Newsletter Volume 10 — October 2019 Editor: Norman Dickinson BRIGHTON AND LEWES DIVISION OF THE SUSSEX BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION www.brightonlewesbeekeepers.co.uk

First Winter Meeting held on 18th September The first meeting of the like in to determine reason, amongst others winter season was a talk if we have a problem. A why you should not feed by David Rudland number of slides showing honey to a colony unless In this issue: entitled “Snap Shot of the result of bad brood produced by that one. 4 Diseases” were shown with an NEVER feed commercially Asian Hornet Action Team 2 David gave a brief explanation of the sourced honey as this has (AHAT) summary of his bee probable cause and the been known to contain best course of action to AFB spores. Interesting Items from 2 experience and was a Gerald Legg take. David also stated seasonal bee inspector for David advised registering that most viral infections 9 years. His wife Celia is a ones apiaries on BeeBase, Apiary site available 2 were as a result of poor qualified teacher a Government & varroa control making the Amanda Advises 3 although no longer Plant Health Agency. The more susceptible to teaching in schools. main benefit is that 'One kind of bee lives in 3 the viral infection. Together they run 200-250 should there be an snail shells' hives and carry out a It was explained that the outbreak of foul brood Turkish beekeeper finds 4 number of educational two “foul broods” EFB within a 5Km radius of thieving bears prefer courses associated with and AFB are both your apiary, then you will premium honey beekeeping. classified as notifiable receive a notification. Male honeybees inject 4 David started by stating diseases and MUST be Other benefits also queens with blinding toxins during sex that the biggest problem reported to the bee include the ability to inspector if it is suspected download various we face is Varroa with 18 Photo Corner: 6 months being the average that it is present. EFB is information publications Officers of the Division 7 time a colony will survive not always terminal and and see a map of your the bee inspector will location and surrounding if varroa is not treated. Divisional diary 7 The first question posed advise what action is apiary sites. Members can was “how do we know required. AFB is always sign-up at https:// Regional and Seasonal Bee 7 terminal and the hive secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/ Inspectors that we have a problem”, the simple answer being complete with bees and beebase/public/ that we need to know any honey extracted must register.cfm be destroyed. It is for this what healthy brood looks Forthcoming winter : If you can’t love them, at least admire them meetings:

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent BBC News 15 September 2019 October 2019: A year Beekeep- ing My Way with Mike Cullen Want to know the best your lair by the stump, charge of way to kill a cockroach? like a dog on a leash. collections at London's Well, first inject some You're going to bury this Natural History Museum, powerful neurotoxins zombie in a hole in the which means he's got directly into its brain. ground. plenty of material to work with. This will make the bug But just before you close compliant; it won't try to up the tomb, lay an The 'zombie fungus' and In next months away and will bend to on the bug. Your progeny the climbing dead edition: your will. can have the joy of Locations mapped of key Amanda Advises Second, slice off one of eating it alive. UK species Asian Hornet Action Team its antennae and drink Dr Gavin Broad relishes the goo that comes out. these stories about how He has drawer after Contributions from our For snack purposes, you wasps will parasitise drawer of wasps, members understand. other critters. He's the gathered from all And then lead it off to principal curator in (Continued on page 5) Asian Hornet Action Team Report by Manek Dubash Autumn was the time of year Role of the public I'd suggest you make it known predicted by scientists and the among your friends and The key issue here is that members government's experts to be the acquaintances that you have this of the public have been the first to most likely time to find active information, as I've been contacted spot the insect (Vespa velutina), so Asian hornets, and so it has proved. by a number of people asking for it crucial that we as beekeepers help with identification; News update help with identification. To that fortunately, none of the I've end, I have a batch of identification The latest news is that an Asian been asked about were V. velutina. cards to give out, which you are hornet sighting was confirmed welcome to pick up at the next Finally, here's an update from an south west of Ashford in Kent on 9 meeting. You can also use the Asian ex B&L member in France: September 2019. That's not far hornet App, available on both away and, as far as I am aware, no "We have a friend whose son is a Apple and Android, to help with nest has yet been found and fireman, but part-time treats Asian identification. destroyed. hornet nests. In the last three Photos are central to such months he has dealt with 47 nests This follows an earlier confirmed identification but if that's not in and around Fecamp [on the sighting in the Tamworth area of possible, some guidelines are that northern French coast between Staffordshire on 2 September 2019, Asian hornets: Dieppe and Le Havre]. Quite where a nest was subsequently frightening news and amazing how located and destroyed. Earlier in have a dark brown or black quickly they have spread. Be the year a single hornet was velvety body prepared in the UK as you’ll be confirmed in New Milton, next.” Hampshire. In each case the have a yellow or orange band on Whilst on holiday in Jersey in hornets were spotted and reported fourth segment of abdomen August and visiting Jersey Zoo, I by a member of the public. have yellow tipped legs was (un)fortunate to see an Asian Since 2016, there have been a total Hornet as it landed on a plant close of 16 confirmed sightings of the are smaller than the native by but was unable to get the Asian hornet in England and seven European hornet camera on it before it flew off. I nests have been destroyed. are not active at night hope that is the last time I shall see a live Asian Hornet. Ed

A couple of interesting items from Gerald Legg Spider venom used to kill pests but harm the bees as well. Now Elaine days, the larvae started "writhing". not bees Fitches and her colleagues at the Within a week, all the larvae and University of Durham, H, and Fera adults were dead. The team also Leo Benedictus NewScientist 14 Science, a firm co-owned by the UK placed on a piece of September 2019 Department for Environment, honeycomb containing bee brood, A bite from a funnel web spider Food and Rural Affairs, think which was then sprayed with the delivers neurotoxins that can kill funnel-web spiders may provides engineered compound. The an adult human in hours, or a child the weapon we need to stop the honeycomb and bees survived in minutes. Yet they might be our . Spider venom contains a virtually untouched, but most of the friends in the fight against the cocktail of ingredients, and one of new beetle larvae died. " I was small hive beetle, a dangerous new the funnel-web's Hv1a is fatal to absolutely chuffed to bits with these threat to bees. most insects, including small hive results," Fitches says. beetle, but seems to have no effect In southern Africa, where it Honey can tell us all about lead on bees or humans. The trouble is originates, the small hive beetle pollution. (Aethina tumida) is a minor pest . that Hv1a needs to be injected. If NewScientist 31 August 2020 African honeybees defend their beetles swallow the toxin, it nests so aggressively that the degrades in their gut and has little Bees pick up pollution as they fly invader rarely gets a foothold. effect. So Fitches and her team around and some of it ends up in Outside Africa, however, nest of have bound Hv1a to a molecule their honey, although it is still safe to European honeybees (Apis found in the spring-flowering eat. Kate Smith at the University of mellifera) are often devastated by common snowdrop (Galanthus British Columbia in Canada found the beetle and its larvae, which nivalis), which effectively carries that analysing honey is as good a way devour the honey, pollen and brood, itd through the gut barrier. In the to check lead levels as using soil or destroy the combs and sometimes lab, the team fed this 'fusion air samples. It could be used to introduce diseases. Some pesticides protein' in a sugar solution to monitor remote areas. can kill the beetles, but they would beetles and their larvae. After two

Apiary Site available An apiary site in a garden in New England Road, Brighton has been offered. Details from Hilary on 07713532285

Page 2 Amanda advises... As I write this on 22nd September opportunities present themselves. will be visited the long spell of dry warm by bees and I was able to complete my feeding weather has broken and we had other early this year (for reasons given our first much needed rain last pollinators last month) but because it has night. We can expect (and Asian been warm, my plants have temperatures to return to normal Hornet continued to flower, bees have from early October (so says the queens!) been very busy, and continued to forecast) so I hope everyone has during produce a lot of brood, from a completed their bee jobs for this October when weather permits check of one and the quantity of time of year. This includes all and produces good quality nectar. pollen going in (orange ragwort, varroa treatment and feeding. As I pale water balsam and an Other jobs I must do include have now removed my feeders I intermediate yellow I have not treating the last of the drawn can put insulation on. As soon as identified). So I should not have empty supers with acetic acid it cools down and the bees less been surprised to find on the last before storing them for winter active, you can put mouse guards dusting that two nucs have and stripping a few more old on, but I recommend removing the increased in size in September. entrance block before fitting to frames from wax to keep the risk One went from 8 seams to 12, and reduce the risk of the holes of wax moth down and then the another from 5 seams to 9 seams. becoming blocked by dead bees. tedious task of scraping the This may have implications on Netting against Woodpeckers can frames before boiling them up. A their stores which I calculated on go on later in October along with much more pleasant task is the the basis of their size at the last straps in case of wind blowing the bee garden improvement. Now we full inspection late August. It is hives over. Queen excluders have had some rain to soften the complicated though; increased should most definitely be in the soil I can plant some more bulbs e size and more brood (because of shed by now. My inspections have g allium, crocus, grape hyacinth warmth and feeding) will have ceased. increased their food requirement; and other seed saved from the I shall continue to monitor for however, the warm weather and spring and summer, and just mites. The usual post-treatment prolonged flowering may reduce before the rain came I cut part of increase in mite levels from their requirement and they may my wild flower meadow where nearby dying colonies started even have met part of their daily there is just rank grass so I can early in September round me and needs. However, I have seen more rake it and scrape it prior to I have been dusting to keep on top bees than usual round my leaky planting more knapweed and of it. My new, smaller colonies outside tap so I assume they are sowing scabious seeds and yellow have not had much of a problem now consuming stores. I shall not rattle seed which needs winter but the established colonies more disturb the frames again to check vernalisation to germinate and likely to go robbing; slightly more and they feel very heavy at the will weaken the grass. The rest of so. However, a few sessions of moment so I shall just heft them the meadow still has scabious dusting and the drop is reducing (lift either side of hive to assess flowering and much visited by thankfully, however I must the weight) on a regular basis. If bees so that will wait its haircut a continue to be vigilant as last year we have a mild winter again, their bit longer. I had to cut it by hand mine seemed to continue to rob needs will not be huge but the shears to avoid harming the toads out these failing colonies well into forecast ‘Beast from the East’ in and slow-worms which we have October. With the deteriorating Jan/Feb (which I shall believe found in there. The sedum is in its weather though it will be more when I see it) may increase their prime and the asters just starting difficult to do my treatments at 4 needs. The ivy buds are abundant so there is still much for bees to or 5 day intervals and I will have at the moment although I have visit. to take whatever dry not yet seen any in flower; this

'One kind of bee lives in snail shells': a passion for pollinators – in pictures

The UK has lost a third of its natural habitats in the last 50 years. At a bee and pollination festival in Bristol, visitors celebrated public spaces and gardens as increasingly valuable for bees

Photographs by Alex Turner

Lionel Reuben has sent this fascinating series of pictures which can be found at this link

Page 3 Animal testing: Turkish beekeeper finds thieving bears prefer premium honey Ibrahim Sedef discovers to his cost that they don’t just settle for the bear necessities

A beekeeper in Turkey who was flower, chestnut and harassed by a particularly persistent Anzer – and one had group of bears has discovered a cherry jam. He wanted to profound truth: the have very see which one the bears expensive tastes when it comes to preferred. The footage honey. revealed they had very Ibrahim Sedef, an engineer from expensive taste. Their Trabzon, north-east of Ankara on the favourite, Anzer honey, is Turkey’s Black Sea coast, struggled to believed to be the most keep his bee hives out of the hands of expensive honey in the local bears, despite building storage world. It is produced houses and metal cages. from the nectar of 90 Over three years he estimates he may flowers that grow only in The bears were found to have a taste for the very have lost more than $10,000 worth of the mountains of the expensive Anzer honey. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/ honey. Anzer plateau. In Food decoys, including apples, failed addition to being delicious to bears, philosophical about his hungry visitors. to divert the intruders. some believe Anzer honey has “Despite all this, when I see the footage, So he decided to set up recording healing qualities for a long list of I forget all the harm they have done to equipment to track the bears and ailments, including stomach pains, me, and love them,” he said. inadvertently embarked on animal hair loss and wound treatment. It Brown bears are the largest carnivores testing of a different kind. can sell for as much as $300 (£250) a in Turkey and mainly live near the Sedef set up four bowls; three kilogram. Black Sea and Eastern Anatolian contained different types of honey – Despite his losses, Ibrahim Sedef is regions. Male honeybees inject queens with blinding toxins during sex

Page 4 (Continued from page 1) sawflies hiding under the bark You know the routine by now: the of trees. When it senses one, it wasp lands on the spider, stings it corners of the globe. Ok, I can uses the to drill to a standstill, and then positions already hear you saying, "I hate through the wood fibres, to an egg where the hatched grub wasps even if they kill roaches". sting the grub and then lay an can burrow its way inside. What's But spend just a few minutes egg on it. Again, the wasp so impressive is that the with Gavin and I promise you doesn't immediately kill its will make sure it doesn't consume your views will evolve. target; it uses venom merely to too early those organs that keep You'll marvel at their skill and in immobilise its prey. the tarantula alive. quite a few cases you'll be "The key to success for And the smallest wasp? Well, that stunned (not stung) by their wasps is keeping would be the fairyfly wasps. beauty. your meat fresh," says Gavin. Creatures like and . Gavin is holding a That destroyer of cockroaches, He calls me into the next room, card with some imperceptible for example - Ampulex a cavernous opening full of dots on it. These wasps are about compressa - has an those floor-to-ceiling museum 0.2mm in length. Absolutely tiny - extraordinary iridescent cabinets that move on wheels. you need a microscope to see exoskeleton. You can see why Gavin knows exactly which them. they sometimes call it the jewel drawer he's after. wasp. They're so small in fact, they're We don't really do "big" in the probably at the very limits of "But every wasp is glorious," says UK, so as you might expect what's possible in terms of Gavin, as he urges you to move there are even more impressive miniaturised flight. And yet fly beyond the PR spin that's got us versions of Rhyssa from they do, to find and parasitise the to prefer beetles and bees elsewhere in the world. Meet eggs of other species and single- instead ("Bees are just furry the aptly named Megarhyssa. wasps that turned vegetarian"). celled organisms. Species in this group have My hour with Gavin is almost up Wasps have their role in Nature that can reach 15cm but he won't let me go until he's and it's not to pester humans in in length. They store them in a shown me some of the most the autumn. Ignore those "yellow bag. Megarhyssa will spend a impressive nests in the NHM's jackets" getting drunk on cider couple of hours drilling through collection. in September orchards; they'll wood to get to its victim. soon be gone. "Wasps probably gave us the idea That's a lot of energy to expend, for paper," he says. They chew up No, wasps have very useful especially if you miss your wood and build the most functions, one of which is to target, or, as occasionally exquisite papier-mâché keep other insects in check. happens, another wasp comes structures. Every insect you can think of along with a slightly narrower probably has some wasp that ovipositor and uses the exact Even your classic autumn will attack it. If that wasn't the same drill hole to replace the annoyance, Vespula vulgaris, is case, we'd almost certainly be egg you've just laid. Hello to the an accomplished architect. The using more pesticides than we group of wasps called paper envelope that surrounds its already do on our farms. Pseudoryhssa. comb nest will have intricate swirls and waves. The more It's the parasitoid wasps that do Nature works like that diverse the wood sources, the this work for us and their sometimes. Species will use more unusual the patterns. methods - like those of Ampulex every trick in the book to compressa - are often ingenious. survive and thrive. Constant The NHM collection even has a I'm fascinated by a splendid warfare. 1940s wasp nest made partially from wool. The wasps had European wasp - Rhyssa Gavin closes the drawer. recycled a nearby scarf. persuasoria (sabre wasp). In There's even a wasp that will part, I think, because I can't ever lay its egg inside the larva of Gavin's passion for his subjects is recall actually seeing one in the another wasp that's already obvious and immense. So what wild. They frequent British inside a caterpillar, he tells me. does he say when people tell him forests. That sounds a bit like an they hate wasps. "I just cry." He It has a remarkable ovipositor. entomologist's Christmas laughs. "Why don't people already That's the multi-function dinner: a duck inside a turkey, love wasps? They're the lions of "hypodermic needle" at the end inside a goose. the insect world." of the abdomen, and, in this So, what's the biggest wasp? instance, it doubles the length of Probably one of the tarantula See copyrighted pictures here. Ed the wasp to about 8cm. hawks like Pepsis. When Gavin The Rhyssa hunts the larvae of gives talks to schoolchildren, this is always their favourite.

Page 5 Photo Corner

Amanda sent in these two photos

Left. honey bees and solitary bee on Sedum.

Below. queen Bombus terrestris on Sedum

Two sent in by Tony Robinson

Above left. Wax moth on comb

Right. Killing wax moth and larvae by putting comb in freezer, but don’t tell his wife! Oops too late!

Page 6 B&L Divisional Diary 2019 / 2020 Officers of the Division

Indoor meetings: President: Amanda Millar

Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the President: Amanda Millar month, October to March at Cliffe church hall, Chairman: Heather McNiven

Lewes, unless otherwise stated. Members are E: [email protected] Chairman: Ian White invited at 7.00pm to assist with setting out chairs E: [email protected] etc. ready for a 7.15pm start. Non-members are Vice-Chairman/Treasurer/Membership

always welcome. Secretary: Pat Clowser 5Vice Wivelsfield-Chairman/Treasurer/Membership Road, Saltdean, BN2 8FP T:Secretary: 01273 700404 Pat Clowser Winter programme: 5 Wivelsfield Road, Saltdean, BN2 8FP E: [email protected] 18th September: Bee Disease with David Rudland. T: 01273 700404 HonE: [email protected] Secretary: Hilary Osman 16th October: A Year Beekeeping My Way with Holly Tree Cottage, Norlington Lane, Mike Cullen. Ringmer,Hon Secretary: BN8 5SH Hilary Osman T:Holly 01273 Tree 813045 Cottage, Norlington Lane, 20th November: Hive to Honey Jar with Christine E:Ringmer, [email protected] BN8 5SH Stevens. T: 01273 813045 MeetingsE: Secretary: Mary King 15th January 2020: Spring Preparation with [email protected] Christine Stevens. (TBC) Swarm Coordinator: Sue Taylor M:Meetings 07999 987097 Secretary: Mary King 19th February: AGM + Honey & Mead Show + Mini-

Auction. Swarm Coordinator: Ian White Webmaster: Gerald Legg E: [email protected] 18th March: Swarming—Prevention and Control Webmaster: Gerald Legg with Amanda Millar. NewsletterE: [email protected] Editor: Norman Dickinson 34 Abergavenny Road, Lewes, BN7 1SN Dates for your diary: Newsletter Editor: Norman Dickinson M: 07792 296422 15th September: Westdean Fair E:34 [email protected] Road, Lewes, BN7 1SN T: 07792 296422 24th to 26th October: National Honey Show, Librarian:E: [email protected] Dominic Zambito Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey. E: [email protected] 2nd November: SBKA Annual Convention in Librarian: Vacant Uckfield. Education Co-ordinator: Amanda Millar Out-Apiary Managers 25th April 2020: Bee Disease Day, Ringmer E: [email protected] “Grassroots”: Amanda Millar Asian“Knowlands Hornet Farm”: Action Heather Team Co McNiven-ordinator: Manek Dubash T:Education 07762 312592 Coordinator: Amanda Millar E: [email protected] SBKA County Representatives: OutBob- ApiaryCurtis &Managers: Ian White “Grassroots”: Amanda Millar “KnowlandsNational Honey Farm”: Show Heather Representative: McNiven “Hove”:Norman Mary Dickinson King

SBKACommittee County Members: Representative: BobSue Taylor,Curtis Dominic Zambito

National Honey Show Representative: Norman Dickinson

The Brighton and Lewes Division of the SBKA cannot accept any responsibility for loss, injury or damage sustained by persons in consequence of their participation in activities arranged.

Contributions to your newsletter Contributions for the newsletter, including photos can be sent, preferably by email, to the editor. Please refer to panel above for details. Please limit to a maximum of 900 words. Copy to be sent no later than the 12th of the month preceding the month of publication. Photos etc. for the website should be emailed to our Gerald Legg

Regional Bee Inspector: Sandra Grey Mobile: 07775 119430 email: [email protected]

Seasonal Bee Inspector: Diane Steele Mobile: 07775 119452 email: [email protected] QR Link to B&L Website