www.wbka.com Rhif/No.182
Hydref/Autumn 2013
Gwenynwyr Cymru The Welsh Beekeeper Welsh Beekeepers’ Association Cymdeithas Gwenynwyr Cymru Llywydd/President: David 9 Ash Grove, Llay, Wrexham, Culshaw LL12 0UF Tel: 01978 854593. Email: [email protected]
Chair pro tem Jenny Tel: 01248 430811 Shaw Email :[email protected]
Ysgrifennydd/ John Page The Old Tannery, Pontsian, Secretary: Llandysul, Ceredigion, SA44 4UD Tel: 01545 590515 E-mail:[email protected]
Trysorydd/ Vincent Tel: 01766 831228 Treasurer: Frostick
Assistant Treasurer Margaret Towerhill, Ffynnonddrain Jones Carmarthen, SA33 6EE Tel: 01267231763 E-mail: [email protected]
Golygyddion/Editor: Sue Closs 31 Llwynderw Drive, Swansea SA3 5AP Tel: 01792 429217 Email: [email protected]
Is-olgyydd/Sub – Dewi Llwynderw,Bronant, editor (Erythglau Morris Aberystwyth, SY23 4TG Cymraeg) Jones Tel: 01974 251264
Membership Ian White Cottage, Manafon Road, Secretary: Individual Hubbuck Berriew, SY21 8BB. Memberships &Subs Tel:01686640205 Email:[email protected]
Publicity Officer Lilian 6 Meadow Rise, The Ridge, Llewelyn Derwen Fawr, Swansea SA2 8AF Tel:01792 207381 E-mail: [email protected]
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 2 Autumn 2013 Contents/Cynnwys
Editorial 4
Chairman pro tem Message 6
President’s message 8
Congratulations to Wally Shaw 10
An Update on Varroa Control Treatments - Wally Shaw 12
BDI News 16
Trafferthion a threialon Gwenynwraig newydd (pennod 3) - Lilian Llewelyn 18
Bees in the Parc - John Verran 20
Notes from a Grumpy Old beekeeper 22
Royal Approval of the Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre - Paul Eades 24
The Beebase approach to managing bee inspections - Frank Gellaty 26
Book review - Nicola Oulton 29
Welsh National Honey Show 30
Exam Secretary’s report including March Exam Results - Dinah Sweet 31
What has technology ever done for beekeeping? - Roger Boyle 32
More than Honey 35
Results of 2012-2013 Winter Losses Survey - Clive and Shân Hudson 38
Archbishop becomes Patron of Bees Abroad 42
Advertisement index 45
Your Local Associations 46
Pictures All pictures are copyright to the author of the article to which they refer, un- less otherwise stated. Cover: SDBKS Bee Tent at Bridgend Show. Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 3 Hydref 2013 Editorial
It appears from the many contributions to the magazine, that this summer has been a very busy period for Welsh beekeepers, quite apart from the good fortune of a period of excellent weather which promises a better yield of honey this year.
The Royal Welsh Show was visited by Prince Charles who met the team from the Pembrokeshire Beekeepers’ Association who have developed the Beekeeping Centre at Scolton Manor supported by the Prince’s Countryside Fund.
The Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales was launched and it can be found with the draft implementation plan on the Welsh Assembly website - http://wales.gov.uk/ topics/environmentcountryside/consmanagement/conservationbiodiversity/ action-plan-for-pollinators/?lang=en
The Association celebrates the honour awarded to our Technical Officer, Wally Shaw, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Congratulations also to prize winners at the Welsh National Honey Show and to successful candidates in this year’s examinations. There are also many successes at local shows where honey and other products are exhibited and prizes awarded. Congratulations to all Associations for the hard work which helps to promote beekeeping and raise the standards of husbandry by encouraging healthy competition.
With the development of new agents for controlling varroa, it is important that beekeepers are well informed on the advantages and disadvantages of the products as well as being appraised of the optimum conditions required for safe use and the timely article by Wally Shaw is welcome.
The advent of more technology in beekeeping is discussed and the article on winter losses from Clive and Shân Hudson provides a practical demonstration of its use as well as provoking further debate on the causes of winter losses with differences being shown between the hives treated for varroa and those receiving no treatment. My thanks again go to the contributors who have provided such a great diversity of topics. It is very pleasing to receive articles from new writers as well as those more familiar authors. I apologise to those whose work has not found space but the articles will be considered for the next edition.
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 4 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 5 Hydref 2013 Chairperson pro tem Message: Jenny Shaw
I must begin by regretfully informing you that Roy Norris resigned his position as Chairman of WBKA on 18th July 2013 ‘with immediate effect’. His decision to resign came as a complete surprise to the Officers and Trustees of WBKA. This has meant that I now need to act up to the role of Chairperson to take the WBKA forward. I would ask everyone to support me as I ease myself into a role for which I thought I would have three years to prepare.
On a happier note I would like to congratulate our Technical Officer, Wally Shaw on being awarded the OBE in the recent Queens’ Birthday Honours List. There is an article about Wally in this edition of the Welsh Beekeeper. He should receive his honour sometime before the end of January 2014 and the official photograph will appear in a later edition of this magazine – it is not everyday that he dresses up!
At the 2013 Royal Welsh Show I was delighted to speak on behalf of WBKA at the launch of both the Welsh Assembly Governments’ Action Plan for Pollinators and Coed Cadw (Woodland Trust) Trees for Pollinators scheme. Details of the ‘Action Plan for Pollinators’ has been circulated to all WBKA Associations and the submission from WBKA to the consultation that led to it can be found on the WBKA website. The Trees for Pollinators is aimed to encourage landowners and farmers to plant trees and shrubs for pollinators.
The plight of insect pollinators is to the forefront of the political agenda currently and the honeybee is the first one that most people think about. The WBKA is being consulted by many organizations e.g. Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Wildlife Trust, etc about projects that they would like our advice on and/or our involvement. All this interest has led to a high level of media coverage over the last few months. We will keep you informed of all this interest through our website.
The WBKA stand at the Royal Welsh Show was busy throughout with a steady stream of visitors interested in beekeeping. I would like to thank both our publicity officer, Lilian Llewelyn and John Rees for the interesting and stimulating display that they put together. The provision of a range of hive types generated some interesting discussions with the visitors. Thank you also to the many helpers who ensured that the display was manned throughout the Show. The Royal Welsh Honey Show was well supported and it was good to see so many WBKA members willing to give up their time to act as stewards. As usual Fred Eckton’s liaison with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society ensured that everything ran smoothly.
Well at long last we have had good weather here on Anglesey for the main nectar flow. Where beekeepers have strong colonies they now have the best honey crop for several years. Currently the bees are very defensive indicating that the main flow has come to an end. I trust that our good fortune here on Ynys Môn is reflected in the area where you keep your bees.
30th July 2013
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 6 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 7 Hydref 2013 President’s Message: David Culshaw I have just returned from the Welsh National Honey Show which is held as part of The Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd. Considering the poor weather last year and the poor spring of this year, it was gratifying to see a good entry in most classes. There were record numbers attending the show, and many expressed an interest in beekeeping.
Thanks to the volunteers who manned the W.B.K.A. stand, they did sterling work in keeping the W.B.K.A. in the public eye, and answering many queries from potential beekeepers.
Anglesey was the Featured County at this year’s show, and Anglesey Beekeepers Association had a very informative stand for beekeepers old and new, and Wally and Jenny Shaw with other Anglesey volunteers on hand to answer any queries.
Congratulations to competitors who received prizes. I was particularly interested in the entry that was awarded Best Exhibit in Show. This was a bottle of sweet mead entered by Mr Frank Brown, a member of South Clwyd Beekeepers Association. I think that if the Editor has space in this edition there will be results from the Show.
I was pleased to be invited with Jenny Shaw to attend The Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) stand for the launch of their Pollinator Packs which consist of 210 small native trees and shrubs, which are of benefit to pollinators, and of course our bees. These are available to land owners at a subsidised price. The launch was opened by Alun Davies, the Environment Minister, and Jenny Shaw explained the benefits to honey bees and other pollinators.
I am sure many other beekeepers were delighted that Wally Shaw has been awarded an O.B.E., in the Queen’s Birthday honours list, for services to the National Bee Unit and beekeeping.
I hope you have full supers (careful with your back).
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 8 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 9 Hydref 2013 Congratulations to Wally Shaw OBE
Welsh beekeepers are delighted that one of their most prominent members has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Wally Shaw, from Anglesey, was given the award for his work with the National Bee Unit and for his invaluable contributions to beekeeping in general over many years.
Wally and his wife Jenny took up beekeeping in 1987 with the aim of providing better pollination for a newly established orchard of around 70 trees. Neither had previous experience of beekeeping and, as trained professional ecologists, they thought that beekeeping would not present much of a problem for them. They soon discovered the reality and realised that they desperately needed help and guidance and so became members of the Anglesey Beekeeping Association (ABKA). Although there was no formal teaching at the time, a nearby beekeeper provided some initial mentoring without which they may never have made it through the early stages. The couple of hives in the orchard soon became 4, then 6 but never more than 8! They now run about 50 hives in 7 apiaries and prepare some 30-40 nucs a year in order to make ABKA self-sufficient in locally adapted bees.
Wally was ‘conscripted’ into the role of Local Association Secretary in the early 1990’s, a post he held for 20years. He is currently the Technical Officer for both his local Association and also for the Welsh BKA. For the past 10 years has been the Trade Stand Secretary of the Welsh Beekeepers’ Convention. In the mid-90’s he was nominated to represent Wales on the Bee Health Advisory Panel – an important link between the Associations and the National Bee Unit. He has remained in this role throughout the Healthy Bee Plan where he also serves as a member of the Science and Evidence Advisory Group. He has found the regular contact with scientists at NBU and the Bee Inspection Service both a stimulating and an enjoyable experience.
Wally is frequently called upon to give lectures on various aspects of beekeeping throughout the Principality and also beyond Offa’s Dyke. He also contributes regularly to the Welsh Beekeeper, to Bee Craft and occasionally to BBKA News.
The driving force behind his beekeeping has been twofold: firstly, an absolute fascination with bees and trying to understand the workings of the colony and secondly, applying to beekeeping of what is known scientifically about bees.
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 10 Autumn 2013 We express our warmest congratulations to Wally on the well-deserved honour he has received.
Gareth Davies
The OBE citation reads ‘For services to the National Bee Unit and Beekeeping’. The award is in his given name of Martin Walter Shaw – Wally being a nickname that he acquired at university in the 1950’s.
Wally has an enquiring mind and approaches all aspects of his life with the question - why? Beekeeping has led him to a fascination with social insects to the extent that a holiday in the Northern Territories of Australia almost turned into a ‘Termite Safari’!
Wally is well known and respected in Beekeeping circles throughout the UK and is never slow to question anything that he considers to be incorrect, inaccurate or misleading.
He was absolutely ‘gob smacked’ to receive notification of the award. He hesitated in his acceptance as he does not want the bestowing of the OBE to affect the way in which he is perceived in Beekeeping circles and beyond. He wishes to stand on the merit of his words and actions and not by any title.
As an Officer of the British Empire he is entitled to a coat of arms (for a fee of course). It has been suggested that crossed hive tools and a bee rampant would be appropriate!
Jenny Shaw “Gob smacked”
National Bee Unit appreciation
Wally has worked with and helped the National Bee Unit over many years. He was a member of the CSL bee health advisory panel, a group which discussed and advised the NBU on its work, the direction of the science, and production of the NBU advisory materials. He is continuing in this vein by currently working as a member of the Defra and Welsh Government’s Bee Health Advisory Panel, the group that guides and advises within the ten year healthy bees plan. Over the years his contributions to discussions, advice and insights as a scientist and experienced beekeeper have been very much appreciated and respected by the National Bee Unit.
Mike Brown , Head of the National Bee Unit
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 11 Hydref 2013 An Update on Varroa Control Treatments. Wally Shaw
Introduction
This article is a response to the introduction of a new approved varroacide called Mite- Away-Quick Strips (MAQS) which has just come onto the market. This product is rather different from anything we have had before and, although it promises to be a very useful addition to the armoury, its use is not completely straightforward. As Randy Oliver says about its use on his web-site (scientificbeekeeping.com), ‘the devil is in the detail’. The situation is made even more difficult by the fact that most of the ‘detail’ about how to use MAQS refers to its use in a very different climate regime to that in Britain (west coast North America) and in the context of somewhat different beekeeping practices (mostly double deep box Langstroth hives). Only time and experience will determine the role MAQS in Varroa control in Britain but one thing is sure, they are certainly not a re-incarnation of the pyrethroid strips that we all used in the early years of Varroa control. So the warning is, don’t just wham them on the hives without giving it any further thought.
The safe and effective use of all varroacides (when and how) depends on a basic understanding of the Varroa mite itself; how it lives in a bee colony and particularly how it reproduces and the timing of this part of their life cycle. It also depends on understanding how the active ingredient of the varroacide is ‘delivered’ to the mite, so we will cover these two issues first.
Life Cycle of the Varroa Mite
All the mites you see in the hive are fertile females. They have already mated in the brood cell in which they were born and are up and ready to go (reproduce). When they are not in the brood cells they cling onto adult bees – usually tucked under a tergite (the chitinous plates that cover the abdomen of the bee). These are the so-called phoretic mites and are most commonly found on nurse bees where they are resting between breeding cycles (usually about 7 days but longer if the right age brood is not available) feeding off the haemolymph (blood) of their host.
When a mite is ready to reproduce it hops off its host bee and enters a cell that contains a near-mature larva. In the case of worker larvae this occurs within the last 24 hours prior to sealing but with drone larvae it can be as early as 48 hours. Initially the mite submerges itself (hides) in the brood food at the bottom of the cell and breathes through a sort of snorkel (the peristile). When the cell is sealed the mite emerges after about 4 hours and starts to feed on the haemolymph of the larva. Egg laying commences 60-70 hours later; the first egg produces a male and the remainder are female (4-5 of them). The male’s sole function is to mate with his sisters whilst still in the cell after which he dies. The mother mite and her offspring leave the cell when the young bee emerges. Female mites go through 3-4 breeding cycles in their lifetime after which they die.
When choosing a cell in which to breed drone brood is preferred over worker brood in a ratio of about 10:1. The longer developmental period of the drone (14 days as opposed to 12 for a worker) – and possibly the more generous food source – means that reproduction is more successful in drone brood. On average the mother mite emerges from worker brood with 1.3 viable daughters but the success rate increases The Welsh Beekeeper #182 12 Autumn 2013 to 2.6 when she reproduces in drone brood. As a result, over a given period the growth of the mite population is about 4 times faster when reproducing in drone brood than it is for worker brood. This is why drone culling is such a successful method of limiting the growth of the mite population.
When it comes to applying Varroa control treatments, the most important thing to understand is the relative amount of time that mites spend on a bee (phoretic mites) and in the brood (reproducing mites). Normally a mite spends 7 days on the bee compared with 13-16 days in the brood (including the pre-sealing period). If you include the new mites that will emerge with the brood, at any one time during the main season 80-85% of the total mite population are in the brood and only 15-20% are phoretic. Of all the varroicides that have been used to-date, only formic acid (the active ingredient of MAQS) is able to penetrate the cappings of sealed brood and kill breeding mites and their offspring within the cell. All other treatments only kill phoretic mites, which is why they have to be resident in the hive and active for a period of 4-6 weeks – to kill mites as they emerge from the safety of the brood.
Varroacide - Mode of Action
This refers to the means (the route) by which the varroacide reaches the mite. There are two main routes:-
1. Contact – either direct contact with the mite or indirect through its host (the bee), or
2. Vapour – the mite receives a fatal dose from exposure to the within-hive atmosphere.
There are currently no varroacides that are ingested directly by the mite or are systemic through feeding on the haemolymph of the bee. The contact route is inherently more reliable than vapour because the latter depends on temperature and the degree of ventilation to maintain a concentration that kills the mites but does not adversely affect the adult bees or brood.
During the early (golden?) days of Varroa control the pyrethroid strips (‘Apistan’ and ‘Bayvarol’) were mediated entirely by contact – the bees walked on the strips and this (presumably helped by grooming) was efficiently passed on to the phoretic mites. The strips continued to release their active ingredient for several weeks and a residency of 6 weeks ensured that 99%+ of the mites were killed – job done and they were almost completely idiot-proof. The dosage safety margin between killing mites and killing bees with the pyrethroids was something like 1000:1 but we now know the extremely stable and fat-soluble pyrethroids tend to accumulate in bees-wax which may result in adverse, long-term effects.
Oxalic acid is also entirely a contact varroacide but only remains active for a short period (probably just a few hours) and thus only kills mites that are currently on the bees. This is why oxalic acid should only be used on a colony that is entirely (or nearly) brood-free. It can have an adverse effect on adult bees but if used correctly damage is minimal. The fact that it can kill brood is irrelevant since there should be no brood to kill at the time it is applied.
The thymol based varroacides (‘Apiguard’, ‘Apivarlife’ and ‘Thymovar’) all work by a mixture of vapour mediation and contact and it is impossible to apportion the two routes. When using ‘Apiguard’ it is a good sign if most or all of the thymol gel has been removed from the tray at the end of each 2 week treatment period. The bees carry the small chunks of gel through the hive rubbing against many other bees in the process and this is how the contact element is achieved. With all two dose treatments it is Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 13 Hydref 2013 important that they are done consecutively so that all the emerging mites are exposed to a lethal dose. Contrary to popular perception the dosage safety margin for thymol is quite low (under 10:1) so it is possible to overdose with these products – so you must adhere to the manufacture’s instructions.
Now we come to formic acid and this is an entirely vapour mediated treatment. Its big advantage over all the other treatments discussed so far is that, being a small molecule, it is capable of penetrating the cappings of sealed brood cells and killing the mites within. Its disadvantage is that there is a fairly narrow range of vapour concentration over which it works. If the concentration is too low it does not kill the mites in the cell and, because it has short residency, an insufficient number of phoretic mites will be exposed. At the other extreme, if the concentration of vapour is too high it can kill a lot of brood, some adult bees and the queen herself seems to be particularly vulnerable. Loss of brood is not too serious but losing the queen late in the season – with little hope of natural re-queening – would be something of a disaster.
Mite-Away-Quick Strips
Formic acid has been use in some countries for many years but has always been subject to the problems (too much or too little) as outlined above. MAQS is a new formulation in which formic acid can be used in a more controlled manner. The strips contain 95%w/w formic acid but its evaporation is modified by a starch substrate and the material (membrane) in which it is wrapped. So how should it be applied and, in particular, what hive configuration and what level of ventilation should be used?
The instructions and guidance currently available with the product and on the web refer to North American conditions; hives, climatic conditions and bees (colony size).
1. In terms of hive configuration, most instructions assume the use of a two box brood system (double Langstoth deep boxes) and suggest that it is also an advantage (a safety factor?) to also have a super in place during treatment. The standard treatment of 2 MAQS strips is placed on the top-bars between the two brood boxes. With a single brood box the strips are placed on top of that and the addition of 1 or 2 supers would seem to be essential.
2. Adequate ventilation is clearly vital and the instructions are to ensure a full- width entrance (no entrance block). There are apparently two floor (bottom 3 boards they call them) heights in common use in America; /8” and ¾”, the latter being equivalent to our old solid floors. The suggestion is that the deeper floor (with more ventilation) is safer but the formal trials only gave weak support to this idea. It is also suggested that with a 2 box configuration it is a good idea to initially set the upper box forward so as to give a second full-width entrance which should be closed again after the first 3 days of treatment. Not very much is said about open-mesh floors (screened floors as they call them) but the implication is that these should be used with the tray out. One trial showed that there was about a 5% loss of efficiency using an open-mesh floor with the tray out compared with a solid floor. This may seem insignificant but the difference between 90% and 95% kill means that there is double the number of surviving mites to found the ensuing population build-up.
During the first few days after the treatment is applied one must apparently expect ‘bearding’ on the front of the hive (bees that have come out to seek respite from the formic acid fumes) The addition of a super helps reduce bearding. Measurement of the concentration of formic acid in the hive atmosphere shows that it peaks during the first 48-72 hours and then declines quite rapidly. It is thought that most of the mites in the brood are killed during this comparatively short period.
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 14 Autumn 2013 It is recommended not to open the hive just before treatment - a 3 days gap is suggested to let the bees settle down and ‘get their house in order’ before the ordeal. It is also recommended leaving the hives well alone for a few days after treatment and not to attempt to feed whilst the strips are in the hive. The membrane that held the gel will be shredded and removed by the bees and requires no action from the beekeeper.
I find myself slightly puzzled by the recommendation for high levels of ventilation when using two MAQS per hive. Why does one strip with slightly less ventilation not work just as well? If it is simply the concentration of formic acid vapour that matters it ought to work. There may be some factor I have not taken into account so please do not act on this idea.
Other Advantages of MAQS
Perhaps the biggest advantage is that the whole treatment lasts only 7 days and then, if it has been done right, the hive returns to normal. Any loss of brood will quickly be made up by the queen being stimulated to lay hard. One of the potential snags with thymol based varroacides is that is that they remain on the hive for much longer (4 weeks) and this does suppress brood production in some colonies and this can result in a shortage of ‘winter bees’. Because formic acid is so volatile (and is a natural constituent of honey anyway) MAQS can be used when there are super on the hive. However, I would see this as a measure to be used only in an emergency and not a regular practice.
Safety, Storage and Shelf-life
MAQS should only be handled wearing chemical resistant gloves and these should be removed and disposed of or washed to avoid getting formic acid on your skin and particularly your eyes. The product comes in a plastic box containing 20 strips (treatment for 10 hives). This must be kept in a cool, dark place and must be kept sealed at all times. Once the outer wrapping of a strip has been removed it must be used immediately. At the present time the shelf-life of the strips is only 12 months (so less by the time you get your hands on them) so they must all be used in the current year – you can’t use half this year and half next. Research is being undertaken to increase shelf-life in the future but that is the current situation.
In Conclusion
As it only became legally available this summer I have obviously not yet tried MAQS on my own hives. If you want to try MAQS this year, before there is any additional advice on its use under British conditions, I suggest you do it thoughtfully and without putting all your eggs in one basket. It may turn out that its use is easier and more reliable than the current information suggests - only time will show. Also be aware that next year another new varroacide (‘Hopguard’ – marketed by Vita (Europe)) will (hopefully) have received approval and be available to us. This product is thought to be extremely benign as far as the bees are concerned and has the additional attraction that it clearly has something to do with beer.
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 15 Hydref 2013 BDI News Martin Smith, BDI President
Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd (BDI) implements eReturn for its Member Associations Following requests from member associations, BDI has developed its new eReturn to enable treasurers to update BDI with their member information electronically. This will give local associations a number of benefits including: -
• The ability to generate BDI receipts electronically and e-mail them to their members.
• Allowing a standard spreadsheet that many associations store their membership records on to be uploaded automatically to the secure BDI system.
• Allow assistant treasurers and other authorised branch officials access to the data.
The system, information on which has been sent treasurers recently, is available to all member associations commencing with the BDI spring 2014 return. A series of introductory training sessions are planned over the next few months for treasurers to get involved in the system, which although it will give BDI more accurate and up to date information has primarily been set up to ease the workload and expense of member associations having to produce and post out handwritten receipts.
BDI recognises that some treasurers do not have access to a computer or the internet and may wish to continue to use the existing system. This is not a problem, the use of this The Welsh Beekeeper #182 16 Autumn 2013 new system will be voluntary and the existing three part BDI Certificate of Insurance will continue to be available.
If you are interested in knowing more about the system, you are invited to look at BDI’s new website www. beediseasesinsurance.co.uk for further information or to contact the eReturn team by e-mail on [email protected]
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 17 Hydref 2013 Trafferthion a threialon Gwenynwraig newydd – pennod 3 Lilian Llewelyn
Wedi gaeaf o wersi theori a gwanwyn o wersi ymarferol yn y wenynfa rwy’n barod i ddechrau’m gyfra fel gwenynwraig .. mae gen i siwt, wellies a marigolds, mae gen i gwch a’r holl offer. I gyd sy angen nawr yw’r gwenyn ac mae sawl posibilrwydd.
Mehefin 2011 - Mae’r tywydd yn hyfryd a gwenyn wedi symud i mewn i ffrâm ffenestr ‘stafell wely ni. Ffawd neu beth? Rwy’n symud y cwch gwenyn newydd gwag fel nad oes modd i’r gwenyn fethu’u cartref pump seren newydd wrth hedfan nôl a mlaen o’r tŷ. Rwy’n archebu dwy becyn o hud heidiau (swarm lure) oddiar Ebay, gan roi un yn y cwch a’r llall mewn bocs plastig yn y rhewgell ar gyfer y dyfodol. Ac yn eistedd nôl ac yn aros. Ac yn aros. Ac yn aros. Mae’r tywydd yn dwym, digon twym i ni gynnau’r barbeciw a’n chiminea newydd – sy’n cynhyrchu llawer o fwg, a dim gwres. Fod yn onest mae gymaint o fwg fel bod rhaid i ni guddio yn y tŷ am weddill y nos. Erbyn y bore nid yn unig ni sy wedi ffoi’r mwg – mae’r gwenyn wedi paco lan ac wedi hedfan bant.
Dyma siawns yn dilyn gwers yn y wenynfa un bore Sul i weld un o’m cyd-ddechreuwyr o’r dosbarth nos yn gosod ei wenyn newydd- gyrraedd yn eu cwch. Mae’r cwch wedi gosod yng nghanol adfeilion hen feudy ar waelod yr ardd. Mae digon o haul ac eto mae’n man cysgodlyd ac mae’n gyfleus i’r tŷ. Ryn ni’n sefyll yno yn yr heulwen a blodau’r ddraenen yn gorchuddio’r waliau gan glywed yn glir murmur y gwenyn yn aros yn awchus yn eu bocs cnewyllen polystyren, wedi teithio’r diwrnod cynt o ganolbarth Cymru. Mae John, ein athro dosbarth nos, wedi cynnig dod i gynorthwyo. A ni i gyd yn sefyll nôl .. yn ddigon pell nôl .. yn ei wylio. Mae’n syndod pa mor gyflym mae’r gwenyn yn llifo i mewn i’r cwch. Mae’n syndod hefyd i glywed o fewn dyddiau eu bod nhw wedi heidio – wedi hedfan bant, byth i’w gweld eto.
A digon ryfedd ond dyna ffawd un arall brynodd gwenyn o’r un ffynhonell – o fewn diwrnodau y gwenyn wedi heidio ond, trwy lwc, y tro yma, heb heidio yn ddigon pell a roedd modd eu casglu a rhoi nôl yn y cwch.
Colled i un ond ennill i rywun arall. A dyma’r ail bosibilrwydd - haid. Mae’n fwriad gan ein clwb, The West Glamorgan Beekeepers Association, i roi unrhyw heidiau sy’n cael eu casglu i ddechreuwyr. Yr unig broblem yw’r diffyg heidiau yn haf 2011. Wel, os nad oes The Welsh Beekeeper #182 18 Autumn 2013 modd i’r clwb roi un i fi bydd rhaid i mi chwilio am fy haid fy hun. ‘Dwi dros fy hanner cant a byth wedi gweld haid ond nawr rwy’n cerdded y ci bob dydd gan edrych i fyny i’r coed ac i mewn i’r perthi. Rwy’n sicr fod heidiau yn cuddio ymhob man. I gyd sy angen yw edrych yn ddigon agos a byddaf siwr o ddod o hyd i un. Mae’n wyrth i mi beidio baglu neu golli’r ci.
Stori yn yr Evening Post am fachgen yn cael ei bigo gan wenynen o haid mewn cae cyfagos yn Sgeti a’r ci a finnau a’r ferch (sy’n achwyn yn ddibaid) yn mynd allan am awr i gerdded rownd pob un cae posibl. Dim byd, tan i ni gyrraedd nôl i’r tŷ a’r ci yn cwympo i mewn i’r afon, reit ar ben nyth gwenyn sy wedi adeiladu ar lan yr afon. Ffawd siwr. Ond, cyn eu gasglu man a man checio’r we a na, hwrlibymiaid ydy nhw. Ond son am le twp i adeiladu nyth a wir, o fewn wythnosau, dyma glaw trwm yn dod a’r nyth yn cael ei golchi i ffwrdd.
Ebost yn cyrraedd. Boi wedi cysylltu â’n clwb gwenyn gan ddweud iddo gael adwaith gwael i bigiadau a’i fod am werthu ei holl wenyn a’i gychod a phopeth. I mi fel dechreuwr mae’r gost tipyn bach yn uchel ond ‘dwi’n anfon ebost .. a ddim yn cael ateb.
Ond mae’n ddigon o hwb i mi i ddechrau chwilio o ddifri am wenyn. Rwy’n awyddus i gael gwenyn lleol ac yn cael hyd i ddwy rif ffôn am bobl sy’n gwerthu gwenyn yn ardal Abertawe. Wedi peth drafod am y pris dyma fi’n cytuno prynu coloni.
14 Mehefin 2011 – y diwrnod mawr – y gwenyn yn cyrraedd! Rydym yn cwrdd gyda’r hwyr a’r gwenyn yn cael eu cyflwyno i’w cartref newydd. Dyma’r tro cyntaf i mi gwrdd ag Ade Bowen, arolygydd gwenyn lleol i ni, a boi sydd mor addfwyn wrth drin gwenyn. Rwy’n amau os byddaf erioed mor ofalus a mor fedrus a thyner wrth eu trin. A dyma ni, erbyn wyth o’r goch mae’r gwenyn yn eu cwch a finnau yn wenynwraig go iawn o’r diwedd.
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 19 Hydref 2013 Bees in the Parc John Verran Association Teams up with Parc Prison, Bridgend Prisoners in the Parc prison in Bridgend are getting the opportunity to learn the gentle craft of keeping bees whilst serving their time.
G4S, the company that runs the prison service, have funded and organised this project to give new skills to the prisoners that they hope will continue to be of interest after they have been released.
Bridgend BKA was approached by the manager of the horticultural division in the prison who convinced us that it was possible, but that as they couldn’t come to us for training we would have to go to them.
All this was quite tricky to achieve as everything had to conform to the prison security regime and both people and kit had to be checked carefully.
Despite the difficulties hives in flat packs were delivered and the prisoners trained to assemble them. There is plenty of manpower available so all the woodwork was completed rapidly and luckily two nice nucleus colonies were ready to furnish them with bees.
During the fine weather in early summer the nucs were taken into the prison and positioned on two substantial stands that had been prepared for them. I was happy to be there and expected to make a little show of opening up the entrances and watching a cloud of bees pour out, my hoped for showmanship was dashed when the bees failed to cooperate. I pulled out the entrance blocks and nothing happened, eventually a bee or two emerged and in one case I poked my finger into the entrance to see if there was another blockage still stopping them. It wasn’t until half an hour later that there was plenty of activity as the bees did orientation flights.
A couple of days later I was let back into the prison to show how to transfer the bees into their nice new hives and to give a small group of prisoners their first taste of beekeeping.
G4S had not stinted on protective clothing. A warder and six prisoners were all dressed up in top of the range BBwear bee suits and a curious assortment of gloves, some approaching boxing glove thickness
We all trooped off to the bees and I produced record cards and asked the lads if they wanted to just number the hives or give them names such as Ponty and Pooler or Oxford and Cambridge, straight back came their new names, ‘Guilty’ and ‘Innocent’.
I took Guilty and demonstrated how to transfer from travel box to full hive and how to put on a feed.
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 20 Autumn 2013 “Our goal at HMP Parc is to return our prisoners to society as better citizens than when they come in.
We have a number of programmes in place to help our prisoners rebuild their lives and make a positive contribution to society and part of that is encouraging them to take care of the environment around them.
They have already Beekeeping at HMP Parc planted wild flower beds and we are delighted that The prisoners took it in turns to move Bridgend and District Bee a frame each from ‘Innocent’ and took great interest in the eggs and brood and Keeping Association the stores of honey and pollen but also - especially Sue discovered the disadvantage of thick and John Verran - has gloves. helped us to add two bee hives and is training our During the folowing ten days they checked prisoners and staff in bee to make sure the bees had plenty of syrup keeping. feed to ensure increase in the size of the colonies. We look forward to our prisoners and the environment reaping the benefits of this initiative and of course, the honey!”
Many thanks to Brigend Beekeepers Association - we look forward to reading about progress in this interesting project.
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 21 Hydref 2013 Notes from a Grumpy Old Beekeeper
It’s the end of July and the Liquid Gold has been pouring into the hives for nearly three weeks now, and the evening ‘humm’ is a joy to hear as the beehive factory is flat out.
It’s been an interesting year to say the least; with the prolonged winter putting an enormous strain on all forms of wildlife and especially the farmers in North Wales who had a terrible time. It’s interesting too that beekeepers who keep larger numbers of hives had more severe losses, this has got to tell us something hasn’t it? You can push and shove and overfeed and over treat and mess and meddle and bring in new initiatives, but at the end of the day bees are wildlife in a box, and after six years of poor summers, poorly mated queens, and over zealous experts many a hive could no longer stand the strain and gave up.
The phone calls in May were interesting ‘Where can I get a new queen’? ‘Where in Britain do you expect to find queen rearing going on in this weather’ I replied ‘Well I want a new queen now as then this hive will be more productive, the queen is producing too many drones’ I remembered as a child being told ‘I want never gets!’ There were queens to be had on the internet, where in the world they had come from I don’t know. I do know someone who bought five at £35 each but he lost three of them quite quickly. There were a lot of calls about ‘wonky’ colonies, only smallish patches of brood in the half broods, one lady had five such colonies, ‘Leave them alone’ I said, she did and they are on their second supers now. And another interesting general observation is that those who gave fewer treatments and only fed plain sugar had fewer losses. Are we perhaps demanding too much from our wildlife in a box!!!
So many people anxious not to loose bees in a swarm quickly cut out queen cells without looking at them carefully first. Cutting out queen cells after they are sealed means the queen and the swarm has gone, realising their mistake, panic sets in ‘Where can I get another queen?’ I was asked again and again. Here is the answer
Buy them not too far out of their air, For change of air may put them in despair (Hartley 1954)
In other words buy locally, there are several good queen breeders in Wales producing queens suitable for our climate and conditions. Ricky Wilson is our local man and everyone seems delighted with his efforts. Autumn is a good time to re-queen so that the bees go into the winter full of vigour.
Let your ‘ beehive factory’ cool down, calm down, and slow down before rushing to snatch and grab off the honey. Greed has never paid. Although having said that some hives have brought in so much that to stop the hive becoming a high-rise castle is has been necessary to take off some of the supers. But does it really matter if you extract this month or next? It was a lovely day at the beginning of December many years ago, I piled the supers up on the lawn and was amazed, no bees, no clearer boards and not much set honey in the combs either, that was luck and very chancy.
It has been lovely to see the bees so happy this year. I only hope it won’t be another six years before we see it again. The Welsh Beekeeper #182 22 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 23 Hydref 2013 Royal approval of the Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre Paul Eades
Royal approval of the work being undertaken by the Pembrokeshire Beekeepers’ Association was forthcoming at the Royal Welsh Show in July. The PBKA has been extending its operations for some time by developing the new ‘Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre’ at Scolton Manor, near Haverfordwest; a four phase project intended to be a centre of excellence for beekeeping in Pembrokeshire.
The centre, when completed in 2014, will include two apiaries; one for training and public viewing, and a second for production and queen rearing. In the converted stable block is a catering standard honey processing facility for hygienically extracting and bottling association honey and an adjacent exhibition room, which includes monitors fed from live ’hive cameras’. Both rooms are linked via a large observation window, so the public can watch the honey processing as it actually happens, before buying some in the Scolton Manor shop. As the result of an invitation to a special reception held at the Royal Welsh Show, I was fortunate to meet HRH the Prince of Wales, for what turned out to be quite a lengthy discussion on the Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre and the plight of the honeybee!
HRH is a very engaging man with a great sense of humour and he demonstrated a real interest in bees and the work the PBKA is involved in. He was very pleased when he heard what we had achieved so far with the grant of over £37,000 received from the Prince’s Countryside Fund. This was in addition to a previous grant from Environment Wales for over £9,000, which kick started the project in 2011.
HRH was very well informed, genuinely interested to hear about the various problems pollinators had been contending with and concerned about how the bees were faring after the poor summer last year and the subsequent drawn out winter. I explained that there had been serious colony losses across the UK as a whole and a number of other risks The Welsh Beekeeper #182 24 Autumn 2013 threatening pollinators, but an extended spell of fine weather in July had certainly given Pembrokeshire beekeepers the opportunity to start building up their colonies once again.
After walking the room to talk to some of the other delegates, HRH gave a speech to introduce the next round of funding from the Prince’s Countryside Fund and revealed that £564,000 was to be given in new grants, making a total of £3.3 million since the Fund was launched in 2010. At the end of his speech there was the usual flurry of flashing bulbs from the press cameramen and HRH made towards the exit, but just before he left the room he paused, turned to me once again, pointed a finger and said with mock severity, ‘Keep the bees going!’
‘We certainly will Sir’, I replied with a grin.
We certainly will..!!
Thanks are extended to HRH the Prince of Wales, and the Prince’s Countryside Fund for their kind invitation and generous support of the Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre. http://pbka.info/https://www.facebook.com/PembsBeekeepers Paul Eades Secretary and Apiary Manager Pembrokeshire Beekeepers’ Association
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 25 Hydref 2013 The Beebase approach to managing bee inspections Frank Gellatly, RBI Wales
Why is it, a beekeeper asked me the other day, I seem to be inspected every single year whilst other beekeepers haven’t seen an inspector in years? I am not sure he was asking me because he regarded himself as one of the privileged few, or the downright unlucky! But it did occur to me that beekeepers’ experience of our inspection work may feel like something of a lottery: how is it we decide who, when and how often we inspect an apiary - and, therefore, how often you see an inspector?
Inspections are carried out with the dual aims of preventing the spread of European Foulbrood (EFB) and American Foulbrood (AFB), providing comprehensive advice on reducing recurrence of disease and for the purpose of detecting the arrival of Small Hive Beetle (SHB) and Tropilaelaps. The way in which we organise our inspection work has transformed In the past decade, when I became a Seasonal Bee Inspector in the early 2000s, we were each allocated a geographical area and issued with a list of local beekeepers. Our intention, which we generally achieved, was to get round every beekeeper at least once every three years, subject to any disease we might find along the way, which might then require us to focus attention on the area in which the disease had been found. Beekeeper numbers have risen since then, increasing the demands on our time and yet identifying and controlling disease remains the Inspectorate’s central objective.
picture by kind permission of Clive Hudson The Welsh Beekeeper #182 26 Autumn 2013 The development of Beebase has enabled us to introduce, like other inspection agencies, a far more ‘risk assessed’ and proactive approach to the way in which we organise our inspection work. At the heart of it is a database that holds details of all registered beekeepers, their apiaries and colonies, along with their inspection records and disease history. It enables us to identify apiaries and areas at risk of disease and to focus our work on tackling disease and preventing it from spreading. The Random Apiary Survey which sampled nearly 5000 apiaries in England and Wales during 2009 - 2011 has given us a clear picture of the pathogens and diseases present in our hives and, in the process, confirmed that the Beebase approach was scientifically robust.
When we log onto our system and plan a week’s inspection work, Beebase prioritises the visits we need to do. It targets those apiaries and beekeepers with an experience of disease, and their neighbouring beekeepers who may then be at risk. It also reflects vulnerabilities in biosecurity - for example, when buying in bees. Unfortunately, we have seen situations in which nucs have been supplied from apiaries where disease has been present. It is always worth asking your nuc supplier about their disease history and the date of their last inspection.
We are also keen to inspect new beekeepers’ bees, especially those bought in from elsewhere, and to give them some initial help and advice. We will encourage them to register on Beebase – and put paid to the myth that, just because they have joined their local beekeeping association, they are automatically on the official register.
Not only is Beebase an invaluable resource to us as inspectors, we also hope it is a useful tool for beekeepers too. Using a secure and confidential log in, beekeepers can access and then maintain their own records, down to colony level, of their own beekeeping and inspection activities and track details on the health and productivity of their bees. There is also a raft of advice available on Beebase and the local Inspector’s contact details allowing you to get in touch directly in the event of any serious concerns you might have about the health of your bees. We will never mind visiting - even if it later turns out that there is nothing to worry about. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Beebase is, of course, only as good as the information it holds. We would encourage all beekeepers to keep at least their basic contact and apiary details up to date so that, should the worst happen and notifiable pests or disease turns up close to you, we are ableto Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 27 Hydref 2013 identify the risk to your apiary and inspect as necessary.
In the course of my time with the NBU, I have seen the devastating effect that EFB and AFB can have. Through Beebase and our inspection programme, we aim to catch and treat these diseases early before they spread through a beekeeper’s apiaries and subsequently to those of their neighbours. Once established in a beekeeper’s equipment, EFB and AFB can only be eliminated by hard work, determination and expense. Prevention is most certainly better than cure.
To sign up to BeeBase either register online at www.nationalbeeunit. com or call the NBU office on 01904 462510. If you have lost your login details, simply request new ones on the website home page. For information on disease and pest identification please visit the ‘Bee pests, diseases & maps’ page and, for details on bee legislation and the code of practice for regulators, please see the ‘Bees & the Law’ section.
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 28 Autumn 2013 Book Review Nicola Oulton The Observation Hive by Karl Showler, 3rd Edition, published by Bee Books New and Old
I have always wanted an observation hive and this year my wish came true on my birthday. With the Gower Show coming up, I thought I had better find out the best way to fill the hive. I borrowed a copy of ‘The Observation Hive’ and just intended to look at the chapter on observation hives for honey shows. However on opening, what is a small book, I dived straight in at chapter one and read straight through to the end. Karl Showler wrote the book on request by Bee Books Old and New as despite peoples’ interest in observation hives there were no books written about them.
The book starts by looking at the history of observation hives. In chapter one he descibes multicomb hives, which we think of as hives with Perspex roofs or glass sided hives. The second chapter is about observation hives that hold a range of single frames, commonly seen at shows and for education. I was amazed by the earliest photo of an observation hive from 1874 made from wood and straw with a glass front, not to mention the skeps with window cut into them. The drawings from Neighbours catalogue showing glass bell jars used on tiered skeps is something I would love to try.
The third chapter looks at the construction of the hive paying particular attention to the spacing needed, the between-glass measurement and the bee space between frames. The next important feature is the length of time it will be used. He looks at a number of different observation hives in use. Chapter four looks at location indoors, outdoors, convenience for bees, beekeeper the work for which it is being used. Stocking and maintaining the hive is covered in chapter five.
The chapter I was most interested in prior to opening the book was chapter six, just two and a half pages long, concerning exhibiting and judging. What I realise now is that chapters three to six tell you all you need to know for this.
This book was a fascinating read. I have reread it since entering the show and absorbed a bit more information. It has been written to put everything about observation hives in one book. Whether you are just interested in the history or you want to set up an observation hive for yourself or others, this book is a must. Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 29 Hydref 2013 SIOE FÊL GENEDLAETHOL CYMRU WELSH NATIONAL HONEY SHOW ENILLWYR GWOBRAU ARBENNIG 2013 WINNERS OF SPECIAL PRIZES 2013 SP1 The Crawshay Challenge Trophy – awarded to the winner of class 1 – the commercial honey class of 12 containers of honey CARYS W. EDWARDS SP2 The Ceri and Jean Davies Cup – Winner of class 2 – commercial class of 12 jars of honey. DORIAN HARRIES SP3 The E J Tanner Perpetual Memorial Trophy – awarded to winner of class 19 – one cake of plain mould bees wax 400-500 grams in weight. N.P. & M.J. SHORT SP4 The Sir Evan Williams Trophy – winner of class 28 – the Association composite class. BRECON AND RADNOR SP5 The WBKA Challenge Trophy – winner of class 35 – the shop window display CARYS W. EDWARDS SP6 The Charles H Davies Challenge Trophy - for the highest number of points in the confectionary classes – classes 38-41. JOSIE DAVIES SP7 The George Faraday Davies Cup – for the highest number of points in the Young Beekeepers classes – classes 54-57. SEREN JENKINS SP8 The Warren Davies Trophy – awarded to the highest number of points in the closed mead and honey drinks classes 71-74. FRANK BROWN SP9 The H J Evans Perpetual Trophy, The E H Thorne (Beehive) Ltd Award of a £20 voucher and RWAS Silver Medal Diploma Card awarded to a member of an Association affiliated to the WBKA for gaining the highest number of points in the combined open and closed classes. STEVE GUEST SP10 The Gwyn and Mary Morgan Memorial Award – for the best exhibit in show FRANK BROWN SP11 The Howard Davies Memorial Award – awarded for the best comb in show. RHODRI POWELL SP12 The Gordon Heartshorn Memorial Prize – for the best exhibit in the Gift classes RHODRI POWELL SP13 The Henry Fergusson-Thomas Memorial Award to the exhibitor gaining the highest number of points in the open honey classes 5-13. DORIAN HARRIES SP14 RWAS Welsh Royal Crystal – awarded to the exhibitor gaining the highest number of points in the closed honey and mead classes – classes 58-74 STEVE GUEST
SP15 The E H Thorne (Beehive) Ltd Award: £10 voucher - awarded to the winner of class 51 – the honey class for novices. EMYR JENKIN SP16 The E H Thorne (Beehive) Ltd Award: prize winners in class 54 – the honey classes for Young Beekeepers. Equipment to the value of 1st - £10; 2nd - £8; 3rd - £6. NO ENTRIES Congratulations to all the Winners and Thanks to Gareth Davies for the Information. The Welsh Beekeeper #182 30 Autumn 2013 Exam Secretary’s Report including March Exam Results Dinah Sweet The following candidates passed the March 2013 modules
Module 3 Annie Newsam - Pass Tim Radford - Credit Mike Lax - Credit
Module 6 Lynfa Davies - Distinction Greg Nutgens - Pass Andy Ryan - Pass Module 8 Tim Radford - Pass
Tim Radford has now passed all the modules but has yet to take the General Husbandry and Advanced Husbandry exams.
All candidates received their results by e-mail on 20th May 2013. A few people were unable to sit their modules due to the weather; deep snow in many parts of Wales. They will not have to pay again to sit the exams they missed.
Modules 1,2,3,5 and 7 can be taken on 9th November 2013 – applications in by 30/9/13
All modules can be taken on March 22nd 2014 – applications in by 10th February 2014
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 31 Hydref 2013 What has technology ever done for beekeeping? Roger Boyle
Many beekeepers may have missed the wave of enthusiasm for very versatile, cheap, programmable electronics that is sweeping the country’s hobbyists and schools. The Raspberry Pi (http://www.raspberrypi.org/) is a £30 computer of some power, and the Arduino chip (http://www.arduino.cc/) is a cheap micro controller that you can plug pretty much anything into. Both of these devices benefit from a bit ok know-how, but their potential is stunning. Many beekeepers are onto this: just a few examples are In-hive humidity and temperature monitoring: http://openenergymonitor. org/emon/node/102 Bee counter: http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/diy-honey-bee-counter- for-your-homes-hive.html, or http://www.instructables.com/id/Honey-Bee- Counter/ Bee detector (for photography): http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/06/are-you- real-crafty-make-this-arduino-controlled-bee-detecting-macro-photo-rig/ Solar powered in-hive bee tracker: http://www.maxjusticz.com/honey-bee- tracking-box/ Full hive monitoring: http://www.mathewjenkinson.co.uk/tag/raspberry-pi/ There are some good general sites that talk about what can be done to help beekeepers: just one is http://hackerbee.com/. I’m ashamed to say that I use these devices but not [yet] in connection with my bees. Has anyone else?
The Welsh Beekeeper #182 32 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 33 Hydref 2013 The Welsh Beekeeper #182 34 Autumn 2013 This film is to be released in cinemas on 23rd August - hav- ing had a preview, I recommend seeing it for the fantastic pho- tography and insight into the hive and the drama and violence reeked by man’s inter- ference. DVD’s may be avail- able. Sue A production by Thelma Film and Ormenis Film, zero one film, allegro film In co-production with SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen / SSR SRG, Bayerischer Rundfunk, ORF With the support of Office fédéral de la culture (DFI) Switzerland, Bundesamt fur Umwelt BAFU, Aargauer Kuratorium, george foundation, Fonds culturel SUISSIMAGE, G + B, Schwyzer-Winiker Stiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Zurcher Filmstiftung, Fonds REGIO Films with the Loterie Romande and the Canton of Jura, Succès Cinéma, Succès Passage Antenne and Frenetic Films SYNOPSIS Over the past fifteen years, numerous colonies of bees have been decimated throughout the world. The causes of this disaster haven’t yet been established. Depending on the regions of the world concerned, between 50% and 90% of the bees have disappeared. This epidemic, of colossal violence and breadth, is spreading from beehive to beehive all over the planet. Everywhere, the same scenario is repeated: billions of bees leave their hives, never to return. No bodies are found in the immediate surroundings. No visible predators. In a few months, the bees have thus literally been vanishing in the US, where the latest estimates are that a total of 1.5 million (out of 2.4 million total beehives) have disappeared in 27 states. In Germany, according to the national beekeepers association, one fourth of the colonies have been decimated, with losses reaching up to 80% in some farms. The same phenomenon has been observed in Switzerland, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Poland and England, where the syndrome has been baptized “the Mary Celeste Phenomenon”, after the name of the ship whose crew had vanished in 1872. Scientists have found a name for the phenomenon that matches its scale: “colony collapse disorder”. They have good reason to be worried: 80% of plant species need bees to be pollinated. Without them, no pollinization, hence practically no fruits or vegetables. Three thirds of the cultures that feed humanity depend on them. Apis mellifera (honey bee) appeared on Earth 60 million years before man and is as indispensible to the economy as it is to man’s survival. Should we incriminate pesticides and the medication used to combat them? Parasites such as varroa mites? New viruses? Travelling stress? The multiplication of electromagnetic waves disturbing the magnetite nanoparticles found in the bees’ abdomen? It seems that it is rather a combination of all these agents that has been destroying the bees’ immune defenses. Fifty years ago, Einstein had already insisted on the dependence relation that bound the pollen gatherers to mankind: “If bees were to disappear from the globe,” he had predicted, “mankind would only have four years left to live.” Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 35 Hydref 2013 The Welsh Beekeeper #182 36 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 37 Hydref 2013 RESULTS OF 2012-2013 WINTER LOSSES SURVEY (November-April inclusive) Meirionnydd and Lleyn & Eifionydd Beekeepers’ Associations
Clive & Shân Hudson Summary of data: 53 participants keeping 251 colonies at 77 apiaries contributed information. 88 colonies were lost, i.e. died out, (35.1%). 8* participants used chemical Varroa treatments in 75 colonies, and had 31 losses (41.3%). 46* participants did not use any chemical treatments in 176 colonies, and had 57 losses (32.4%). *1 participant treated some colonies and not others.
Notes and comments: A big thank you to members of Meirionnydd and Lleyn & Eifionydd Beekeepers’ Associations, and other local beekeepers, for participating in this survey. Particular thanks to Amanda Bristow for collecting information from Lleyn & Eifionydd BKA members. The data is collated and no individual names are used.
At 35.1% the winter losses were much higher than the 7.6% losses of the 2011-12 winter survey (see The Welsh Beekeeper No. 179 Winter 2012, pages 18-19). This last winter was harsher and ‘longer’ than the mild winter of 2011-12.
It seems reasonable to conclude that the weather was a major factor contributing to colony losses. This assertion is supported by the useful comments that contributors gave to the survey. Participants offered a total of 80 explanations for their colony losses, summarised as follows: 29 mentioned the Spring cold spell, 21 cited poor queens, 13 suggested weak/small/dwindling colonies, 13 starvation, 2 mice damage, and 2 blown over.
We hope it will be relevant to this survey to note the effect of the Spring cold spell on our own temperature monitored hive, shown on the graph. The green line at the top of the graph shows the cluster temperature in the centre of brood box. This had established itself at or near the brood rearing The Welsh Beekeeper #182 38 Autumn 2013 temperature of about 34°C by mid February. As the ambient temperature plummeted during early March (see the blue line on the graph) the colony could not sustain the brood temperature (green on graph) and it can be seen to drop over a period of nearly two weeks. When this colony was examined a few weeks later a circle of dead brood could be seen with a diameter of about 150mm, representing the breeding area reached before the cold spell. This hive did survive, having re-established a new brood area of about 75mm diameter seen on that first examination. We saw the same circular pattern of dead brood on hives we were shown that did not survive (Real- time temperatures inside this monitored hive are available to view at http:// openenergymonitor.org/emon/beehive/v2). Further to the cold weather, with the exceptions of starvation, mice and storm damage, all the explanations for losses are anecdotal. These are,
Graph of Hive Temperatures February-July 2013 showing a significant drop in the cluster temperature during March. however, the reasons offered by participants of this survey. One point of interest this year is not one participant mentioned Varroa as a cause of loss. However, Varroa and its associated pathogens could well have been a factor contributing to the loss of hives particularly those that were weak or dwindling. Diagnosing an accurate reason for the loss of such hives is Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 39 Hydref 2013 difficult. Less concern for Varroa is also suggested by the high percentage of participants of this survey who have taken the individual decision not to use any chemical treatment, 85% i.e. 46 out of the total of 53 participants. Furthermore, the 41.3% losses sustained by participants treating, i.e. 31 losses out of 75 colonies, were higher than those choosing not to treat who had a 32.4% loss, i.e. 57 losses out of 176 colonies. The majority of participants in this survey keep bees in National hives, 173 out of the 251 total. The full detail of hives used and all the collated data from this survey is shown in the table. The table is divided into two, with the upper section showing the hives that were chemically treated for Varroa and the lower section the hives not treated for Varroa. Other than showing the wide variety of hives used it is difficult to draw clear conclusions comparing hive types because of the small numbers.
Hives into Hives End of No. Hives % Loss Treated Winter Winter Lost National 58 34 24 41.4 National 4 3 1 25.0 Brood-and ½ 14 x12 13 7 6 46.2 Total Treated 75 44 31 41.3 Not Treated National 106 65 41 38.7 National 5 5 0 0.0 Brood-and ½ 14 x12 28 20 8 28.6 16x10 17 15 2 11.8 Warré 14 12 2 14.3 WBC 5 2 3 60.0 Dadant 1 0 1 100.0 Total Not 176 119 57 32.4 Treated Overall Total 251 163 88 35.1 Winter Losses Survey 2012-13: Table of Data The meaning of ‘not-treated’ is clear, i.e. no chemical treatment was used on a colony during the 2012 season or the winter of 2012-13. The meaning of ‘treated’ is less clear. Participants used a variety of different treatments as follows: thymol in Apiguard or crystals, Apistan, and/or oxalic acid.
This survey is not rigorous scientific research. It is a survey to collate information from fellow local beekeepers to try and further our own knowledge about our bees and our own beekeeping, especially relating to ‘winter losses’. Any member wishing to collect similar data is welcome to a copy of the form used. Please contact through our association websitewww.mbka.info The Welsh Beekeeper #182 40 Autumn 2013 Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 41 Hydref 2013 Archbishop becomes Patron of Bees Abroad
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has agreed to become a patron of Bees Abroad, the charity seeking to reduce poverty in developing countries worldwide through beekeeping.
This is a particularly appropriate move as his official residence, Lambeth Palace, has its own bee colony producing honey and also wax for scented candles — and Justin Welby has a long association with helping to relieve poverty in developing countries.
“I am delighted to lend my support to Bees Abroad by becoming a patron,” said the Archbishop. “Through its imaginative and wholly practical work, the charity promotes the skills of beekeeping in a way that empowers and educates the communities in which it operates.
“In investing in people in some of the poorest and under-developed areas, Bees Abroad creates opportunities for this local enterprise to flourish at a sustainable and manageable level.
“I am sure that those who are trained in beekeeping under Bees Abroad’s guidance and encouragement will find it an interesting and satisfying experience. I send my best wishes to all involved with the charity in whatever role.”
Justin Welby’s first experiences of poverty in developing nations came during his gap year when he taught at a school near Mount Kenya. Then in his business career he made many visits to conflict-torn areas to use his financial, commercial and reconciliation skills.
John Home, chairman of Bees Abroad said, “I am delighted that Justin Welby has agreed to become a patron. His awareness of the challenges that are faced in the developing countries and his understanding about how the work The Welsh Beekeeper #182 42 Autumn 2013 of Bees Abroad can help small communities improve their lives, is an asset to our organisation. He joins the team of our existing patrons whose support we much value in the work that we do using indigenous bees and techniques appropriate to the local environment”.
Bees Abroad offers training and support in beekeeping including making hives and protective clothing from local materials, managing honeybees, collecting honey safely, and handling and storing it hygienically.
Home-based production of honey and other saleable goods from the by- products of beekeeping is introduced, together with marketing and business skills to ensure the sustainable generation of new income by poor rural communities in developing countries.
Bees Abroad’s projects are normally self-sustaining after five years and no longer dependent on external finance and mentoring. It has projects which need funding and enquiries from community groups in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Nepal, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.
For further information, please visit: www.beesabroad.org.uk or contact:
John Home 01926 612322 Bees Abroad (Chairman)
Veronica Brown 0117 230 0231 Bees Abroad (Administrator)
Roger Ranson 0845 402 6527 BHR Communications
19 July 2013
Gwenynwyr Cymru #182 43 Hydref 2013 The Welsh Beekeeper #182 44 Autumn 2013 The Welsh Beekeeper No. 182 Autumn2013 www.wbka.com All copy should reach the Editor on or before the last day of January, April, July and October.
Views expressed in ‘The Welsh Beekeeper’ are not necessarily held by the Editor or the Publishers, but remain the opinion of the author of the article.
Edited, and compiled by Sue Closs.
Proof read by Dewi Morris Jones
Published by Welsh Beekeeper Association
Printed by PensordT, Pontllanfraith, South Wales
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