Just to remind beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores as we are coming into a high risk time for starvation as the queen gets into gear and the remaining winter stores are used up. So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!).
Bee Health
Fondabee Fondant
One of our members, Rob Gilbertson, has some Fondabee fondant for sale. If you are interested, please contact Rob on 07790 163143.
‘Bee Improvement for All’
We are looking forward to the ‘Bee Improvement for All’ day, aimed at encouraging beekeepers to improve their bees!
The event is being presented by Roger Patterson of the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) in conjunction with Pembrokeshire Beekeepers’ Association (PBKA) tomorrow (Saturday, 22nd November) at the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest.
The event starts promptly at 9.30am and will finish at approximately 4.30pm.
The entry fee is £10 and there are still some places available, so if you are interested please contact Paul Eades, the PBKA Apiary Manager on 07988 037571. Note that tea and coffee will be provided, but please bring your own lunch.
A Small Step for Bee-Kind
As reported on the BBC News website.
The Government has made an agreement with landowners including Network Rail and the Highways Agency to restore bee-friendly habitat throughout England.
Click here to read the story.
Varroa Alert and Group Purchase of MAQS
Please read to the bottom of this email to find out how you can get MAQS to treat your hive.
This email arrived in my inbox this morning from the NBU.
“We have received reports from our Appointed Bee Inspectors that many colonies are showing signs of high Varroa infestations and consequently bee deformities.
If you have not already done so, it may be worthwhile to treat your colony with a registered varroacide. When administering a treatment, please use a registered veterinary product and ensure that the label is followed and not deviated from. Beekeepers may find a list of registered products in our advisory leaflet, ‘Managing Varroa‘
After colonies have been treated, beekeepers should then reduce colony entrances and assess whether feeding needs to be carried out. Lift the roof off of the colony and heft the hive from each side of the brood box. If the colony has sufficient stores, then it should be difficult to lift. Each colony should have between 20-25 kg of stores for the winter.
If feeding needs to be carried out use either inverted sugar syrup or a 2:1 solution, i.e. 1 kg of granulated white sugar: 650 ml water, or 2 lb of sugar to 1 pint of water.
Please note that if any of your colonies are showing signs of both Varroa damage and lack of food, it may be useful to feed and treat simultaneously. This should not be done if there is a honey flow on, only in emergency cases.”
Pembrokeshire BKA members wishing to take prat in a group purchase of MAQS should follow this link. Password required, if you have forgotton the password you can find it on your 2014 printed programme, if you cannot find that then follow this link.
Pembrokeshire Beekeepers' Association 