As the season starts and the bees become active again it is important for beekeepers to carry out their first spring checks to assess how the colonies have overwintered and to prepare them for the coming season. The 'Spring Checks' leaflet provides best practice guidance for beekeepers carrying out these checks. For further Advisory Leaflets … Continue reading Spring Checks Best Practice
Bee Health
Fumidil® B – Details of Withdrawal
Those of you who were at the AGM to hear Frank Gellatly or who have read this month's edition of Bee Craft will be aware that Fumidil® B, which was the only recognised treatment for nosema, is being withdrawn from the UK following a decision by the Veterinary Medicines Directive (VMD). This brings the UK … Continue reading Fumidil® B – Details of Withdrawal
Ambrosia Bee Food
With white granulated sugar becoming more expensive, many beekeepers are turning to specialist alternatives with Ambrosia Bee Food being very popular. The product is specially formulated for bees by its manufacturers in Germany, the sugar used comes from sugar beet apparently but which has been processed using enzymes to produce a feed which is very … Continue reading Ambrosia Bee Food
Parasitic Fly Implicated in US Bee Losses
The New Scientist has this coverage of evidence that a small parasitic fly Apocephalus borealis may play a significant role in Colony Collapse Disorder in North America. The parasitic fly causes the bee, in this case, to become disorientated and this in turn helps spread the parasite to other bees in the area. Full report. This … Continue reading Parasitic Fly Implicated in US Bee Losses
Cool Idea
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 … Continue reading Cool Idea
