May

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Are you doing this
Exploring Beekeeping
Just Rambling
National Honey Show
Beekeepers Quarterly
Goytre Meeting 
Association News
Apiary News
Should Beekeepers do it with Glue
More about BDI
Swarming
A puzzle from Graham
An urgent letter to all Beekeeper

Are You Doing This?

I hope you all have your spare equipment ready for swarms.

Make sure you have a nuc box standing by, you need one for every 4 hives.

There is a lot of Oil Seed Rape about. It is important to remove it from the comb before it sets but don’t take it out too soon. You can remove it even if it is not capped but make sure it is ready and will not drip out of an upturned comb.

For further guidance get along to the apiary meetings.

 

"Exploring Beekeeping

The National Museum of Wales with the help of the Cardiff BKA is staging an exhibition in the Glanely Gallery from 27th April to the end of June.

There will be three guest speakers. I’m afraid we’ve missed the first, who was Robert Pickard on ‘Sex in honeybees, humans and flowers’ - on April 27th when you were all at Stoneleigh, Pam is talking on May 25th on ‘Bees and Plants’.  It is all aimed at non-beekeepers but it might be interesting to see the exhibition.

 

JUST RAMBLING

My bees seem to be doing well this year, early April they were bringing in three varieties of pollen, an off white, a yellow and an orange colour. The ground is still quite cold for planting seeds, with plenty of underlying water quite close to the surface, perhaps because we have not had many drying east winds or significant spells of hot sunshine. Combined these have provided plenty of moisture for the production of nectar and at the same time the blossoming period has been stretched out as the flowers have not been all brought into bloom at the same time. In particular the plum blossom in the garden seems to have lasted for much longer than usual, which should help to avoid damage from frosts.

Let us hope the good season continues.

However my beekeeping is not doing as well, my attempt to persuade one colony to move onto new foundation has been a complete failure, they seem to prefer the well worn and very disreputable comb they already occupy. The other colony is in a mixture of WBC and National equipment, which is not conducive to good beekeeping. I really shall have to sort them out.

An interesting piece in one of the papers on Karl von Frisch, who interpreted the "bee dance" in 1945. Apparently it was first observed, though not interpreted by the Rev Ernst Spitzner in 1788. Frisch, one of the founders of ethology, the scientific study of animal behaviour, was given the Nobel prize for physiology and medicine, sharing it with Konrad Lorenz and Nino Tinbergen.

An interesting comment that "interpreting animal behaviour through human senses can give a distorted picture of the sensory world animals inhabit, particularly in the case of honeybees, whose sensory capabilities extend far beyond human experience" seems to me to mean that bees do not think like humans or other animals.

I know I may be treading on dangerous ground, but I see that there is on offer quite a lot of equipment for the beekeeper to manufacture his own foundation, all of it unfortunately rather costly for the individual, but nevertheless foundation is something that we all require. Furthermore we are all told that we should regularly clear the old comb out and replace it with new foundation as an aide to disease prevention.

Having had a brief try at the process at a neighbouring Association, I found it fascinating, though requiring a little skill and initial perseverance. The equipment required apart from the moulds is simple together with a reasonably bee‑proof area and an easily cleaned floor.

It might be worth GBKA considering to purchase this equipment as a service to members.

 

Dick Sadler, 24/4/02          

If anyone would like to have a go at making their own foundation please let me know and we will try to organise something.   Bridget

 

NATIONAL HONEY SHOW

13-15TH NOVEMBER

IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE NHS YOU CAN GET REDUCED CAR PARKING CHARGES, (£12 NOT £25) AND REDUCED ACCOMMODATION CHARGES IN KENSINGTON, £80 DOUBLE ROOM PER NIGHT, £60 SINGLE ENTRY IS GOING TO BE £10

JILL CHIRNSIDE CAN TAKE BOOKINGS  TEL 01873 880625

 

Beekeepers Quarterly

Please remember to let Allison know if you want to renew your subscription  to this journal. If you do not already subscribe then think about it.

As the title suggests it comes out 4 times a year so you actually have time to read it before the next one arrives. It has various articles, mostly useful practical messages, but also news from beekeepers around the world. The ones in Europe that you would think are not that much different from us are very entertaining.

Only £12 when paid through the association.

 

Goytre Meeting

The talk at Goytre Village Hall this April entitled “Nuclear Power” had nothing to do with plutonium or the energy produced by the fission of matter, but the usefulness of nucleus boxes. These are small ‘hives’ containing only five frames instead of the usual eleven in a standard hive. Don Streatfield started by defining a nucleus as a queen and brood vigorous enough the build to a full colony. Listed below are eleven uses for a nucleus box.

       1. Introducing a travelled (bought)  queen.

2.   A means of swarm control.

3.   Preserving a valued queen.

4.   Mating a queen.

5.   Over wintering a colony as a queen source in early spring.

6.   Testing a queen. Is she laying well? Are her workers gentle and efficient?

7.   Starting new colonies.

8.   Drawing new worker comb.

9.   Marking the queen. Easier to find her than in a full hive.

10. Raising queens from selected larvae.

       11. Colony for an observation hive.

Graham Loveridge

 

Association News

As you are now aware, we in the GBKA are all members of a mother organisation, the BBKA. They (the BBKA) want to create a database of all members and associates with their addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. One of the major benefits of membership of the BBKA is the personal and product liability insurance cover which is included in the capitation fee. From October 2002 only a member whose name and address has been submitted to BBKA will be covered. Everyone will be given a membership card with a unique number to prove their membership in the event of a claim.  We feel that in the circumstances it is reasonable to supply this information to the BBKA who are covered by the data protection act. If anyone has strong views on why, for example, their phone number should not be given please let Janet know immediately as the information is already overdue and will be submitted in the next few weeks.

 

 

Apiary News

The apiary manager (Eric) reports that the apiary came through the winter with 4 viable hives and one dodgy (queenless?) one. At the first apiary meeting on 21st April they marked one of the queens.  There is some work to be done to the buildings, offers of help to Eric please, 01633 412617.

Graham, who was at the meeting, reports that the  weather was beautiful and produced ideal conditions for the meeting. The colonies were already producing large numbers of brood and much honey was being produced. Extra boxes of foundation were given to the hives to give the bees more room. We were able to supply bee suits for the children of a family with five year old triplets. They showed no fear of the bees and were happy to participate as we checked the hives. This April has been exceptionally warm and sunny especially when I think back to April last year when it was so cold that we had to feed our bees.

I think the triplets made a profound impression on all those at the meeting! There were about 15 others present. If you missed it come to the next one, you won’t regret it.                                                Photos on the website.

 

The following very informative and frighteningly perfectionist essay comes to us via George Kinman who was put in touch with Wally when he wanted some answers to questions of his own. George thought it was so useful that he asked if he could give it to me for inclusion in our newsletter and Wally agreed. As you see he is from Anglesey BKA, he is a beekeeper of note and contributes to the Welsh BKA news. There will be another contribution from him next month.

 

 

Should Beekeepers do it with Glue?

(by Wally Shaw, Anglesey BKA)

 

It seems that most beekeepers ignore the manufacturer's instructions to use waterproof glue in the assembly their flat‑pack hives and rely only on nails. The so ­called instructions are little more of a suggestion and I have never seen any guidance as to how it should be done. In the case of hive designs like the Smith or Langstroth, there is no problem. You simply apply glue to the mating surfaces of the dovetail joints (more correctly called finger joints) at the corners, assemble the parts, tap in a few nails to hold it together, check the whole thing is square and Bob's your uncle. Not so the Modified National hive that I guess most of us use! Those four sidebars (locking bars) that form the top and bottom rebates (and provide superb handgrips for lifting the boxes) are by no means easy to glue properly. To get full‑length, tight, waterproof joints you really need eight G‑clamps. Who has got that number of clamps to assemble just one box at a time? Also it's a right fiddle! I know because I have done it.

 

Actually, there are several easy ways around this problem but first of all let us consider whether all this extra work (and some expense) is worth the trouble. The question is, do you regard hive parts (boxes, roofs and floors) as being expendable ‑ to be replaced when they are no longer serviceable ‑ or do you want them to last for as many years as possible, perhaps a lifetime? This is very much a matter of attitude and I have not attempted to work out the economic implications to make a judgement on that score. What it really comes down to, is how much you value your own time ‑ and how much you enjoy (or hate) making things. Time is important for the commercial beekeeper but probably not so for the amateur (how I hate that word!) Also, in the current climate of built‑in obsolescence and the throw‑it­-away society, perhaps making things to last is not a priority ‑ but, somehow, I do not see beekeepers in this mould. Yes, wood is a renewable resource but, like everything else, it too has its environmental cost.

 

So are there any other advantages to glued construction in hives? Yes, I think there are, but here I would draw a distinction between those parts of the hive that are permanently in place, eg. a brood box and perhaps one super (as a half‑brood) and perhaps a floor and roof, as opposed to boxes that are just put on for the summer (the honey supers). Glued joints makes hive boxes more weatherproof and this means that they are an altogether nicer place for bees in the winter ‑ drier and warmer. This advantage presupposes that the beekeeper makes provision for adequate ventilation, for it is condensation within the hive that is the worst enemy of the overwintering colony. I suspect that the gaping joints in some hives provide much‑needed ventilation ‑ especially for those colonies whose owner insists on dumping a square of damp carpet top of the frames in the winter. Paradoxically, dodgy supers with gaps and splits in them could be an advantage during the summer as they provide extra ventilation for disposing of the vast amount of water that needs to be removed from nectar to turn it into honey.

 

The Modified National hive has its strengths and weaknesses, and one of its weaknesses is a tendency to rot. Unsealed joints retain films of water and sooner or later this is where wood‑rotting fungi gain a foothold. The sidebars, mentioned above, and the concealed endgrain of the side panels are the most vulnerable points (see diagram). If these joints can be properly sealed with a waterproof glue then this alone will probably double the life of the box. The elimination of all permanent metal fixings (ie. nails or screws) is also an advantage. Take a look at an old hive box and see how rot has penetrated the nail holes ‑ and even the best galvanised nails corrode in the end.

 

What do I mean by waterproof glue? Well, one of the things I do not mean is the PVA based glues, that seem to be so popular to‑day. Certainly they are cheap and easy to use but even the so‑called 'water‑resistant' formulations are a dead‑loss out of doors. Try going to sea in a boat assembled with PVA glue ‑ but don't forget your lifejacket! There are several waterproof glues on the market, eg. epoxy, polyurethane, phenolic/resorcinol and urea formaldehyde. All have their uses, but the last of these, urea formaldehyde (most readily available under the name of 'Cascamite' ), is probably the cheapest and most convenient. It is offered in several of the equipment supplier's catalogues.

 

The way I assemble my hives using glue is shown in the accompanying diagram. All mating surfaces are liberally coated in glue. The screws are used a temporary fixings to hold everything in place until the glue has set ‑ thus avoiding the need for G­-clamps. Surplus glue should ooze from the joints and can be wiped away with a damp cloth. When the glue is hard, the screws are removed and the holes drilled out to receive a length of 6mm dowel which is also glued into place. If you want to avoid this somewhat fiddly task, the screw holes can be filled with stopping ‑ preferably of the polyester resin type ‑ but this is not nearly so aesthetically pleasing as a neatly trimmed dowel.

 

Now you have really sound, waterproof hive box and what I think you should do with it next is the subject of a second article to appear next quarter.

 

Comment

Let’s remember that despite all the talk of disease and the lack of bees and the scarcity of mixed forage this is the best time of the year for beekeeping. The bees are single mindedly building up the strength of their colonies and collecting as much as they can. The queens are all laying as fast as possible and each colony is united in its desire to grow, store food, and if possible reproduce itself  by swarming. And swarming is such a delight, the bees love it, they are free, they are looking for a new and better home, they have full honey stomachs and they have abandoned all their responsibilities. When the swarm finds its new home it remains happy and industrious and works hard  to build up its numbers and to collect stores for the coming winter. So they are a pleasure to deal with (—the first swarm this year 31st March!!).  Now is the time we can really enjoy our bees. We must watch carefully to make sure we are keeping up with their requirements. There was some work done in Denmark that showed that happy and unstressed bees are far more resistant to the brood diseases, and indeed in some cases recovered from EFB.

I have been given a cutting from the FT which I would like to share. It is by Philippa Davenport extolling the virtues of ‘real’ honey and talks about Jill Mead and Steve Benbow who you have probably heard about who keep hives on the roof of their Tower Bridge block of flats . They set up the London Honey Co. and produce honey from six different London Postal code areas and have been featured in BKQ. She quotes from  The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B.Yeats “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, and a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, and live alone in the bee-loud glade ……”

There is another interesting piece from the Times about the great ‘honey shortage’, naming a few British honey shops. The prices range from £2.00 for 12oz to £6.28 for 1lb. The supermarkets are now stocking all their brands but without using Chinese honey in the blend, so I don’t think our popularity will last for long.

Bridget

 

More about BDI

Janet has had a letter from Philip Jacobi, who is the secretary of Bee Diseases Insurance, asking us all to write to our MP about the excessive administrative costs that are burdening them and threatening  the future of BDI. I was a bit dubious about the sense of writing to my MP so I have had a long telephone conversation with Philip Jacobi about the problem. It appears that the real bug is the obligation, since The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 came into force on Dec 1st 2001, for any company/association/or whatever that deals with financial services to be regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Thus BDI come under the same umbrella as all those companies with turnovers of billions of £s who offer ISAs, insure our cars or houses, give mortgages etc. This means that they have to pay £400 a year for their FSA return, their audit expenses are ridiculously inflated and they are as liable as all the others if a member goes into liquidation. This is extremely burdensome on such a small concern run by unpaid volunteers. It is also a fact that FSA has the authority to issue waivers for companies if it thinks it appropriate. It would appear to be appropriate in the case of BDI who actually are obliged to have reserves of £150,000 (as this would cover all their claims for several years, they themselves would never need to be bailed out.). The FSA appears to be a headless figure with no-one willing to make any decisions so if you would write to your MP it is believed that some pressure could be brought to bear on the problem. A copy of Philip Jacobi’s suggested letter is enclosed, you can fill it in as it is or alter it as you see fit. It may help!!!

 

Swarming

Ken has agreed to remain our swarm liaison officer. If you are prepared to pick up swarms in your area, or if you would like a swarm wherever it is, please get your name on his list so that he can phone you when he hears of one. Most members of the public want swarms removed as soon as possible. 

                                          Ken’s phone number: 01873 852512

  A Puzzle from Graham

 

Fill in the clues to reveal the a specialist writer in beekeeping in the highlighted down spaces.

 

1.   Surname of a famous beekeeper, with a Christian name of Lorenzo. [10]

2.   The subject of the specialist writer  [3.7]

3.   Word for when a queen bee kills another queen bee [10]

4.   A newly mated queen can be lost because of this [8]

5.   The man who made the famous board!  [9]


6.   The type of egg that produces a drone [12]

7.   A method of swarm prevention [7]

8.   An abbey famous for beekeeping [8]

      9.   A bee disease that is treated with Fumadil B

 

URGENT LETTER TO BEEKEEPERS

 

BEEKEEPERS HELP THE ENVIRONMENT ‑ AND NOW YOU ARE TAXED

FOR DOING SO!

 

PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR M.P.

The objective of BDI is to improve the health of bees by encouraging beekeepers through insurance and by other means to comply with The Bee Diseases Control Order 1982 which imposes legal obligations on all beekeepers in Great Britain.

We work closely with DEFRA (previously known as MAFF) to ensure that disease in bees is properly dealt with and DEFRA acknowledge our help.

Beekeeping Associations own BDI. Each Member Association has a legal share now with a net asset value of approximately £1,000 per Association built up over the last 65 years. Recent Government Legislation is now eating into our premiums and membership fees.

We, on your behalf, already have to pay the following:­5% of membership fees and premiums goes in Insurance Premium Tax!

We have to make an Annual Return to the Financial Services Authority for which they charge us a filing fee of £400.

 In addition to the above we are now being told that we, beekeepers, must pay towards supporting policy holders of insolvent insurance companies and to pay the administrative costs of a new body called The Financial Services Compensation Scheme. So far this year we have received the following invoices for payment:

£129.89 following the appointment of provisional liquidators at Chester Street Independent Insurance.

£279.00 in respect of the Financial Ombudsman Service

If this continues it may affect the future of BDI and this in turn will ultimately affect the health of bees and the future of beekeeping as well as the environment.

Please help to keep our beekeeping activities free of this financial and bureaucratic burden by writing to your M.P. The name of your M.P. may be found by visiting the World Wide Web (www.parliament.uk.) and search index or telephone me on 01202 880789. below you will find a suggested draft letter. You may like to use this draft or use your own words.

Philip Jacobi Secretary, Bee Diseases Insurance, Highbury, Furzehill WIMBORNE, BH21 4HD


 

House of Commons

LONDON

SW1A OAA

                                                                                                 Date .................

 

Dear..........................

 

I write to you as a member of (or on behalf of )                      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beekeeping

Association.

 

I am sure that you will know that the honey bee plays a vital role in the environment by pollinating both wild flowers and many agricultural crops as they forage for nectar and pollen. The value of such crops grown in the UK is estimated at billions of pounds annually. The essential and valuable activities of bees depend upon the beekeepers maintaining a healthy population of honey bees.

As with other forms of livestock, honey bees are subject to a range of harmful diseases and Beekeepers have to comply with the Bee Diseases Control Order 1982. This Statutory Instrument requires beekeepers to inform the Minister for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if they have reason to believe their bees have one of the specified diseases. On confirmation of the disease the Ministry Inspector may require the diseased bees and equipment to be destroyed by fire so as to prevent the spread of disease.

To help and encourage beekeepers to comply with the law beekeepers set up 65 years ago a self help organisation called the Bee Diseases Insurance Limited (BDI). We have 8,000/10,000 beekeepers who each contribute 60 pence per year per colony of bees to a common fund from which those who suffer a loss are compensated. BDI work closely with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural affairs and DEFRA acknowledge the help given. We do not want another outbreak of disease like that experienced last year with Foot and Mouth Disease. Bee Diseases Insurance is an organisation run by beekeepers on a voluntary basis. The officers are mostly retired people who undertake the administrative work from their homes and without payment. There are no premises and no staff.

Unfortunately BDI have become caught up over the last few years in excessive government control and financial restrictions intended for Commercial Organisations. We have to pay Insurance Premium tax to Customs and Excise and Filing Fees to Financial Services Authority. In addition during the last few weeks we have been asked to pay £279.00 towards the support of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and a further £129.89 following the appointment of provisional liquidators at Chester Street Independent Insurance. All this has nothing to do with our hobby of beekeeping.

Please may I ask you to intervene with the FSA/DEFRA to save our self‑help group which is working to improve the environment. For 65 years we have worked to support MAFF/DEFRA and this is now at risk. We have to be excluded from this excessive legislation and particularly the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.

 

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