Ryedale Keepers Issue 8

February 2014

WAX LYRICALFrom The Chair

Firstly thank you for electing me as Chairman of RBKA.

I have been a member since we moved from Hartlepool to Harome in 1998 and at that time was one of the younger members of the Association. Most of the others had been keeping bees much of their lives and many had learnt from their fathers and grandfathers.

My introduction to beekeeping was very different.

I started in 1982 when my wife Susan had a bad

reaction to a sting. We had 2 hives in the garden and I knew nothing. Susan was the beekeeper, had done various courses and managed the bees for 2 seasons. My only contribution was to make the hives.

The most significant change since 1982 has been the arrival of Varroa reaching Yorkshire around 1996. The impact of Varroa on bees and consequent colony losses, lead some beekeepers to decide it was altogether too difficult and discouraging to

continue. Add retirements due to advancing age and the craft was in sad decline. Even more importantly, colony numbers in hives were falling and feral bees became all but extinct. The low point was somewhere around 2005-10

Over the last five years there has been an upsurge of interest in beekeeping, often inspired by concern at the decline in colony numbers and the potential impact on the environment. RBKA has responded by running an annual beginners course

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for the last 4 years. The effect has been to change the balance in membership from mainly experienced beekeepers towards learners.

I think it is important that RBKA supports newer beekeepers and helps and encourages them as they build up experience. As well as

continuing to respond to demand for beginners courses, I see this as the focus for our Association in the next few years.

Keith Hall

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Winter beekeepingIf beekeeping required as much time in winter as it does in summer, I think I would have given it up long ago. I prefer to let the bees get on with it and do other things. But there are still some tasks in the apiary.

For many years, I put the bees to bed in September and, to minimise stress, did not open the hives until late April. Things have changed and bees will not die from an occasional opening of the hive in winter but can die of other causes.

For several years I have treated with oxalic acid in December or January as part of my Varroa control strategy. I have used proprietary solution and, applied strictly in accordance with the instructions, the bees have not reacted adversely. I treated on the 13 January this year and the colonies all looked satisfactory for the time of year.

I follow the principle of doing my spring feeding in the autumn and have never given supplementary candy or syrup. However you need to be absolutely certain that the bees have adequate stores going into winter. If in doubt, then feeding candy in the depths of winter and syrup in spring when the weather starts to warm up may be

necessary. Hefting to judge the weight of stores left is worth doing but I would not rely on it entirely.

We can check how much honey/sugar the bees have going into winter but have no idea how much pollen there is. And without access to stored or fresh pollen, the colony is dependent on fat reserves stored in the bodies of winter bees. Hence if you want to stimulate colony

expansion in spring, there is a strong argument for feeding pollen substitute. I have done this in the past and again in spring 2013 due to the poor weather. #

The winter cluster of bees moves around the brood chamber to be close to the stores.

But there is a risk that it will follow the stores to one side leaving empty combs in the middle which it cannot cross. Last winter I checked the storage combs in March and in some colonies found it necessary to switch empty combs near the cluster for combs with stores.

There are some other risks in winter that may need action including mice, woodpeckers, rats, wind and snow. The beekeeper needs to keep a watchful eye on the apiary or colony loss may result.

Keith Hall

# Useful information on bee nutrition and feeding pollen substitute can be found at http://scientificbeekeeping.com/bee-nutrition/

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Diary of an Art Safari in Malawi

We were staying in a forest lodge half way up Zomba mountain (Malawi) at about 1000 metres arriving just before dark. The next day we ventured out into the extensive wild/natural gardens at the front of the lodge, to start painting (we were on a two week Art Safari).

Walking towards the edge of the large forest, a familiar sound caught my ear – bees! I followed the noise to eventually stand underneath a large tree, where one of the main lower branches had been broken off at the trunk. To my delight and surprise the entire hole left by the branch, was filled with bees

Because of this incident I started to enquire about bees and from that time I was constantly on the lookout for beehives as we travelled through most of the Southern part of Malawi. It wasn’t until our last night in the country, when we stayed in a Lodge owned by a

South African family who had moved to Malawi a couple of years ago that I was successful. In the lodge grounds, they had allowed their farm manager to make up some beehives, made from blue plastic drums – about 25 gallon size – on the bottom end they had made an entrance hole leaving the lid end to gain access to the honey comb. The beekeeper said he had around 11 of these hives around the farm area - as you will see they are all suspended horizontally. They do not have the use of bee suits, but he did say to me that he had taken off 40 litres of honey so far this year. He takes off the honey twice a year July and December which they sell and use in the Lodge and his bees do not swarm – I suspect that by destroying the comb it is likened to a false swarm method?

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The local population who have hives/swarms of wild bees use old hollowed out tree trunks, again suspended horizontally, although constantly looking for these I did not see any.

Barry Wilton-Middlemass

Hives through History…

Not that I’m an expert on beehives, or beekeeping for that matter, but it’s never stopped me writing before…and so this will be the first in what I hope [Editor permitting] will be a series on beehives, their history, their foibles and their current usage.

There are natural hives, ancient artificial hives, traditional artificial hives including mud and clay hives and skeps and the more familiar modern artificial hives, some more familiar than others, including Langstroth, Commercial, National, WBC, Dartington Long Deep hives, Beehaus, Top-bar, Warré and Perone.

The earliest records of beekeeping, or at least honey-harvesting, date from 8,000 year old cave paintings and artificial hives can be seen on the Konark Sun Temple walls from ancient Egypt during the reign of Nyuserre Ini just 4,500 years’ ago. The illustrations show workers blowing smoke into hives as they remove honeycombs.

Thirty intact hives and the remains of 100-200 more have been found in the ruins of Rehov, an archaeological site in the Jordan valley. These were more recent, only 3,000 years old, and provided evidence of an advanced honey-producing industry in the city, then thought to have a population of about 2,000. The beehives were made of

straw and unbaked clay and were found in orderly rows of 100 hives.

Traditional hives were just enclosures for bees. They had no internal structures, and were mud, clay/tile hives, woven skeps or hollow logs [bee gums].

Skeps are baskets placed open-end down, usually sealed with

mud and were used throughout Europe. These domed baskets are very much a symbolic image of beekeeping, although they are not often used today.

Modern beekeeping and hive design had its origins in 1768. Thomas Wildman [1734-81], a Plymouth beekeeper and author of A Treatise on the Management of Bees, fixed a parallel array of wooden bars across the top of skeps, with a separate top to be added later. Bees could fix their combs to the bars, which were then removed as needed, without them being harmed.

This was only the beginning, and in the next exciting episode we will see how Ukrainian-born Petro Prokopovych led a revolution in design which resulted in the variety of hives we know and take for granted today…

Ivor B Sting

RBKA 2014 Education and Development

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Beekeeping theory and practice for beginners

Practical beekeeping for newer beekeepers

Joe Jacobs will be running a further beginners course starting on 17 March 2014. There will be 6 indoor sessions on Mondays at 19:00 (excluding Easter Monday) to introduce members to the basics of beekeeping. These will be followed by at least 3 practical sessions at the hive. The cost is £35.

Indoor sessions will take place at the Methodist Rooms in Kirkbymoorside. The location and dates of practical sessions will depend on participants and mentors availability and will be agreed nearer the time. Mentors will also offer to help the participants to acquire bees and support them as they start to manage their bees.

We would be grateful if you would tell anyone you know who may be interested in beekeeping about this course

As last year, RBKA is offering members who have kept bees for at least 1 year the opportunity to develop their practical beekeeping skills by joining a small group led by an experienced beekeeper. There will be no charge.

Each group will be limited to about 6 beekeepers to maximise the learning opportunity around open hives. The group will meet at members’ apiaries in turn.

The first group will be lead by Keith Hall. Although Keith can be flexible to fit in with other commitments of the group, the current proposal is to meet on Sunday afternoons when there is no scheduled RBKA meeting.

A second mid week group is possible.

Please contact Claire (Secretary) or Keith (Chairman) for further details or to join either group. Contact details are at the end of this newsletter

Honey Recipe Spiced Honey Chicken

A simple recipe that gives beautifully flavoured crisp skin. Chinese five spice gives an interesting, more complex, flavour.

3lb fresh chickenslice orange and lemonsprig thyme4 tbsp runny honey1 tbsp white wine vinegar1 tsp ground cuminsalt and black pepper

1. dry chicken, put orange and lemon slices and thyme inside

2. warm honey add vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper, paint over chicken

3. roast at 190C Mk5 for1 hour, and then 15-20mins at 200C Mk6 until skin crisp and golden

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Reports of recent meetings8 October 2013

There was a good turnout for this joint meeting with Malton Beekeepers to hear our Chairman Joe Jacobs, talk about Beekeeping and the Weather. With a background in marine engineering and then flying planes and helicopters in the RAF, Joe has developed a professional interest in the weather.

Starting from outlining the main meteorological influences on the weather, Joe showed how local factors also played their part. He also talked about changing weather patterns and suggested that the recent experience of a cold period in late winter was likely to become more common and beekeepers needed to prepare for this.

AGM Wombleton Village Hall12 November 2013

Minutes of the 2013 AGM have been circulated to all members.

There was a good turnout with 26 members present out of a total membership of 50.

Tony Jefferson from Whitby was also present; he is our YBKA committee contact and now Chairman. Tony presented the Alice Cussons Trophy for the most points in the Ryedale Show beekeeping section by a Ryedale resident to Chris Smailes and the BBKA basic assessment certificate to Rhona Sutherland.

To mark Alan Jefferson’s 80th birthday, Tony presented RBKA with a wooden bowl which he and his father wish to be used as a trophy for the honey section of the Ryedale Show. This bowl was accepted on behalf of RBKA by David Mead. It has not yet been decided for which class or classes the Alan Jefferson Bowl will be awarded.

A film was shown after the AGM, enlivened by a commentary in part in German with simultaneous (sort of!) translation.

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Christmas Dinner

20 members and family gathered at the George and Dragon in Kirkbymoorside for the Association’s Christmas dinner.

Despite the evidence of these photos, we can be assured it was a sober and orderly occasion.

Next Meeting

Paul Evans from Buglife

Paul is the speaker at our Annual joint meeting with Ryedale Naturalists on Tuesday 18th February at 7:00 pm

Paul has a background of 20 years working in nature conservation including Conservation Officer for the Yorkshire Dales where he was responsible for much of the limestone grassland and upland hay meadow SSSI. He is now Durham Conservation Officer for the Grasslands Trust as well as Buglife's B-Lines and Meadows Officer.

Buglife was set up 10 years ago to champion invertebrates - bugs. Its B-lines project started 2 years ago in Yorkshire. The plan is to restore and create over 30 hectares of wildflower-rich meadows and pastures across the Ryedale landscape as a first step in creating a wildflower-rich B-Line from Stamford Bridge in the south, along the River Derwent to Malton, and then

across the Howardian Hills to Helmsley at the base of the North Yorks Moors.

Viewing wildflowers as a habitat for invertebrates rather than plants that are an end in their own right is a significant development that may, in the long term, help reverse the trend of reducing midsummer forage for our bees.

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Wildflower strips at Castle Howard Arboretum

Ryedale Beekeepers Association

Dates for your diary

Tuesday 18th February7:00 pm

Methodist School RoomKirkbymoorside.

Paul EvansBuglife’s Beeline Project

Wednesday 12th March Joint meeting to be arranged by Malton. Awaiting details of speaker, topic and location.

Tuesday 8th April 7.00 pm

Wombleton Village Hall Mike & Judith Rowbottom1st Hive Inspections and Swarming Signs

Officers

Chairman Keith Hall

Honeyholme, Main Street Harome YO62 5JF01439 771874keith@thehalls.prestel.co.uk

Secretary Claire Mortimer

Lundholme, Malton Road, Swinton,Malton YO17 6SQ01653 694261cjmortimer@yahoo.co.uk

Treasurer John Sutherland

Orchard House, The Terrace, Oswaldkirk YO62 5XZ01439 788140 john.a.sutherland@btinternet.com

Wax Lyrical is edited by Keith Hall who would be delighted to receive information or articles for future editions at:

Honeyholme, Harome, York YO62 5JF 01439 771874keith@thehalls.prestel.co.uk

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