PBKA

Wasp alert!

apiarymanager PBKA, Pests

Wasps are making their appearance felt now around the hives.

To keep the pesky invaders out:

Reduce the entrance size of the hive, probably opened fully during the recent hot weather, to give the bees a smaller area to defend.

Put out wasp traps, wasp trap (Mobile)these can be bought or easily made with a jam jar with a hole made in the lid or from a plastic drinks bottle as shown. Jam attracts wasps, but not bees.  Do not use honey in the bait of course.

Be tidy and keep rubbish away from the apiary, which could attract wasps and other pests!

wasp

Potential starvation risk!

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

Just to remind all beekeepers that the June gap can still happen and inclement weather, combined with large growing colonies and little or no available forage, can quickly result in a shortage of stores.

So be sure to check that your bees have enough food, especially if you have taken off any spring honey. Note that if you add extra frames of sealed stores you should keep them in the brood boxes, so as to avoid getting them mixed up in the honey supers. Also, if you have to feed directly, use a light syrup (i.e. 1:1 sugar/water ratio) with any honey supers taken off during the feeding process.