Blog – bees, beekeeping & other sticky subjects
Greenham Common DCA Visit 2
The Greenham Common Drone Congregation Area (DCA) does indeed seem to be 150 hectares, by far the largest I have yet discovered and, by today’s activity, the one with the most intense activity.
Two weeks ago, I looked for a DCA on Greenham Common for the first time. Expecting to have difficulty in locating the DCA in such a large area, I found it immediately at the east end and then at the west end. It seemed to stretch for more than three kilometres in length and half a kilometre wide!
So, today, I returned to test the middle – with even more dramatic results – see the video below for the most intense activity I have yet witnessed in a DCA (the video is best viewed full screen):
I suspect that just now is when drones have their maximum population size – before their numbers plummet over the next few weeks as they get booted out of the hive when colonies prepare for winter.
I would now confidently say that the Greenham DCA occupies 150 hectares, perhaps more. It seems to disappear north and south, not so much where the land falls away, but more where there are trees just before the land falls away. I wonder if it was affected as a DCA when the planes were taking off and landing not so long ago.
I then travelled just north-west of Newbury expecting to find a DCA on the hill that is occupied by Donnington Castle, but there wasn’t a sign of a single drone. I cannot really explain this as the site seems almost ideal even though it is small and does not seem to be exposed to strong breezes. This was my third failed search at Donnington Castle, so I am now convinced it’s a no-drone area. Unless of course the drones are congregating above the tower!
And the story so far in case you’ve missed it:
1 July 2015 In search of a mate
2 July 2015 Drone Congregation Areas
7 July 2015 Another Drone Congregation Area
20 July 2015 Video of Life in a Drone Congregation Area
28 July 2015 Do drones assemble above prehistoric sites?
3 August 2015 Drone Goal?
10 August 2015 Rediscovering the first recorded Drone Congregation Area
8 September 2015 In search of a Drone Congregation Area SatNav
27 October 2015 Hilltopping
4 July 2016 Greenham Common DCA first visit
Turlough
Vita’s Guest Beekeeper Blogger
The size of Drone Congregation Areas
Greenham Common (old airfield) as seen on Google Earth
This season the weather has been cool and wet in southern England, offering few opportunities to investigate Drone Congregation Areas (DCA), those special areas of the landscape where honeybee drones gather in the hope of mating with a queen. But yesterday produced something rather special and an insight into how big a DCA can be.
First stop was the village recreation ground to see if drones were flying. It was 20C with sunny intervals – towards the lower temperature range for a DCA to form around here. From last year, I knew the recreation ground was a DCA and it didn’t disappoint. A field based on a slight rise, I was able to map the extent of the DCA: it is about 100 metres square (it may be wider, but field boundaries and private land mean that the width could not be fully explored).
The centre of the DCA was on the hilltop ridge, but walking down the slope, the drones soon stopped following the lure. They couldn’t be attracted again until near the top of the ridge. But they were on the ridge in abundance– between 50 and 100 following the lure.
I then moved on to Greenham Common, a military airport from 1942-93, famous in the 1980s for protests against nuclear weapons and made public parkland in 1997. Standing about 120 metres above sea level and to the south-west of Newbury (where there are lots of beekeepers), it’s a 3.5 by 0.5 km very flat plateau with few trees and stands about 50 metres above the town and surrounding areas.
I suspected there would be a DCA somewhere on the plateau slopes. I was wrong. I think the whole of Greenham Common plateau may be a DCA! I started at the east end of the Common and after a few minutes was about to give up in that location when a drone appeared and very soon a large number appeared. The appearance of the first drone took longer than usual, quite probably because the drones had a very large area to patrol. I kept walking around and the drones came and went a little, but were always present.
Wondering if the DCA could extend the full length of the plateau I went to the west end and experienced precisely the same thing.
I suspect that the DCA stretches the full length of the plateau and have plans to return to explore the middle areas.
So, six kilometres apart there seems to be one DCA covering one hectare and another covering perhaps more than 150 hectares. Weather permitting, I will report back soon.
And the story so far in case you’ve missed it:
1 July 2015 In search of a mate
2 July 2015 Drone Congregation Areas
7 July 2015 Another Drone Congregation Area
20 July 2015 Video of Life in a Drone Congregation Area
28 July 2015 Do drones assemble above prehistoric sites?
3 August 2015 Drone Goal?
10 August 2015 Rediscovering the first recorded Drone Congregation Area
8 September 2015 In search of a Drone Congregation Area SatNav
27 October 2015 Hilltopping
Turlough
Vita’s Guest Beekeeper Blogger
The Hive at Kew
The art and science of honeybees and pollination are celebrated with a stunning installation at Kew Gardens in London.
First unveiled to the public at the Milan Expo in 2015, Wolfgang Buttress’s Hive is an astonishing work that has just opened at Kew where it is scheduled to remain until November 2016.
Below are three short video clips, courtesy of Kew Gardens, to give you a sense of what it’s all about and why you might want to go if you are in London
About Kew and how to get there.
Hannah Banks, Kew scientist, speaks about pollen:
and a silent walk-through, that you’re not likely to see anywhere else (special thanks to Kew Gardens for allowing us to show this):
Stroppy bees
Herb farm bees with a bit of an attitude.
The herb farm is proving a very productive apiary, but the bees are very agitated and we think there is something in the environment that is causing their unruly behaviour rather than being the result of genetics.
You may remember that we shook-swarmed an existing colony in a WBC into a Langstroth hive. Despite the cool spring, the colony grew satisfactorily with some candy as food. At first they were very even tempered, but with size have become more defensive even though they have not quite filled their new brood chamber yet.
I transferred a colony known to be quite docile in its original apiary and it has thrived (now with four supers), but its temper has been unpleasant both at the hiveside and as ‘followers’.
Recently a swarm from an unknown source has been installed in the apiary and already that small colony is being rather unpleasant to visitors.
So, with three colonies with queens from three different genetic lines, I am beginning to think there must be something in the environment that is upsetting them. And I can’t work out what it is.
They all seem very healthy, so I don’t suspect disease which can upset bees’ temperament.
The hives face due south (the prevailing wind is south west), the area is well-drained (with a little stream in a damp little valley behind).
Straight in front of the hives is a field of angelica not yet in bloom, but I can find no reports of bees being irritated by angelica – in fact they should love it when it flowers.
There are no overhead power cables near, but we’re investigating to find if there is anything underground.
There are no signs of disturbance by animals (the long grass around the hives should show animal trails if they are frequent visitors).
We plan to move one hive soon to see if it becomes more friendly in a new environment, but for the moment the bees’ behaviour is unexplained.
Anyone with ideas of what to look for in the environment?
Turlough
Vita’s Guest Beekeeper Blogger
Vita sponsors innovative project to help tackle trauma
Vita is helping to sponsor the Bee Free Project, a Welsh beekeeping charity that aims to help service personnel affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful and frightening events, and affects many personnel who have served in conflict zones. One such servicemen, Richard Jones, found that the coping mechanisms required in good beekeeping could be transferred to everyday life to great effect. He realised that this could be great training and experience to help others with PSTD to deal with other challenging situations.
Having gained so much from his beekeeping experiences, Richard set up the Bee Free Project and this year it aims to teach up to 15 ex-service personnel beekeeping skills and to provide them with equipment for them to take up what can be a life-changing hobby. The course is open to any ex-service personnel and is free.
When Sebastian Owen, Vita’s Commercial Manager, heard about the Bee Free Project, he was immediately impressed: “Ever since Vita was formed in 1997, we have been strong supporters of some beekeeping charities. In particular, we have a long-standing relationships with two charities – Bees for Development and Bees Abroad – that enable some of the world’s poorest people to improve their lives through beekeeping. The Bee Free Project is very innovative and looks set to make a real impact on individual’s lives in a very different way. We are delighted to support it.”
For more information and how you can take part or support the Bee Free Project, see www.beefreeproject.org. Individual beekeepers can offer their support by buying supplies online from the Project to help boost its funds.