April Meeting
April Meeting
Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Written by Administrator Wednesday, 14 April 2010 08:22
Be Prepared for Swarming
Apologies were sent by: Barbara & Mal Roderick; Lee Messham; Eileen Carson; Roger & Marika Jenkins; Anita McDonnell.
On a day with beautiful spring sunshine we met to discuss preparations for swarming. John thanked our hosts Gary and Lorna for providing a wonderful venue for the meeting. Copies of our new Branch Recipe Book are being printed this week and John presented one of the first complete books to Lorna. He thanked Francine Sagar and Ann Scambler for all their hard work in putting together this delightful book.
John reminded us that with the warmer weather and increased forage (especially if you’re in an area with Oil Seed Rape) it is time to think about a ‘Shook Swarm’ which will help to overcome varroa problems if you have a strong colony. A shook swarm isn’t anything to do with bees swarming – it simply puts the colony into a situation which simulates the one they find when they have swarmed i.e. fresh, clean comb in the brood box. For information on how to carry out a Shook Swarm see our own website: www.southportbeekeepers.co.uk In the Information for Beekeepers section you will find the NBU Factsheet – Shook Swarms. As an alternative you may prefer to use the Bailey Comb Change method where you do not sacrifice any brood in your colony. For more information about the Bailey Comb Change search the internet or read a good text.
With the long, cold winter bees in some areas have been slower to build up than in previous years. However, many colonies in our area are thriving and one member even found a queen cell a couple of days before our meeting! There was lively discussion about the so-called Swarming Season and it was agreed that this is anytime really from March to August. Last year was rather exceptional for swarming but as we all know bees continually surprise us. Read all the information about swarming but don’t forget that the bees have read nothing and make it up as they go along!
We had a very interesting interactive session led by John. We formed groups, each comprising ‘experts’, ‘novices’ and ‘inbetweens’. We discussed questions, issues and control techniques for swarming. Everyone learned something from this. It was wonderful to have a chance to share information in this way. There was then feedback to the whole meeting as volunteers from each group discussed any conclusions we reached.
Novices felt the most important thing they gained was the knowledge that if you let a queen cell develop until it’s sealed then it’s probably too late and you’ve lost your original queen. John brought along literature about swarming and swarm control techniques, I have given the links for you below.
The group all felt that it’s important to read and understand about what leads to swarming and about the construction of queen cells. Although it’s difficult with our climate and work commitments regular inspection is essential to know exactly what’s happening in your hives. Don’t forget to shake the bees off your frames so that you can actually see what’s going on. It is obviously easier to know exactly what you’re looking at in the hive if you have a marked queen. Now is the time to mark or re-mark her - while the colony has fewer bees she’s easier to find. (If your bees are like mine they can remove paint almost as quickly as you can apply it!). If you’re not confident about marking your queen ask a beekeeping friend to help.
Thanks to Gary and Lorna for all their preparations and for the food and drink. The cakes etc. were wonderful as ever, no wonder our branch is popular!
From our own website:
www.southportbeekeepers.co.uk
Information about swarming and guides to some Artificial Swarm Techniques
(in the information for beekeepers section).
Other Useful information:
There are videos of how to carry out an Artificial Swarm on www.youtube.com
BBKA News April 2010 – article Making Increase in the Swarming Season
Beecraft April 2009 & May 2009 useful articles about swarming
US article Swarm Management http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1817.pdf
(pictures are good, swarming season is different)
BBKA Website - www.britishbee.org.uk
Leaflets from the BBKA Website can easily be downloaded.
Go to Publications, then Info Leaflets in the sub-menu that appears beneath.
Titles include:
Collecting a Swarm
Swarm Control for Beginners
Swarms
Queen Introduction
all or some of these may be useful to you
There is also an article that may be of use
Go to Publications, then Articles in the sub-menu that appears beneath.
In the Downloads section is Swarming and Control
this is a Members download only, you will need the login details either from your 2010
Membership Card or from the font cover of BBKA News (bottom of left column, front page)
Next Meeting:
Sunday May 16th – Official Opening of our Teaching Apiary
(Some help will be needed the day before to set up stalls etc.)
We will have a Plant Stall at the Apiary Opening so now is the time for you to pot up those cuttings etc!
More information to follow nearer the event.