OCTOBER 2016

USEFUL LINKS DEVON BEEKEEPERS’

ASSOCIATION

www.devonbeekeepers.org.uk

BRITISH BEEKEEPERS’

ASSOCIATION

www.bbka.org.uk

The first Winter meeting will be on Thursday 13th

October at The Castle Centre, Castle Street,

Barnstaple when Clare Densley, Manager of the

Bee Department at Buckfast Abbey will give a

talk on ‘The Romance of Beekeeping’. Clare was

a Seasonal Bee Inspector working for the

National Bee Unit. In November last year she was

invited to attend the York County BKA,

Pennsylvania, USA to give this talk to their Tri

-County Conference. They considered it to be the

best talk of the conference.

There will be charge of £2.00 and light

refreshments provided photo from ’Bee-keeping at Buckfast Abbey’

ASIAN HORNET NEST IN TETBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE FOUND AND DETROYED

The NBU put twelve teams each of two Seasonal Bee Inspectors armed with a compass to search for the Asian Hornet nest.

They searched mainly around the patches of flowering ivy where the hornet was hunting for bees and wasps. Each team had

a specified location to cover. When they saw a hornet they noted the direction that it took off and soon located the site by

cross referencing the compass readings. The nest was about the size of a football and 55 feet above the ground in a fir tree.

The nest was destroyed and taken away to the NBU headquarters near York for dissection to see if it had produced any

queens. The NBU is hopeful that this may be the only nest, but will be staying in the area fro the next week to check if there

are any further sightings. Well done our bee inspectors.

The nest at the top of a fir tree photos from NBU website BEEBASE

BRANCH HONEY SHOW - a newbie's eye view

I have to confess that when asked to help out at the September honey show, being a newbie, I had no idea what to expect but I was keen to get involved. As box after box of bee-related kit was unloaded I realised this was a serious business. The club had its usual tempting array of wares for sale: wax candles and kits of all shapes and colours, furniture polish, bee pins and charms, delicious honey fudge and of course a range of honey, glowing all shades of amber, artfully arranged on the club’s display stand. Runny honey, set honey, chunk honey, comb honey, light honey, dark honey… there was a honey to suit everyone. Not only was the club able to show off the creativity of its talented members but, equally important, the event was a chance to share information with the public about our buzzy friends. Alan Barrow provided a rolling digital display of detailed images of bees taken through a microscope. There were leaflets to grab and beekeepers on hand to quiz. One bee had made the ultimate sacrifice and lay in state under a microscope for examination and of course the star attraction was the observation hive with its elusive Queen and busy bees. The North Devon public kept us busy with their questions. Many had a genuine concern for the future of bees, some wanted simply to learn more about honeybees and of course there were all sorts of miscellaneous questions about stings, bumblebees, hornets, wasps, swarms, Great Aunt Nelly’s chimney bees, etc. It was fun to share the little knowledge I have and be able to pass the question on to one of “the Wise Ones” when it all got a bit tricky.

However this was merely a small part of the show. The air was tight with tension as entrants in the judging classes laid out their carefully prepared entries for scrutiny. This was where the going got tough and the tough got baking and making! Flapjacks and scones, cakes and biscuits, fudge and mead - all were laid out with precision in a mouthwatering array. Bars of wax, cakes of wax, candles, big skeps, little skeps, wonky skeps and finally … the all important honey. The two judges arrived and a respectful hush descended. The baking judge began to examine the exhibits on offer, scribbling ‘helpful’ remarks as to flavour and presentation. There was a certain amount of grimacing from the contestants as first a plate of biscuits was disqualified as it was one short, then some

flapjack entries were given a red card as they were square and not bars in accordance with the entry criteria. Nothing escaped the careful eye of the judge and so, when the final verdict was given, those with winning entries could rightly puff out their chests and proclaim their entries would stand up against any Bake Off finalist. If the judging of the baking was strict, the honey judge was pitiless. An expert in the field, she applied all the rigour of a General inspecting the troops to her assessment. The labels were less than straight, the comb was displayed the wrong way, the honey too light or dark for the class. More seriously there were questions about the water content, granulation and so on. More than one entrant was disappointed to find their precious honey was not up to snuff. I could not help wondering if all the fun had been lost along the way in the pursuit of perfection. Maybe next year there could be a ‘People’s Choice’ Award where visitors can leave a coin or token next to the entries they think should win. But, on reflection, the persnicketiness of the formal judging plays a vital part in driving up standards and there has to be some official yardstick by which to assess the good, the bad and the downright ugly. My sympathy for those who lost out was quickly replaced by tremendous admiration for the efforts of those who achieved the coveted first place. The show was a credit to all who organised and contributed to it. I had a great time helping out and managed to sneak in a few questions of my own. I went away with lots of advice and guidance, a pot of delicious honey and a new determination to enter a class or two next time - I might just scrape a ‘People’s Choice’ award! photos by chris utting Zara Svensson

Committee Summary 26th September 2016

The spray liaison service started this month. The BeeConnected leaflets are available at Horestone and there will be some at the AGM. For more details and to sign on to the scheme view www.beeconnected.org.uk

One of our members was asked by a member of the public to check if a hornets’ nest in their barn was native or Asian. Asian hornets are to be avoided so please contact our bee inspectors for advice. There is a website www.non-nativespecies.org.uk which gives advice as does the BBKA website.

The committee would like beekeeping related photos for the Honey Show which could then be made into a calendar. Do get your cameras out and try to catch some winning shots.

You will have noticed articles in Beekeeping sent in by branch members. If you have a topic to add to the magazine, please contact the editor.

All the present committee members are willing to serve for another year but new people would be very welcome. Do think about joining us.

There will be the annual Skittles Evening on 26th November so please look out for Barbara’s poster.

Brian Sharp, our membership secretary, has put together a comprehensive Welcome Pack which will be emailed to all members when they renew in the New Year.

Mave on behalf of the Committee

Honey Show Trophies Awarded in 2016

Bernard Pritchard Trophy - for one 1lb jar of honey (novices only) not awarded

Chris Utting Trophy – for one piece of beeswax (novices only) not awarded

Weaver Trophy – for the best blocks of beeswax Jack Mummery

Hustwayte Plate – for the most points in the cookery classes Cathy Backway

NDBKA Branch Trophy – for the most points in the honey classes Derek Hunter

Pam Yeo Jenne Trophy – for the overall winner of the mead classes Barbara Carlyle

Croyde Cup – 2 1 lb jars of light honey Jack Mummery

Pam Yeo Jenne Plaque – one item made from beeswax Julie Elkin

Beryl Smailes Trophy — for most overall points Alan Barrow

Blue Ribbon – for best in show (minimum 100 entries) not awarded

Certificate of Merit - Best in Show Alan Barrow

DBKA Green Ribbon Alan Barrow

WINTER PROGRAMME 2016/17 OF MEETINGS FOR YOUR DIARY

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 7.30pm CLARE DENSLEY TALK ‘ THE ROMANCE OF BEEKEEPING’

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 6 at 2.00pm

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26 ANNUAL SKITTLES EVENING AT THE PLOUGH, BICKINGTON

BY 31 DECEMBER 31 SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE DUE

WEDNESDAY 25 JANUARY 7.30pm TALK JULIE ELKINS ‘THE ROSE HIVE’

WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY 7.30pm TALK PHIL CHANDLER ‘THE TOP BAR HIVE’

WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 7.30pm TALK DAVID PACKAHAM ‘LIVING WITH VARROA’

Chair Chat

AGMs are generally not exciting meetings but the Constitution requires us to hold one. This meeting gives us an opportunity to catch up with other branch members, to review the past year and plan for the coming one. The AGM will be held on Sunday, 6th November at 2.00 in the Castle Centre, Barnstaple. There will be official business such as reports from the committee plus re-elections and/or the election of new committee members. The Branch is run for the benefit of our members whether they are experienced beekeepers or new to the subject. Please read the Committee Summary included in this edition of NLs.

Although we are told that this is the start of the beekeeping year it feels like an ending to me. The colonies at Horestone have been treated for Varroa, fed where needed and settled for the winter. The grass has stopped growing, the apples are falling and the apiary has a stillness now. There are maintenance jobs to cover during the winter but more about these another time.

A second busy Taster day was held on Sunday, 4th September and the Honey Show on 10th. Both required a lot of planning and energy so thank you to Cathy, Barbara and all their helpers.

Our next event will be the talk on Thursday, 13th October at 7.30 at the Castle Centre, Barnstaple. Clare Densley, who is the apiarist at Buckfast Abbey, will be speaking about ‘ The Romance of Beekeeping’. Clare runs courses at the Abbey as well as caring for the colonies. She has her own views on the management of bees so her talk will be interesting and fun.

I look forward to seeing you at the October talk and at the AGM.

Best wishes,

Mave

Flower of the Month by Julie Elkin

Beautiful Biennials

This foraging season is coming to a close, just the ivy left now but there

is still time to plant for next spring’s bees. Every year I intend to make

more effort with biennials and remember to sow the seeds in May or

June ready to plant out in late summer or early autumn but I tend to

forget until it is time for planting out so it is fortunate market growers and

the garden centres sell so many plug plants now. The Sweet Williams,

Antirrinums (Snapdragons), Canterbury bells, Viper’s Bugloss, Honesty,

Forget me Not, Foxgloves (for the Bumble bees), Hollyhocks and

Wallflowers all brighten the spring and early summer garden and

provide pollen and nectar for our bees. Fortunately many of these once

you have them in your patch happily perpetuate themselves provided

you let some run to seed and are not the sort of gardener who has to

hoe off every seedling that appears! Plant Viper’s Bugloss, Honesty,

Forget me Nots and Foxgloves for two consecutive years and they then

will do the repeat work for you. Some like the Sweet Williams and hollyhocks if dead headed and fed will behave like

short lived perennials before needing to be replaced.

At this time of year the most readily available and important one to plant is the wallflower, bundles of them can be

bought cheaply and planted en masse in a sunny spot, remember to pinch out the tops so they develop into bushy

plants with lots of flowers. They look even better with bulbs coming up through them. Last year I filled one of my

raised vegetable beds with spring cabbages and wallflowers, both brassicas, and they made a cheerful display, food

for body and soul for us and forage for the bees, a very satisfying combination.

sketch from ‘Flowers of the Field’ by Rev. C.A.Johns

The Perfect Swarm by Alan White

April 2014 and a friend gives me her old empty hive. It’s been nearly 15 years since I last had bees so I decide to return to an old

love.

But where to get some bees? They’re expensive and the price of nucs has shot up in the intervening years. Call the Oracle, a

certain Mr Utting. Chris soon informs me of a swarm out in a hawthorn hedge and I’m on my way.

Next month he tells me about a colony in Croyde which have swarmed into a holiday home garden and settled. I visit. They’re

underneath an old water butt, very happy, full of wild comb. I seek advice. The Oracle has seen it all before. Is there any

beekeeping challenge that Chris cannot solve? Cut the comb out carefully; put it into empty frames secured with elastic bands

and hey presto: you just pop them in a hive and bring them home. The owners watch through their windows in fascination.

Returning to beekeeping after a fifteen year gap reveals a sea change in public attitudes. Where once bees were perceived as

nuisance insect to be got rid of ASAP they are now seen as rare and endangered creatures upon which we all depend for

pollination and bio-diversity. The media have done a fine propaganda job on the public here and the old “Get rid of them quickly!”

plea has changed to: “Oh, I don’t want them destroyed; they’re endangered now aren’t they? We need our bees don’t we?”

By then end of summer I am on the swarm list and have five new colonies, three bought from the late John Dale’s old stocks.

I get myself registered on the swarm collectors list. Organised by the BBKA this marvellous use of the internet enables anyone to

Google swarms, find their nearest collector through the postcode and call them immediately. It also gives advice on how to

identify honey bees from bumbles bees and other species.

Ring tone, ringtone….

Beekeeper: Hallo

Caller: I have a swarm of bees in my garden.

BK: Where are they?

C: In a birdbox

BK: Are you sure they’re honey bees?

C: I don’t know but they look like bees and there are lots of them.

BK: How big is the “swarm”?

C: about 100 of them just in my bird box…..

And so it continues.

Those of us on the swarm collectors list will recognise this call as it happens repeatedly. Not to worry. As long as it’s not too far I

travel out and reassure the caller: They are bumble bees, they are benign and won’t hurt you, they are useful pollinators and will

die down in the autumn and probably not be there when the queen hibernates. You can destroy them or move them but try to live

with them. Oh, says the caller, I think we will try to put up with them. After all they are quite interesting to watch etc etc.

And so I leave, my job done. Public reassured and slightly more educated. Bumble bees happy, everyone sweet. No I haven’t

got a new swarm but in terms of public relations and the environment I feel I have done my bit.

A call in May this year leads me to a fine country house with greenhouses almost the size of Kew Gardens. The caller has a

clipped accent from the upper classes of the 1930s. He is still fascinated to watch though, as I climb a rickety ladder and

endeavour to scoop this prime swarm from the eaves of his hot house. 9 metres up and only just balanced this is indeed a

challenge. There are groups of bees crawling into nooks and crannies everywhere. I stretch and strain. I scrape and gather. I

wobble and gasp. Somehow I brush them into my box and somehow descend the ladder in all my gear. He probes me with

questions and I finally get them home.

record breaking swarm

So, the perfect swarm. I decide it is as follows:

A call at midday when I’m not busy.

A distance less than 10 miles to travel.

A prime swarm hanging on a branch no more than 2 metres high.

Quick sugar water spray, secateurs through the branch, into the box whole. Box propped on ground until evening.

All bees gathered and back home to a prepared brood box with fresh foundation and a feeder on top.

Bees march in, love their new home and get foraging and comb

building.

Why is it rarely this straightforward? Perhaps the most interesting call I

had was from a woman in urban Barnstaple who had checked the website

criteria, yes was sure they were honey bees but yes, they were the size of

a golf ball in her hedge and yes, had been there a few days. Intrigued I

went down, disbelieving her phone call evidence, but there, sure

enough, was a tiny, tiny caste swarm that would have fitted into my hand.

No chance of them surviving but a reminder that nature does throw up

some strange anomalies.

Another interesting aspect of swarm collecting is who exactly they belong to after leaving the hive. I arrived at one call

this year and was just about to gather when a woman returned from work, said they were hers and proceeded to

organise her own equipment. As she clearly lived opposite and the swarm had obviously come from her colonies I didn’t

get involved in a dispute but, it raised the question: if a swarm collector has been called and arrived who can legally

claim ownership?

The joys of swarm collecting are many and, like most beekeepers, I am learning all the time. Some reflections are as

follows:

It’s a great opportunity to meet other people and discuss bees. Most of the public are genuinely interested and

fascinated by what we do, a welcome change from 20 years ago as stated earlier.

You discover all sorts of intriguing locations in North Devon.

We do our bit for bumble bees who are much misunderstood but the public are soon persuaded to live with them.

We can add to our colony collection if we want to increase our hives.

We learn so much more about honey bee behaviours and the swarming instinct.

Settling a new swarm is always fun. It’s like having a new pet. We instinctively want them to grow and survive. Our

desire to nurture is strong. It’s when you hive them up and then go on holiday just as a big flow starts that you need to

be prepared. Don’t repeat my mistake of chucking on an empty super and having insufficient shallow frames made up.

The pictures below demonstrate just how quickly they will fill the box space with wild comb!

I have however, learnt one thing this year about the perfect swarm. It’s not the one defined above. It’s the one that

lands in your carefully positioned bait hive. They descend in a cloud with quite some noise, they are a prime swarm

and they just love their new abode because they chose it. In they go, no calls, no driving, no collecting, no ladders, no

cutters, no flying off to another location. Free bees and ones ready to go. All you have to do is chuck out the old comb

bait in there, fill the box with fresh foundation, give them a good feed and watch them take off.

Perfect.

Edited by Chris Utting e-mail chrisutting@btinternet.com The views expressed in the articles are the author’s and not necessarily those of the

North Devon Branch of the Devon Beekeepers’ Association.

Member’s contributions are extremely welcome: by 23rd of the month prior to publication please

taking a cast