A NEW SEASON STARTS

A happy and successful new beekeeping season to everyone.

Now is the time to start planning and preparing for the coming season. If you leave it too late, an early Spring might catch you out, as it did many last year.

In my blog of August 2011 I mention how intrigued yet sceptical I had been about the "natural beekeeping" concept. I liked the idea but had so many objections in my mind that I could not see it working. Yet the appeal of having a less intensive approach to beekeeping proved to be irresistible and I have now got myself a Warré hive constructed, as near as practical, to Warré's original design. I might well be stating the blindingly obvious but, it is very different from the WBCs and Nationals with which I am familiar! Here are my first impressions.

The Warré is a single walled hive with walls twice as thick as those of a National. Whilst this should provide better insulation than a National, it remains to be seen as to whether it will be as good as the double walls of a WCB.

The next thing that strikes you is the overall size. The base stand of a WCB measures 23" x 17" and with a double brood box and three supers would only be around 48" high. The base of a Warré is only 13" x 13" and in basic configuration stands 48" high. Whereas I know from experience that the WBC provides a very solid and stable platform, able to withstand strong winds, I have reservations about the skyscraper profile of the Warré proving to be as stable.

Warré recommends that hives are placed on individual stands and not communal ones even if they are just a close. It is not clear why, but as Warré hives will not fit onto my communal WCB stands, I have either got to build new ones or adapt the existing ones.

The Warré has a very wide entrance measuring 4.5" wide and 0.75" high with no means of reducing it. The rationale for this is to improve ventilation and reduce condensation but how on earth the bees are meant to defend such an aperture is a mystery. My first modification will be to fix some fine wire mesh over most of the aperture so that air flow is not impeded but access is reduced. We shall see if the bees like the air flow or block it up!

The Warré hive has a solid floor. Its designer, Abbé Emile Warré died in 1950, long before the arrival of varroa. The main protagonists of "natural beekeeping" claim that the undisturbed nest environment within a Warré together with the fact that the bees naturally create a variety of cells sizes in natural comb, most of which are smaller than in pre-formed foundation, places natural inhibitors on varroa within the hive. This, of course, is a highly controversial concept on which the jury is likely to be out for some time.

Research on the web shows that a number of beekeepers have attempted to design varroa floors for Warré hives, which do not conflict with the Warré concept. My challenge for this month is to build a few of them and see which look as if they might be practical.

Fred

1st January 2012

AS ONE YEAR ENDS.......

I woke up this morning to the first covering of snow, a clear indication that winter has come and this beekeeping season has come to an end. From a personal aspect this has been my best season ever with my first ever Spring honey crop and a sizeable Autumn crop. With the exception of one virgin queen who only produced drones, all my colonies developed well and have been united down into what I hope will be three strong colonies for the winter.

My New Year resolution is to check, sort and maintain all my equipment to make sure that whenever Spring comes next year, I have sufficient kit just ready to use. The trick is to do this in January and February as a warm Spring might occur in March! Actually I make this resolution every year and tend to buy new kit early in the year so that is ready for the new season. But every season is different and unpredictable and this year found me short of equipment despite my best planning. Such is beekeeping!

Looking back at last year, there was a great deal of club activity covering a diverse range of activities. There were extensive training and breeding programmes, a varied programme of speakers, continuous development and maintenance of the apiary structure, a forage development programme at the apiary, participation in a research programme and an events programme that ranged from the Piccadilly Garden Open Day to our Open Honey Show. The Club owes a big "thank you" to all who helped in any way.

A crucial factor in maintaining this level of commitment is having an effective management committee. Three people will be stepping down at the AGM after giving the Club several years of valued service. If the management committee is to continue to be effective, we need so volunteers to come forward. We are looking for a General Secretary, a Programme Secretary and an Exhibitions Officer. You do not have to be an experienced beekeeper to successfully fill any of these roles and to contribute effectively to the overall management of the Club. Please give this some thought and speak to me if you would like to know more about what is involved.

May I wish each and everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and a successful 2012 season.

Fred

5th December 2011