Cornish Beekeeper's Blog

What beehive to use?

2008-07-23T16:12:00.009+01:00

Most of my work from April to July is controlling the swarming of my bees. I would normally have got on top of it by now, I think the late spring has had a knock on effect. Colonies have taken longer than normal to build up their populations and swarming often occurs when the colony population first reaches it's peak.

As I have said in previous posts, it seems that some beekeepers around me are not controlling their swarming bees. So far this year I have had 18 swarms though some have been small 'after swarms' or 'casts'. Most of them took up residence in empty bait hives that I keep in most of my apiaries without any effort from me, as they prefer to set up home where bees have lived before.

I have managed to collect some whilst they have been clustered - they often do this near the hive they have left and again near their preselected new site - but some find it difficult to find an appropriate home.

I was employed last week to remove a colony established in a stud wall inside a rotting shed. (I cursed that I hadn't taken my camera with me) The cavity in the wall was only 2 inches but 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall and was completely filled with one enormous comb!

The bees had obviously been there for over a year and are sadly heavily infested with varroa. The comb was cut out and temporarily tied into empty British National frames and hived on the spot. I picked up the hive the next evening and the following day gave me the opportunity to stock a Top Bar hive that has been waiting for tenants. This is a new way of managing bees for me and one I look forward to experimenting with. The Top Bar hive is an ideal way to start beekeeping requiring less outlay than is required for other 'commercial' hives and is considered to be an altogether more sustainable beekeeping option. The wild comb was tied to the top bar until the bees do their own job of securing the comb to the bar when I'll remove it.

Cornish Heather

2008-07-09T12:43:00.005+01:00

This is a learning curve. Just starting a blog page and linking it to this site has been a saga. At least the answers are there to be had if you can find them and you've got the time. Anyway the blogger help group is good.
http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help
It seems that everybody else has more spare time to do this sort of thing than me. Or perhaps I'm just slow at this stuff.
The foul weather today ( and on and off for the last week, it's been more like Autumn, I really do hope we're not on for a rerun of last year's summer) has allowed me to catch up with things online. I've only had broadband for the last few months and it's brilliant, everything is now so accessible. It's still a novelty.
I did manage to catch up with hive inspections yesterday though it wasn't really a day for bees with fresh to strong winds and showers. It is amazing to see them catch up with lost time when the sun briefly makes an appearance.
The heather is starting to show but has a way to go yet. The rain today will do them lots of good. I hope the weather is better for the bees when it's in full flower, though this bumble bee was making the most of it, pictured on Cross Leaved Heath, Erica tetralix.
The other photo shows a good comparison between Purple or Bell Heather, Erica cinerea, which is the species that is quite widespread throughout the U.K. and our strictly local Cornish or Lizard Heath, Erica vagans.
We also have besides these, Cilate Heath, Erica ciliaris and Ling or Common Heather, Calluna vulgaris. These all contribute to our Cornish Heather Honey, a real treat. The diversity of wildflowers in Cornwall and across the Lizard peninsula in particular is a joy at this time of year.

Swarms

2008-07-06T16:49:00.002+01:00

Yet more incoming swarms. The wet and windy weather doesn't stop them. This is a huge swarm on a fence post at ground level and took an age to encourage into a hive. I'm in the middle of trying to remove an established colony out of a roof. Without resorting to deconstructing the house or killing the bees, it's a long process taking 6-8 weeks. Sadly few people are willing to pay for this service and so the bees pay the price as they die often within a year or so from unmanaged disease. In this instance the process will become the basis of a future article.

Swarm Control

2008-07-03T17:05:00.000+01:00

A busy fortnight. The main honey flow has started and I've had to make sure all the hives have enough space. Other hives that have had their swarming controlled have had to be checked to make sure new queens are laying.

Longest Day

2008-06-21T17:06:00.000+01:00

Longest day already! The main flush of summer wildflowers is starting and the hive populations are getting to a peak.

Gone Fishing

2008-06-13T17:20:00.002+01:00

Managed to get some fishing in! 5 mackerel was a treat, enough is good as a feast but I was hoping for more. Long days now still controlling the swarming and waiting for new queens to start laying.

Wildflowers

2008-06-08T17:24:00.004+01:00

It's been a very busy fortnight, definitely the swarm season. Whilst dealing with my own bees, I have noticed more than a few swarms have set up home in empty spare hives since my last visit. Nice large swarms too, someone else isn't doing their swarm control. Warm weather after wet has not only kicked off the swarming but also the nectar flow, the hawthorn is starting to go over but clover is starting and there are signs of bramble blossom. It's the diversity of flowers here that make the honey special. I don't know what the bees are foraging on until I see them do it and the ragged robin photo above is a first for me. It is a relative of the red campion, oddly there's loads more of that about but I've never seen the bees use it.

New Queens

2008-05-22T17:30:00.000+01:00

Many colonies are still showing signs of bad varroa infestation and virus damage. Busy splitting hives and queen rearing to make replacement colonies. Hawthorn started, some honey if it warms and the east wind turns around.

Varroa and Colony Collapse

2008-05-14T17:31:00.001+01:00

Busy, busy! A late start to spring but everything catches up quickly. Strong flow of sycamore honey these last few days, glorious flavour! Varroa infestation is still a problem, more than it should be at this time of year with many hives also showing signs of virus infection caused by the mites.