In this episode, we sit in front of an open log fire and discuss beekeeping with our friend Liz; the education officer of Epsom beekeepers association. Liz has delivered talks to thousands of beekeeper across the country on a range of topics.
The hygienic bees discussed are from the University of Sussex’s Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LSAI) – you can find them here: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lasi/index
The sound is a little variable in this, mainly because we were lodging around on sofas, it was super comfy.
00:00 – 02:00 : Introducing Liz
02:00 – 07:00 : How our are bees over wintering?
07:00 – 22:00 : University of Sussex’s hygienic bees
22:00 – 28:00 : What type of bees do you select for?
28:00 – 00:41 : Oxalic sublimation research
41:00 – 47:00 : Foundationless & keeping bees on supers
We sat down later in the evening to record the show than we normally do. This late-night jive has a more relaxed (if that is possible) feel to it – and more interruptions: lights going off, doorbells ringing, echoey sound and general tomfoolery.
Why not read our #BeekeepingBookClub book – The Honeybee Democracy
We’re going to the National Honey Show so let us know if you are too
05:00 – 10:00 : Introducing a new addition to Tracey’s family member.
10:00 – 15:00 : European Foulbrood found in Wimbledon. Visit this link to find out how to spot it here – http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/beekeepingFaqs/europeanFoulbroodEfb.cfm
15:00 – 21:00 : What’s Tracey been up to in her apiary.
21:00 – 23:00 : Do we baby our bees?
23:00 – 3200 : Winter treatments
32:00 – 37:00 : Tracey hearts hefting and Paul hates mice
37:00 – 43:00 : Strapping hives
43:00 – 45:00 : Winter cleaning begins
45:00 – 51:00 : The National Honey Show
51:00 – 54:00 : Why you should attend you’re winter beekeeping meetings
54:00 – 59:00 : British Beekeeper Associations exams
Spoon playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POvLaziUsTo
59:00 – 1:06:00 : Stuff to do over winter
1:06:00 – 1:10:00 : #BeekeepingBookClub : The Honey Bee Democracy by Thomas Seeley
In this episode of the Beehive Jive Tracey and Paul wrap up our queen rearing year by discussing our learnings acquired trying to establish a queen rearing program in our apiaries.
We also talk about what is happening in our apiaries and beekeepers’ educational programs.
00:00 – 02:00: What’s up with Paul’s bees
02:00 – 00:00: Using Bee-Quick to clear supers – http://www.bee-quick.com/
06:00 – 07:00: Getting nucs ready for winter
07:00 – 12:00: BBKA education program – https://www.bbka.org.uk/learn/
12:00 – 16:00: What’s happening in Tracey’s honey mines
16:00 – 21:00: Treatments
21:00 – 25:00: The Ivy flow is coming
What did we learn about queen rearing this year.
25:00 – 31:00: Queen selection and grafting
33:00 – 40:00: Mating nucs learnings
40:00 – 43:00: Does rearing queens change your approach to colony management
43:00 – 49:00: Culling queens & queen selection
49:00 – 51:00: Disappearing queens
51:00 – 52:00: Cell building plans for next year.
53:00 – 1:16:00: Queen rearing isn’t a linear process.
1:16:00 – 1:24:00: Rating our beekeeping year.
Links:
Visit our occasional beekeeping blog – http://www.thebeehivejive.com
The Beehive Jive Podcast Episode 003: Spring into Spring
In this episode Tracey and Paul discuss what they do to give their bees the best start in the spring.
Notes: We recorded this in a garden room, so we had a good view but the audio quality is occasionally a little wonky – lessonlearnt. On the plus side, you can hear the birds singing away in the background.
When discussing Asian hornets Paul said they had a red thorax … oops …. they have a red abdomen:
http://www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/index.cfm?id=4
00:00 – 10:00 : Asian Hornet UK update
Asian Hornet update – in the last show we spoke about the Asian Hornet and we were unsure if the nest found in the UK had come from the population in the EU or arrived via another route – it has now been confirmed that it has come from the European population.
For more information about this threat check out the FERA page – http://fera.co.uk/news/showNews.cfm?id=795
17 March 2017 update:
Scottish Goverment today confirmed that a single Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina had been identified at a retail warehouse in the central belt of Scotland. The Asian Hornet is a non-native species and a serious predator of honey bees and other pollinators which has recently become established in Europe. There are no more public health risks associated with Asian hornets than with other bees or wasps.
Asian hornets were first identified in the UK during autumn 2016, that outbreak was dealt with and no further reports have been confirmed since. It is not possible to identify the origin of this individual and no further sightings have been made, however for surveillance purposes SG has placed Asian Hornet traps in the area and alerted the pest control industry and beekeepers to be vigilant for this species
10:00 – 21:00 : Tracey’s first inspection of the year.
22:00 – 28:00 : Bait hives. Check out the bucket bait hive featured on Kiwi Mana Buzz – http://kiwimana.co.nz/swarm-trapping-bees-with-a-mobile-swarm-trap-km104/
28:00 – 30:00 : Varroa control with sugar.
30:00 – 32:00 : Do you change boxes every season?
32:00 – 43:00 : Paul’s apiary inspection
43:00 – 53:00 : Hive records on the roof.
53:00 – 60:00 : Nosema & shook swarms
60:00 – 1:10 : Swarm control
1:10 – 1:14 : Clipping Queens
1:14 – 1:00 : Letter bag
The Beehive Jive Podcast Episode 003: Spring into Spring
