Time for new beekeepers to learn how to do it
| Fonmon Apiary news with Harold Williams
The apiary is now back in working order. The fence surround is now secure and the hives that were knocked from their stands by Storm Eunice are looking well.
As of yet, I have not looked in any depth at each colony due to the rather low temperatures. If I lifted frames out to assess their progress the eggs or larvae would be subjected to the chilly atmosphere and this would in all likelihood kill them off.
The underfloor trays that I use to collect hive debris are turning up more dead Varroa mites and this is indicative of Queens stepping up their laying of eggs. How do I know this? Well for Varroa mites to reproduce they have to have larvae present. As the number of eggs/larvae increase in the colony, so do the Varroa numbers begin to rise, hence the dead ones that I find in the debris.
Beekeeping courses run by Cardiff Beekeepers are now underway. All are fully subscribed! On Sunday, 10th April, the first group came to Fonmon. Due to the weather not suiting hands-on experience at the apiary, my workshop/storage facility was used as a venue for the beginners to familiarise themselves with much of the equipment that will be required should they decide to take up beekeeping.
The hands-on sessions will get underway once the temperatures rise. Having warm and windless days is really essential, especially at a training apiary. An experienced beekeeper can assess the state or the requirements of a colony in a few minutes. However, when beginners are present the hives will be open for a lot longer due to the fact that explanation of the state and contents of frames is a requirement that cannot be avoided. Eggs and larvae have to be readily seen by the new beekeeper so that they will know what to look for when they acquire their own bees.
Beekeeping is interesting and satisfying; our own welfare is closely linked to that of the pollinators! We need them.
By Harold Williams
🌟 This article first appeared in the printed edition of the Glamorgan Star on 21.04.21
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