Guildford Beekeepers Newsletter August 2018 Guildford Division of Surrey 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 2 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 3 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. 4 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 5 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!).