07 April 2019
03 April 2019
So much for spring....
It's 10C in London, and a good bit colder in SW England. Here's a shot from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47799408
BWARS and Vespa velutina
Found this site - the Bee, Wasp and Ant Recording Society, with a scrap of info about Vespa velutina: http://www.bwars.com/Vespa_velutina
Download the information sheet here: http://www.bwars.com/sites/www.bwars.com/files/info_sheets/Vespa_velutina_information_sheet.pdf
Download the information sheet here: http://www.bwars.com/sites/www.bwars.com/files/info_sheets/Vespa_velutina_information_sheet.pdf
30 March 2019
David & Jane Richards Family Foundation - and bees
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| I happen to (very slightly) know David Richards, he's the CEO of WANdisco www.wandisco.com |
29 March 2019
Pollinator action plan
Showing my hignorance, I'd never previously come across this: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/ask-your-council-introduce-pollinator-action-plan
You can also buy a slightly daffy 'festive Bee Saver kit'!
Ask your council to introduce a pollinator action plan
You can also buy a slightly daffy 'festive Bee Saver kit'!
Help bees this Christmas with Friends of the Earth’s festive Bee Saver Kit
28 March 2019
Pollen a-plenty... in the wrong place!
An Association member sent this extraordinary pic of pollen on the ground at the front of the hive. Diagnosis (from an experienced beekeeper) is that the small hive entrance set by the beekeeper during winter is causing hurly-burly congestion now spring has arrived, and pollen is spilling from the bees' baskets.
27 March 2019
I'm sorry, I'll read that again
Bees: Many British pollinating insects in decline, study shows
As reported by the BBC, the study (which you can find here) says:
The "losers" include solitary bees, which live in burrows in the ground, and upland bees, living on mountains and moorlands. Among the "winners" are 22 of the most important crop pollinators.
So a perfectly good headline would also be:
Numbers of important pollinating insects on the rise, study shows
In other words, "I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that." {Dr Ben Goldacre}
As reported by the BBC, the study (which you can find here) says:
The "losers" include solitary bees, which live in burrows in the ground, and upland bees, living on mountains and moorlands. Among the "winners" are 22 of the most important crop pollinators.
So a perfectly good headline would also be:
Numbers of important pollinating insects on the rise, study shows
In other words, "I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that." {Dr Ben Goldacre}
Plan Bee - Naturism, anyone?
Despite the bizarre use of English in the headline (is it asking us to safeguard our valuable Nature while the rest of it can go to heck?), this seems like a good cause:
Sign this petition
Petitions
UK Government and Parliament
PetitionBe fair to Bees, Plan Bee –Help farmers safeguard our valuable Nature!
Young people from Northern Ireland are asking government to support devolved institutions by having a UK wide strategy to provide funding to support farmers delivering valuable ecosystem services, such as providing wildflowers for pollinators.
More details
25 March 2019
Need-to-know from Friends of the Earth
An amusingly inaccurately named page from Friends of the Earth:
A fair number the 20 are not facts. Actually, I'm not sure *any* of the 20 are facts. What a pity; some perfectly good messages and motivations being confused by pseudoscience and new-age gibberish.
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/20-facts-you-need-know-about-bees
20 facts you need to know about bees
A fair number the 20 are not facts. Actually, I'm not sure *any* of the 20 are facts. What a pity; some perfectly good messages and motivations being confused by pseudoscience and new-age gibberish.
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/20-facts-you-need-know-about-bees
Nuke 'em
Very satisfying weekend’s work, preparing three nuc boxes – home-made
from spare chipboard etc. Considering you can buy a perfectly good nuc for about
£25 including delivery, I think I’m working at below the National Minimum Wage.
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| Found this on eBay at £24.99... OK, no space for a feeder etc, but cheapskates can't be choosers. |
24 March 2019
How swarming drones will change warfare
OK, in the context of a beekeeping blog, the headline makes no sense. Here's the bit that caught my non-compound eye:
Swarmy reading for you: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47555588
Flinging a barrage at a defence system is one thing, but that could be done with a sack of rocks. The key to the swarm is that it's smart enough to coordinate its own behaviour.
It's not only the military that's interested in this problem. Dr Justin Werfel is a senior research scientist at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
"In a natural swarm of birds or bees, all individuals are doing their own thing. Each one has its own brain, knows what it can see for itself," he says. "You don't have an explicit hive mind. The queen bee is not giving instructions to everyone.
"The challenge is how you build the individuals so that the collective does what you want."
Swarmy reading for you: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47555588
23 March 2019
22 March 2019
21 March 2019
20 March 2019
19 March 2019
18 March 2019
Educational bees
A client's company is sponsoring a beehive. Which is nice.
http://www.wisewoodprimary.co.uk/news/detail/beehives-in-school/
http://www.wisewoodprimary.co.uk/news/detail/beehives-in-school/
16 March 2019
Flow Hive, again
Here's a yah-boo article about the Flow Hive. If you ignore the New-Age piffle about communing with bees, the author (Maryam Henein) makes a reasonable case agin the Flow Hive.
https://www.honeycolony.com/article/against-flow-hive/
https://www.honeycolony.com/article/against-flow-hive/
15 March 2019
Will the Flow Hive survive first contact with The Enemy?
As a natural skeptic, I can't help thinking that the Flow Hive (an object of great beauty) will not survive first contact with The Enemy. In my case, everything looks wonderful and neat at the start of the season, and by the end the whole shebang, including me, is covered in honey, wax and propolis...
14 March 2019
Vespa velutina
This arrived in my inbox, http://frelonasiatique.mnhn.fr/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/09/Progression_Invasion_Vespa_velutina-Q_Rome_MNHN.gif
It's a great - worrying - graphic. I like the optimistic areas 'in check,' even if they vanish so quickly.
It's a great - worrying - graphic. I like the optimistic areas 'in check,' even if they vanish so quickly.
10 March 2019
BBC - If the insects go, then we go
Catchy headline, for sure. Or how about, "If the trees go, then we go," or "If the seas boil off into space, then we go."
In other news, the Pope is Catholic.
In other news, the Pope is Catholic.
07 March 2019
Queen survival - see Chris Slade's Bee Blog
A bit late in the day (OK, two months after his original post), some enlightening stats from Chris Slade: https://chrissladesbeeblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/queen-survival/
Chris' records show that his queens are in his care for an average of 2.28 years (two years three months). As he points out, the actual lifetimes will be longer, because some queens will be swarm arrivals and some will push off in a swarm and may live on for another few years.
https://chrissladesbeeblog.wordpress.com/
Chris' records show that his queens are in his care for an average of 2.28 years (two years three months). As he points out, the actual lifetimes will be longer, because some queens will be swarm arrivals and some will push off in a swarm and may live on for another few years.
https://chrissladesbeeblog.wordpress.com/
06 March 2019
05 March 2019
Bee record cards: Little Giant Beehive Log
Normally I use standard BBKA record-keeping cards... and then spotted this on Amazon:
The Little Giant beehive log will help you keep track of your hives in all weather conditions! Featuring Rite In The Rain patented water-shedding paper, these notebooks are useable even in the heaviest of rains or the hottest of days. Record and measure all of your hives' most important details. 100 pages.
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| https://www.miller-mfg.com/beekeeping-supplies.html |
04 March 2019
Beekeeping laws in Germany
Now, you'd like to believe this:
Believe it or not, the German Civil Code has a specific statute that is to be applied in the event that two or more swarms flee their hives at approximately the same time and, while properly being pursued by their respective owners in order to preserve their ownership rights, merge to form one larger swarm. Should that happen—and I’d very much like to know if it ever has—the owners split the bees:
If bee swarms of more than one owner that have moved out merge, the owners who have pursued their swarms become co-owners of the total swarm captured; the shares are determined according to the number of swarms pursued.
So, let’s say five swarms are on the move, followed by four beekeepers flailing around with bee nets (obviously I know nothing about beekeeping). Beekeepers A and B are each pursuing one swarm. C is pursuing two different swarms that tried to flee his place at the same time, while D was just driving by and has never owned a bee in his life.
He just finished beekeeping school, or something. Meanwhile, Beekeeper E is sitting at home not pursuing his swarm, which is one of the five. If all five swarms merge and the resulting überSchwärm is captured, what happens?
What happens is that some German lawyers are about to make a bunch of money, that’s what happens.
German Civil Code § 963 (“Merging of bee swarms”).
Copied from https://boingboing.net/2014/02/28/german-beekeeping-laws-are-wei.html, which itself is an excerpt from "The Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance," https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1627222693/downandoutint-20
03 March 2019
Hive Years & Millennials
In an idle moment, I calculated my age in Hive Years: about 35. Some friends with 20+ hives must be well into their hundreds, and maybe into their first millennium. Odd to think of an 80-year-old as a Millennial.
In case you're wondering, keeping one colony for one year = 1 Hive Year.
In case you're wondering, keeping one colony for one year = 1 Hive Year.
01 March 2019
Hive radio
Sadly (a) not about bees and (b) not on air.
https://hiveradiouk.wordpress.com/about-us/
There, that was worth reading, wasn't it?
https://hiveradiouk.wordpress.com/about-us/
There, that was worth reading, wasn't it?
28 February 2019
27 February 2019
26 February 2019
That's gonna sting a bit...
More on the World's Biggest Bee, aka Megachile pluto (Wallace's giant bee). Does it sting?
Fool's Spring
This came in via WhatsApp. Local temp yesterday was around 18C, about 10C higher than the average.
22 February 2019
21 February 2019
Robbing on an industrial scale
Passing through Moûtiers in France, I spotted this collection of around 50 hives, basking in February sunshine. Thousands of bees were flying, but I'm fairly sure there was no forage available - prompting robbing on an industrial scale. You can *just* see the bees in this photo.
16 February 2019
11 February 2019
07 February 2019
06 February 2019
05 February 2019
Starvation
The mild weather followed by cold snap has got me worried. Last week the bees were out flying. With precious little forage available, I presume they were eating through the stores. This week it is too cold to inspect. All the colonies have fondant on the top bars of the brood frames, but in my experience they are reluctant to take it down...
Here's a picture of Mr Creosote.
Here's a picture of Mr Creosote.
03 February 2019
St Haralampi, patron saint of beekeeping
Religion, despite being a dangerous infection of the human mind, does occasionally come up with some crackingly good nonsense: St Haralampi, patron saint of beekeeping.
02 February 2019
30 January 2019
25 January 2019
David & Jane Richards Family Foundation
These guys are sponsoring bee research: https://djrff.org/bees/
16 January 2019
The White Stuff
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| Dave the Beekeeper sent this pic to our WhatsApp group, and wrote: A friend's hives in Poland; I think we will definitely be getting some of the white stuff soon. Not telling you how to suck eggs, but make sure your bees have enough stores (honey/fondant) to get them though the coming months. |
Beekeeping: priorities for winter
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The unusually warm spell in the south of the UK means the bees are flying, with very little to forage. On the other hand, it makes treating the bees with winter medication (Api Bioxal) easier. I like this photo (not mine), as it demonstrates a beekeeper's priorities:
1 Thermos flask of tea
2 Everything else
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05 January 2019
If you go down to the woods today
UK bees may suffer from woodpeckers, badgers and other annoyances.... while back in the US it's a different story!
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/michigan-bears-causing-big-problems-beekeepers/
03 January 2019
Somethng to braggot about
From a WBKA member:
Plus a very nice explanation to be found here: https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/07/serious-beer-braggot.html
Plus a very nice explanation to be found here: https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/07/serious-beer-braggot.html
02 January 2019
31 December 2018
21 December 2018
TK Maxx gets in on the act
£7.99 for a 1kg jar (or if you really like to mix units, €4 per lb) at TK Maxx
14 December 2018
Bees at Highgrove House, thanks to Anthony Paine
How amazing are these beehives? A wonderfully eccentric triumph of beauty over practicality. The hive in the centre looks slightly horrified.
See more here: https://anthonypaine.com/project/beehives-at-highgrove/
See more here: https://anthonypaine.com/project/beehives-at-highgrove/
13 December 2018
11 December 2018
29 November 2018
From our Portuguese correspondent
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| Some honey Brandy in Portugal...tasted so nice had to buy a bottle😎 |
Mead in the news
Mead, created by fermenting honey with water, dates back thousands of years and was once viewed as the drink of the gods, falling from the heavens as dew then gathered by bees. It was also believed to improve health and prolong life.
Scepticism liberates, belief constricts, faith imprisons.
23 November 2018
Almost all bee blogs are better than the Diary of an Incompetent Beekeeper (though few are as accurately named)
The Norfolk Honey Co has some very nice video blogs
22 November 2018
The water in Madeira don't taste that much queerer
From our Portuguese correspondent; plenty in bloom!
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| Barnadia Japonica in the Botanical Gardens, Funchal (spotted by someone wiser than me - though not by much) |
21 November 2018
13 November 2018
Wintering bees
Is this a good idea? I'm not sure about the ventilation, or lack of it.
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| Woodpecker repellent jacket made from sheet of damp proof membrane and gaffer tape. Drops over the top and lifts off on seconds |
11 November 2018
Candlestick maker
I am ever so slightly perturbed by these candles..... or is it just me? OK, it's me.
07 November 2018
17 October 2018
Frankenbees?
Beekeepers are sounding the alarm about the latest developments in genetically modified pollinators. By Bernhard Warner
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/16/frankenbees-genetically-modified-pollinators-danger-of-building-a-better-bee
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/16/frankenbees-genetically-modified-pollinators-danger-of-building-a-better-bee
21 September 2018
20 September 2018
Why do we hate wasps and love bees?
From the BBC story, here:
The best Comment on the story, by far:
The best Comment on the story, by far:
749. Posted bySimon Dillon
on2 hours ago
"A new study reveals that wasps are largely disliked by the public, whereas bees are highly appreciated."
In other news, the Pope is Catholic.
In other news, the Pope is Catholic.
Holistic Facialists
Natural Bee Pollen Supplements Snatch Holland & Barrett Healthy Award AND Psychologies Award in One Month!
Here's an excerpt from the press release:
These ethically driven awards are headed up by award winning beauty and wellbeing editor Eminé Ali Rushton, alongside her expert high profile panel of 21 judges made up of a botanist and natural cosmetologist, nutritional therapists, natural make-up artists, holistic facialists and the UK’s most experienced health and beauty journalists, alongside wellbeing authors, respected bloggers and naturopathic industry insiders.
https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/96232/natural-bee-pollen-supplements-snatch-holland-barrett-healthy-award-and/
16 September 2018
Wasps v hornets
A friend found and posted this photo. He wrote:
I've posted a photo below which clearly shows the differences between a wasp (little one) European hornet (big brown thorax and lots of yellow bands) and Asian hornet (one yellow band dark thorax (note face colours too!).
If I could credit the photographer, I would
I've posted a photo below which clearly shows the differences between a wasp (little one) European hornet (big brown thorax and lots of yellow bands) and Asian hornet (one yellow band dark thorax (note face colours too!).
If I could credit the photographer, I would
13 September 2018
Himalayan Balsam
Interesting chatter on our beekeepers' whatsapp group about Himalyan Balsam:
[22:04, 9/9/2018] For information, some people are saying bees are coming back to the Hive covered in "white stuff" this is Himalayan Balsom. Mostly collected on River banks. (Know as Ghost Bees.
[22:10, 9/9/2018] : ........why is it on the back of their thorax???
[22:12, 9/9/2018] Because when the go into the plant they get covered and are unable to "clean it" off themselves, it's believed that nursery bees remove it when returning to the Hive.
[22:16, 9/9/2018] Moreover, the flower’s stamen hangs above the lower petals so when the bee lands on these petals the stamen moves downwards and ‘stamps’ the back of the bee.
Himalayam Balsam is also an invasive species.
[22:21, 9/9/2018] Yes, I agree, Himalayan balsam is listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with respect to England and Wales. As such, it is an offence to plant or otherwise allow this species to grow in the wild. I leave the National Trust to attempt to remove it as I feel I am not qualified and would not want to make it a bigger issue.
[22:24, 9/9/2018] Makes good honey too!👍🏻
[22:26, 9/9/2018] I agree, I get a good supply for Winter food, and i always leave them a super mixed with Ivy & Balsom. Bees love it.
[22:04, 9/9/2018] For information, some people are saying bees are coming back to the Hive covered in "white stuff" this is Himalayan Balsom. Mostly collected on River banks. (Know as Ghost Bees.
[22:10, 9/9/2018] : ........why is it on the back of their thorax???
[22:12, 9/9/2018] Because when the go into the plant they get covered and are unable to "clean it" off themselves, it's believed that nursery bees remove it when returning to the Hive.
[22:16, 9/9/2018] Moreover, the flower’s stamen hangs above the lower petals so when the bee lands on these petals the stamen moves downwards and ‘stamps’ the back of the bee.
Himalayam Balsam is also an invasive species.
[22:21, 9/9/2018] Yes, I agree, Himalayan balsam is listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with respect to England and Wales. As such, it is an offence to plant or otherwise allow this species to grow in the wild. I leave the National Trust to attempt to remove it as I feel I am not qualified and would not want to make it a bigger issue.
[22:24, 9/9/2018] Makes good honey too!👍🏻
[22:26, 9/9/2018] I agree, I get a good supply for Winter food, and i always leave them a super mixed with Ivy & Balsom. Bees love it.
10 September 2018
Asian hornet
Asian hornet: Fowey nest destroyed as two new sightings confirmed in Liskeard and Hull
Two more sightings of Asian hornets have been confirmed and surveillance activity is underway
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/asian-hornet-fowey-nest-destroyed-as-two-new-sightings-confirmed-in-liskeard-and-hull
05 September 2018
03 September 2018
Beekeeping: waxing or waning?
Mildly interesting article in The Times : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-to-get-the-sweet-taste-of-success-when-you-become-a-beekeeper-lfqb7j5x2
Missed a trick with "While enthusiasme for the hobby has waned over the years..." Shome mishtake, surely - waxed would be better - and funnier.
Missed a trick with "While enthusiasme for the hobby has waned over the years..." Shome mishtake, surely - waxed would be better - and funnier.
