Beekeepers Newsletter August 2018

Guildford Division of Beekeepers’ Association www.guildfordbeekeepers.org.uk [email protected]

How on God’s Earth could the Cliff Richard v BBC verdict be an attack on Press Freedom? What tripe, the BBC got what it thoroughly deserved.

This might not immediately seem relevant to this organ, but what if it had been the BEE GEES? Seriously, from this prestigious position within the “Media”, I thoroughly applaud the verdict from and damages awarded by Mr. Justice Mann. Any thoughts? Disappointingly, there were no responses to Tony’s challenge last month.

A very full issue this month, for which thanks to all contributors. These contributions include a terrific article from Jonathan Brookhouse on Searching for Resilience in our bees and a justifiably ecstatic report from Melanie Robertson on the visit to Jonathan’s garden and apiary.

Also, a thought-provoking piece from Catherine Carr on preparing for the arrival of the Asian Hornet.

The Taster Day was excellent, with a Full House (or apiary), with a great deal of interest shown. Similar with the Wood Street Show. Speaking with a would-be beekeeper the other day, she was absolutely astonished to hear just how many beekeepers there are in our Queendom.

The Bee Awareness Day sounds good fun for children and grandchildren and please volunteer for the winter preparations. IN THIS ISSUE

Page 2 The Chairman Sensibly I believe, I decided 3 From the Apiary Manager not to dilute the quality of this 4 Malcolm’s Apiary Notes for August issue with one of my Rambles 5 WANTED - Beekeeper but, be warned, keep up the 6 Garden Meeting contributions or I shall pick up the quill again. 7 Searching for Resilience in our bees 9 Taster Day John Bainbridge Wood Street Show Editor 10 Preparing for the Asian Hornet 11 Bee Awareness Day [email protected] Preparing for Winter Tel: 01483 275949 12 Enter a Honey Show 30th July 2018 13 For Sale and Wanted 14 Dates for your Diary Any opinions expressed in this newsletter are 15 Committee Information those of the author concerned and not necessarily and Contacts those of the Committee or the Division. 1

From the Chairman

Well, a month on and we are still sweltering. I haven’t checked how much weight you lose after an hour in a bee suit, even at 9.00am in the morning, but I hope it is quite a bit! It has been such a strange season from as early as March and I know that my own bees have behaved as never before in all the 16 years I have been a beekeeper. I would really like you to email me if your bees have also “done things differently”. I can then compare notes in a future newsletter. So, do, please, get in touch.

In this month’s Beecraft there is a letter asking about planting for early spring forage. As I was just about to do my autumn bulb order I thought some of you might be too. Do remember to add some bulbs of the very early species crocus tommasinianus often sold as “Ruby Giant or “Whitewell Purple”. I think the simple species is the prettiest. The bees simply adore it. You can let it multiply amongst roses or herbaceous and also put it in containers. The lovely flowers are so full of pollen and nectar at such an important time of year and the bees just seem to roll around in it! So, do add this to your order as it is quite cheap too.

I bought quite a few new “bee friendly” plants at Hampton Court Flower Show such as this sea holly, but at the moment they have all been potted on and are sitting in the shade waiting for September! It always amazes me that a garden display inside a marquee is so quickly found by bees. At least they get to avoid the crowds as they fly in and out! The honeybee, right, is on Eryngium “Jos Eijking” in the marquee.

Left, an entry in the schools’ scarecrow competition.

NB. I hope you realise that I wrote this before the change in the weather today and I’m not completely bonkers. They have promised us a change back to sunshine so I am not planting anything out yet. Don’t forget to get in touch.

Marilynne

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From the Apiary Manager

As promised last month, here are the pictures from the School Gardening Competition prize-giving at Clandon Nurseries; part of “Guildford in Bloom”.

Jane

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Apiary Notes for August Malcolm Clarke

The recent much needed rain may just be enough to produce a second flush of clover which the bees can work, but personally I doubt if there will be nectar available from now on above what the bees need from day to day. With reduced income and the days shortening in August, bees become more defensive and some are very inclined to rob. Tempers often improve in September, and in any case the swarming season is well over and I gave up looking for queen cells weeks ago. I did not want to give myself heatstroke for starters. If you removed entrance blocks entirely in order to give the bees more ventilation and easier access for foragers, they will need to go back in at least once any remaining warm days are over to give a more defensible entrance. Small units such as nucs. you wish to expand to winter over should have really small entrances for the same reason. In order to expand, such small colonies will need feeding, and great care is needed to ensure no trace of syrup is left outside for other bees or wasps to smell. I have seen relatively few wasps this year, but small units are very vulnerable to attack by wasps. If you are using a polystyrene nuc. box with an internal recess to take syrup, it needs to have a piece of wood or pieces of straw or the like floating on the syrup to stop bees drowning in it. And if you do not refill the feeder in time, the bees will propolise the bit of wood to the base of the feed chamber and you will have great difficulty in freeing it. I would hope the colony would expand well beyond such a small space before winter, but it will not do so without feed.

Any colony which has produced a surplus of honey this year, and some have done really well, should have stores to winter over without feeding if it is kept on a deep plus shallow or two deep boxes as brood area (I apologise to users of 14 X 12 frames which also provide a large brood chamber). The only exception would be bees which continue to breed prolifically late into the year and use stores correspondingly; I do not keep that sort of bee. Users of two deep boxes may like to consider wintering on nine or ten frames in each box, with dummy boards to fill the space. This gives very adequate space and cuts down on mouldy combs found at the box ends in spring. If you are trying to winter over a colony on a single deep brood box, I imagine you will need to feed it generously if it is to have a decent chance. Syrup for winter feed is 1 kg. of white sugar in about a pint and a quarter of water – use pretty hot water to aid the dissolving process, but stir rather than heat the mixture to get the sugar to dissolve.

I have not said anything about treatment against varroa mites; my impression is that most colonies are not suffering badly from virus damage this year. If you do feel the need to treat (and if you do not treat in autumn you should definitely plan to treat with an oxalic acid based product in winter), then if you choose a thymol based product such as Apiguard, supers need to be off before treatment so as not to taint the honey. That product goes on the hive for a month, so leaves part of September for feeding if necessary. Cont’d.

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Apiary Notes for August, cont’d.

Don’t forget that the Division hires out certain equipment to FULL members. You will find the full list, cost and how to hire on the “Members Area” of the website. A borrowed item needs to be returned in the condition received.

PS.

I don’t know what it says about the human race, but it seems to have been felt necessary to have a Don’t Step on a Bee Day! I was interviewed for a little local TV station and they have put it on YouTube, so if you care to search on the aforesaid and select the posting from That’s Surrey TV, you will find the interview. The shots of the bees are not too good, but you may like to have a look. The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tUI29JGW8Y

It’s not really “fame at last” but there is a mention of Guildford Division.

Malcolm

Entirely unrelated picture of Malcolm at the Honey Show. I just like it!

Not famous?

Ed

WANTED! – Beekeeper

A beekeeper is wanted, to keep a couple of hives in the lovely grounds of an old people’s home in Haslemere.

Lovely setting in rural Hampshire.

Please ring Lou Major for further details: 01483 480374

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Garden Meeting - Sunday 1st July Melanie Robertson

For those of you who missed this visit to Jonathan and Jan Brookhouse’s apiary you missed a real treat!

We were warmly welcomed into their sunny garden before exploring Jonathan’s amazing workshop- all the men green with envy at the plethora of woodworking tools and the women by the tidiness of it all I think! (Sorry if that sounds sexist but that was the way it seemed to me!). He then proceeded to wow us with his inventions to make Beekeepers’ lives that bit easier and more pleasurable for both them and their Bees! I have used both his B.B. box & his waggle wedge for a number of years now to great effect and would recommend both unhesitatingly.

We then ventured through the meadow and into his apiary - and another amazing bee shed! ALL green with envy now! Of course, there was another simple-to-use bee trolley invention (sigh) to carry all the necessary bee stuff across to his hives - all the bees humming gently and totally ignoring our intrusion to check their queen raising skills - one lot in a queen-right colony with the other queenless - interesting or what?!

Lots of trials of the waggle wedge then took place while Jonathan fielded questions from all!

Heat then sent us back to the garden for refreshments- loads of cake and sandwiches and more bee chat!

Just in case we hadn’t had enough fun, Jonathan then showed his prototype dish washer - for wax reclaiming from frames regardless of grottiness - NOT recommended for indoor use though!

What a lovely afternoon! A HUGE thank you Jonathan & Jan for sharing your knowledge and skills with us - it was very much appreciated!

Melanie

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Searching for Resilience in our bees. Jonathan Brookhouse

Following on from our conversations with those that attended the Division’s visit to my apiary at the beginning of July, this is a short summary to explain what I am trying to do with my bees for those that did not attend.

Over the past four to six years, some of my bee colonies have been consistently showing some very interesting and powerful traits of what can only be described as resilient traits and as a result I have decided to develop a local breeding program to understand more fully what is actually going on with my bees and to accelerate what I think is happening. I need to point out at the outset that over the past few years I have not treated my bees for Varroa mites at all and they have been chemical free. This, by the way, sometimes created some interesting and potentially uneasy moments in my previous role as Seasonal Bee Inspector, as part of the role was to give Varroa management and treatment advice to hundreds of beekeepers that we visited each year, (even training on a dedicated City & Guilds Bee Health and Veterinary Medicines assessment exam) - whilst at the same time not treating my own bees. I must also say that not treating for Varroa didn't happen intentionally as far as I know, - although, there may have been an unconscious resistance to chemicals going on, given that I first learned my beekeeping whilst living on an organic farming community for twenty years - before Varroa arrived, - it started by just being too busy and not finding the time to treat at the relevant times and thereby letting nature take its course over a number of years.

If we stop to think about what we are actually doing by regularly dosing our bees with chemicals to control Varroa numbers, surely, we would conclude that we are creating an unintended dependence on our yearly interventions by our bees, and at the same time are we not actually speeding up the evolutionary process of encouraging a resistance or a resilience to evolve in the varroa mites that manage to survive our efforts to chemically reduce their numbers?

Needless to say, I did have winter losses, and my colonies have had their fair share of DWV, Nosema, Paralysis, Sac Brood and Chalk Brood and some of my colonies were always a bit weaker and ‘under the weather’ (probably acarine) and never seemed to develop as well as some of the others. These I just left alone and often lost them.

I also need to add at this point that one of the biggest advantages of being an inspector is that you visit hundreds of beekeepers and thousands of hives and you get a good solid general picture of what is happening with bee colonies in the whole area. My area at the time was the whole of Surrey in the South East and for a couple of years included large parts of Kent as well.

Cont’d.

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Searching for Resilience, cont’d.

During a season an inspector could inspect between five hundred and a thousand hives, and it is definitely not often that you open a hive and are thoroughly impressed with the health, strength and immaculate brood pattern of a colony. I can count on one hand the amount of times I could have said “you should breed from this Queen” which brings me back to the first point that definitely something unusual and is going on with some of my hives.

Some of the consistent characteristics are: 1. Very strong and healthy colony, clear of DWV and any other visible ailments. 2. Longevity, some of my queens are from 2016 (white) and still laying in a good solid brood pattern, only now a few supersedure cells appearing. 3. Consistently strong foraging tendency, filling up six supers. Granted it has been an unusually good season so far, but yields were similar over the last three / four years. 4. Overall gentleness, this may be a trait that is encouraged largely by contented bees, unstressed by disease or environmental pressures, or it may be in the genes.

These bees are locally bred in the apiary from my own bees, and are not brought in from elsewhere. I can safely say that they are a local mongrel mixture, whatever that means. Perhaps we can use a new description; Cranleigh multi- mellifera. Resilience can be built from either a hygienic behaviour tendency or a genetic immunity trait and preferably both, the key is a measurable consistency over years and setting out precisely what is to be measured and how to measure it.

I could go on and on about this but I’d like to close by saying that I am fully aware of parental bias - when proud parents are convinced that their child is the best- but even so, something exciting and unusual is going on here and as a non-scientific beekeeper, I intend to find out what it is, which means somehow getting science involved.

If the above also describes your bees or if you are interested in this direction of developing a chemical free resilience with your bees, I would love to hear from you. Please get in touch. I have a surplus of ambrosia syrup. Please see "For Sale and Wanted", p12.

Jonathan

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GBKA Taster Day – Saturday 14th July Malcolm Clarke

Despite searing heat and the counter attractions of Wimbledon, over twenty potential beekeepers turned up at Birtley for their introduction to the world of bees on Saturday 14 July.

Getting all the newcomers kitted up with at least an approximate fit took some time, but all were very patient, and after a brief welcome and words of introduction, Jane Hall, Susan Kimber, Angela Massie, Pauline Lane, Ian Carmichael, and Hans Weijman each led a group to the hives for their first look into a working colony. The bees were still finding a little nectar despite the long drought, and were very tolerant and well behaved – a tribute to those who have managed the apiary for us. Everyone attending was able to see brood – sealed and unsealed – as well as honey; some supers were quite heavy to lift off. A couple of queens were found and marked and shown to all, so they could see that a queen is not so very much larger than a worker bee, except for her abdomen. I do not think anyone got a sting except one very small one on the end of one of my own fingers.

Without exception, all of us who were dressed for beekeeping were wet with perspiration and tired, and correspondingly delighted to get the kit off and be refreshed with tea or coffee and a piece of much needed cake. We were looked after by Lou Major and Sara Cannell, and also by Pauline Lane who seemed to have survived the heat very much better than I did. Every trainee I spoke to said they had had a most stimulating and fascinating experience, and a number asked to be given dates for our 2019 training in due course. In addition, there was the chance to talk to Rosemarie Weijman who sat quietly making a traditional skep from straw and split cane. I know I would not like to be without mine for collecting swarms, and I think every beekeeper should have one, preferably built by oneself.

Wood Street Village Summer Show Catherine Carr Catherine Carr, Hugh Coakley, Jean Golding and Belinda Kelland ran a stall for the Division at the Show on the 21st July. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of the heat wave and it was considered too hot to bring and show live bees. There was, however, lots of interest in the honey - all of it was sold, which was great as the contribution from the sales more than paid for the pitch rental.

We all had good conversations with people about beekeeping and told them about future courses if they wanted to take up this hobby. One thing that we talked about is whether it is worth thinking of a game or competition for children visiting the stall - any ideas welcome!

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Preparing for the Asian Hornet Catherine Carr

Asian Hornets are now an established predator for honey bees in France and there have been sightings (and destruction) of nests in the UK, so far not in Surrey.

Earlier in the year Beecraft circulated some information about national and local action in relation to the danger of the Asian Hornet:

The experience of Martyn Hocking, the Woolacombe beekeeper who correctly identified the Asian Hornet last year, led to an event in Devon which was attended by local beekeepers and members of the NBU. Video link.

Asian Hornet Action Teams were initiated by Colin Lodge, Torbay BKA, with the aim of fighting the establishment of Asian Hornets, by speeding up the identification and verification process, to enable the NBU to deal with any Asian Hornet incursion/s efficiently and cost effectively. This new website AHAT.org.uk provides more information about the aims of the AHAT concept, guidance for beekeepers and association/branches and a place to register your BKA’s Asian Hornet Action Team.

I wondered if our Division should be considering if it should take some action just in case the Asian Hornet does appear in our apiaries, at least ensuring our members are fully briefed in relation to identification and actions in case of possible sightings. This will be providing support to both the NBU (National Bee Unit) and the NNSS (Non-Native Species Secretariat) for the protection of our native bees.

There is an app for the early identification and recording from the Biological Records Centre, (the Asian Hornet Watch). I am also laminating the two pages on this for my personal use and for the apiary (from the BBKA News June 2018, 209-210) relating to distinguishing the Asian from the European Hornet and other similar species; this edition has several articles relating to this issue.

It would be useful to have other members’ views on this topic. Catherine

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Bee Awareness Day Saturday 18th August - from 11am – 4pm - White Lion Walk

White Lion Walk’s Bee Awareness FREE event will take place again at the Walk. Children will get the opportunity to take part in a make and take activity where they can decorate their own plant pot, plant their own seeds and take it home to watch grow!

They can also take part in a honey trail around the centre, where they will need to spot different images in the retailer windows to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

Representatives from the Division will be on hand to give talks and advice on the bees as well as giving children a chance to taste their delicious honey!

Apiary Meeting - Preparing our Colonies for Winter Saturday 1st September 2018 10.30 to 1.00+ at Birtley Apiary

This will be a practical session at the apiary working on preparing the hives there for the end of the season.

We will also be getting equipment ready for storing away for the closed season and re- levelling some areas to put paving slabs under some hives.

But also, to raise and discuss any questions or concerns that members have.

The following could be discussed whilst we work, a sort of “Knit & Natter for Beekeepers”:  Should I insulate my hives? If so what choices are there?  Under or over supering – what are the reasons for and against?  How do I calculate autumn feeding?  When should I worry about a small nucleus or weak hive and combine it with a larger one?

We will also need help with washing the apiary bee suits this autumn. If you can offer to take at least 4 to wash and return to us we would be very grateful. They would need to be returned to us by the end of October so that we can then complete a proper inventory of equipment.

So please come and help us, some muscle will be required for some jobs, then do contact Catherine Carr: 01483 283693 or [email protected]

Catherine will let you know what you need to bring with you depending on which tasks you are helping with when you contact her.

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Enter a Honey Show

If you haven’t entered a honey show before, putting entries into a large show, such as the Surrey County Show or the National, can be a daunting prospect. In late summer there are many local flower shows, some of which have classes for jams and honey. It is worth seeking them out as it will give you good practice in preparing jars for a show. Most classes require two matching jars, so make sure that jars and lids as well as the contents are matching in all respects. The contents should be free of specks of dirt and dust, and free of bubbles.

There are two shows with honey classes in the Woking area, so there are likely to be others within other Divisions’ area’. For the West End and Windlesham show, held in West End on 8 September, see www.wewdahs.org for further details and the show schedule.

The Chobham and District show will be held on 15 September. They do not have a website – schedules can be obtained from Mrs. S. Hallam, 17 Burr Hill Lane, Chobham, GU24 8QD [email [email protected]]. Note that for both of these shows, entry forms must be submitted no later than one week before the show date. Both shows also have a wide range of classes for fruits, vegetables, flowers, handicrafts and art. Andrew Halstead Chairman Weybridge Division

Wanted and For Sale

The following pages are primarily for individual members of Guildford Division of SBKA to sell or exchange equipment or stock locally. We have no control over the quality of items or reliability of suppliers, so be aware that items placed here are without endorsement by Guildford Division. We would also draw your attention to the potential danger of using second-hand beekeeping equipment from an “unknown” source. It may harbour bee diseases, so as a matter of course you should decontaminate the equipment. Details of how to do this can be downloaded free from Bee Base www.secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase. For this reason we advise anyone not to buy second-hand frames or comb.

If members have any items to advertise in the Newsletter, please contact the Editor.

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AMBROSIA

Also, as a result of buying Ambrosia syrup in bulk for my mating Nucs, I will have some surplus which I am willing to sell at a discount to members on a first come first served basis. The ambrosia comes in 12.5kg jerry cans for £20 each.

Jonathan Brookhouse [email protected] Tel: mobile 07768 376265

BEES Nucs have now sold out. We can now accept orders for nucs for 2019.

There has been an ongoing demand for colonies this season. We may still have some colonies available - please contact me for enquiries (contact details below).

BEE SUPPLIES BS National DN4 Brood frames: Available in small quantities @ £1.15 each.

BS National SN4 Super frames: Available in small quantities @ £1.10 each.

Hive fixings: Stainless steel screws available to replace standard nails for brood and super box assembly. We can provide a drawing by email of how to use these fixings. Price screws £0.15 each – 12 screws are required per box.

All Bee Supplies are available as long as stock lasts and are collection only.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Contact Astrid Bowers-Veenman (Hog’s Back Bees and Bee Products) Location: Ash Green (between Guildford and Farnham, just off the A31). Distance from Centre of Guildford: 5.5 miles (as the crow flies)

Tel.No.: 01252 330229 / Mobile: 07803 069798 Email: [email protected]

Astrid Bowers-Veenman

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Dates for your Diary

Month Event Details

AUGUST Saturday 18th Bee Awareness Day White Lion Walk Guildford 11.00am – 4.00pm See page 11 SEPTEMBER Saturday 1st Working Party & Birtley Brook Apiary Getting Ready for 10.30am Winter See page 11 Friday & Integrated Varroa LASI Workshop. Saturday Management See July Newsletter 7th – 8th OCTOBER Saturday & Surrey Hills Fish Pond Copse, Sunday Wood Fair Cranleigh 6th-7th Thursday 25th 87th National Honey Sandown Park Racecourse, to Show Esher KT10 9AJ Saturday 27th NOVEMBER Wednesday GBKA AGM Jacobs Well Village Hall 28th Details to come Jacobs Well Road, Jacobs Well, GU4 7PD

DECEMBER Saturday 1st SBKA AGM To be hosted by Epsom Division

Friday 7th GBKA Christmas Meal 7.00 for 7.45pm Details to come The Drift Golf Club The Drift, , KT24 5HD

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Committee Information

Title Name Area Tel Chairman Marilynne Bainbridge Cranleigh 01483 275949

Secretary Malcolm Clarke 01483 202294

Treasurer & John Bainbridge Cranleigh 01483 275949 Newsletter Editor

Apiary Manager Jane Hall East Horsley 01483 282958

Acting Dorothy August East Horsley 01483 281024 Membership Secretary

Courses & Lou Major 01483 480374 Mentoring Coordinator WhatsApp Peter Jones Cranleigh 01483 273817 Coordinator & Minutes Secretary

Events Organiser Catherine Carr East Horsley 01483 283693

Barn John Davies Guildford 07794 51483 Refurbishment Organiser Steve Cotney Guildford 07788 144332

Contacts

Seasonal Bee Hilary [email protected] 07900 167409 Inspector Hayward

Committee: [email protected]

Surrey Beekeepers’ Association Registered Charity no. 1026386

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