidelines/BPG_7a_Feeding_Bees_-_sugar.pdf

If you have any questions then please contact your local Inspector:

https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/contact-us/ National Bee Unit