The & easT Beekeepers’ assocIaTIon

Newsletter for August – December 2013

Hon Secretary, I&ESBKA: Malcolm Marchant, Hon Treasurer, I&ESBKA: Jackie McQueen, Newsletter Editor: Jeremy Quinlan, The Orchards, Road, Ipswich IP6 9AJ 643 Foxhall Road, Ipswich, IP3 8NE The Old Rectory, Dallinghoo, Woodbridge IP13 0LA  01473 289629; [email protected]  0473 420187; [email protected]  01473 737700; Email: [email protected]

Opinions expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily either those of the Editor or of the Association.

The Suffolk Beekeepers’ Association is an Area Association of The British Beekeepers’ Association. www.britishbee.org

Suffolk BKA: www.suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk University of East Anglia BKA www.ueabks.com/ County Secretary: Ian McQueen, 643 Foxhall Road, Ipswich, IP3 8NE Secretary: Richard Watson, 148 Earlham Road, Norwich NR2 3HF  01473 420187  01603 504439; [email protected].

Leiston & District BKA [email protected] Waveney Bee Group www.waveneybeekeepers.co.uk Secretary: Penny Robertson, 42 Church Hill, , Suffolk IP17 1ES Secretary: Will Dudman, 36 Marsh View, , Suffolk NR34 9RT  01728 604388  01502 714001; [email protected]

Stowmarket & District BKA [email protected] BKA [email protected] Secretary: Wendy Lummis, 161 Old Stowupland Road, , IP14 5AP. Secretary: Barney Harrison, Appletrees, 4 Perkins Way, Tostock,  01449 615261 , Suffolk, IP30 9PU.  01359 270247 Is honey the Holy Grail after antibiotics? the flower. Recently, it has been discovered that a previously unknown Bee health - Honey crop bacteria could potentially be of group of thirteen different beneficial bacteria reside inside the crucial importance for the well-being of bees, their pollination honey crop of bees. They are probably the reason why the nectar potential, and for their production of honey and bee bread. These is not spoiled in the hive. This group seems to be a Holy Grail of bacteria have been shown to inhibit American Foulbrood. With evolution, since the research indicates that these bacteria act as a further studies, it is hoped to understand more about the barrier against unwanted microorganisms. importance of these bacteria and their impact on the bees’ Beneficial bacteria - Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are immune system and larval defences, and on bee foods. Other included in a bacterial group called the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as current investigations are also studying how some of the drugs fed they produce lactic acid as their main end product. LAB are to bees affect the bacteria and how this may impact both the bees’ widespread in nature. In mammals, they are found along the defence against diseases and their food production. gastrointestinal tract. They are considered beneficial because they A possible solution to increasing bacterial resistance - protect their host against unwanted microbes and produce The over-use of antibiotics is linked to increasing bacterial important compounds, e.g. vitamins and anti-microbial substances. resistance in humans so we are in desperate need of other LAB are commercially important for their use in the food and treatments. The group of thirteen LAB species discovered in the biotech industries as they are involved in processing foods like honey bee have evolved together in the honey crop and each chocolate, sausages, olives, vanilla, vinegar, yoghurt and probiotics. species of bacterium can produce several different anti-microbial In addition, LAB have been used by humans for thousands of years substances, resulting in a myriad of compounds. Working with in the preservation of food. The main reason for these applications such a large arsenal of anti-microbial substances seems a good is the production of compounds that inhibit or kill other micro- approach to prevent development of resistance by other micro- organisms competing for food and space. One interesting aspect is organisms, a strategy bees already use. that some of these bacterial compounds (e.g. organic acids) are Fresh honey is best - Millions of bacteria of each of the already used in beekeeping today to help bees fight diseases. The thirteen species of LAB found in the honey crop, in combination beneficial honey crop bacteria constitute one of the largest with their secondary metabolites, end up in fresh honey during its bacterial groups ever found collaborating within one single production. Unfortunately honey sold in shops does not contain organism. any viable, beneficial honey crop bacteria. The LAB are only The importance of bee bread - As we know, bees do not present and active in fresh or wild honey and only for a couple of only collect nectar from flowers; they collect pollen too. In the weeks. This may be one reason why honeys differ in their anti- hive the bee fills cells with pollen and then covers the pollen-filled microbial properties. cells with a drop of honey. It is known that a fermentation process .....courtesy of Montgomeryshire Beekeepers and Lund University, Sweden (adapted from an article by Alejandra Vásquez and Tobias Olofsson in Microbiology Today) starts in this mixture due to the presence of microorganisms. During this fermentation process, which takes two weeks, the Negative effects of Tau-fluvalinate (Apistan) pollen changes into ‘bee bread’ which is loaded with nutrients While some Varroa have developed a resistance to this from the pollen and serves as an essential food, for the bees and chemical, it can be highly effective (99% kill) if used not more often their larvae, and for the honey crop bacteria. The fermentation than, say, once every 4-5 years. However a new study by Frost et process makes the nutrients contained in the pollen available and al published in the Journal of Experimental Biology in April 2013 preserves it from spoiling. Research has identified the bacteria reports that they found that it adversely affects honey bee involved and revealed that bees, in producing bee bread, add all learning, memory, responsiveness to sucrose, and survival. the beneficial LAB to the pollen when they collect it at the site of Be warned! 1 Feeling my way by Jane Slade Catching the Honey Counterfeiters – a better How does it feel to be a honey bee? What is it that is causing way than pollen identification so many problems for them? How does the way I keep my bees The Journal of Apicultural Research Vol 47 No 2, 2008 affect their wellbeing? These are some of the questions I have reported that 32 samples of honey from the Province of La Pampa, been asking myself lately. Coming to beekeeping as I did, more as a Argentina, were characterised on the basis of their metals naturalist than an aspiring honey producer, I have always been content. The results showed that samples obtained within 50 km mostly interested in my bees as social insects, a joy to study and of the centre of the province, around Santa Rosa, its capital, were to have in the garden. Of course, I realise this is not the main different from those from the rest of the province. The phosphate reason why most people keep bees and the need to make a living content was the most significant variable detected. Another study or at least achieve some sort of income from honey makes it – see www.trace.eu.org – is attempting to do this for the whole difficult to veer from tried and tested apiculture. But for me, a EU; this would make honey counterfeiting more difficult. move towards a more natural way of beekeeping feels the right In the June BBKA News there was an appeal from Food thing to do. Forensics in Norwich for samples of honey across the country. Two years ago I stopped using conventional methods of Their MD, Alison Johnson, tells me: “We have the EU trace data varroa control and tried Hive Clean. This, as part of an integrated but it is not comprehensive enough; trace elements were less hive management has been very successful and my bees seem successful than stable isotopes (SIRA) in the Trace project hence healthier than they have ever been with no winter losses. I also we are focusing on the isotopes – the big marker here is the from used Optima, a natural tonic, this spring. the water which is clearly geographical. NZ has used SIRA for I no longer feed syrup unless absolutely necessary preferring honey quite successfully. We are hoping to develop a map that we to leave the bees with their own hard earned honey over the enter in the honey profile and it will then highlight the highest winter. Another change which feels right and logical to me is to probability of origin. This is working well in proteins and produce abandon the smoker – I never could keep the thing alight anyway. so I see no reason why it would not work well with honey. Any These days I only use a water spray which seems just as effective. contacts are much appreciated.” My next move will be to construct a top bar hive for use next A fascinating area! If anyone else wants to help catch the spring, probably the long low type. It will be interesting to cheats, send in a sample. See www.foodforensics.co.uk. compare the success of the colony from this hive with those in my other Nationals. How to stop sugar syrup going mouldy I don’t know whether a kinder, more natural approach will Ron Brown recommended this and so did R.O.B. Manley and both help to eliminate some of the other problems we are experiencing said they had no experience of Nosema. with our bees but my musings among the hives have had me Dissolve 1oz thymol crystals in 5 fl.oz surgical spirit. It dissolves wondering whether we are just expecting too much of them. It’s easily. very frustrating to have such healthy looking workers but queens Use 2ml. of this solution in a gallon of sugar syrup feed. An article which fail or don’t perform as they should do. that appeared in The Beekeepers’ Quarterly suggested 2 grams of There is much to learn about alternative methods so I shall thymol crystals dissolved (with some difficulty) in 2 litres of warm continue to read and to study the wealth of information on the water to make a stock solution and add 46 to 66 ml of this to internet. I may even join one of the natural beekeeping every litre of finished syrup – try it. The writings of Brown and associations. Gradually, I will make changes, feeling my way Manley are well worth reading. You will find both of them in the forward to a different way of beekeeping which I think will be Association library. better for me and, hopefully, better for my bees, the best and dearest of insects. Colletes hederae was recorded as new to Britain in 2001 in Dorset. Since then, the bee has spread across much of southern Honeybees Need Honey! and into south Wales, and is now extremely plentiful in Decrypting the honey bees’ genetic code has shown that they some coastal localities, and increasingly, inland. Peak activity have only about a third to half as many detox genes as many other matches the flowering period of its key pollen forage plant, Ivy insects. Propolis is thought to be an essential part of their defence (Hedera helix), and the species is on the wing from early against fungi and bacteria but that is probably not enough. September until In Proceedings of the (US) National Academy of Sciences of 29 early November. Apr 2013, Berenbaum et al at the University of Illinois report they This makes it the have found that p-coumaric acid (a monomer of sporopollenin, the last solitary bee principal constituent of pollen cell walls) also triggers activity in species to the honey bee genes needed for detoxifying chemicals or for emerge each making antimicrobial agents. Dennis van Engelsdorp of the year. If you see University of Maryland agrees that there is a connection between one, please pollen and bee health: when rain or drought reduces the amount report it to the of pollen that bees collect in the autumn, colonies don’t over Bee Wasp & Ant winter well. Recording Alexander Deans in Beekeeping Techniques (1963) tells us that Society: a normal honey should contain between 25,000 and 60,000 pollen www.bwars.com/ grains per 10 g; that is some one to two million grains per pound putting Colletes jar. If we take all their honey and give them sugar syrup, even the hederae in the better fructose syrup, how can they still remain healthy? subject line.

2 New light on middle-aged ‘Undertaker Bees’ National Honey Show October 2013 It's a dirty job and only about 1% do it at any one time. But Are you new to beekeeping? Would you like to see what honey, combs, middle-aged honeybees that serve as undertakers - removing dead wax and mead should really look like? bees from the hive - appear to be a distinct cadre of workers that are developmentally ahead of their peers. In this social world The National Honey Show is the ‘gold standard’ honey show, the known for its division of labour, there also were unexpected equivalent of Wimbledon for tennis players, this year the 82nd National Honey Show. There are almost 250 classes and beekeepers come from all discoveries by researchers. Undertakers don't get better with over the world to enter. Walking around the displays is an education in experience, and they don't do well working together. The findings itself. A full programme of workshops and lectures runs during the show are detailed in papers by Robinson, Trumbo and Zhi-Yong Huang and there will be a wide selection of trade stands with lots of equipment in “Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology”. and books to buy. Guest speakers this year include: Norman Carreck, Celia The work - which involved identifying the undertakers, Davis, Ricarda Kather, Mike Palmer and Dr Robert Paxton. marking them with tiny, coloured and numbered plastic tags, and For the first time this year there will be lectures on Thursday morning following them closely through middle age - provides the first starting at 9.30am, with the official opening at 1.45pm. On top of that is close look at undertakers. another great line up of very popular workshops and The Honey Show. If Since bees' nests are built in cavities, such a specialty is that isn't enough then you can get some bargains, advice and socialise in important for keeping the nests clean. “Undertakers had very the trade hall. Also new for 2013: on the Saturday we have a ‘New to similar activity levels as other bees; they just do a little bit less of Beekeeping’ day with a lecture programme for new beekeepers but all are the other middle-aged tasks, like building the comb and storing welcome. There will be lectures on Swarms and Swarm Control; Common food brought in by older foragers. They also remove debris, which Bee Diseases; Products of the Hive; Tasks Throughout the Year. fits in nicely with undertaking. “Undertakers also develop slightly If you have already had success at your local or county show, why not faster than other middle-aged bees, moving on to foraging before enter some of the classes? Put yourself up against the experts in the open the food storers and hive builders. Middle age lasts about 10 days. classes to see how you measure up. As you do your extracting, why not Undertakers usually removed dead bees for a day or two, but keep that perfect frame aside? A little planning now could give you lots of "one extraordinary bee remained at the task for 13 days". potential show entries. Undertakers respond to the odour of the dead, locating the The 2013 Schedule of Classes will be published in August but in the bodies and carrying them out of the hive for 50-100 metres before meantime, you can get a good idea of what is needed by looking at the dropping them. The researchers also monitored how swiftly 2012 schedule. This and much information about the Show may be found undertakers worked. “We didn't find any evidence for learning for on the N.H.S. website - www.honeyshow.co.uk. this particular task," Trumbo said. "This rules out one of the major The show is at St George’s College, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2QS (follow hypotheses that has been put forward for middle-aged the A317 from junction 11 of the M25) on Thursday 24th (1.45pm to 6pm), specialisation: that social insects will get better and better at what Friday 25th (9am to 6pm) & Saturday 26th October (9am to 4.30pm). they do." Admission for non-members is £15 - but you may become a member of Previous research had shown that learning is important for the National Honey Show for £12 - and then entry is free. Accompanied the older foragers, who get more efficient as they learn what children of 16 years and under are free anyway. You may join at the door flowers are producing nectar at what time. Not only did or by visiting the website - www.honeyshow.co.uk. undertakers not improve in efficiency they also got in each other's ************************************************************ way and slowed their efficiency. Robinson had shown previously that some bees are genetically The National Honey Show - Suffolk Rep wanted inclined to be undertakers. He says "We're beginning to get a The National Honey show is usually held in St George’s College, clearer picture of the behavioural profiles of interesting types of Weybridge, Surrey, in the October half term holiday; this year 24-26 Oct. specialist bees, such as undertakers, Understanding the career Ian McQueen, has the job but now wants to bow out. Our representative choices of bees is a useful model for understanding behaviour in has two free tickets to all three days of the Show and the County pays general. This new information should enable us to develop new travel costs @35p/mile. hypotheses about how neurons and genes in the brain function to Possible volunteers should get in touch with Ian, please: produce the marvellously complex behaviour seen in honeybee [email protected]. society.” Honeybees acquire different job descriptions as they age. Normally, it takes about three weeks for a newly emerged bee to Wanted – an apiary site of our own! mature into a forager. Undertaker bees are usually around 14 days All members – please keep an eye open for an appropriate old, in the transition from nursing to foraging. spot. From Notts BKA Dec 2012 via E-Bees ANNOYING BEES Predator Mites – another way to fight Varroa? Do you have the odd bee that buzzes you every time you go to the The Bee Vet offers sachets of predator mites @ £1.75 + VAT. clothes line or weed the garden? The ones that makes mowing the lawn They are a species of Stratiolaelaps mite, native to the UK, and difficult? Well some of this behaviour is genetic and replacing the queen have previously been used in biological control in horticulture. may help. If not, Ormond and Harry Aebi's book "Mastering the Art of Beekeeping” suggests you make a ‘wave cloth’. In other words, have a Two of these sachets (500 mites apiece) are torn a little to allow cloth (old dirty shirt) permanently mounted on a line or stand fairly close the mites out and then put on the top bars; a repeat is to the hives, which moves around in the breeze. The bees see the recommended every 9 weeks (3 brood cycles) The idea is they movement and investigate, but can't do anything about it and soon get attack the mite in its phoretic (adult) stage. Do they work? I have used to the movement. Very soon you can happily move around your been trying them in 3 strong colonies and, yes, they appear to apiary without bees investigating you. Try it - it works. work but my other colonies have low levels of Varroa anyway so I Frank Lindsay, Wellington (NZ) BKA am not yet sure. Jeremy Quinlan Seen in the Notts BKA Newsletter via e bees

3 Over-wintering an Apidea by Ann Proctor ‘Policing’ Genes Early last summer I received an email from Betsy Reid, whilst I Pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with pharming – was in France. The gist of which was there were 2 Apideas on order genetically altering plants to produce useful and valuable drugs. that would be waiting on my return to assemble and set up for queen Currently undergoing field trials are tomato plants that produce a rearing, as she would be away. First thought: PANIC! Every time I vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease and potatoes that immunise against managed to get some wifi for the rest of the holiday I was trying to hepatitis B. Many more plant-made-pharmaceuticals are being find out what an Apidea was and what I had to do with it! I found developed in laboratories around the world. very little information and, as usual, conflicting information. However, the techniques employed to insert genes into plants The Apidea is a bit like a basic slot together polystyrene and are within reach of the amateur…and the criminal. Policing Genes plastic Airfix kit - so 2 Apideas were duly assembled. This is where I (a film by Thomas Thwaites) speculates that, like other became chicken and decided to only attempt to set up one Apidea. I technologies, genetic engineering will also find a use outside the managed to get my rough cup of bees and cut out a closed queen cell and eventually secured it (having dropped her a couple of times) law, with innocent-looking garden plants being modified to between 2 frames of foundation with a bent paper clip - all very cringe produce narcotics and unlicensed pharmaceuticals. The genetics of worthy - and take it home. The next week I set up the other Apidea. the plants in your garden or allotment could become a police I loved handling the Apideas - with such low bee numbers I found matter. See: no smoke or bee suit was required to inspect them. These were my https://vimeo.com/11323803. first bees and such a good introduction for my partner who is very The Police run bee nervous of them. I was overjoyed when the queens hatched, nervous colonies, collect the pollen and when I found they had gone on their mating flight and relieved when analyse it for GM and other the first queen came back and eventually the second. Then it was matters of interest. At the waiting for them to start laying. Success did come and we were able same time, a video camera in to move the queens back to our yet again queenless hives in the colony records the waggle . dances which show where the By September we had just one Apidea left with a queen and it bees collected the pollens. was decided to attempt to over winter it. I decided three 4” square Then a knock on the frames would not give them enough stores to survive the winter. As appropriate door! the bases are removable, I decided to use one as a ‘super’. Unfortunately they were not interlocking and left a huge open gap. So Do bees sleep? I made a wooden eke to join the 2 and fill the gap. I removed the food Honeybee (Apis mellifera) foragers are among the first container from the ‘brood’ Apidea and replaced it with 2 drawn invertebrates for which sleep behaviour has been described. frames from the ‘super’ and I made 2 new frames for the ‘super’. Then fed them Ambrosia. They drowned themselves! So I built a floating Foragers (typically older than 21 days) have strong circadian platform out of a thin piece of balsa wood - I knew all that eating rhythms; they are active during the day, and sleep during the night. French cheese and saving the bases would be useful one day! We explored whether young bees (∼3 days of age), which are Then there was the question of warmth - how would so few bees typically active around-the-clock with no circadian rhythm, also keep warm enough even in their polystyrene Apidea? I collected 2 exhibit sleep behaviour. We combined 24-hour video recordings, insulated boxes from the veg shop. Placed the Apidea inside one, detailed behavioural observations, and analyses of response which I had cut an entrance hole to line up with the Apidea’s, with the thresholds to a light pulse for individually house bees in various box lids cut and packed round the sides. I then shortened the height arousal states. of the 2nd box so it fitted tightly on top and held it on with a brick. We characterized three sleep stages in foragers on the basis Still not sure if I was doing the right thing so I thought I would of differences in body posture, bout duration, antennae ask how other people had done this - found no one in the group had, movements and response threshold. Young bees exhibited sleep but Jeremy Quinlan recommended a pamphlet called ‘Honeymoon behaviour of the same three stages. Sleep was interrupted by brief flats for Honeybee Queens’ by Ron Brown. Which I ordered and was awakenings, which were as frequent in young bees as in foragers. much relived to find that basically what I had done was along the lines Beyond these similarities, we found differences in the sleep he recommended. It is worth noting that he said Apideas seem to architecture of young bees and foragers. Young bees passed more remain free from varroa and don’t need treating. frequently between the three sleep stages, and stayed longer in the So now it was fingers crossed that through, what turned out to lightest sleep stage than foragers. These differences in sleep be a very long cold winter, they would survive. I peeked in the top architecture may represent developmental and/or environmentally Apidea only a couple of times to check on fondant levels but they induced variations in the neuronal network underlying sleep in were consuming very little but there always appeared to be some life deep inside. I was pleased when we had warmer days and they were honeybees. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first flying, but with each new cold snap my heart sank. evidence for plasticity in sleep behaviour in insects. Eban-Rothschild, A. D., & Bloch, G. (2008). Journal of Experimental Biology, 211(15), I am pleased to say I must have done something right, as on 25th 2408-2416. April I made my first inspection and although I found very little honey in the ‘super’ Apidea there were 3 full frames in the ‘brood’; one Applebee, Rockland St Mary, NR14 7HE; 01508 538231 frame basically of pollen and 1 frame of brood and one queen seen. I am now attempting to move them out of the Apidea into a [email protected], www.applebeeorchard.com nucleus box, you could say out of their honeymoon flat into their 6 Frame Nuclei £120; Mated queens £35. starter home. I did use a bee suit, but no smoke, even though they Huge range of hives, frames, wax and sundries. Great beekeeping needed a lot of handling and fiddling in the move. We will have to wait advice! Ruth and John Everett, Master Beekeeper. and see if my cable ties and guess work allows my little colony to grow to be my first full sized colony. Photo Competition Ann – congratulations! An excellent account! Email your entry (landscape orientation) to [email protected] by 1st August. 4 Mysteries in the Blue Sky by Peter West, Devon BKA Greater wax moth: ‘top of the range’ Mating biology of the honey bee - Lecture at 2012 So far as is known, the Spring Convention by Dr Jochen Pflugfelder, Swiss Bee Research Centre greater wax moth can Dr Pflugfelder started with pictures of sealed brood laid by hear the highest frequency well-mated and in-bred queens. The research he described shows of any animal. A team at how honeybee mating has evolved to ensure that virgin queens do Strathclyde University not mate with their brothers. Honeybee queens mate in Drone Congregation Areas found the moth can sense (DCAs). DCAs have been researched in the same steep-sided, flat sound frequencies of up to bottomed Austrian valley for 40 years. The DCAs are mapped by 300 kHz. Humans can only students who are equally spaced across the valley floor, each manage up to 20 kHz, and having a helium balloon scented with queen substance ((E)-9- dolphins 160 kHz. I see 0xodec-2enoic acid from their mandibular glands) on a long string. that b at call detectors are advertised as ‘up to 192 kHz’. As they progress in a line along the valley floor, they shout out The findings have been published in the Royal Society journal, when the drones start hitting their balloon, and again when the Biology Letters. Dr James Windmill, who led the research, said: drones stop. The drones do not follow the queens or scented "We are extremely surprised to find that the moth is capable of balloons out of the DCAs. hearing such high sound frequencies and we hope to use the The DCAs have remained in exactly the same positions for 40 findings better to understand air-coupled ultrasound.” The use of years, and no one knows how or why! Further research on the ultrasound in air is difficult as at such high frequency signals are drones in the DCA involves using nets under the balloons so that quickly attenuated. “While we do not know how the moths samples can be taken. If all the drones from one hive are marked developed this ability, it is possible that they had to improve their they will make up a percentage of the sample. The following day all communications to avoid bats, which uses similar sounds." the other hives in the area have drone ‘includers’, so that only the It is hoped that application of this study may lead to innovations marked drones can fly. Sampling shows that the marked drones such as miniature microphones. visit the DCA, find that there are not enough drones to stabilise the DCA and move away. Through repeated sampling of captured drones, researchers Membership matters found: (a) drones from within 5 km were present regularly in great At the end of June, Suffolk BKA memberships were: numbers; (b) drones from 6 km were rare; and (c) a thousand Ipswich & East Suffolk 177 drones are not sufficient to stabilise a DCA. & District 89 Between 1999 and 2005 the number of drones in a DCA was Stowmarket & District 80 estimated eleven times and ranged between 8,300 and 50,000, University of East Anglia BKS 28 averaging 16,000 drones waiting for the virgin queens! Drones Waveney Bee Group 149 attend the nearest DCA. Queens on the other hand, in three West Suffolk 102 experiments out of four, went to a DCA further afield. 625 The queen's mating flight is limited to 30 minutes by the fuel We welcome new members: Kevin Austin, Peter Baldwin, Karen in her honey stomach. She will return as soon as she has enough Best, Chris Belton, Michael Brett, Linda Cleve, Anne Deane, semen or after 30 minutes if not. Her flight, though, is dangerous. Trevor Deith, Patricia Eve, James Ferguson, Sally Fletcher, Lisa 12% do not return so the quicker the mating the better. Drones Glanville, Martin Hancock, Elaine Howlings, Paul Howlings, Trevor refuel at the nearest hive and then return to the local DCA. Using Humphries, Debi Jordan, Pat Keates, Kate Miller, Samuel Mulder, DNA fingerprinting, it was estimated that the drones at one DCA John Nunn, Deborah Orme, Graham Orme, Margaret Rittman, came from 240 colonies. Susannah Robirosa, Barnaby Rugge-Price, Trevor Self, and Dave I marvel at how researchers can catch, label and release 500 Thomas. drones and then take another sample 30 minutes later! Module examination successes Evolution/survival of the fittest shows us how important it is Module 1 Richard Allen Ipswich Distinction for queens to have multiple unrelated mates. If you buy a mated James Ferguson Stowmarket Distinction queen, what matters is the range of sperms she is carrying and not Paul Shepherd Leiston Credit just what she looks like and her own pedigree. Module 2 Mark Butt Waveney Credit The research makes us think. How can we ensure that the Paul Shepherd Leiston virgins that emerge from our own colonies experience the best Module 3 Mark Butt Waveney Credit quality mating, so that they will head genetically strong colonies? Module 6 Robert Curtis Waveney Peter Sunderland Waveney Richard Watson UEA Basic Assessment successes so far – a 100% pass rate – the Box House Beekeeping Supplies - Located in East Bergholt, Suffolk - for the local same as last year – and the year before that! supply of hives, frames and foundation, tools and other equipment for keeping bees. Kathryn Langford, Peter Langford, Mark Holtom and Mark Smith. Open by arrangement - please email or telephone Paul White to discuss your More to come! To see your name here in the next edition, you need to requirements. 01206 299658 or 07768 634038. www.box-bees.co.uk; email: apply! [email protected]. 5 How best to deal with a bee sting Red Oilseed Rape! No matter what is said, some wrong ideas seem to persist in Although traditionally used to give soils a break between beekeeping. One is that Isle of Wight Disease was due to the crops of wheat or barley, oilseed rape has boomed in the UK in acarine mite - it was coincidental that this was discovered at about recent years as demand has soared for the oil made from the the same time – Bailey & Ball looked into the matter at great plant, but the bright yellow petals and sweet scent of the plant length and came to the firm conclusion that IoW disease was have attracted growing numbers of pests, especially pollen beetles. paralysis and due to a virus (see their book Honey Bee Pathology). Another canard is that one should never grip a sting and Chemical sprays have long been used to control the insect but attempt to pull it out since this will have the effect of injecting resistance has been rising. more venom into the wound. Once it is known how a sting works, Now scientists at Rothamsted say they have a new strategy one will see that gripping the back of a sting can only add an for containing the beetle. In this experiment the researchers used insignificant amount of extra venom. food colouring to change the colour of the leaves of a variety with In Form and Function in the Honey Bee Lesley Goodman tells us: white petals. "We grew oilseed rape in pots, washed off the soil “The venom gland consists of and put the plants into buckets of water," lead author Dr Sam two long secretory tubules Cook told BBC (stu) that unite to form a News. "And we common duct (du) opening basically poured food into the venom sac (vs). The colouring into the venom sac opens into the cavity of the bulb (bu) and acts water. This was taken as a reservoir for the venom up by the roots of which passes through the bulb the plant and was and into the venom canal [the manifested in the small linear space between the colour of the petals." stylet and the two lancets] by Oilseed rape is the action of the two lancet widely grown across valves (va). [In The Honey Bee the UK as demand Inside out Celia Davis tells us has soared for that these valves are cones of biofuels. The team soft tissue.] . . . As the lancet coloured the petals yellow, blue and red. In the laboratory and in moves posteriorly, its valve within the bulb is extended, field trials over two years they found these made a big difference sweeping venom ahead of it and into the venom canal. As the to the pollen beetles. lancet is retracted, its valve collapses allowing fluid to move past "Red was significantly less preferred than the blue, and then it.” yellow and white were pretty much the same," said Dr Cook. "It's The lancets are driven by muscles working on a ramus (ra), an a bright red - almost a blood red really," she said. extension of the lancet. The two lancet umbrella valves, working The researchers showed that the beetles are more attracted alternately, each drives a dose of poison into the wound. Gripping to objects that are highly reflective of ultraviolet light. This a sting may indeed add more venom but only a tiny quantity. Time knowledge could open up new strategies for managing the pest say and speed are of more importance. Get the sting out of your skin the research team. as quickly as possible! Don’t wait to scrape! "We could breed red coloured plants. The anthocynanin gene is responsible for purple and red colouration - this gene is present Question in the oil seed rape family so we could breed that into oilseed rape Hi Jeremy, to give a red colouration to the green parts and the petals," said Why did the queen and handful of bees repeatedly swarm Dr Cook. despite having adequate space, drawn comb and fondant whilst in the mini-nuc, all accompanied by a frame feeder when I transferred One alternative being examined by several companies is to them to the nuc? They swarmed three times - once from the mini- have no petals at all. Another approach could be to mix and match nuc after which I put them into the nuc box as I thought the issue colours that the insects find attractive and repellent. By planting may be space - once from the nuc box after which I put them back yellow varieties around the edge of a field with red cultivars in the into the mini-nuc in case they had had too much space to fill in the middle you would design a trap, which would keep the pests from nuc box - and finally from the mini-nuc. They travelled far afield the oil producing crop. "It's a push pull strategy - the main crop is last time so I did not manage to find them to re-home them. pushing the insect away and the trap crop is pulling it into this area It has intrigued me and I wonder if you can shed some light on where it can be controlled more easily," said Dr Cook. She says what happened/what I could have done incorrectly etc? that the fields of the UK could one day become a multi-coloured Regards, mosaic. Hilda BBC News via the internet From Somerton Beekeepers If anyone would like to hazard an answer, we would be pleased to hear from them. Please write to us.

6 SUFFOLK BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION - COUNTY SHOW 29 – 30 May 2013 CLASS WINNERS CLASS FIRST SECOND THIRD VHC Might 2014 be the last year 1. LIGHT HONEY – OPEN Mr S Bambridge Mr R Ramsey Mr M Graystone Mrs J McQueen 2. MEDIUM HONEY -OPEN Mr S Bambridge Mr M Gosling Mr M Graystone Mr S Bambridge that beekeepers take part 3. DARK HONEY – OPEN Mr R Allen Mr P Beard - Mr J Quinlan Mr M Graystone in the Suffolk Show? 4. GRANULATED HONEY -OPEN Mr P White Mr M Graystone Mr D Adams Mr J Quinlan 5. CHUNK HONEY - OPEN Mr G Richards - - - 8. CONTAINERS OF CUT COMB - OPEN Mr J Quinlan - - - Ian McQueen has been Show 11.6 BLOCKS OF BEESWAX Mr S Bambridge - - - 12. HONEY CAKE - OWN RECIPE Mr M Gosling Mr S Bambridge Mrs E Castle Mrs J McQueen Secretary for the last 16 years – 13. HONEY CAKE - SET RECIPE Mr M Gosling Mrs E Castle Ms D Jordan - and all will agree that he has 14. HONEY PRESERVES Mr P Beard Mr M Gosling Mrs E Castle done an excellent job. But, 15. BISCUITS OR SMALL CAKES Mr M Gosling Mr G Richards Mr S Bambridge Ms D Jordan 16.SIX HONEY SWEETS Mr M Gosling - - Mrs J McQueen unfortunately, all good things Mr A Harding come to an end and he has 17. DRY MEAD Mrs E Castle Mrs J McQueen - - 18. SWEET MEAD Mrs J McQueen Mr M Gosling - Mrs J McQueen decided, fairly enough, that 19. HONEY BASED WINE Mrs E Castle Mrs J McQueen - - 2014 will be his last. 22. LIQUID HONEY -MEMBERS Mr S Bambridge Mr M Graystone Mrs J McQueen Mr M Gosling 23. GRANULATED HONEY - MEMBERS Mr M Gosling Mr D Adams Mr M Graystone Mr R Ramsey 24. 3 JARS OF HONEY – MEMBERS Mr M Graystone Mr M Gosling Mr J Quinlan Mr J Waspe Who will understudy him in 25. 6 JARS OF HONEY LABELLED FOR SALE Mr S Bambridge Mr M Gosling Mr R Ramsey Mr M Graystone Mr J Quinlan 2014 and take over the 26. JAR OF HONEY – ANY COLOUR, BLACK JAR Mr R Ramsey Mr M Graystone Mr J Quinlan Mr S Bambridge Mr M Gosling following year? 27. ONE SECTION OF COMB HONEY - Mr J Quinlan - - - MEMBERS 29.SIX JARS OF HONEY, PRODUCED BY A West Suffolk Ipswich & East Suffolk If no-one does, 2014 will be the BRANCH last year that bees and 30. LIQUID HONEY – NOVICES Mr R Allen Mr P White 31 CREAMED OR GRANULATED HONEY – Mr P White Mr A Macpherson Mr A Harding Mr S Leung beekeeping appear at the Show. NOVICES 32 HONEY CAKE – NOVICES Mr R Allen - - Ms D Jordan 33. LIQUID HONEY – GIFT Mr S Bambridge Mr M Graystone Mr P Beard Mr M Gosling 34. GRANULATED HONEY - GIFT Mr M Gosling Mr D Adams Mr M Graystone Mr J Quinlan Mr R Ramsey 35. BEEKEEPING PHOTOGRAPHS Mr G Richards Mrs J McQueen Mr G Richards

MAJOR AWARDS FIRST PRESIDENT'S COUNTY CUP SILVER SALVER PRESIDENTS HEADLANDS SPROUGHTON WAX CUP MAYOR’S CUP BASIL STAFF DAVID LITTLE F.W. DRAKE OGILVIE CUP CUP & BBKA CUP SENIOR CUP CUP CUP TROPHY CUP BLUE RIBBON BEST EXHIBIT IN MOST POINTS IN SMALL MOST POINTS MOST POINTS MOST POINTS MOST POINTS MOST POINTS NOVICE’S MOST POINTS MOST POINTS MOST POINTS SHOW CONFECTIONERY BEEKEEPER’S IN CLASSES IN MEAD AND IN CLASSES IN WAX IN SHOW CUP IN SHOW FOR IN MEMBERS BY NEW CLASSES AWARD 1 – 11 HONEY WINE 6 – 8 CLASSES A MEMBER OF CLASSES 22 – 28 EXHIBITOR CLASSES IPSWICH & EAST SUFFOLK ASSOCIATION Steve Bambridge Michael Gosling Steve Bambridge Steve Bambridge Jackie McQueen Jeremy Quinlan Steve Bambridge Michael Gosling Paul White Steve Bambridge Mike Graystone Richard Allen

7 All members of the six Suffolk Bee Associations are welcome Calendar to attend any or all these meetings. Speakers at Ipswich & East Suffolk BKA Meetings

Sat Apiary Safari: starts from Arch Farm Cottage, West Suffolk BKA Planting for Pollinators 10 Aug Norton, IP31 3LX at 10:00. Barney Harrison Dr Karin Alton: Research Fellow, Sat Closing down – how to prepare for winter Waveney Bee Group Honey bee Health and Wellbeing, 17 Aug How to take good photographs of bees Will Dudman University of Sussex. Following a career in 2:30pm Grange Farm, Barsham commercial and retail finance, I obtained a Mon Mike Learner: The Production of Wax & Oddities. Waveney Bee Group Zoology degree at Nottingham University, 16 Sep 7:30pm Grange Farm, Barsham Will Dudman then a PhD in Entomology. I have worked Wed Auction / Forum / Ten Minute Tips Ipswich & ES with hoverflies, aphids (galling aphids on 18 Sep From 7.30 Scout Hall, IP5 1JF Malcolm Marchant poplar trees), tephritid flies and its Wed Karin Alton: Planting for Pollinators Ipswich & ES parasitiods on knapweed, bugs and beetles 16 Oct Scout Hall, Kesgrave IP5 1JF Malcolm Marchant of various grasslands, and now with honey See page 2. 01473 bees. I teach beekeeping for beginners and maintain the website for the Sat Honey Show and Evening Presentations Waveney Bee Group Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects. 19 Oct Will Dudman Thu - Sat National Honey Show at St George’s, See box on page 3 Using X-ray Vision to Look at Honeybees 24-26 Oct Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2QS Dr Mark Greco: Mark has been involved in the management and application of Australian stingless bees and European Honeybees (Apis Mon WBG History Waveney Bee Group 18 Nov 7:30pm Grange Farm, Barsham Will Dudman mellifera) since 1991 and is the author of the book “Imaging Techniques for Improved Bee Management”. Originally, a Medical Radiation Scientist, Wed Mark Greco: Looking at Honeybees with X- Ipswich & ES Mark is developing innovative methods for studying insects and their 20 Nov rays. Scout Hall, Kesgrave IP5 1JF Malcolm Marchant Also, collect oxalic acid orders. 01473 behaviour using non-invasive imaging which he terms Diagnostic Radioentomology (DR). DR is now being adopted by other researchers at Sat General Husbandry: A one day brush Jeremy Quinlan European synchrotron facilities and Macro/Micro CT scanners and has 23 Nov up course led by Paul Metcalf, NDB, 01473 737700 recently been hailed as the “Gold Standard” for honeybee monitoring at Dallinghoo Jubilee Hall, IP13 0JX. (Delaplane et al. 2013). Mark has recently collaborated with the BBC4 Booking is essential. televised program “Metamorphosis”, BBC Earth and with Sir David Attenborough’s new three part series on arthropod behaviour. He holds Wed Christmas Get-together at Dallinghoo. Ipswich & ES 11 Dec See opposite for details Malcolm Marchant a PhD in Engineering (University of Bath) and a PhD in Biology (University of Western Sydney). His current role at the University of Bath is Mon Forum: Come and ask questions Waveney Bee Group researching the epidemiology of European Foul Brood in the UK. 16 Dec 7:30pm Grange Farm, Barsham Will Dudman

Education, Education Education!!! Cooks’ Corner Honey and Apple Cake with Greek Yoghurt If enough wish, we will continue our regional beekeeping For the Cake: education next winter. Leaders are: 4 tablespoons honey a. John Fairhurst at Valley Farm, just west of , 450 g sliced cooking apples off the B1078 to . 225 g butter b. David Adams at Kirton. 350 g self-raising flour c. Paul White at Old Hall, East Bergholt. 280 g golden castor sugar d. Jeremy Lain: Bee Woodwork (see below). 4 eggs e. Initially Module 2 then, we hope, Module 3 with Jeremy Juice of half a lemon Quinlan at Dallinghoo. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract For the Yoghurt: Please tell either your selected course leader or Jeremy: 3 teaspoons honey [email protected]. 250 g natural Greek yoghurt

4 fresh thinly sliced figs Bee Woodwork 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Jeremy Lain offers to help you build your own hive from scratch in his workshop. Heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mk 4. Apply to him: 01473 414106 or [email protected]. Butter and line a rectangular baking tin with paper. Squeeze lemon juice Oxalic Acid over sliced apples. Mix butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour well, until smooth. Layer ½ mixture in tin, followed by ½ sliced apples, rest of Since thymol based anti Varroa treatments are not 100% effective, it is mixture and apples, drip honey over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until wise also to treat with oxalic acid between Christmas and the New Year. golden and springy to touch. Leave to cool before turning out. As a service to members, Nick Bird will again make up a ready to use Mix yoghurt with cinnamon. dilute solution, which will be available for collection at the 20th Cook slices of figs covered in the honey in a low oven for about one hour November I&ESBKA meeting or, by arrangement, shortly after that date. basting every ¼ hour. Leave to cool. Place figs and juice over yoghurt and It will be supplied in bottles with a syringe @ £2.00 for sufficient to treat put in fridge for a few hours or overnight to infuse. 3 hives (at 50 ml per hive), or 4 hives at £2.50. Please book your requirement early, preferably by e-mail to [email protected]; alternatively, by phone to 01473 658235. Christmas Get-together Email orders will be acknowledged. We plan to hold this again on Wednesday 11th December. Please

Fructose syrup for winter feed put the date in your diary! Aggregating orders has meant that the Christopher Bindloss consortium The cost should be the same as last year, £14:00 for two courses has bought @ 70p per litre (half last year’s price) and the equivalent of and coffee or tea. Menu choices will be circulated nearer the day. five pallet tanks is being delivered from Belgium by tanker! There is some Unless anybody has a better idea (please tell us if you do), this will spare - enquiries to: [email protected] or 01728 720106. be in the Jubilee Hall, Dallinghoo, IP13 0JX. 8