Bee Health

Asian Hornet update from National Bee Unit!

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA

Following the finding of Asian hornets in Gloucestershire last week we have received a large number of suspect Asian hornet reports from members of the public and beekeepers which we are following up. Bee inspectors have now visited over 100 sites. Asian hornets have been seen at just six locations within 500 meters of the original site.

Efforts to track down the nest and destroy it are ongoing. There have been no other substantiated reports of hornets anywhere else in the UK so please be patient while we continue our field work and be assured that when appropriate, national alerts will be sent out via our email alert system. In the meantime, our news feed on BeeBase will be used to keep everyone updated.

Please also see the updated ID sheet to help you Identify Vespa velutina in your apiaries: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageId=208. At this time of the year, the best bait to use in traps is fish bait diluted to 25%

Please continue to monitor your own apiaries using hornet traps and encourage those whom you know are not registered on our database to sign up.

Colonies short of food?

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation

Following the poor summer and general lack of honey during the main flow, many beekeepers are reporting that their colonies are short of food.

Could we therefore suggest as a matter of urgency, that you check your colonies for stores and if necessary put on feeders of syrup? Also, remember to check your colonies are queenright and monitor/treat for Varroa as appropriate!

Starvation Warning from the National Bee Unit

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, National Bee Unit

Beekeepers may wish to monitor their colony food levels closely over the next month as many colonies, particularly those which are strong and had their spring honey crop removed, will be at risk of starving. In some parts of the UK, the weather is still cold and foraging opportunities for large colonies are few and far between. It is important to check and monitor all your colonies feed levels, if you do not wish to open them up because of poor weather, lift below the floor, in turn, 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. 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 no. 7 http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

Large starving colonies of bees will take 1 gallon (approx. 5 Litres) of syrup very quickly while smaller colonies will take half a gallon (approx. 2.5 Litres). After feeding, heft the hives again and check the weight and if in doubt feed some more in a few days.

Notice re Oxalic Acid treatment

apiarymanager Bee Health, Varroa

As you will all be aware, the last few months in Pembrokeshire have been unseasonably mild, which has resulted in queens continuing to lay significant amounts of brood in many hives. This not only impacts on the amount of stores they have available (which needs to be checked regularly), but given the cold spell we are now moving into, some of you may be thinking of treating your hives with Oxalic Acid against the Varroa mite.

Note however, that using Oxalic Acid will destroy brood and we therefore recommend that you refrain from using Oxalic Acid treatment unless you are absolutely certain there is no brood present. Instead, we suggest that you undertake Varroa monitoring in the early spring and if necessary use an alternative Varroa control.

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