Apiary meeting for beginners at Scolton Manor – Sunday 6th May 2012

apiarymanager Education & Training, PBKA Apiary, Scolton Beekeeping Centre, Training

Please be advised that the first apiary meeting at Scolton Manor for beginners (who are also PBKA members), will be commencing at 2pm on Sunday 6th May. Note that parking will be available behind the garden wall and the access to it is as follows. After entering the Scolton Manor site, drive up past Scolton Manor House and take the right hand fork, pass the turning to the apiary on the left and then go through the gateway on the left. Park in the area in front of the large shed and please ensure that you park sensibly in order to leave room for others.

If the weather should take a turn for the worse, or you have any queries in the meantime, please contact me on 07988 037571.

NB. Please be sure to bring your beesuit if you have one (some suits are available for those without) together with suitable gloves (e.g. a pair of Marigolds) and wear suitable high ankled footwear such as wellingtons to protect your ankles (Not Crocs!!).

Note that persons with known severe allergic reactions to bee stings must advise the beekeeper in charge on the day and may not be allowed to enter the apiary area.   Please note also that pets, and children who are not actively participating, are not permitted.

Paul Eades

Apiary Manager

Rebel Bees – Or Not!

apiarymanager Stories of Interest

Scientists in Poland led by Prof Michal Woyciechowski from the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Jagiellonian University in Poland have studied post-swarm bee colonies to understand how workers react to a change in queen.  They discovered that when a daughter replaces her mother as head of the colony, some worker bees reproduce [become laying workers] instead of caring for their monarch’s offspring.  Their interpretation is that is a rebellion.

See story on the BBC Nature website.

If I might offer an alternative theory based on the evidence.  It seems to me that rather than being a reaction to not wanting to raise nieces and nephews this is actually a survival strategy by the ‘selfish genes’ of the workers.  My reasoning for this is that while the queens are developing there is no certainty that the virgin queen will successfully mate.  So if I wanted to preserve the future of my genes then I would become a drone layer.  If the queen fails then the drones would at least stand a chance of mating and pass on the genetic material to daughters of the mated queen.

Starvation Risk – Advice from the National Bee Unit

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation

With the on-going poor weather, there is a real risk of bee colonies starving. “Please check for stores in the colony and if in any doubt feed your bees. You should feed with either a fondant or a thin syrup [PBKA feed mix ready reckoner].

Further information on feeding bees can be found in Best Practice Guideline No. 7, on the Advisory Leaflets page of BeeBase (click here).”

This is a good opportunity to reminder to register on Beebase to get emailed with the latest updates on bee health[webmaster].