"A-Z" INDEX &   SEARCH Frequently Asked Questions About Beekeeping (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions... This page is laid out in a similar fashion to one of the early versions of Graham Law's excellent beekeeping FAQ, but this version uses hyperlinks to provide more detail by linking to other pages on this website and many others. You may then read as much as you feel you need to know about any aspect of the subject. This website contains thousands of pages of information that can be accessed using the "A to Z" button in the top right hand corner of every page. In compiling this FAQ, I have also taken notice of the search terms that have been entered into the specialist search engines that also aid navigation around this rather large site.

Please do not accept what is written here as absolute knowledge, beekeeping is shot through by myths and poorly established information that has been handed down, generation after generation, without adequate testing and questioning. We are only just beginning to understand many aspects of bee behaviour, so please consult other sources as well.

What organisations exist that can help Me ? In other parts of the world than UK there will be similar organisions providing a similar service.

In the Leicestershire area... Leicestershire & Rutland Bee Keepers Association (L&RBKA).

In the UK as a whole... British Bee Keepers Association (BBKA).

In Southern Ireland... Federation of Irish Bee Keepers' Association (FIBKA).

In Ulster... Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA).

In Scotland... Scottish Bee Keepers Association (SBA).

In Wales... Welsh Bee Keepers Association (WBKA).

Defra... Central Science Laboratory, National Bee Unit.

Bee Inspectors... Bee Health Inspection and Advisory Services.

Starting Beekeeping

How much do I need to know before starting beekeeping ?

What equipment do I need to start beekeeping ?

How much time does it take up ?

What does it cost me to get started ?

Do I need to belong to a local association ?

Where do I get my beekeeping equipment from ?

How do I decide on what hive type to use ?

Should I use Open Mesh Floors (OMF) ?

What style of frame should I use? ?

Should I use castellated spacers ?

What type of bee clothing should I buy ?

How do I obtain bees ?

What ‘type’ of bee do I have a choice of ?

Do I require a licence to keep bees ?

How many bees might there be in my hive ?

Can I keep my bees on my allotment ?

Can I keep bees in my garden ?

How many hives can I keep in my garden ?

Can I use a lawnmower near the hive ?

Will they bother the neighbours or pets ?

Will they mark my washing ?

How do I set up a small apiary ?

I do not want more than one colony of bees, is that ok ? Am I insured ?

How much spare equipment should I have ?

Where do I get help from in a hurry ?

Routine manipulation and inspection

Do I need to keep written records ?

What should I record ?

How do I light my smoker ?

How do I make a frame up ?

What do I look for when I open a hive ?

How much smoke should I use ?

How do I use my hive tool ?

How do I move my bees ?

• 3.7.1 A short distance
• A medium distance
• long distance

Exceptions to these rules

How often should I replace the wax comb ?

How do I know when to put a super on ?

How do I find the queen ?

How do I mark a queen ?

How do I introduce a new queen ?

How do I increase or decrease my stock of bees ?

How do I combine two hives into one (Uniting) ?

How do I make two hives out of one (Splitting) ?

How do I make up syrup to feed my bees ?

How and when do I feed my bees ?

• Early spring stimulation
• Late Summer (feeding for winter)
• Feeding at other times

Can I feed honey back to my bees ?

Do I need to feed them candy ?

How do I make candy ?

How do I prepare my bees for the winter months ?

Can I leave a super on during the winter ?

How do I breed better bees 'Simply' ?

Honey Crop

When should I take the honey from the bees ?

How much honey can I expect to get ?

How do I get my honey from the bees ?

Do I 'need' an extractor ?

How do uncap frames and use an extractor ?

Do I need a warming cabinet ?

How do I build warming cabinet ?

What do I store the honey in before I jar it ?

What are the legal requirements of bottling my own honey ?

Frankly, the rules on bottling and labelling honey are always changing, the best advice I can give is to look up the latest information from the Food Standards Agency. Information on labelling requirements can be gained from those equipment suppliers that print customised labels for beekeepers.

A. m. melliferae of apiary inspections, diagnosis, research, training and advice provided by a team of bee scientists and experienced practical beekeepers. We provide specialist advice and technical services to government departments, beekeepers and industry.” 1.3.1 Regional and Seasonal Bee Inspectors SBI’s and RBI’s are employed by DEFRA via the NBU. An SBI is an experienced beekeeper who has the job of keeping track of beekeepers within their area and arranging inspections every few years. The primary purpose of these inspections is to prevent devastating diseases such as EFB: European 5 Foul Brood and AFB: American Foul brood spreading in the UK. They are very much here to help and are a great source of up to date information and advice. The SBI’s report to the RBI’s and the RBI’s often give annual lectures and demonstrations to local bee clubs focused on bee health. 2 Starting Beekeeping 2.1 What do I need to start beekeeping Obviously you need a hive with bees but you need to make a decision on what type of hive and what type of bee. You also need some spare hive parts indeed a whole spare hive is useful so that you can deal with swarms easily, a cheap second hand one would be fine. The Complete (single walled) Hive: · Roof · Crown board · Up to three (honey) super boxes · Queen excluder · Brood box · Floor The Beekeepers Equipment: · Bee suit and veil · Suitable boots · Bee gloves · Smoker · Hive tool · Queen marking cage and pen · A feeder to feed your bees sugar syrup · A porter bee escape (a one way valve for bees) 2.2 How much time does it take up Beekeeping is a seasonal hobby therefore the time varies with the seasons. In the middle of winter there is practically nothing to do, except to occasionally check for physical damage or snow blocking the entrances. The busiest time is the early summer when each hive should be checked weekly to stop swarming and add supers. This need take no longer than a few minutes when you get the hang of it. 2.3 How much is it going to cost me to get started You can spend a small fortune if you buy everything new and buy everything possible and make the beekeeping suppliers very happy. In practice in the UK a second hand hive with bees cost around £50-£70 and your local association might do you a good deal as a new member. A new bee suit and veil will be between £40-£100 the other bits and pieces if you buy new such as smoker, gloves etc should come to around £100. The most expensive piece of equipment you will want within a year or two will be an honey extractor and these start at around £150 up, most association will allow you use of a shared extractor. 2.4 Do I need to belong to a local association This is to be highly recommended as your association will keep you in touch with local expertise, and local problems and conditions. They will often run training programs and undoubtedly have topical meetings, newsletters etc. In the UK most associations affiliated with the BBKA which means you 6 have joined two associations really. Your BBKA membership gives you third party and product (honey) insurance. 2.5 Where do I get my beekeeping equipment from There may not be a supplier of new equipment locally to you but the larger suppliers run excellent mail order schemes and you can also order on the web. (See Appendix) Your local association can advise you. A word of caution if you buy or acquire second hand equipment, some bee diseases lay dormant for decades and old woodwork must by sterilised by flame prior to being put back into service. 2.6 How do I decide on what hive type to use There are several designs available and there is often heated debate amongst beekeepers on the benefits and shortcomings of each. What is important from the beginner’s point of view is to choose ONE style and stick to it as having a mix of styles is frustrating in the long term with hive parts not being interchangeable. The ‘classic’ picturesque terraced bee hive that beginners have in mind in the UK is usually the WBC (William Broughton Carr) hive. This is a double walled hive utilising inner boxes and outer covers called ‘lifts’. This hive is out of favour, with most hobbyists in the UK using the single walled British National Hive. The British National uses the same internal frames as the WBC but has fewer components to move during routine inspections. As the British National is the most common it is also the easiest in the UK to pick up second hand it also has cheaper frames as it benefits from more people using them. The other styles that are used in the UK and are common elsewhere are the Langstroth and the Commercial both are single walled and larger than the British National. In the north of the UK especially Scotland the Smith hive is popular, this is a nice compromise and uses the same frames as the National except that the frame lugs are shorter. (Lugs are the bits that stick out at the top of the frame) 2.6.1 Should I use Open Mesh Floors (OMF) Open Mesh Floors were originally introduced to help diagnose Varroa by allowing the mite to fall through onto a tray beneath the colony. The natural drop can be used as an indicator to estimate the mite population. It was noted by many beekeepers that in addition to the Varroa features the bees seemed to benefit from the additional ventilation offered by this piece of equipment. It allows you to keep a narrow entrance all year around which is easier for the bees to defend, there are also thought to be benefits from live Varroa falling out of the colony and perishing. All in all there are definite benefits from using OMF’s. 2.6.2 What style of frame should I use? This basically comes down to self spacing frames called Hoffman frames and conventional frames that require separate spacers. Space between the frames is important to give what is known as ‘Bee Space’ this is the gap that bees will use as a passage and not fill in with more wax comb. Hoffman frames have a slightly tighter spacing than that given by conventional frames using spacers and some beekeepers claim this to be detrimental most do not. In the past few years it is evident that many new beekeepers are using only Hoffman frames. They are certainly less fiddly to use. There is a good case to use Hoffman frames in the brood chamber where the frames remain a fixed distance and use narrow or wide spacers in the supers as required. 7 2.6.3 Should I use castellations Castellation fix the exact positions of frames and neglect the need for either Hoffman frames or spacers. This sounds like good news but they prevent you from widening the bee space in the supers and from sliding frames around whilst manipulation the brood. Best to start without them and try them at a later date should wish too. 2.7 What type of bee suit should I buy Put simply the best you can afford, as a beginner the more secure you feel the better you will enjoy your first steps in beekeeping. It is not advisable to buy a veil only but go for either a full suit or a jacket or smock which include a built in veil. The older style veils that have netting all around the back can cause problems when the netting folds inwards letting the odd bee sting the back of your neck. Best to buy one that has a fabric back looking a bit like a fencing helmet. 2.8 Where do I get my bees from · From a beekeeper: Often an old beekeeper is cutting down and can be a good source of healthy stock and equipment. Try advertising your requirements in your local association newsletter. · From a swarm: Some beekeepers have been known to start when a swarm has landed in their garden, this is not to be recommended. A good healthy swarm via an experienced beekeeper can be a cheap source of bees but they are likely to have a tendency to swarm next year too and there is an increased change of picking up bees carrying a disease. (See Problems-Swarms) · From your local association: Some associations provide ‘starter colonies’ for beginners or will supply bees only, often delivered and installed for you by an experienced beekeeper. This should be a good way to start. · By post: Bee breeders and some equipment suppliers advertise in the bee press (see appendix) will post you what is called a ‘package’ of bees in a travelling box. Typically it will consist of five or six brood frames of bees with a marked queen ready to be transferred to a full size hive. This can provide high quality bees but certainly at a price. Make sure the frames are compatible with your equipment when ordering. 2.9 What ‘type’ of bee do I have a choice of As a beginner, do not concern yourself too much with the precise details of bee breeding, it is a subject that cause much debate amongst experienced beekeepers. You should be aware that there are ‘strains’ of the Apis Melifera honey bee that offer benefits such as higher honey production, gentle/non-aggressive, low swarm instinct. These are the three major characteristics to be aware of and naturally you “want” all three and this is something of a Holy Grail for beekeeping. For example, frequently you will find that aggressive bees are also the most productive. As a beginner, try to start with the best tempered local hybrids you can obtain as they will already be suited to your area. You will need to rely on an experienced beekeeper probably from your local association to select bees for you in the first instance. 2.10 Do I require a licence to keep bees Not in the UK, in some other countries yes. 8 2.11 Just how many bees might there be in my hive In mid summer the hive population can exceed 35,000 bees. About 40% of these will remain in the hive as they are too young to fly. 2.12 Can I keep my bees on my allotment Yes but do, do the following: 1. Contact the secretary of the allotment society to ask for a site. 2. The secretary should then ask all the allotment holders if this is OK. 3. If they agree you will have to prove to them that you are covered by insurance to the amount that the council require (in Leicestershire it is £5,000,000 third party) they also may require proof that you are competent at keeping Bees asking you to produce a certificate etc. 4. It will also be in your best interest to only open the bees when allotment holders close to your allotment site are not working on their allotments, this will avoid problems. 5. Only use clearer boards when taking the Honey off (see ‘How do I get my honey from my bees) , remember that the allotment holders only want your bees for pollination, not for you to get honey, obey the rules and your honey harvest will be great, cause a problem and you will be asked to move them the same night. 2.13 Can I keep bees in my garden Yes, in the UK there is no legislation to stop you; this may not be the case in other countries. Unless you have a larger garden it would be advisable to keep no more than two colonies. These colonies MUST be gentle in nature and as a beginner you need an experienced beekeeper to access your bees before putting them in your garden. You should always have a means of getting beekeeping help at short notice in case of early problems. (See Setting up and apiary) 2.14 How many hives can I keep in my garden Unless you have a substantial plot no more than two hives in a garden is best. If you want to keep more hives then you should consider setting up an ‘out apiary’ perhaps on nearby farm. Most arable farmers appreciate the benefit of bees and are often obliging to a beekeepers requests. 2.15 Can I use a lawnmower near the hive The key word is ‘near’, gentle bees will not generally cause problems if you go no closer than three meters from the hive. It helps if the hive entrance is facing away from you as bees will fly straight out on the same flight path each time, should they accidentally hit the gardener cutting the grass then a sting may well result. Buy a cheap head veil to wear when gardening close to a hive. 2.16 Will they bother the neighbours or pets There is a risk of a problem it can not be denied. Gentle bees do not sting indiscriminately they must feel threatened and pets will be ignored unless they get very close or pickup a dying bee. The biggest danger is really from you, as a new beekeeper you may not recognise when a colony is having an occasional ‘off day’ and should not be manipulated further. To continue may cause aggressive bees to fly around your garden for several hours. The other hazard is to do with bees flying over washing lines and leaving ‘presents ’ in the form of yellow dots. The siting of the hive has to be considered carefully to minimise such problems. It is good advice to talk to your neighbours first and get them on your side explaining the good that your bees will do for the environment and their garden. As a final word on this, just be aware that it is human nature to blame any insect sting someone gets locally onto your bees. 9 2.17 Will they mark my washing If the bee hive is arranged such as the bees do not fly straight towards a washing line then there should be little problem but do expect a few small spots of pollen coloured stains. It is not difficult to remove but can be annoying. 2.18 How do I set up a small apiary The ‘ideal’ location is on the edge of trees of a south facing slope with no public access or nearby paths and out of reach of cattle or horses. It should also have easy access for your vehicle. Now this ‘ideal’ is very seldom achieved and is used here only as an ideal reference. In some ways it’s more helpful to think of what it should not be. Do not site your bees in an area that is damp such as under trees or in a hollow, choose somewhere that is well ventilated but not sited in a wind tunnel. Do consider the aspects related to public access and animals. The hives should be on stands about 300- 400mm/12-15 inches high and allows air movement beneath them. Set the hives no closer than one meter apart and avoid the entrances being in a straight line as this will just encourage bees to drift into other hives, a trait that will cause disease to spread easily and tend to weaken some colonies in favour of others. 2.19 I do not want more than one colony of bees, is that ok As a new beekeeper you may want to keep your hobby as small as possible, and that to you means just one hive. This is a mistake and you should aim to have two colonies on the go within your second season. There are several reasons to recommend this: 1. Should your one colony die in the winter you are immediately no longer a beekeeper. 2. Two colonies allow you to contrast and compare so you can spot their mutual strengths and weaknesses. You will learn more. 3. Should you have a problem with one colony such as it being queenless you can easily take eggs from your other colony to test or treat it. 2.20 Am I insured As a member of the British Beekeepers Association you are covered for third party risks and product liability. 2.21 How much spare equipment should I have As a very small scale beekeeper you should have at least one spare brood chamber with a floor and roof, this lets you control swarming by splitting your swarming colony. Dependant on local conditions you will need between 2-5 supers. If you are starting mid to late summer you may not need anything until the following spring. 2.22 Where do I get help from in a hurry Through your association you should be able to contact local association advisors or perhaps buddy up with a local beekeeper. Keep their phone numbers to hand. 10 3 Routine Maintenance 3.1 Do I need to keep written records This is highly desirable, it may not seem worth it when you start with just one colony, but it is surprising how details and exact dates become unclear a week or so later. It is also useful to build up a record for comparison in years to come. 3.1.1 What should I record? The useful things to record are: · Any health problems · Amount of food stored · Strength of the colony (number of frames with brood) · Any signs of swarming · An estimation of honey the bees have produced in the season. · Year of the queen and whither marked · Note any actions done There are many designs of record card and not everything need be recorded during each visit. I.e. If they are healthy then do not record that, but do record if they are sick. 3.2 How do I light my smoker This really starts with what fuel are you going to use, whatever you burn it should produce a cool non-acrid smoke, if it makes you cough a nd eyes water then it's too acrid. Here is a selection: 1. Dry well rotted wood: must crumble easily to the touch, if you cannot break it up with your hands it not sufficiently rotted. Rotted wood is a good fuel easy to light and can last some time between top ups. 2. Rolled Cardboard: easy to light but needs frequent top ups. Some cardboard is treated with fire retardant chemicals which makes it unsuitable. 3. Wood Shavings: easy to light but needs very frequent top ups, useful as a starter medium 4. Sacking: can produce acrid smoke test carefully, some sacking can be treated with fire retardant chemicals. Some people like to use a hybrid of cardboard and sack cloth rolled together. 5. Compressed cotton waste: This new product to the beekeeping world is very good giving long life and cool smoke but has the distinct disadvantage that you will need to purchase it from a beekeeping supplier. Buying something to just burn is not attractive for large scale beekeepers but may suit the hobbyist. The easiest way to light a smoker is with a blowlamp, if you do not want to use a blow lamp then scrunch up a piece of newspaper such as it will loosely drop to the bottom of the smoker. A trench lighter is useful as it is resistant to wind but a match will do, light the paper and drop it to the bottom of the smoker puffing it gently to get it going. Drop some dry kindling on top of the burning paper such as small pieces of rotted wood, if you are using cardboard or wood shavings then this can be put straight on top. Keep gently puffing and add more fuel as the smoker gets going. Do not over fill it. To extinguish the smoker put a cork or tuft of grass into the top and lay it on it's side on something that will not be damaged by heat. 3.3 How do I make a frame up How do I make a frame up: needs photos You will need: 11 · Pins (thin 3/4” nails about known as gimp pins) · A light hA. m. melliferaer · PVA wood glue (non water proof is fine) · Sharp modelling knife · Set square is useful 1. First remove the filler piece from the top bar using your knife and trim off any splinters 2. Glue the side bars lightly and press them into the top bar with the slot for the wax towards the inside 3. Fit one of the bottom bars without nails or glue, it should stay in place temporarily 4. If you look carefully you will notice that the reinforcing wire embedded in the wax in the shape of a WW sticks out three times on one edge and twice on the other. Bend the three protruding wire ends through 90 degrees 5. Carefully fit the sheet of wax by sliding it down the groves in the side bars until the 3 bent pieces of wire meet the top bar. 6. Insert the filler piece and the last bottom bar and you are ready to pin it all together 7. Pin the filler piece to the top bar with three pins each positioned close to where the wire ends 8. Finally pin the bottom bars using 4 pins into the side bars. This method allows for easier dismantling of the frame should you wish to recycle it with a new sheet of wax foundation in the future. 3.4 What do I look for when I open a hive 1. Is the queen there called “queen right”. There in need to actually see the queen just look for eggs and young larvae to be sure that she is ok. 2. Are the bees healthy 3. Do they need feeding 4. Have they plenty of space to expand and store honey 5. Are the y planning to swarm (this is a seasonal thing) 3.5 How much smoke should I use The answer is really no more than necessary, but as a beginner how do you know. Well take no chances; smoke is your primary tool for controlling your bees whilst you manipulate them. If you do not know your bees always start with a couple of good puffs aimed at the entrance to drive the guard bees inside and a puff under the crown board and each box as you remove them. Look out for the bees bubbling up on top of the frames this can be a sign that they ‘mean business’ a gentle puff drifting over the bees will push them back down. Avoid pumping the hive full of smoke this can make matters worse, if things are getting out of control pack them up for the day. If you find it difficult to control your bees see ‘What do I do with bad tempered bees’ in the problem section. 3.6 How do I use my hive tool properly The hive tool is used to separate things that the bees stick together and this is everything. There are basically two styles of hive tool there is the popular ‘J’ tool and the more traditional scraper style. It is personal preference but as a beginner start with a ‘J’ tool, it is the more versatile design. The sharp end is useful to separate brood and super boxes and the ‘J’ is great for levering out propolised frames. Use the heel of the ‘J’ tool on the frame next to the one that you are about to lift, with the ‘J’ hooked under the frame. Always lever close to the frames vertical side pieces as this is where the frame is strongest. 3.7 How do I move my bees Method: 12 In the evening block the entrance with a piece of foam and secure the hive by using a ratchet tie down strap around the floor, body and crown board. If the transit time is more than 15 minutes then use a ventilated travelling board/screen in place of the crown board. Should you have a mesh floor already fitted then this is unnecessary. 3.7.1 A short distance Bees will always return to the same spot and if you move the hive more than a meter they will struggle to find their own hive. If there are no other bees close by, you can stretch this closer to two meters. If you need to move your hive; for example across your garden, then move it in several such small steps every good flying day. It will help if you face the hive in a different direction and place a branch in their way, they then realise as they leave the colony that things have changed. 3.7.2 A medium distance Should you wish to move your bees less than 3km but further than you can comfortably move in short steps as above then first you need to move the colony more than 3km for 5-6weeks then back to their new site. 3.7.3 A long distance If you move your bees more than 3 kilometres then the bees will realise that their surroundings have completely changed and reoriented to their new hive position without any problem. 3.7.4 Exceptions In the middle of winter when the bees do not fly far from the hive entrance the hive may be moved any distance without concern. 3.8 How often should I replace the wax comb Aim to change 2-3 frames of brood comb every spring. Super comb can last for years once drawn out evenly; you will need to replace a percentage each year due to a variety of reasons such as wax moths or accidental damage during the extraction process. 3.9 How do I know when to put a super on Work well ahead of the bees, do not wait until one super is close to full before putting on the next, this is too late and the bees may decide to swarm due to congestion. If there are bees working right across the super then put on another, they will tend to fill the middle frames first, if you have time then move the full frames to the edge. Put empty supers on top – it’s easier and it’s where the bees expect the empty space to be 3.10 How do I find the queen Finding the queen can be easy or some times seem near impossible but it is something you will need to do occasionally in order to prevent swarming. Mostly you will spot her when you do not need to so always have your queen marking cage and paint to hand because a marked queen is ten times easier to find next time. Here are some useful points. · Use no or little smoke as this makes her run around · Search for her whilst the bees are flying as there will be less bees in the colony · She is most likely to be near a patch of freshly laid eggs · Start looking on the first comb before the brood and leave a space between the brood frames and the next adjacent food frame to minimise her options to hide. · As you look at the frame think ‘the bee with the long legs’ and with the sun over your shoulder watch for her running around the edge to the darker side. · Scan methodically breaking up clusters by gently breathing on them. 13 If you fail after 3 or 4 passes pack up and come back later, as she may well have taken refuge on the floor. 3.11 How do I mark a queen using a 'crown of thorns' marking cage ? 1. Position the comb horizontally trying not to crush any bees. 2. Place the baldock cage loosely over the queen without stabbing her (don't press down yet). 3. Allow workers from exit from the cage through the gaps between the pins (blowing on them may help). 4. Test the marker pen on a suitable hard surface, ensuring no big blobs' 5. Gently press the cage down until the queen is immobilised by the resilient net 6. Make a dot on the queen's thorax between her wings and leave her imobilised for a few moments for a skin to form on the paint. 6. Lift the cage vertically so that the paint is nopt smudged. 3.12 How do I introduce a new queen bee The safest way is to use a queen introduction cage often called a hair roller cage. 1. The old queen must be removed from the hive. 2. Remove any attendant bees from the queens travelling cage. (if you have bought a queen by post the beekeeper will have also included some attendant bees to look after her) 3. Block up the open end of the introduction cage solidly with about a piece of newspaper firmly crushed to plug the end. As the bees cannot get through this you will need to release the queen later. You could use a block of candy that the bees will eat through but as a very new beginner this method is safer. 4. The queen should have a safe refuge in her cage to protect her from biting, some cages have this designed in, if not wrap two layers of paper around half the cage and secure with a rubber band. 5. The new queen with no other bees is placed in the cage and the cage placed horizontally between two combs in the centre of the brood. Squeeze the combs gently together to hold the cage. 6. Three days later you will need to return and release her, unless you have blocked it with candy in which case she should have been released by the bees. Best to check anyway. Reassemble the hive and leave them to it for a few days before checking again looking for eggs. 3.13 How do I increase or decrease my stock of bees Combining two colonies called uniting, or splitting one into two is the fundamental method of controlling the number of hives you wish to manage. 3.14 How do I combine two hives into one (Uniting) Never unite two weak colonies into one as you will end up with another poorly hive. Check for signs of disease before uniting and unite weak into strong. 1. Move the two colonies close together obeying the rules for moving bees. 2. Remove the queen from the colony that you are least happy with. If you do not do this the bees will decide, and may choose the queen that has the poorer characteristics in your opinion, i.e. bad temper. (The genes and pheromones of the queen influence the temperament of the bees) 3. Remove supers shaking the bees into their brood box.. 4. Place a single sheet of newspaper over the now queenless colonies brood box, if it is windy secure with drawing pins. Ensure that there are no gaps, use two overlapping sheets if necessary. 5. Make two or three short cuts with your hive tool to give the bees a starting point. 14 6. Place the queen right colony on top of the queenless brood box. 7. If you have had to remove supers and there are still some bees in them it is safer to put them above the top brood box with a queen excluder and another sheet of paper. 3.15 How do I make two hives out of one (Splitting) If you take a strong colony in the summer and divide the brood nest in two and separate into two brood boxes, then the half of the colony without the queen will quickly start making emergency queen cells and raise a new queen. This is the simplest method of increasing your stock. The box left on the original location will pick up all the flying bees so make sure that the other half has plenty of food reserves. If the bees are preparing to swarm then the queen can be removed* and the colony split as above with two or three good cells left in each half. Arguably queens made from normal queen cells can be better than emergency queens but not always. This procedure is similar to the swarm control measure known as ‘making an artificial swarm’. See the Problem section. *Removed queens can be kept in a nucleus (mini hive) with three or four of frames bees in case things go wrong or culled. 3.16 How do I make up syrup to feed my bees Bees are generally fed with a sugar and water syrup, many books talk about thin and thick mixes but thick concentrated mix is safe to use at all times. To make a thick syrup mix to the ratio of 1kg of sugar to 1 litre of warm water. The method of feeding is to use a special feeder that goes on top of the colony, there being two basic designs; 3.17 How and when do I feed my bees Contact Feeders, that the bees access (contact ) from below with the syrup held by a vacuum formed by inverting the feeder and shaking some syrup out. Contact feeders go over the feeder hole in the crown board, incidentally you may find that some crown boards have this hole offset from the middle and this design is a nuisance. They are also small in capacity generally no larger than 2 litres. They are useful for stimulation feeding (feeding to encourage the queen to lay more eggs usually in the early spring) and top up feeding but unless you like many visits to your hive, they are not suitable for winter feeding. Bulk Feeders, such as the Adams, Ashforth, and Miller feeders can hold ten litres of syrup which with the honey in the brood chamber is usually sufficient to see your bees through the winter. There is no need to use the crown board indeed if your roof is not bee proof (most are some are not) the crown board needs to go on top of the feeder to keep other bees and wasps out. 3.17.1 Early Spring Some beekeepers feed in early springtime to speed up the rate of egg laying of the queen and thereby make a stronger colony earlier ready for large nectar sources such as OSR (Oil Seed Rape), this is known as ‘Stimulation Feeding’. In Leicestershire you need to feed in early March that is at least six weeks before the first flow is expected but you do not need to feed much as the bees do not ‘need’ this food it is simply a ‘kick start’ to suit the beekeeper. Feed no more than 2 litres. 3.17.2 Late Summer (feeding for winter) Most beekeepers consider that bees require16kg (35lbs) of food to get them through the winter, if the hive was completely empty of stores this would be about two full fills of a bulk feeder (20 litres) but as the bees normally have some honey already in the brood chamber one 10 litre fill is sufficient. If in doubt feed them some more. The time to feed is mid August but no later than mid September as the 15 onset of the cooler damp autumn weather makes it difficult for the bees to get rid of the excess water. 3.17.3 Feeding a t other times For many reasons bees can need additional feeding at any time of year, perhaps due to a spell of very dry weather in the summer or some other crisis. In the depths of winter a bag of sugar with a hole in the middle and a cup of water to wet it can be a hive saver if placed over the feeder hole. In the summer months do not feed with supers on as syrup will easily be stored there. 3.18 Can I feed honey back to my bees Yes but it’s not to be recommended as it can spread diseases. Never feed honey from unknown hives only use honey from the same apiary, and definitely never feed shop bought honey. The feeding of supermarket honey ‘as a treat’ is now a classic way to give your bees a serious disease such as AFB which transfers from overseas as spores in the honey. 3.19 Do I need to feed them candy Candy is a mix of sugar and a little water that forms a smooth stiff paste similar to bakers fondant, indeed bakers fondant can be used and saves you the hassle of making it up. As candy has a low water content, it can be fed to bees during the depths of winter or as a spring stimulant. However some bees seem to ignore it whilst others take it with relish. If you feed sufficiently in the autumn there should be no need to use candy at all. 3.19.1 How do I make candy It’s as simple as 1,2,3,4,5... that’s 1 pint water with 5lb sugar heated to 234F. And that just will not work in metric sorry. A teaspoon of Cream of Tarter also helps to stop it setting too hard. Mix the sugar into the water slowly and bring to the boil for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Test the mixture by dripping onto a cold plate until it forms a soft solid mass. Take off the heat and stand the saucepan in cold water for about 20 minutes until you see white streaks appearing. Then stir vigorously and pour into containers around 2Kg such as old ice cream tubs and leave to set. 3.20 How do I prepare my bees for the winter months Your bees need sufficient food for the winter, see feeding bees for details. Your bees should also be strong and healthy if you have weak (disease free) colonies then consider combining them into a stronger colony. Entrances should be fitted with a mouse guard to prevent hibernating guests, and insulation such as a layer of carpet or polystyrene should be on top of the crown board. If your hives are on a windy or exposed site then weigh down the roof or even strap the whole hive together. 3.21 Can I leave a super on during the winter This is not a good idea as the queen cannot get through the queen excluder which means that the bees always have to live in the coldest part of the hive as their warmth rises into the super. 3.22 How do I breed better bees ‘Simply’ They key here is ‘Simply’ there are volumes written on the subject but simple breeding should be part of all beekeepers skills. It is really just selecting the right bees for you from what you’ve got. For example let’s say you have one angry hive and one placid one. When the angry hive tries to swarm (you can do this without the bees wanting to swarm but within or very close to the swarm season (May-July) is best) remove their queen and cut down all the queen cells and give them a frame of 16 eggs from your placid hive. Now they need to make emergency queens from whatever eggs/ larvae are available, they may try and use the old queens eggs so 5-7 days later cut all the new queen cells from the ‘angry queens’ eggs thus leaving only queen cells from the placid queen. If there are no ‘placid queen’ cells , add another frame of eggs and now they have no option but to do as you wish as there are now no ‘angry’ strain eggs or larvae available. 4 Honey Crop 4.1 When should I take the honey from the bees Oil Seed Rape (OSR) honey granulates solid VERY quickly and it must be removed and extracted before it sets in the comb, but when is this? OSR is now planted in the winter (Winter Rape) to start flowering in the spring as early as March it can also be planted in the spring (Spring Rape) to flower later maybe as late as July/August. This prolonged season can make it a nuisance as if your bees first work on Winter OSR and then go onto Spring OSR it contaminates and dominates your honey crop for all that season as the bees prefer getting OSR nectar to almost all other potential nectar sources. If you leave it until the OSR honey is capped (as is good advice for all other honeys) then you’re too late with OSR. Instead hold the comb flat and try and shake some nectar out. If nothing comes out it is probably ok, if there is fresh nectar in the comb it will spray out as thin syrup. Only extract from the frames that you cannot shake out nectar. Other Honeys: Once you have taken all the OSR honey from the hive then the last crop can be taken from the bees in early August. 4.2 How much honey can I expect to get From nothing to about 100lbs per hive in a good season, but typically 30-50lbs/hive. Incidentally it could be worse than nothing as you may need to feed your bees to keep them alive in a bad year! 4.3 How do I get my honey from the bees There are several devices generically known as Clearer Boards. One of the most popular and reliable is to use a Porter Escape which is a one-way bee valve fitted into the feeder hole of a crown board. Some beekeepers use dedicated clearer boards with two Porter Escapes fitted. Place the clearer board beneath the supers to be cleared leaving the crown board on top of the stack. It takes up to 48hours for all the bees to clear from the supers like this. If the hive is strong then ensure there are empty supers beneath the clearer board to give them space to continue there good work. If you cause congestion the bees will want to swarm. Remove the super’s then the clearer board replacing it with the original crown board from the removed supers. 4.4 Do I ‘need’ an extractor The short answer is ‘Yes’ but it does not need to be yours. Your local association will often have one for loan or hire. Or you can put the word around using the association newsletter that you want to borrow or buy one second hand. Only buy an extractor that is made of stainless steel or polyurethane plastic as anything else is now illegal for food production use. Electric models are marvellous but are expensive; a manual extractor will be ok if you have up to (say) four hives. 4.5 How do I uncap frames and use an extractor The traditional method is to use a long knife some people invest in a heated knife. It has the advantage of trimming the wax comb flat but does cause quite a lot of honey to be removed with the 17 wax cappings which you then need to drain. Many beekeepers now use a special decapping fork also used for drone removal (Hygiene please...not the same one) to remove the wax capping, it has the advantage that it leaves the honey behind but does not trim the comb. The choice is yours. 4.6 Do I need a warming cabinet There are not many Must Haves in beekeeping but you will find a warming cabinet very useful for settling freshly extracted honey before filtering. Perhaps build one (it’s easy) for your second year as a beekeeper. 4.6.1 How do I build warming cabinet Obtain an old refrigerator, with a good front door ie seals intact. Due to regulations about disposing of refrigerant gas it is best to obtain one already degassed from your local waste disposal agent. The compressor is not required and can be removed. Connect a lamp holder at the lowest point in the fridge and fit no greater than a 40w lamp. If you wan t to be flash you can connect a thermostat such as one used in a fish tank. These have a temperature range above 30C and work just fine in air, fit it 2/3 up or leave it in the door and set to 35C. A piece of wood fitted directly above the lamp to prevent a local hot spot and you now have a warming cabinet. 4.7 What do I store the honey in before I jar it Store honey in clean plastic food grade containers with air tight lids. Honey absorbs water (hydroscopic) and will spoil otherwise. The size is up to you with 15 and 30lb buckets being popular and available from equipment suppliers. How do I filter and jar my crop You will find that leaving the freshly extracted honey 24 hours before filtering is beneficial especially if stored in a warming cabinet. The honey will then be warmer and thinner and most debris will have floated to the surface making filtering a fast easy operation. It is best to use 2 or 3 filers cascaded together, use 2 kitchen sieves coarse then fine and finely a nylon or scrim filter cloth. The honey should flow from a large container fitted with a honey tap through your filters and into an equally large container. Special tanks are available at great expense to do this but using 5 gallon home brew fermentation bins fitted with honey taps also works well. 4.9 Where can I get jars and labels from for my honey See Contacts-Equipment Suppliers below. 4.10 How do I deal with Oil Seed Rape (OSR) honey The problem with OSR honey is that is sets incredible hard and quickly, so hard it will bend spoons. You must allow it to set before you jar it that way you can processes it before it’s a problem. You will need a 4 inch honey stirrer that fits into a powerful (750+ Watt) electric drill. 18 1. Keep the honey in bulk containers and let it set solid this may take 2 weeks to 2 months but it will set. 2. Once set, warm it in a warming cabinet until you can JUST get the stirrer in and then cream it for a good 5 minutes. Make sure to get into the corners of the container and try to avoid stirring in air as it will cause unsightly foam in the jar. Guide: Honey must not be overheated and 40Watt light bulb in a warming cabinet takes about 48hours to condition 70lb of honey ready for creaming. 3. Allow the resultant creamed honey to settle for a few days, a week is good, this ensure that most of the air has risen to the top. 4. Honey treated like this will remain beautifully creamy for a very long time. 4.11 What do I do with granulated honey still in the super comb The only thing to do is to either scrap the comb or scrape it down to the original foundation sheet (midrib) which is a messy time consuming operation. Learn from this and make a note to take the honey from your bees earlier next year. 5 Problems 5.1 Swarming 5.1.1 How do I stop my bees from wanting to swarm All bees will swarm let’s face it, it’s the bees idea of being a success, but some are more prone than others the key points to ‘reduce’ the swarming instinct are as follows: · Most importantly: Do not breed from bees that are from unknown swarms or show a strong tendency to swarm. This nearly always selects bees that will do the same thing next year. See ‘How do I breed better bees simply’ above. · Give them space ahead of the bee’s immediate requirements. That is adding additional supers well before the bees have fully filled the present ones. If necessary add an additional brood box if the queen’s running short of space to lay eggs. Removing brood to give space only is not a good idea as it weakens a strong colony and it is strong colonies that produce disproportionately more honey. · Keep them busy: By replacing up to 30% of your comb each year with foundation gives the young bees work to do and helps reduce the swarm urge. · Make them think they have already swarmed: There are several methods of creating an artificial swarm; this simulates what the bees want to do anyway. Once the bees have swarmed or at least ‘think’ they have swarmed they will* not swarm again that year. *Remember: Bees do nothing invariably but it’s a near certainty. 5.1.2 How do I make an artificial swarm? The principle is to leave the old queen with the flying bees, similar to a swarm. To do this, follow these simple steps: Warning: you need spare equipment. 1. Move the hive two meters or more from its present site. (If you can only move the hive less than four metres then rotate the whole hive 180° so its entrance is facing a different direction.) 2. Place a new hive with drawn or undrawn frames on the old site. 3. Move the queen to the new hive. Move her with the frame she is found on and adjacent frame, cutting off any queen cells on these frames. She is placed in the new hive. 4. Cut down any Queen cells in the original hive leaving two cells close together. 19 5. Spread the supers between the hives. If you do not have sufficient supers with stores (about 25% full) to put on top of each half hive then feed the bees instead. Now what happens? Well the flying bees fly out on normal duties not realising there hive has moved and return to their old position and meet their queen. So, with all the flying bees and queen ending up in a new hive with lots of work to be done makes them think they have swarmed. The old hive will raise emergency queens from young larvae or queens from queen cells if you have left them as in (4) above. Leave them for four weeks then and check for eggs do not be tempted to look in sooner. Now you have two hives, if you do not wish to expand then choose which queen you wish to keep, probably the new one if their temper is ok and recombine the hives. See “How do I combine two hives into one (Uniting)” 5.1.3 What do I do if I see a swarm queen cell Firstly don’t panic, swarming is just the bee’s idea of being a success. You need to make some sort of plan and to do that you need to examine a few things first. See the flow chart for details, it looks a bit complicated but it’s not really. The ‘Power of Two Trap’ As a new beekeeper it is easy to expand, one hive becoming two, but beware, a couple seasons later two become four, four becomes eight etc, then you will find yourself scratching around for equipment. Bees multiply easily; the real skill is to keep down to the number of hives that suits you and your hobby remains enjoyable. Think: Quality not Quantity 20 *Supersedure is where the bees are going to make anew queen without swarming, it usually happens mid summer or later and is a very desirable trait. Are there any eggs present in the brood comb? Are there any eggs in the brood box? Is it a single cell in the centre of a frame? Most likely a *supersedure cell. Leave alone for 3 weeks No Yes Yes Remove the queen if present. Choose a well placed, preferably open Queen cell with a well developed larva. Mark its position with a drawing pin on the top bar. Destroy all other Queen cells. Make nucleus with the Queen or spare Queen cell as a precaution. Are there any new Queen cells Are there any new Queen cells? Destroy all Queen cells and add supers if required. (As the old queen must still be present, this might persuade them not now to swarm) Re-inspect in 7 days Continue with Routine Inspections Queen Cells Found No Yes No Re-inspect in 7 days Yes No No Add a frame of eggs from the nucleus or other good colony. Yes Leave brood chamber alone for 3 weeks Leave brood chamber alone for 3 weeks Destroy all new Queen new cells but leave the marked Queen cell. 21 5.1.4 What do I do if they have already swarmed If the bees have swarmed and there are still queen cells in the colony you need cut them off except two preferably unsealed cells that are close together. Then rebuild the colony and leave for three weeks and check that the colony is now queen right. Choosing unsealed cells ensures that there is actually a larva in the cell as some sealed queen cells can be empty. 5.1.5 How do I catch a swarm If safe to do so i.e. the swarm is within easy reach, typically hanging from the branch of a low bush or tree. Start by putting a brood box with a floor underneath the swarm with some old comb, old nasty comb is fine but it should have no eggs or larvae present. It may be easier if you carefully cut the branch that the swarm is hanging from and hold it directly over the box. With one clean move, shake the bees into the box and promptly cover with a crown board. The bees will quickly locate the open entrance and within a few minutes you will see bees fanning with their bottoms in the air distributing their scent from a organ called a ‘Nasanov Gland’, this is like a beacon to help the stragglers find the colony and queen. In the evening the entrance can be blocked with apiece of foam rubber and the floor/brood box and crown board can be secured with ratchet luggage strap and moved to a new location. This description is simplified and ideal, in practice you might find that the swarm is inaccessible or at least difficult to reach, such as in the middle of a bush or in a chimney. Every situation is different and calls on you as the beekeeper to use your initiative especially if spare equipment is unavailable, cardboard boxes can be used as a temporary swarm box but never attempt to move a swarm without a smoker and bee suit. 5.1.6 What do I do with a swarm once caught Swarms are keen to make wax comb and will draw out foundation quickly especially if you feed them sugar syrup. If the weather is unsuitable for the bees to forage then feed them anyway. Add new foundation and remove most of the old comb that the bees have not yet used. The swarm should be treated for Varroa mite as all the mites are on the bee’s body and treatment is most effective. Once the bees have sealed brood the mites have somewhere to hide from most Varroa treatments so treat promptly. Swarms should be kept separate from you bees for 3-4 weeks to allow you spot any disease that the bees might be carrying preferably in another site as bees do drift between hives. You have to decide what you are going to do with them: 1) Keep them as a new colony i.e. your expanding (Beware of the Power of Two Trap) Within a few days the bees will have a couple of frames of brood under way and you will be confident that they are going to stay; it is now safe to re-queen them. This is usually a good idea as these bees are likely to be from a strain that swarm easily and this should not be encouraged. 2) Strengthen an existing colony. Do not try to strengthen a colony that is weak as there could be underlying problems there. It is best to strengthen strong colonies into very strong colonies as they are the ones that will really produce a lot of honey. Start by de-queening the swarm, and the easiest and quickest way to combine bees is to use a toilet air freshener spray and spray both colonies between each frame. Shake the swarm 22 into the hive to be strengthened. Remember that if the swarm has been kept less than a couple of miles away some bees will return to that site. 5.2 How do I simply monitor and manage Varroa Varroa is a mite which is a pest not a disease however it does make bees more susceptible to other disease. It has been shown that colonies of bees with mite populations above 2500 are likely to succumb to viral infection whilst those with lesser mite populations are more able to survive. As over-treatment with acaricides will lead to mite resistance, not withstanding the costs, it makes sense to treat only when required. It is, therefore, necessary to estimate the number of mites present in a colony. Techniques to do this have evolved over the past few years and it is recommended that you check on the CSL web site in the appendix for the latest information. Here are two ways to estimate Varroa infestation. 1) By natural mite drop: Natural mite mortality (not using an acaricide which would give false readings) can be determined by using a Varroa floor, a sticky insert or a grill protected tray. Remove the floor after 7 days and count the number of mites to obtain a daily average. The number of mites in the colony can be calculated as follows: Number of mites in colony = May to August: Mite drop per day x 30 April and Sept: Mite drop per day x 100 2) By uncapping: During April to October this may be done as follows: Uncap approximately 100 sealed drone cells with a fork, lifting out the drone pupae. Turn them upside down. The mites will show on the abdominal segments. Count the number of drone pupae infested and calculate the number of mites in the colony as follows: For assessment; there are about 2000 drone cells per side on a National brood frame or 1 ae. Once the number of mites has been estimated, the graph can be used to determine how long the colony can be left before treatment. The data above is approximate and biased in favour of the bees. It is important to recognise that infestation and re-infestation can cause a rapid rise in mite population and ideally the test should be done every month during the active season (i.e. summer months). If the number of mites in the colony is below 2000 at the end of October, no treatment should be required until spring. Remember that 2500 mites in the colony requires treatment immediately - no matter what time of year and whether or not there are supers on the hive. No. of infested pupae x No. of sealed cells in colony x 10 Number of mites in colony = No. of cells tested 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Number of days before treatment April May on... Mites 23 5.3 What diseases can my bees catch All bees are at some risk of catching something. The most serious two disease are called American and European Foul Brood (AFB and EFB). These are notifable to the National Bee Unit and will be dealt with by the local bee inspector, often by destroying the bees. Fortunately AFB and EFB are rare occurrences with many beekeepers never experiencing a problem.. AFB: is a disease detectable after the brood is sealed; it is caused by a spore forming bacteria. The brood pattern is scattered with the wax cappings sunken and perforated. The larvae have a ropey texture which dries to a spore laden black scale which the bees find difficult to remove. There can be a glue-like smell from the colony. The dry spores remain a source of re-infection for decades. Therefore un-sterilised second-hand equipment can bring this disease into an apiary. EFB: is a disease that can be detected before the larvae are sealed caused by non-spore forming bacteria. It also has a scattered brood pattern with some sunken and discoloured cappings. The difference from AFB is that uncapped dead larvae lie in unnatural twisted positions with infected live larvae having a yellowish appearance and their digestive track (trachea) visible as a white hair line. The bees can remove the dead larvae and evidence making EFB sometimes difficult to diagnose in the field. Nosema: A disease endemic in most bee hives with symptoms of dysentery brought on by stress. Can be treated with an antibiotic called Fumidil B. Acrine: This is a mite that lives in the breathing tubes of the bee, the symptoms are bees crawling near the entrance unable to fly and behaving listlessly. Chalk Brood: The larvae is dead with a hard chalky appearance, this is caused by a fungus. It is seldom serious and if it starts to become a problem changing the queen can eliminate it. problems associated with queens... 5.4.1 What do I do if I think my hive is queenless Most beginners convince themselves that their hive is queenless at some point and mostly they are wrong. Queens can stop laying for several weeks in the summer mostly this is a result of local weather conditions. But you want to test that there is a queen, right? Ok you need to add a brood frame containing eggs, if the colony has a queen nothing will happen, if not within a couple of days they will start making ‘emergency queens’ from these eggs or more precisely young larvae. If this happens cut them all off except two that are close together, leave them alone for four weeks before checking again. 5.4.2 What is a drone laying queen The queen hold sperm from her mating flights and this sperm is slowly used up through the life of the queen. The female worker is the result of a queens egg fertilised with a sperm and the drone bee is from an unfertilised egg, therefore when the sperm runs out the result is a comb full of small drones instead of workers. These drones cell can be identified by their dome capping. The queen is finished and must be replaced; she may not be very old but was poorly mated. 5.4.3 What causes laying workers and what do I do If a hive becomes queenless for a prolonged period one or more workers start to behave as queens. They have not been mated so can only produce unfertilised drone brood. They also do not have a long body or the correct behaviour of a queen and multiple eggs can be seen in each cell mostly attached to the side walls. But beware newly mated queens can also produce signs like this until they get more experienced. A laying worker colony will not readily accept a new queen so drastic measures are called for. Shake all the bees to the ground outside a strong colony more than two metres from the original. The flying bees will return, the young bees will beg their way into the strong colony and the problem laying workers as they have not flown are lost and cannot return to the colony. Introduce a new mated queen and leave them alone. 5.5 What do I do with bad tempered bees Do not tolerate bad temper, some bees can have their off days but don’t use this as an excuse. If you frequently go to you bees expecting a fight then you will begin to not enjoy your hobby at all. Some signs of bad temper are: o Bees pouring out the entrance ready for a fight when you start to manipulate. o Veil covered in bees if you breath at their entrance before manipulation. o Following you back to your house or car o Tens of stings in your gloves o Routinely attacking people beyond 10 metres of their colony even when not disturbed. The only answer is to replace the queen with one from a gentle stock. To do this you will first need to find and remove her, this can be a daunting prospect and it is best to get an experienced beekeeper to assist. 5.6 My hives have been knocked over, what do I do In short: Pick them up. Bees survive in the most unlikely positions for a long time. If you are unlucky the queen could be killed by frames moving around but that’s uncommon. Use plenty of smoke as it is difficult to be gentle and the bees will be upset anyway if it has happened within the last 24 hours. Try and pick up the bits with minimal movement of frames as that’s when bees do get damaged and reassemble in the original location. If there has been signs of robbing such as lots of rough wax debris and light boxes then feed them. 5.7 How do I stop wasps or other bees from attacking my hives From mid season onwards when nectar sources are fewer and there are more bees looking then they start to be attracted to the easier option of stealing the honey from their neighbours. Wasps also begin to take this option when their colonies start to collapse toward the end of summer and the wasp queens leave the colony to hibernate until next year. You will see robbing bees (and wasps) as they do not fly directly to the hive but zigzag often trying to sneak in by the extreme edges of the entrance. Some bees are more prone to rob and vulnerable to robbing than others. To help colonies under attack reduce the entrance width down to about 2-3cm this will be easier for them to defend. 5.8 Someone phones me with a ‘bee’ problem what do I say Remember that most members of the public cannot differentiate between the honeybee and wasps, bumble-bees or solitary bees. Tell the caller that there are over 25,000 species of bee and you are a honey beekeeper and know little about the rest, so you need to establish that it is honey bees that are causing the problem. Ask questions such as: Q1) What do they look like? 25 · Yellow and black = wasps · Fat and furry = bumble bees Q2) Are they spread around a wall or lawn? · This is usually a trait of solitary bees, which although solitary individuals tend to choose the same location or same time to emerge. Q3) What are they doing? · i.e Is it a swarm in a cluster = honey bees. Establish it’s location as this will affect how you might deal with it. i.e. on a bush at eye level or 10metres up a tall tree. · Flying in and out of...take your pick...chimney, roof, crack in a wall. Sounds like honey bees if they are not wasps. The advice given now depends on what you have ascertained. Bumble bees: Try and persuade the caller to live with them as they are non-aggressive and under threat. They will only be resident for that year, and their nest will be abandoned for the winter and not used again next year. Animals and children should be kept from interfering with the entrance but otherwise they will make good neighbours. Attempting to move a bumble bee nest usually results in its demise. Wasps and solitary bees: You should advise them to contact a specialist pest control company, it is handy to have such details to hand. If the nest is accessible then you can advise that there are sprays available from shops that can by sprayed on to the outside of the nest killing the insects inside. Specialist companies use spays and chemicals that are not available to the general public and are more effective in difficult locations. With modern litigation it is inadvisable to attempt to remove a wasp nest yourself. Bees: You are a beekeeper and every beekeeper has lost a swarm or two, so you should try and help where possible. If it is impractical for you to attend in person then try and get a local beekeeper (whose bees they may well be) to help. Your local association may have a swarm coordinator or provide you with a list of members. If you attend in person do not put yourself at risk, swarms already in a chimney or an inaccessible void cannot be dealt with by an inexperienced beekeeper so take advice. Beekeeping supplies... Honey Jars and labels · Jars: “Bristol Bottle Company” 27 Bristol manufacturer nearly all the standard 1lb honey jars sold in the UK. If you can order five gross (720) or more at a time it’s worth your while ordering direct from Bristol Bottle. There is a fixed delivery charge. Some beekeepers group together, to get the quantity up and hence keep the price down, ask around. BRISTOL BOTTLE COMPANY Vigo Place Aldridge Walsall, West Midlands WS9 8UG Tel: 01922 743883 Web: www.bristolbottle.co.uk · Labels: Thorne’s (see suppliers above) stock standard labels that they will overprint with your name and address, they also now offer a custom service where they will print your photo or drawing as background. Whilst National Be ekeeping Supplies are very competitive if you want to splash out and design your own label including hot foil (metallic). There is a one off charge for the artwork then you have your own unique label for life. Beekeeping Magazines · “Bee Craft” : (www.bee-craft.com) · “Beekeepers Quarterly”( www.beedata.com/bbq.htm ) An Beachaire Book recommendations... Bee Book Stockists... · Northern Bee Books Web: www.beedata.com/beebooks.htm · Bee Books New & Old · B&K Books

Web Resources... There is a huge amount of information out there on the web, following into two categories Email forums or Discussion Groups and Web sites, a very large number of these resources exist and so you will need to use a search engine to find exactly what you are looking for.

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