We turn a new leaf

We turn a new leaf! A new beginning and the start of a new season of bee guardianship. As spring finally blooms and ray’s of sunshine propel the flowering of the currant bush, natures early signal that it is safe to crack open your hives, beekeepers are busy inspecting their apiaries and investigating why some of their hives died over winter. In past years a circa 20% loss rate has been expected, however, this year the level of losses seems to be far higher than anticipated. Some are saying nearly 40%, but more accurate figures won’t come out for a few months. It seems the unyielding rain over the winter causing mouldy frames and high levels of condensation has been a factor in colony losses, however, I would stress there does tend to be a multitude of factors in combination which kills a hive. My hive most definitely yielded to mould and dampness even though they had stores (honey) but markedly no pollen which other beeks have commented on too. 

So, you may be wondering how do I get more bees? In answer, many beekeepers can buy a nuc (small colony) from a reputable beekeeper who sells colonies that have over wintered well. There are issues with this approach, the bees can abscond, you could have queen failure, they could swarm, they could have a high varroa load to name a few. Additionally, they will most likely have been treated for varroa mite with miticides which as a natural beekeeper I do not adhere to. Thus, my only real option is catching a swarm! 

Yes, not running from one but catching one and hiving it in my garden. There are two methods to do this firstly, you get a call from a neighbour or someone in the community who has found a swarm, and you go off to catch it in a box, bring it back home and then house them. The second option is putting out bait hives.

Bait Hive

My mission now is trying to catch a swarm via bait hives I have placed in my garden! This is a very risky business, as you can never guarantee that a swarm will want to occupy your bait hive. Why not? Well, there are lots of factors that scout bees (Bees who have a specific job to find another home for the colony at swarmtime) look out for. Namely, a good sized cavity around 40litres, protected from the elements, good forage nearby, water, off the ground as they prefer higher up, minimal predators ie badgers. I have placed three bait hives in my garden and have dowsed using copper rods the best location for siting. Bees like specific spots based on the frequency that is emitted from the land underneath the hive, according to John Harding a highly experienced beekeeper who has done extensive research in this area, 250 hertz is the optimum frequency that a colony needs for a hive to prosper. If the frequency is far off this the bees make up the frequency themselves via their own bodily vibrations and the construction of comb in an optimum way ie not straight lines.

Wavy Honeycomb

The last task is a drop of lemon grass oil onto the entrance of the hive and inside the cavity. Bees notoriously go mad for lemongrass scent, so it acts as an attractant to the bait hive. Wish me luck!!!!