Top Bar Holder

Top Bar Holder is a very helpful tool if one has to make photos of the comb, for comb inspections as well as grafting (taking less than 3 days old larvae for Queen rearing).

I've made one today out of timber and hard wire;

My Future Buckfast Bees

I visited a local beekeeper today, who is also the bee inspector for this area. It was fortunate that his bees performed the cleansing flight just when I arrived :) so cool to see the ladies again! We talked for at least an hour not noting that bees drop their shit all over us LOL my jacket is covered in yellow bee crap LOL so what, it mens they have survived the winter! He had no winter losses so far.

Another thing I learned was that he never places any form of insulation on top of his hives! He also regularly overwinters a few small colonies on just 2 frames (4kg of sugar syrup, he takes all the honey from the bees) without any issues. Some of the hives face North which was new to me. He noticed no problems with that either. Another thing is that his hive had no mice guards! He never found mice to be a problem in his hives (we do have LOTS of cats around this area).

He uses foundation wax 5.1mm (he is not sure what size it is could be bigger) and he treates for Varroa with Oxalic Acid every Autumn (November).

He will sell to me 2 nucleus colonies on 10 frames each. I asked him if it is ok to buy a shook swarm from him instead but he doesnt do that and would rather sell it his way so I agreed.
10 frames colony will be easy to split in the middle of June if the honey flow is good.

I told him about my intend to set up a few bait hives. He said that there are very little swarms around here since beeks practice very well swarm control and the ferals have died due to Varroa. But I should try he said.

He didnt react in a strange way when I told him that I have Kenya Top Bar Hives. He thinks its up to the beekeeper to decide what hives one prefer. The only thing he say to newbees is to get Buckfast bees since everyone in this are has those.

Here is a video of the bees performing clensing flights;

Dont forget to follow my blog about homesteading

For you who didnt know Che Guebee Apiary Blog is part of my main blog which is about homesteading and can be found here.
Dont forget to subscribe to Chop Wood Carry Water Plant Seeds :) The gardening season has begun!

Bird-proofing the Bait Hives

When setting up a swarm trap there is always a chance that birds might make a nest in it. So to avoid this I stapled chicken wire to the inside of the entrance;

Landing Boards and New Apiary Location

After reading this thread on biobees forum I decided to make landing boards on all my hives. At first I thought landing boards being a bad thing since birds, toads and mice/rats can easily get to it and then cause damage to the colony but after a short contemplation I realised that feral colonies have "landing boards" in form of a tree bark. Just look at the Oak bark for example. Most tree hollows have a deep entrance which creates enough landing space.

I remember last year observing my two top bar hives and seeing many foragers falling down to the ground loaded with nectar. They could not land on the tiny entrance which was clogged with guard bees and reciever bees. Each time a forager bee falls down it needs time to recharge and rest before it can take off again. This ends in less honey for the colony . 

So I decided to make, not that large, landing boards so foragers have a better chance to enter the hives without falling to the ground.

Birch branch as a landing board

As mentioned before, our summer house is situated on the North side of a small hill and I had no other place but to place the hives as shown on the picture bellow.

But after talking to a few beekeepers I think Im in need of a new spot. All beeks (including my wife's father) told me that having hives on the north side of the hill is a bad idea. The only place on our property which gets enough sun is right behind the house which is facing South. The hives will be protetcted well from the north and west winds here.

No Space in the Garage

The garage is jammed with bee hives. There is literaly no space to go around them. Even though I first planned to varnish the hives and then place them out doors, I had to move them out now because I need the garage for other projects. This will be a good chance to check if the roofs are leaking before bees move into them.

I still have to level the hives and dowse for actual position.

Sign Petition to Save The Bees Before 25th Feb

UK 'environment minister' looks like he will vote AGAINST a European ban on neonicotinoids!
Please sign this petition before the 25th February when EU will vote on Neonicotinoid ban. Save the bees, save our future! Thank you :)
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-cameron-owen-paterson-to-change-stance-or-david-cameron-to-change-defra-secretary


David Cameron promised the British people ‘The Greenest Government Ever’. Yet we currently have Owen Paterson as DEFRA Secretary, who:
- It is reported will vote against proposed EU restrictions to the use of just 3 neonicotinoids, to ensure they are not used on crops attractive to bees(1). This is despite independent investigation into regulatory test standards and evidence from EFSA concluding that these chemicals put bees at risk.
- Has ignored the scientific evidence on badgers and TB, and plans to proceed with the cull, despite public opposition, and the fact the government’s own chief scientist has refused to back the killings(2).
- Has backed fracking despite widespread UK and overseas concern for the potential hazards of fracking (2)

We call on David Cameron to either ensure Owen Paterson revises his stance on these issues, and henceforth adapts a stance conducive to the election promise to be “The Greenest Government Ever”, or he should select a new Defra Secretary.

(1)http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/government-to-ignore-european-ban-on-neonicotinoid-pesticides-8483916.html
(2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/13/badger-cull-mindless
(3) Examples can be seen at: http://frack-off.org.uk/resources/science-and-data/