SBKA in the News

Somerset Beekeepers' Association

S.B.K.A.. Publicity Officer: David Morris, ‘Cranford’, Halse, Taunton, Somerset. TA4 3AB Telephone 01823 432686 E Mail: dgmorris@cooptel.net

An article in the Mid Somerset newspaper series Thursday 9th July 2010

Bees are in trouble, warns Caroline Butter, education officer for the Somerset Beekeepers Association.

Bees are regarded as a barometer of the health of the environment, so if they are in trouble we all are.

A combination of problems has been causing large numbers of bees to die off. In America in particular, a worrying phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has emerged. Colonies are abandoning their hives to die. Possible causes include pesticides, viruses, fungi, and mites. Bees in the UK and the rest of the world are also on the decline.

Mrs Butter, of Draycott, is the president of the Wedmore and Cheddar Beekeepers Association, which recently won several prizes at the Royal Bath and West Show. She said: "Pollinators are fewer. Bees' food plants are being eliminated, along with places that they can be undisturbed. Farming practices, such as monoculture, insecticides and herbicides reduce the plants they depend on.

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"If farmers want crops pollinated by insects they have to bear in mind these insects need to survive outside the main time for their crops. Many have not been using clover in the mix when resowing grassland. Overtidying of gardens and farmland also contributes to the problem."

Mrs Butter says if people planted red clover, lucerne, borage, buckweed and phacelia, all pollinators would benefit and so would birds.

As bees gather nectar from flowers, they pollinate them. The European honeybee is used to pollinate farmers' crops around the world. Mrs Butter said: "Beekeepers have moved bees from country to country for thousands of years. As a result, a particular mite, which comes from native bees in the Far East, has jumped species. The Varroa mite was tolerated by the native bees in the Far East, but the European honeybee can't cope with it. If we don't keep mite levels down they will weaken colonies and make them die out."

Verroa is a bloodsucking mite that can transmit viruses. Bees carry the mites as they move from colony to colony. Chemical treatment to kill the mites was misused, leading to a resistant strain. Mrs Butter said: "Integrated pest management is used instead of chemical treatment in the UK now. One of the methods is to dust the bees with icing sugar to encourage them to groom each other. We also encourage bees to raise extra drones, then cull the drone pupae which attract the mites, diverting them from the other bees. Naturally-based oils such as thymol also help knock down the mites. Any chemical treatment is done under careful supervision.

"Americans have been analysing wax and finding all sorts of insecticides in it. It seems nobody has looked at the damage a combination of pesticides can do, leading to a dangerous cocktail."

The change in weather patterns in the UK has also changed the behaviour of bees.

Warmer winters mean they fly out, using up stores of nectar which they can't replace, then die of starvation.

Mrs Butter, who has kept bees for 36 years and has around 60,000, said: "Last winter was very good for bees. The cold weather meant they clustered, kept warm and stayed alive.

"Somerset bees are having a reasonable summer. The queen bees need warm weather to fly and mate."

Mrs Butter advises anyone thinking of keeping bees to do a course first. Somerset Beekeepers run courses in the winter. To find out more about keeping bees, email educationofficer@somer setbeekeepers.org.uk

Latest press releases

8th June 2010

An article appeared on BBC Points West today, 8th click HERE to see the TV article featuring David Morris and David Pearce entitled 'Honey bees out of intensive care'

28th May 2010

Members of the Somerset Beekeepers Association (S.B.K.A.) have seen their colonies of honeybees taking full advantage of the recent weeks of warm weather. In early spring, the bees appeared to be developing slower than normal, as was the case with many plants. However, when the dandelion flowered this year in abundance, the bees made rapid headway. The dandelion plant produces a nectar with a high sugar content as well as providing plenty of pollen, the ideal food for honeybees and their young.
With even more flowers coming into bloom such as the oil seed rape, apple and horse chestnut, the month of May saw many colonies becoming congested. This is one of the triggers for colonies to increase their numbers by swarming. Swarming happens when the old queen leaves the hive with up to half of the bees to establish a new colony some distance away. In the hive she has left, there will be ‘queen cells’ from which the new queens will emerge and mate with the male drone bees. This is nature’s way of increasing the colony numbers and ensuring the continued existence of the honeybee to undertake the task of pollination, so vital if many of our food bearing plants are to survive.
Indications appear to show that the number of swarms emerging in May this year are above the normal average. For the beekeeper who captures the swarm, there could be a reasonable crop of honey to harvest later in the year if the colony expands as expected.
For more information about swarms and their removal, there is a special section on the SBKA web page together with a list of members who could give assistance if required within their specific area. for swarm contact plese click here

14 th March 2010

There was a good attendance at the Annual General Meeting of the Somerset Beekeepers Association, (S.B.K.A.) at West Pennard on Saturday 13 th March. In opening the meeting, the retiring President Gerald Fisher, reminded us of the increasing interest in bees and beekeeping that had taken place during his three years in office. Introductory course attendances had been well beyond expectations and this had resulted in there being more beekeepers and members of S.B.K.A.

The invited speaker for the afternoon was Roger Patterson from Sussex. His subject was entitled ‘Queen Performance'. His observations revealed that many queens over the past few years in his area had failed to provide the core function necessary for a colony's well-being. He illustrated this by showing the seasonal records of a dozen or so colonies. The audience were awaiting an analysis of the causes for the failures but were disappointed. His management suggestions to overcome the problem were already being promoted by the S.B.K.A.

The business meeting was chaired by Ken Tredgett who thanked all the officers for their involvement and gave particular thanks to those officers who were not seeking re-election. Ken Edwards from Spaxton was unanimously elected and duly installed as the new President. Ken had been particularly active in establishing the links with Bridgwater College that had been of financial advantage to both parties over the last seven years. Added to the list of Vice-Presidents was David Morris from Halse, near Taunton who has been a member of the Somerton Beekeepers for over 50 years and who started lecturing and writing on beekeeping in 1968.

Reports from the Secretary, Suzette Perkins and the Treasurer Gail Johnson, were amongst a number of submitted written items that were unanimously approved .

The meeting concluded with the presentation of the Rose Bowl by Caroline Butter to the member who had given outstanding service to the S.B.K.A. The winner for 2009 was David Pearce, a member of the Taunton Division, for his continuous practical support at County and Divisional Events over many years.

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February 21st

Annual Lecture Day 2010

Over 200 beekeepers attended the annual lecture day organised by the Somerset Beekeepers Association (S.B.K.A.) at the King's of Wessex School, Cheddar on Saturday 20 th February. This event becomes more popular each year and attracts participants from outside of Somerset.

The first speaker was Clive de Bruyn from Essex who gave two practical talks on ‘ The Joys of Queen Rearing' and ‘The Importance of Pollen'.  In his first talk he emphasised the importance of selecting the bee with the required positive attributes as well as a bee that has shown itself to be compatible with the area where the hives will be placed. He then went on to show how to select the larvae and prepare a colony to receive up to 10 artificially grafted queen cells for development. His second talk called upon us to make the public more aware of the importance of the bee as a pollinator and how the hairs on the body of the bee have been adapted to provide plants with their vital cross-pollination to bear fruit and survive. Finally, he commented upon the value of pollen to the bee community in terms of providing vital proteins to the diet of the larva stages in particular.

Ivor Davis from Congresbury, a former Chairman and President of the British Beekeepers Association, gave an insight into the world of pheromones and the part they play in the organisation of the honeybee within the darkness of a hive. It was explained that the pheromones exist in minute quantities and are extremely difficult to detect and thus determine their importance. The research is showing for example, that the pheromone on the feet of the bee is deposited on the flower whilst a bee is collecting nectar. This indicates to other bees that the flower has already been visited and explains why a bee appears to miss out certain flowers when working blossoms. They also add information to the ‘dances' of the bee and perhaps most enlightening of all, in that the larva sends out a pheromone to indicate it is ready to be capped. It is this pheromone that appears to indicate to the varroa mite when to enter the cell to lay it's eggs.

Smell is also an important facet in the use of honeybees to be trained to detect various odours. Mathilde Briens from Inscentinel showed how the bees are contained in a holding device and are able to be used in the detection of drugs and explosives, safety in food products, presence of cancers and other diseases in medicine, and pollution within the environment. The bees she explained learn very quickly to detect the selected odour, can be contained within a hand held device to undertake the detection, are easy to obtain and are able to be returned to the hive after being used for just a few days.

During the lunch break, Adam Vevers the Regional Bee Inspector initiated two discussions on the value or otherwise of introducing foreign queens to this country. Apparently 5,565 known queens were imported last year but this figure probably below the actual numbers.

The final speaker of the day was Professor Robert Pickard, formally at Cardiff University, who is recognised as an international authority on the biology of honeybees. He gave an illuminating talk on the development of the social qualities of the honeybee compared with the ‘herding' and thus yet to be fully developed, aspects of humans. His talk and the humorous references, were much appreciated by the audience.

Ken Tredgett the Chairman of S.B.K.A., concluded the proceedings by thanking all those involved in the organisation of the event that was felt by many, as perhaps the best ever.

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February 21st 2010

Grant awarded to Taunton Division

The Taunton Division of the Somerset Beekeepers Association received a £5000 grant recently from ‘Green Roots' part of the Somerset Community Foundation. The money will be used to enhance the provision of educational and practical opportunities for all members at their Heatherton Park Apiary and others interested in learning about bees and beekeeping.

For some years now, the Taunton Division has organised an extensive series of talks and shows to introduce people to bees and beekeeping. This also includes a ‘rent-a-hive' scheme whereby new beekeepers can gain regular practical experience of the craft. They are presented with a small colony that they nurture into a honey producing unit. At the end of the course, the participants have the opportunity to own the colony of bees they have been working with. These will have increased from a few thousand at the start of the scheme in May to five times this number at the end of the sessions in September.

Initial thoughts on how the grant can be put to good use includes purchasing sufficient protective clothing, storage facilities, additional hive parts, microscopes and beeswax reclamation facilities. It is the aim that all individuals attending lectures and demonstrations run by the Taunton Division will benefit from the investments.

The Taunton Beekeepers are pleased to have been selected for a grant that has acted as a boost to replace the existing 1930's wooden meeting room to a permanent structure that it is hoped could become the centre of beekeeping excellence in the South West of England.

For further information please contact Adam Robbins Mobile no. 077 370 832 22

Adam with~~~~~

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 5 th January 2010

During the winter months, members of the Somerset Beekeepers Association like to keep a watch on their bees. This entails spending a few moments at the hive entrance watching any bees that are flying to possibly gather a little water to dilute their stores, or popping out to relieve themselves!

Much of December and certainly the New Year, has seen temperatures barely rising above freezing during the day and even colder at night. The bees will have formed themselves into a close cluster in order to retain heat. The centre of this cluster will have a temperature of between 20 0 and 30 0 Centigrade. In these cold conditions the queens will have cease laying. As the outside temperature rises, so will the temperature at the centre of the cluster and the compactness of the bees. When it reaches between 32 0 and 36 0 C and that temperature can be maintained, the queen will recommence laying albeit but only a few eggs per day in the first instance. Providing the colony has sufficient food to generate the warm required, the colony will be able to survive the cold.

Bees have something in common with penguins. Just as they take it in turns to be on the outside of the cluster during the severe Antarctic gales, so the bees also take their turn on the colder exterior of the cluster.

Heavy snow acts as a thermal jacket around the hives but if there is a thaw and the entrances become blocked with ice, then the movement of air will become restricted creating condensation internally. Damp hives are one of the main causes of winter losses. However, hives that are regularly watch by the beekeeper will have had their entrances cleared in good time.

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  S.B.K.A.. Publicity Officer: David Morris, ‘Cranford’, Halse, Taunton, Somerset. TA4 3AB Telephone 01823 432686 E Mail: dgmorris@cooptel.net

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