Bee Health

Cool Idea

apiarymanager Bee Health

What is the temperature in in your hive?  Bees need it to be 35c (95f) to successfully raise brood and over winter a temperature of at least 20c (68f) is evidence that the cluster is alive.  Opening the hive is one way of checking but obviously at the expense of losing heat.

Cool Bees, a new venture dedicated to innovations in beekeeping has just been launched.  Look out for the full page advertorial in January’s edition of BeeCraft Magazine.

One of their (only two at the moment) offerings is a thermometer originally designed for use in an aquarium so the sensor and cable are waterproof and can be placed in the centre of the brood area with the lcd display protected from the elements on the outside of the hive fed by the cable running through the hive entrance.  Cool Bees price is £4.98 plus £1.00 p&p which is good value as we have looked for this product elsewhere and it is available from an Amazon reseller for £4.99 plus £1.98 shipping.

With a maximum temperature reading of 70c  This would also be useful for use in a warming cabinet when checking for a temperature of around 45c.

You can see the BeeTemp Digital Beehive Thermometer by following this link.

Are your bees starving?

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, National Bee Unit

Frank Gellatly (RBI Wales) has recently provided this timely advice on checking your bees for stores and what to do if you find them short of supplies.  For more information on feeding bees throughout the year you can also download the NBU’s Best Practice Guideline – Feeding Bees.

Bee Health Talk July 14 2011 at Scolton Manor

apiarymanager Bee Health

Frank Gellatly, the Regional Bee Inspector for Wales, will be giving a talk to members at the Visitor Centre, Scolton Country Park on Thursday, July 14 starting at 7.00 pm.

We will get the latest information and advice from the National Bee Unit and there will be up to date literature on Integrated Pest Management control of varroa and other threats.

This promises to be a good opportunity to get answers to your questions on bee health from the man who knows.

Plenty of free parking is available at Scolton after 5.30 pm and the Visitor Centre is close by the car park which is reached by turning left after entering the main gates.

Hope to see you there.

American Foul Brood – June 2011

apiarymanager Bee Health, Foul Brood Diseases

American Foul Brood (AFB) is a deadly and notifiable honey bee disease. AFB has recently been confirmed at four locations in Pembrokeshire: Burton, Clynderwen, near Tenby and Llangwm.  In some of the hives affected only one cell showed symptoms.

We advise all beekeepers in Pembrokeshire to carry out the following precautions urgently:

  1. Be aware of the symptoms of the disease.  A short guide can be downloaded from the PBKA website here and the BeeBase Foul Brood page can be viewed here.
  2. Check your hives urgently and thoroughly – make this the only objective of your inspection.
  3. Report any suspicious findings to Ceri Morgan – his contact details are in the short guide.
  4. Respect other beekeepers If you do suspect you have identified Foul Brood please do not relocate hives which you believe not to be affected.
  5. Keep your beekeeping equipment clean, especially hive tools and gloves.  Washing soda solution is recommended for this purpose. This is particularly important if you have more than one apiary or visit another beekeeper’s apiary to assist them.
  6. Do not feed honey to your bees.
  7. Unless you believe the source hive is free of infection do not moving comb from one colony to another.  This includes honey frames.
  8. Do not leave comb or honey buckets out ‘for the bees to clean’.
  9. Keep entrances small to minimise robbing.

Ceri will be contacting beekeepers near the affected locations to carry out inspections but as a precaution check your hives as soon as possible wherever they are in the county.

If your membership is up to date and you have not exceeded the number of  hives you are insured for then your BDI Insurance will provide compensation for cost of frames and honey lost as a result of a destruction order.

Regional Bee Inspector’s Newsletter and Advice – June 2011

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, National Bee Unit

Please read the RBI Summer 2011 Newsletter and important information below from Frank Gellatly.

 

Are your bees starving?

National Bee Unit – Advice Note 2nd June 2011

This year has seen exceptional weather with some regions having the driest spring for a century whilst others such as Scotland receiving far more precipitation than average. Especially in the south and east of England early spring saw good nectar flows but mid May saw the start of the ‘June gap’. It has been particularly pronounced with bees consuming stores at a rapid rate. If drought conditions continue nectar production will be affected.

It is important that colony store levels are checked particularly if a spring crop such as oil seed rape has been taken. At this time an average colony should have at least 4-5 combs with honey/sugar stores, i.e. 9 kg. or 20lb. If not and there is still no significant nectar flow feed them sugar syrup. In extreme cases, if the bees are starving on the comb, spray them with a thin sugar syrup solution and fill an empty comb with sugar syrup. This can be done by pouring the syrup into the cells slowly using a honey jar filled with sugar syrup and closed with a lid having 3 mm holes on opposite sides, or using a squeezy bottle, e.g. a cleansed washing up fluid bottle. When filled, place the comb adjacent to the bees.

The effects of insufficient stores are at worst death of the colony and at best a reduction of bee production. Bees require a supply of honey or sugar, pollen and water to produce brood food. If any of these ingredients are in short supply it causes a reduction or stop of the brood nest and will impact colony productivity and well being through the remaining season and possibly impact on overwintering.

To make sugar syrup use white granulated sugar. With modern production methods it makes no difference if it was sourced from cane or beet. Do not use brown or raw sugars as they contain impurities. The syrup should be made up in the proportion of 1 kg. of granulated sugar to 630 ml. of water or 2 lb. sugar to 1 pt. of water. There is no need to boil the mixture but using hot water helps. Stir regularly to remove the air bubbles and dissolve all the crystals. When fully dissolved the mixture is clear and a very pale straw colour. It can be fed to colonies by using rapid or contact feeders. [Feeding Bees Factsheet}

Syrup used for emergency feeding at this time can be made using twice the quantity of water, commonly known as ‘thin syrup’. This helps the bees as they do not have to collect as much water for brood food production.

 Happy Beekeeping!