-
Yes, it really was an extraordinary season
“Oh, it’s been a strange beekeeping season.” I’ve heard beekeepers say that every year that I’ve kept bees. So I will say it this year and claim that it really has been the oddest of years.
-
Remember your first season?
Do you remember the joys of your first beekeeping season? We asked Lauren of BCoT, Vita’s local college, what she thought of their first year in beekeeping. They had a terrific year …
-
Bee invasion
It’s a cool showery day in October, so why is this little nucleus so busy? I think an invasion is in progress. Fortunately the colony is being treated for Varroa, so it should be safe from invading mites.
-
Bee Survey shows the importance of proper Varroa treatment
What happens when you don’t use approved treatments? Early results from a USA survey shows that if you don’t treat, expect higher bee losses.
-
Roman Ralph 1945-2014
Vita is very sad to report the passing of Roman Ralph, Business Manager at the company from 1997 to 2009. He found the world of bees fascinating and will be remembered fondly by Vita staff and customers.
-
What’s the honey?
Can you identify this rather distinctive honey? Here are some clues: its aroma fills a room, it’s thixotropic, it’s very late season and in the UK it’s often called the king of honeys. It also fetches a premium price.
-
Small Hive Beetle arrives in Europe
A new and very destructive honeybee pest has arrived in Europe for the second time, but this time it might be much more serious and beekeepers are urged to be on high alert.
-
The investigatory and communication power of bees
During honey extraction I put aside some very good looking frames for cut-comb and stored them in a box in a north-facing room. Guess what happened next.
-
How feral colonies fare with Varroa
Could feral colonies be a reservoir for varroa-tolerant bees? New research suggests not. Abandoning Varroa treatment could leave colonies dangerously exposed.
-
The fall and rise of beekeeping
What has happened? Beekeeping has become trendy! From 80,00 numbers in the UK plummeted, but have shown an increase in recent years as the profile of the honeybee has risen.
-
Another Queen is born in the observation hive
It hasn’t been all plain-sailing in the observation hive this summer, but we now have a third queen. The workers seem to be getting impatient for her to be mated …
-
The queenlessness mystery becomes clearer
The observation hive is making at least one new queen. Meantime, the mystery of why it became queenless is becoming clearer. My neighbour gave me a clue.
