Coming out of winter is a worring time for beekeepers. They are just hoping that there colonies have survived through winter.
Unfortunately, I have been very unlucky this year having lost 68% of my colonies. Hey Ho, back to the drawing board and concentrate on building up my colonies. What is the saying, "one step forward two steps back". I suppose I have come out of winter better than some.
I received an email from another breeder who informs me that a breeder he knows went into winter with 740 hives, he is left with 12! Now me, I would have sat down and cried, but what can you do?
We have no control over the weather, shame!!
One good thing is that due to the lose, it will concentrate my mind on breeding from my "British Black Bees",
These hives are the ones that have survived all other breeds died. There is a moral in there some-where.
Over winter it gives one time to catch up on your reading, beekeeping seems to be changing every year, mostly due to the hardships beekeepers are having to face with diseases and all the problems associated with chemicals.
Here in the UK and indeed throughout the EU the debate on chemicals is becoming very heated. It looks as if the UK government will be the only government that has not baned various chemicals that are used for crop spraying. How the government can stand and say that these chemicals are not harming our country side is beyond belief. It starts to make one wonder if there is something not right at DEFRA. It will be interesting to see what the outcome is, watch this space.
As part of my set up I have one Top Bar Hive (TBH). This year I will be increasing this number to become more Natural with my beekeeping. One of the subjects I read over the winter was about Varroa mite and how it seems as if they tend not to lay in comb that is small. British Black bees are small and the comb they build is smaller than the comb you buy from beekeeping equipment stores. The down side, (there is always a down side), is that these type of bees do not produce as much honey as other breeds of honey bees.
I will be reading more on this interesting subject (bees in the wild (smaller comb) do not have the same problems with Varroa that bees in hives have.
Unfortunately, I have been very unlucky this year having lost 68% of my colonies. Hey Ho, back to the drawing board and concentrate on building up my colonies. What is the saying, "one step forward two steps back". I suppose I have come out of winter better than some.
I received an email from another breeder who informs me that a breeder he knows went into winter with 740 hives, he is left with 12! Now me, I would have sat down and cried, but what can you do?
We have no control over the weather, shame!!
Dead bees looking through frames.
One good thing is that due to the lose, it will concentrate my mind on breeding from my "British Black Bees",
These hives are the ones that have survived all other breeds died. There is a moral in there some-where.
Over winter it gives one time to catch up on your reading, beekeeping seems to be changing every year, mostly due to the hardships beekeepers are having to face with diseases and all the problems associated with chemicals.
Rodents fed a diet which included chemicals sprayed on crops!
As part of my set up I have one Top Bar Hive (TBH). This year I will be increasing this number to become more Natural with my beekeeping. One of the subjects I read over the winter was about Varroa mite and how it seems as if they tend not to lay in comb that is small. British Black bees are small and the comb they build is smaller than the comb you buy from beekeeping equipment stores. The down side, (there is always a down side), is that these type of bees do not produce as much honey as other breeds of honey bees.
I will be reading more on this interesting subject (bees in the wild (smaller comb) do not have the same problems with Varroa that bees in hives have.
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