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Are you doing this
Bees For Development
Hodstock Priory
Just Rambling
A.G.M. report
Association News
Pyrethroid Varroa Resistance
Local Award
Apimondia 2002
Honey Show 2001
Killing the Golden Goose
 
Did you know that our Web Site has been accessed 288 times from N.America. 239 times from various people in the uk. also from France. Germany. Denmark and so on. We have even had one from Brazil and a couple from New Zealand. Even the US government was interested.

Are You Doing This?

1.Go around your apiary and see if anything needs tidying up. It’s an ideal time when the bees are quiet. On a clear frosty day it is possible to creosote the outside of the hives.

2.On a clear frosty day you can creosote the outside of your hives.Heft them and if they feel light, give them a stick of candy. They will find it as soon as they start moving about

3.Think about your needs for the coming season

Bees For Development  (Prof Dewey Caron.

                             Those of you who are members of Bees for Development and receive their magazine will have read that the next edition is to be edited by Prof. Dewey Caron. While he is over here he has been invited to talk to  the Wye Valley Beekeepers who have arranged the talk in The White Lion at Ross ( behind the Esso garage at the Hereford roundabout and next to the river). He will be talking on general beekeeping in the USA and there will be a question and answer session. We are invited. The venue I am informed is the old jail, through the bar and upstairs. Should be interesting, hope to see you there.

 Hodstock Priory

*  Hodsock Priory sounds like a very nice garden to visit with its displays of snowdrops and other winter flowers.

Open for the first time is the apiary so if anyone can get there it would be good to have a report and perhaps photo.

The gardens are open 10 to 4.00, plenty of parking, refreshments all day and a sales area.

Website:  www.snowdrops.co.uk

JUST RAMBLING

 

Lots of comments in the press on the very mild autumn, in my own garden Viburnum Hortensis, name by courtesy of my gardening expert, was flowering well, but what surprised me was that towards the end of November my bees were on it collecting a rather dirty light yellow pollen. It is another of those plants with a multitude of small blooms collected together in a little bunch. I wonder if the advantage of these plants to bees and other insects is that each individual bloom ripens at a slightly different time and so an insect foraging stands a good chance of finding some pollen, or nectar, whilst one single bloom ripens and is then finished.

A writer in one paper comments that ivy flowers abundantly and very late this year, but this year the blooms are attracting large numbers of insects  at the end of November, and he comments that there will be a good crop of berries and plentiful seedlings next year. He feels that this will stand ivy in good stead if global warming is actually happening. I suppose the other side of the equation is that it will be good for those insects that are about at this time of year! Will it necessarily be good for our bees? One hears of bees dying with crystallised ivy nectar in their stomachs, though I find it difficult to believe these accounts.                                                                                                                                         

A wild article on a strange wasp, Microplitis Croceipes, an endoparasitic brachonid wasp that is reputed to be capable of being trained to sniff out explosives, and in particular land mines. The work on this originated at Wageningen University by a Dr Felix Waeckers ( I just don't believe it with a name like that, but it was in the Guardian so it must be true). Training consisted of feeding the wasps in an atmosphere of the smell to be detected, when it was found that when the wasps found the smell again they rubbed their antennae on the ground.

Will some keen entomologist tell me what "endoparasitic brachnoid" means? Endoparasitic I think I can guess, but brachonid is not in my dictionary.                                                                                                             

What did I do wrong? The comb in one of my colonies is in a bit of a mess to put it mildly, so I put a new brood box on top in the autumn with foundation, gave them a really good feed of syrup, and waited for them to move up. Result, one brood box of undrawn foundation. Perhaps these bees preferred the cosy shambles of their old home.

DickSadler,  9/12/2001

 Comment from Bridget

I think this is a direct challenge to me. Braconid wasps are insects belonging to the family Braconidae. These are Hymenoptera but are really more closely allied to Ichneumon flies (family Ichneumonidae) than to the true wasps (family Vespidae). They are endoparasites of many different insects, aphids, beetles and lepidoptera. Some Braconids lay their eggs in ‘host’ eggs and when the host larva starts to develop they develop, others lay their eggs directly into the host larva eg.Spathius exarator which parasitises woodworm and Apanteles glomeratus   which parasitises cabbage white butterflies. As you can see they are beneficial insects as are our common vespae. Microplitis croceipes is a parasite of a lepidopteran but it’s American and I don’t know which one. The article Dick  read was wrong, Its occupation is designated ‘stinging people’ which I am quite sure it doesn’t do although it probably has a long ovipositor. I suppose that sort of remark makes ‘good press’, maybe I am in the wrong occupation. This method of demonstrating the presence of  minute quantities of something is not novel. Rothamsted have been developing a test for several years using bees who are trained to extend their tongues in response to contaminants that have been included in their feeding syrup , and there have been other reports in the press from different places using honey and bumble bees. The technology is hoped to be a sensitive way to find, for example, landmines, explosives and drugs. It is the same sort of idea as sniffer dogs only more sensitive (and more difficult.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Bridget

 

AGM

The AGM was a pleasant afternoon. Not too many speeches, nothing worrying to vote about, a very interesting talk on a subject that I usually find rather uninspiring, lots of beekeepers to talk to and a splendid tea. Thank you to all the cooks who contributed to the feast.

David Johns took the chair for the last time and gave an exceedingly good summary of this years events—I hadn’t realised we had achieved so much—and I’m supposed to be aware of what is going on. Lord Raglan gave him a very nice accolade and we are sorry to see him retire. The chair has now been taken by Les Chirnside, so we will still have to be alert. All the reports are in the minutes so you can see how we have fared.

Liz Duffin is a beekeeper who started to make wax flowers in order to decorate her exhibits when making displays for honey shows. She more or less taught herself by trial and error. The secret is to take a specimen of the flower that you want to model and pull it apart into its constituent bits. Then use those bits to make cardboard patterns which you  use to cut round when you have made a sheet of wax. Wax only becomes brittle when it has been overheated, so it is quite easy to bend and twist the petals into fetching shapes. Well, it looked easy.

Association News

Included with this newsletter there is a note concerning BDI (Bee disease insurance). It is important that you read this carefully so that you understand the membership renewal forms which are also included. Those of you who have renewed their membership already and paid for bee disease insurance will have your certificates enclosed, otherwise they will be sent in a subsequent letter when or if you do. Please pay as promptly as possible, it makes all the paper work much easier if we can get it done and out of the way.

 

Robin Hall at Goytre

At the last meeting of the year at Goytre Robin Hall ( Bee Inspector) talked to us about the recent appearance of Varroa which are resistant to pyrethroids. He told us not to be too alarmed at this occurrence. It reflects the method of making use of the treatment rather than a failure of the medicine itself.  He reiterated that so long as we complied with the instructions for usage the chance of resistance was slim, it is only when from laziness or from mistaken concepts about how it works and we mishandle these chemicals that resistance is induced.

He later showed us some wonderful photos of orchids and gave some hints on how to grow them and while we were wandering around munching mince-pies we were able to study a rare collection of flowering orchids that he had brought for our enjoyment.                        

 

The June James Trophy

Thank you very much to whoever nominated me. It was a great surprise as I have never considered writing a letter as greatly benefiting beekeeping. However I am absolutely delighted to be so honoured and I shall enjoy looking after it for this year. My only regret is that the person who I nominated has not received it.             Bridget

 

Outstanding  Moments at Apimondia 2001

I’m pretty certain that it is George who maintains that the most important thing about beekeeping conferences is that they provide us with the opportunity to swap ideas, experiences and anecdotes with like-minded individuals. It is conceivable that some members of the Scientific Committee of the recent Apimondia would take issue with this sentiment, having devoted several harrowing months putting together their symposia, getting the speakers to adhere to the chosen topics and praying that they turn up on the day. Nevertheless, George has a point.

It must have been the second day of the Durban Conference that I realised just how important the social interaction could be. Determined not to miss the 8.30 am plenary talk, we relied on room service to provide the early morning continental breakfast. (Incidentally, I don’t know which continent takes responsibility for this unsatisfactory concoction but it is clearly a world-wide phenomenon). Anyway, 10.30 saw us hurling ourselves at the coffee and buns that the organisers had, in a moment of genius, agreed to provide. Despite the fact that our companions at the table looked like beekeepers, they seemed to be using terms unfamiliar to us. At this point, we realised they were speaking Afrikaans, a language in which neither of us could claim fluency ( I suppose I could probably have managed to order a beer if severely pressed but that seemed somehow inappropriate). On realising our plight, our companions were happy to communicate in English, apart from the account of what Hennie said when stung on his ear. The rest was magic.

I think it was my comment that the South African climate gave beekeepers an unfair advantage in that they could handle their bees on warm lazy afternoons without fear of an apiary insurrection. Conversation ceased as five bemused beekeepers stared at me in horror. My neighbour rescued me by explaining that beekeeping in Pretoria was not a daytime occupation. It seems that man’s relationship with Apis mellifera scutellata is essentially a nocturnal one. Indeed attempts to handle these feisty little creatures by day are invariably thwarted by several thousand of them simultaneously searching for a weak spot in one’s veil, with some seemingly vindictive purpose in mind. I was captivated.

My neighbour went on to explain that all beekeeping activity takes place at night. In addition to the standard hive tool, each beekeeper equips himself with a miner’s head lamp. It is also important to park the 4WD Toyota close by with the headlights on. The bees will not fly in the dark but are attracted towards the vehicle so that essential activities can be performed free from aerial attack. When the beekeeper is finished, the headlights are extinguished and the bees, allegedly, file back into the hive. I spent some time trying to picture us stumbling around apiaries in the dark trying to remember where I put down the tin of spacers. I suppose it’s just a matter of what you are used to!

We were so fascinated by this brief insight into beekeeping in South Africa that we missed the next lecture. I cannot remember what it was we missed but then, that is of no significance. What we had learned in 30 minutes of cheerful conversation was almost certainly of greater importance than another theory of the origins of Varroa.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Rattus

 

National Honey Show 2001

 

This year I stewarded for one of the candle judges, John Pearce from Surrey, and spent a most illuminating morning (sorry!) John is a meticulous judge as well as being an excellent and entertaining tutor. He made a minute examination of each candle, grading them as to the requirements of the schedule, colour, cleanliness and quality of finish. Finally we carried the exhibits downstairs (into the lobby adjacent to the gent's loos to be precise ‑ we had to be in an area where there would be no draughts you understand) then lit all of them. A candle should burn with a bright flame, no spluttering or smoking and the wick should curl over slightly as it burns. John then blew out the flames, to re‑light them after a few minutes and make the observations all over again. Points were awarded; first, second, third and highly commended, then back upstairs we went to complete the paperwork and to lunch. Stewarding, particularly at the "National", is very enjoyable and a wonderful way to learn more about various aspects of the craft of beekeeping.

 

After the grand opening of the event by the inventor, Trevor Baylis, the lecture programme began.

 

I enjoyed all the lectures this year. As I've mentioned before, now that I'm free of BBKA Sales responsibilities, I have a wonderful time attending all the lectures. The programme was well arranged by Brian Palmer, the subjects ranging from the weather to G M crops to avoiding beekeeper's back problems. Every one of the speakers was worth the effort of travelling to Kensington Town Hall.

 

The exhibition of manufacturers and traders in the main hall was not over‑well attended, but again there was something for everyone and if you were not there with the intention of buying then friends and acquaintances were always in talkative mood.

 

Jill Chirnside  November 2001

 

 

                             (RBI Technical Newsheet No 19)

             Killing the Golden Goose

 

If it’s a bad parasite that kills its host then why do varroa mites kill honeybee colonies so effectively? This is an interesting question that is often asked and there are two basic elements to the answer. The first is that the varroa mite is no longer attacking its original host. The natural host of the varroa mite, the Asian Hive Bee or Apis cerana, has been evolving together with the varroa mite for many millions of year and so they have come to live in a balance with each other as hosts and parasites normally do. The Asian Bee has a variety of defence mechanisms developed over the millennia so the mite cannot develop in sufficient numbers to cause any real harm to the colony. The situation is entirely different for our own Western Honeybee (Apis mellifera) which just has not evolved any defences against the parasite.

The second reason is that the varroa mite seems to have overcome the problem of killing its host by changing the bees behaviour. When a colony becomes so badly infested with varroa mites that it is about to collapse the bees just seem to lose hope. They can't be bothered to protect their hives and they let robber bees in. The bees seem to sense that their colony is doomed and when the robbers go home they take some of the other bees with them until gradually almost all the worker bees have gone to a new hive. The bees all take a load of hitchhiking mites with them since by this time there is very little live brood left for the mites to breed in. It has been estimated that up to 60% of the mites survive the collapse of the colony this way and they have also managed to spread themselves out very effectively. In fact, it is not really in the mites best interest for the colony to survive since they would spread out more slowly.

Over the millennia Asian bees have developed a vigorous grooming ability that enables it to kill any mites on adult bees.  For mites breeding in the cells life is no easier. The Asian bees won’t allow any mites at all to develop in worker brood and this seems to be the crux of the difference between the two species. Finally, the wax cappings on the drone cell are so thick that only the strong mandibles of the drone inside are capable of chewing through it to set itself free once it hatches. If the drone pupa dies because of large numbers of varroa mites in the cell then the workers can't uncap the cell to clean out the dead drone. Consequently, the mites become entombed in the cell and die too. This means that cells containing large numbers of mites cannot be opened and so takes them out of circulation.

Of course I hear you say, if Apis cerana can develop defences against the mite then it should be possible for us to breed a varroa tolerant bee that can live despite being infested with the mite. This is not an idea that has escaped attention and there are scientists all over the world busily pursuing this goal. However, despite fifty years of this work we don't seem to be much nearer to a solution. Scientists have looked at the ways other races and species of bees have resisted the mite. They have looked at reducing the time the workers and drones take to hatch but found that to reduce it to the level where it would reduce the varroa's ability to breed would also damage the bees development. Many people looking at grooming activity to see if this can be improved have found that it forms only a small aspect of resistant behaviour. Another study looked at what would happen if all the bees showing some signs of resistant behaviour were put onto a Mediterranean island and just left to it to see if resistance might be forced more quickly. (Since I knew the researcher who proposed this idea I did offer to help look after the bees on nice sounding island!!). There has been a lot of examination of African bees that were thought to be naturally immune to see if they could uncover any reasons for this. All this has given a lot of scientists a lot of work and research ideas and the full and complex picture of varroa/honeybee interactions and biology is only just beginning to be unravelled.

Research has been further complicated by the finding that there is more than one species of mite - in fact probably at least five species- and that some species are more lethal than others. The one in our bees, now called Varroa destructor, is one of the two most lethal species. It throws into confusion some of the earlier ideas about breeding since it is no longer clear whether the survival of some bees is because they are naturally resistant or simply that the varroa present is not the killer species. Nor is it yet at all clear about the impact of viruses and how much genetic resistance to various viruses would help colony survival.

There are occasional reports that resistant bees that have been found though to date none are readily available commercially. Even if they were, for the ordinary beekeeper this would still present a problem at least in the medium term until tolerant queens became widespread. While the tolerant queen remained in the colony it could be of value but once she was replaced and the new queen out crossed with normal drones the bees could quickly revert to their non-tolerant type. Anyone who has tried a yellow New Zealand queen will know how quickly they become stripy and it is difficult, even if it were desirable, to replace indigenous populations. Even if the bees remained resistant they may not be suited to our rather challenging climate and bees that don't collect any honey or require lots of expensive feeding aren't very much use.

It must also be remembered that even if breeding succeeds it will only be producing queens that are more tolerant of mites and maybe virus than others. It won't mean that varroa can then be forgotten about. I an afraid varroa is now a fact of life and has to be dealt with as effectively as possible. My sceptical position shouldn't be taken as belittling the efforts of bee breeders to improve varroa tolerance but it will never replace good beekeeping husbandry. Nonetheless, beekeepers everywhere should be observing which of their hives performs best when varroa is present and rearing their new queens from these bees. At least this way the more susceptible/worst strains of bees will be eliminated from the population and the general run of bees will be of better quality. And who knows, maybe a Welsh beekeeper could finally make his fortune by finding the wonder bee that is resistant to varroa.

Happy beekeeping               Pam Gregory  (P.A.M.)                     Nov 2001

 

 

 

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