Club Apiaries

The club apiary is primarily a teaching resource to support training and development of our members, either hands-on at the apiary or via courses etc. Honey production is not a high priority but welcome if we get it!

The club currently has two apiary sites with colonies in national hives, 14 x 12s and a top bar hive (TBH).

We support some members with hands on experience and offer apprentice schemes enabling those enrolled to learn how to look after a hive over a full beekeepers year.

Any new beekeeper either without bees or just starting who wants to get some experience of handling bees, is welcome to come along to the apiary and perhaps join the A-team.

If you are interested get in touch with the Horton Apiary manager, Jeremy Percy.

If you have not visited the apiary before, please read the KBKA Rule Book section 4 regarding Apiary Rules.

Jobs for September

Extract Supers if you have not already done so.
Put out wasp traps and ensure that hives have no gaps.
Collect an Asian Hornet bait station from the Association, place on a convenient windowsill or similar to monitor each day
Consider winter stores [I always leave a full Super on top of or below Brood Box] and augment as necessary with syrup or fondant. Average [!] colony needs circa 20kgs to see it through the winter, that’s a full super and three brood frames.
Review colonies with the aim of only taking strong colonies into winter, unite as necessary using paper method [not the Sun, the bees don’t like it]
Having removed honey Supers, treat for Varroa. In all cases read and follow the directions on your preferred treatment [NOTE that feeding and varroa treatment are both temperature dependent – don’t delay]. NOTE also that as the temperature drops, the bees are unable to process syrup, if necessary feed fondant either over the Crown board or directly on top of the frames, over a queen excluder [otherwise it makes a mess!]
Add mouseguards but ensure that they fit well, do not impede the bees and vitally, check through the winter to clear out any dead bees that may block the entrance.
As the weather deteriorates, add insulation to cedar hives along the suggestions provided at our recent Association meeting
Keep hives on some form of stand to avoid cold and damp on the ground. Ensure that the stands are robust and sit without rocking or tipping
Strap hives down to avoid wind and animal damage
I don’t know if Green Woodpeckers are a problem here but if so then consider covering hive in chicken wire
Finally, remove feeders and any left over bits of your varroa treatments [trays etc], clean all equipment, store Supers securely to avoid wax moth infestation [it seems we have something of a wax moth problem in Wiltshire and there is nothing worse than getting your Supers out in the Spring to find they have been decimated]. Stack them on a flat surface, use newspaper as a gasket between each one and make sure there are no gaps and cover them securely. Read up on using Acetic acid to kill wax moth but be aware of the risks using it.
Heft your hives, both sides through the winter to assess remaining stores [more difficult than you might think]
Purchase equipment, frames and foundation at the sales and make up new kit as required. Attend the Association frame making day to help us to help you for next year
Sit back smugly in the knowledge that you have done everything you can to help your bees survive the winter

Any questions, just ask. Jeremy our Apiary Manager. jeremypercy@gmail.com

Apiary FAQs

Will I need to bring my own bee suit / veil?

Please bring your own suit/veil if you have one. We do have some spare jackets available for guests but these can not be guaranteed. Long-sleeved shirt, trousers (not skin-tight), wellies and a pair of clean washing up gloves are also advisable.

What is in the bucket you put the hive tools in during and at the end of the Apiary inspections?

To limit the risk of infection, all hive tools and gloves are rinsed in a disinfecting solution before, after and between each hive.

This solution is :

500g Washing Soda Crystals
1 gallon of water
a squirt of washing-up liquid

Why are the frames always held over the hives?

There is always the risk that the queen is on the frame you are holding. If she drops off into the hive, then no damage done. If she drops off the frame outside the hive, and manages to avoid your feet, she will probably not make it back to the hive. (She may never have flown from the hive, possibly she was introduced to that hive or the hive has been moved).

What can I do about wasps around the hive?

A strong hive can defend itself against wasps, but at a cost. A bee that stings will die, a wasp won’t. So while a wasp may get killed trying to rob the hive, you will lose a few bees along the way. Two simple lines of defence are to reduce the size of the entrance, giving the bees a smaller space to defend, and install a wasp trap in the apiary. Download instructions for a wasp trap here.

How do I test for queenlessness?

Get a donation of a frame of eggs/very young larvae and see if the bees draw out a queen cell.

How do I get a Booker’s card?

Booker’s is a chain of Cash and Carry stores for trade only, but thanks to negotiations by Peter McFadden of Conway BKA members of the BBKA can shop at any Booker’s store. Each member should register individually with their local store by presenting their current BBKA membership card. You will be asked to fill in a registration form and will be able to shop straightaway with your Booker membership card being posted to you in the next 14-21 days.In particular, sugar can usually be purchased at Booker’s cheaper than other sources, which is useful if you need to buy it in any volume, as well as other items useful to beekeeping – gloves, icing sugar, etc.

What is Apiguard? How do I use it?

Follow this link: https://www.dadant.com/Apiguard-FAQs.htm