We've received some very interesting plants for the pond, (Kevin and Colin again), and they were planted in the pond on Saturday last our first "Apiary open day of the season". This was the first sighting of the Apiary garden this year for many of our members and we received some very gatifying compliments. Anyone with ideas on how we can make the garden more attractive and or bee/wildlife friendly and wants influence the way it's growing, (forgive the pun), is welcome to join Colin and I on our regular maintenance days, Wednesday and Saturday starting at about 10.00 am to somewhere between 1 and 3 pm. Phone either, Colin on 07890074454, or me on 07427431108, just to make sure we're there and again when you reach the allotment gates to gain admission, (the Tredegar Allotment Assoc. keeps them locked to deter vandals and so the Apiary is completely isolated from the public footpath).
On Friday Colin and I decided we'd use the use the swarm control method described by Ken Basterfield in the April issue of Beecraft, (pages 9 to 12). Although there was a sealed Q. cell present we decided that they probably hadn't swarmed because the hive was still very heavily populated. We duly opened the hive (H3) and searched for the Queen. As with most swarm control methods you must first find the Queen.... You've guessed it, we couldn't find her, so because we couldn't find the Queen we decided to perform a "Demaree" for which all the bees are shaken over foundation in one brood box which is separated from another brood box, (containing all the brood including the sealed Q. cell but no bees), by a Queen Excluder. The theory is that the nurse bees come up through the Q. Excl. to cover the brood leaving the queen and foraging bees below, more or less as they would be if they had swarmed. On Saturday after most of our guests had left Colin and I with the knowledge of where the Queen was carried out the original Ken Basterfield manoeuvre.
Today, Monday 16th, we inspected H1, H2, H8 and the Beehaus and in all of them except H1 we spotted the Queen! Wouldn't you know it!
I'm going to see if I can append the Hive records to this blog so that members know what's going on in the Apiary. They're on an Excel spread sheet.
Barry
Monday, 16 April 2012
Saturday, 7 April 2012
The Pond and early swarming
The pond is excavated, lined and filled. We just beat the hosepipe ban (4th April) and now we need plants! The good thing about aquatic plants is that they're beautiful to look at, they're easy to cultivate, easy to look after and they multiply rapidly, the bad thing is they cost "an arm and a leg". If any of our readers have a pond and can spare anything we have a good home for it. The day after the pond was filled there were water boatmen and at least one aquatic beetle in residence. Sparrows were frolicking around the shallows and the bees were making good use of damp soil around the fringes and the boggy area, for their colony water supplies.
So far this year on the Apiary, I've seen Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled wood (I think), Large White and Brimstone butterflies. Numerous Bumble bees have been spotted foraging or hunting down a good nest site and also a couple of Queen wasps. We've seeded around the pond, grass and crimson clover, and I've sown various wild flowers in modules that we'll be able to plant around it in two or three weeks time. Colin and I are hoping to impress the visitors to our first Apiary open day on the 14th April. Fingers crossed!
As a point of interest both Colin and I have noticed, at least at this time of year, that even when they are not foraging for nectar or pollen there are always bees collecting water! This is very noticeable on the Apiary because the main path leading to the Hives passes the bees favourite, on site, water source. The bees also use the path in question to fly to and from the water source. Hopefully visitors won't be alarmed. Personally I love it. For me a warm sunny day is made even balmier by the sound of honey bees buzzing busily about their business. (Is there too much alliteration there?)
I inspected hives 1 and 2 yesterday (Friday) and they were very strong, plenty of brood in all stages including drone and plenty of stores. In H1 I found an open queen cell with a larva in it, it's been 4 or 5 days from when the egg was laid, at a guess. As there's only one cell this could mean supercedure and we are pretty early in the swarming season. To be on the safe side I'm going to carry out the artificial swarm manoeuvre described in this month's Beecraft. So let's hope the weather is on my side tomorrow or on Monday.
Barry
So far this year on the Apiary, I've seen Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled wood (I think), Large White and Brimstone butterflies. Numerous Bumble bees have been spotted foraging or hunting down a good nest site and also a couple of Queen wasps. We've seeded around the pond, grass and crimson clover, and I've sown various wild flowers in modules that we'll be able to plant around it in two or three weeks time. Colin and I are hoping to impress the visitors to our first Apiary open day on the 14th April. Fingers crossed!
As a point of interest both Colin and I have noticed, at least at this time of year, that even when they are not foraging for nectar or pollen there are always bees collecting water! This is very noticeable on the Apiary because the main path leading to the Hives passes the bees favourite, on site, water source. The bees also use the path in question to fly to and from the water source. Hopefully visitors won't be alarmed. Personally I love it. For me a warm sunny day is made even balmier by the sound of honey bees buzzing busily about their business. (Is there too much alliteration there?)
I inspected hives 1 and 2 yesterday (Friday) and they were very strong, plenty of brood in all stages including drone and plenty of stores. In H1 I found an open queen cell with a larva in it, it's been 4 or 5 days from when the egg was laid, at a guess. As there's only one cell this could mean supercedure and we are pretty early in the swarming season. To be on the safe side I'm going to carry out the artificial swarm manoeuvre described in this month's Beecraft. So let's hope the weather is on my side tomorrow or on Monday.
Barry
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