November Bee Update

It's now winter, at least as far as the bees are concerned.
They are still getting out and about but things are slowing down and my focus is getting them thorough the winter.
I have put their winter wraps on
These are plastic sheets that are wrapped around the hives for insulation. I have to cut them back slightly to fit and to have a gap where the hive entrance is.

I also took the opportunity to add fondant blocks for their winter supplement.

The next thing to do will be to give them their winter varroa treatment but this won't be until after Christmas.

Although the bees will be tucked up until next march there's things to do for next season.

Drinkers

Like all animals bees need water to drink and they also spit water into the hive and fan it with their wings to keep the hive temperature constant.
Scald End bees have a stream running behind the hives  but there's no standing water that's close to the Ravensden hives.
In the past I have used these things which are largely useless so I've decided to do something about it. ready for next season.

This came about from watching another video by the man who did the swarm video I posted recently. The video is here and you might want to watch to see his obvious pleasure at being with his bees and also to enjoy his wonderfully soothing voice, nearly as good as the great Oliver Postgate
I have a couple of old chicken drinkers and will probably set up the same thing as used by Arven.

Supers

These are the boxes that during the Summer have the 'retail' honey i.e the honey that is extracted for sale.
It appears I now have 32 of them that need to be checked. A standard winter job is for the frames to be checked for repairs/replacement and with an average of 10 frames a super it can take some time.
Is it a fun job I look forward to? No.

As a start I have put together frames to produce cut comb. Its not complicated you just use foundation than is thinner than usual and doesn't have the wire that conventional foundation has.
Its never going to be a best seller and is a bit 'generational' but I did a few frames last year and got more interest than I expected so I will set up a complete super which should give me about 40 blocks.

The frames that have damaged foundation will have the old foundation removed, a mucky job.
I clean the frames in a weak bleach solution, using a Burco, and then replace the foundation.
The frames that have foundation that can be used again are sprayed with something called Certan .

Wax moth can set up home in the cells of drawn out foundation and the spray should take care of them.

Solitary Bees

I've extracted the cocoons from the straws, and will clean them and store in my fridge for next Spring.

I've made a slighter bigger bee house with an integral cocoon release box and they have a removable cassette so you can view the bee's progress.
I'm thinking of making a few of them and selling them at markets with some bits and pieces to do with the cocoons as well as a booklet on solitary bees and how to look after the cocoons.
Keep an eye out in the Solitary Bee aisle in yoir local North Bedfordshire Honey Mega Store.

Ban on neonicitinoids?

As well as being an utter arse,Michael Gove is Environment Secretary and today has said in an article in the Grauniad about neonicitinoids that

While there is still uncertainty in the science, it is increasingly pointing in one direction. Not to act would be to risk continuing down a course which could have extensive and permanent effects on bee populations. That is not a risk I am prepared to take, so the UK will be supporting further restrictions on neonicotinoids. Unless the evidence base changes again, the government will keep these restrictions in place after we have left the EU.

Being the duplicitous shit he is,and aware that the NFU will be lighting torches and sharpening their pitchforks, he goes on to say

The current process of emergency authorisations – used not just in the UK but across the EU – will remain in place, allowing the short-term, limited and controlled use of neonicotinoids in exceptional situations to control a threat that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means. Farmers will be able to apply to Defra who will take advice from the advisory body on pesticides and Defra’s chief scientist, with authorisations granted where the evidence is clear that neonicotinoid use is essential.

The have already been invoked in the UK and last year three areas were allowed to use neonics.