Bee Health

Hive check reminder!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

Just to remind beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores (especially nucs), as we are coming into a high risk time for starvation and the queen will be getting in gear, which can result in the remaining winter stores being used up very quickly.

Personally, I always take the roof off to avoid getting a false impression of weight. So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!).

Avoid the temptation to do full hive inspections until the temperature is at least 15°C on a calm day. A good indicator, is if you are comfortable outside wearing a T shirt. Any cooler and you risk chilling the brood. Early in the season when inspecting, I use the dummy board to cover the frames not being inspected, to help keep the warmth in!

Paul Eades

Chair

Webinar – Managing Comb in the Spring for Healthy Colonies with Lynfa Davies – Thursday 19th February at 7.30pm

apiarymanager Bee Health, Events, WBKA

You are invited to register for a Zoom webinar!

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T_jbaeixRKmvVtObglSBlA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Regular comb changes are important for boosting the health of your colonies, as well as making your inspections far easier. In this webinar we will look at some of the techniques you can use to manage combs effectively in the Spring while ensuring your bees have everything they need to navigate the process smoothly. We will discuss the optimum times for performing these manipulations and handy tips to help you.

Lynfa lives near Aberystwyth in mid Wales and has kept bees for 20 years. She is a Master Beekeeper and in 2019 was awarded the National Diploma in Beekeeping.

Lynfa has 30 colonies which she manages for honey production and for the joy of looking after bees! She raises her own queens and uses these to produce nucleus colonies and to replace her own stock. In Spring 2022, Lynfa’s first book, The Miller method of queen rearing, was published by Northern Bee Books, followed by her second book, The Beekeeping Year, in 2024.

Outside of beekeeping, Lynfa works for Mentera providing support and advice for farmers in Wales. She brings her expertise on insects to this work promoting the value of biodiverse ecosystems in a farmed landscape. In addition, Lynfa has written an online training resource called the Healthy Bees Academy which is funded by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. 

Stores check reminder!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

The miserable weather has been making it difficult to get out since Christmas.

But just to remind beekeepers everywhere to try and check their bees for stores (especially nucs), as we are coming into a high risk time for starvation and the queen will be getting into gear, which can result in the remaining winter stores being used up.

Personally, I always take the roof off to avoid getting a false impression of weight, but I avoid taking the cover boards off and going into the hives, in case I chill the developing brood.

So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!).

Asian Hornet Update – 5th November 2025

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA

Hi again everyone,

I urge you to visit the British Beekeepers Association site. Inside you will find many videos helpful to your beekeeping and very clear video of Asian hornets.

The most recent one I saw showed two Asian hornets and a domestic version feeding at the same bait station. The difference between them is obvious.

Pop the Asian Hornet app (link available on BBKA webpage above) on to your phone and ‘what3words’.

I have just seen a private video of the Asian Hornet on ivy berries in the Liverpool area! I am sure the beasts will be here before we know it.

Keep those traps out, spread the word and let’s do our best to delay the invasion.

Peter Kirkup

PBKA Asian Hornet Coordinator

Asian Hornet update!🐝

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA, Pests
Hi all, we have put our bees to bed and made sure they have plenty of stores. For the moment we can relax.

I ask, that you think about the Yellow Legged Hornet. Any males should by now have perished. Female hornets would still be active. Watch out for nests as the leaves fall from trees and the hedges get thinner. Non lethal traps are worth keeping out where you can see them everyday. If we learn to prepare now we stand a better chance of managing the Inevitable invasion of hornets in the future. This year, more nests than ever have been discovered.

Please remain vigilant.

Peter Kirkup – PBKA Asian Hornet Co-ordinator