Blog – bees, beekeeping & other sticky subjects
The empty cell
Bees, huh! After yesterday’s activity around the queen cell, I said I expected the queen to emerge in the next few days. They thought otherwise and she emerged overnight.
Paying right royal attention
The one remaining queen cell in the hive is being paid great respect as the small colony works hard collecting nectar for their eagerly awaited royal.
The bees are back
The bees have returned to the office and are thriving as the summer nectar flow has just started. The colony is queenless, but a sealed queen cell is in prime position and we await her emergence.
Bees with pretensions
A swarm takes over a pheasant’s nest. The swarm is now happily installed in a more conventional home, but the pheasant is nowhere to be seen! Were the bees trying to go up or down market?
Vita swarm lure in action in Greece
A video from a professional Greek beekeeper who used Vita’s swarm lure hung in a olive tree to attract a swarm in very quick time. The short video is in real time!
USA Winter Bee Losses – is all as it seems?
Overwintering losses in the USA are reported down by nearly a quarter on the previous year, but are the figures an accurate and true reflection of the situation?
Varroa alert after mild winter
With very high levels of varroa mite being reported so early in the season, Vita outlines a smart use of Apistan to test infestation levels and to reduce the varroa mite population during swarm management.
Beekeeper turns beecharmer
A local beekeeper has discovered he is now regarded as a beecharmer having worked wonders with a problematic bee nest with the help of Vita’s swarm lure. Any more novel uses out there?
Downton Abbey upstairs bees
Some Upstairs honeybees take up residence high above the setting for the TV programme, Downton Abbey. But how can they be served with Apiguard? We think they’ll be needing it this year!
A swarm in May …
In southern Britain, swarming time is here! Here’s a ten second video of one leaving. It’s as if there is an air blower in the hive flushing out the bees. Even the You Tube rendering can’t quite keep up!