Bee Health

Invertbee Syrup for winter feeding

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation

Please note that an order will be made shortly for Invertbee syrup at a discounted rate of £14 per can for PBKA members only. This syrup is ideal for winter feeding and is superior to sugar syrup.

To order, please ring Jeremy Percy on 07799 698568 or email him at jeremypercy@gmail.com

Colony stores shortage warning

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

Nectar flows have ceased and reports are coming in of bee colonies which are short of stores. It is also apparent that Wasps have been very populous in many areas and they too are desperate for nutrition so Beekeepers should be mindful of the need to protect hives from Wasp invasion particularly where feeding is taking place in the apiary.

Colonies particularly at Risk are:

• Bee Colonies where supers of honey have been removed this season and no feeding has taken place.

• Splits / Artificial Swarms and Nucleus colonies made up this year.

• Swarms collected this year where little or no supplementary feeding has taken place.

Immediate action:

• Firstly – Check all colonies feed levels by ‘hefting the hive’ – Check the weight of the colony by lifting below the floor on both sides of the hive to see how much it weighs. Where the hive is light, liquid feed should be applied directly above the bees. Remove any supers from above the brood box which are empty or have few bees in them. This will help the bees get to the food quickly.

• Feed can be sugar and water mixed at 2:1 ratio or one of the proprietary ready mixed syrups available.

• Fondant can be used in an emergency if nothing else is available – but liquid feed will be more appropriate at this time of the season.

• Large starving colonies of bees will take 1 gallon (Approx 5 Litres) of syrup very quickly – smaller colonies ½ gallon (Approx 2.5 Litres) may be sufficient to keep them going, but after feeding heft hives again and check the weight – if in doubt feed some more in a few days time.

Further information and Guidance:

Further information on supplementary feeding can be found on Beebase – Best Practice Guideline Number 7 – ‘Emergency Feeding’

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

URGENT! AFB Outbreaks

apiarymanager Foul Brood Diseases

Would all Pembrokeshire beekeepers please note that there have again been confirmed outbreaks of AFB in the area. We have been advised that there will be a concentrated effort by National Bee Unit (NBU) Inspectors shortly, to check all colonies potentially at risk.

We would ask that you all be as helpful and accommodating to the NBU Inspectors as possible in undertaking this task and if asked you must advise them of all your apiary/hive locations! 

Please also see the National Bee Unit (NBU) factsheet Apiary_Hygiene_and_Quarantine for your information and action. Also ‘Foulbrood Disease of Honey Bees and other common brood disorders’ has a lot of information on biosecurity and barrier management, including ‘10 rules for foulbrood control’. These are on Beebase at:

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

We strongly recommend that all PBKA members sign up to Beebase in order to ensure that they receive any warnings and to obtain advice etc in the event of a disease outbreak.

Beekeepers within 3km of the outbreak with a current email address on Beebase will have been emailed an alert from the NBU. All beekeepers within 5km of an outbreak should exercise vigilance as per the above factsheet, which also covers swarm collection.

Urgent warning!

apiarymanager Foul Brood Diseases, PBKA

Would PBKA members please note that there have been outbreaks of AFB and EFB in the Tenby/Narberth area.

We have been advised to direct you to the National Bee Unit (NBU) factsheetApiary_Hygiene_and_Quarantine for your information and action. Also ‘Foulbrood Disease of Honey Bees and other common brood disorders’ has a lot of information on biosecurity and barrier management, including ‘10 rules for foulbrood control’. These are on Beebase at:

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

We strongly recommend that all PBKA members sign up to Beebase in order to ensure that they receive any warnings and to obtain advice etc in the event of a disease outbreak.

Beekeepers within 3km of the outbreak with a current email address on Beebase will have been emailed an alert from the NBU. All beekeepers within 5km of an outbreak should exercise vigilance as per the above factsheet, which also covers swarm collection.

Please also note that we will be holding a National Bee Unit Beekeeper Advice Surgery on July 15th at the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest which will cover bee diseases and details on this can be obtained NBU Advice Surgeries Flyer 2017. Specific details re times etc to follow in due course and we would urge you all to attend.