Blog – bees, beekeeping & other sticky subjects
Busy bees
A one-minute video glimpse of the industry of a nucleus colony of honeybees in early May in southern England. It’s fairly frantic! And there’s a surprise on top of the entrance door.
News of the shrews
Which bee predator has a heartbeat of 800 per minute, consumes more than its own body weight daily and scoops out bees for lunch? It’s a menace in eastern Canada, but there is a way of keeping it at bay.
Hornet media frenzy!
Oh dear, it looks like the UK newspaper headline writers are getting the Asian hornet threat out of proportion! Rest assured it’s really a threat to honeybee colonies rather than humans.
Get bee-doodling for World Doodle Day
Friday 25 April 2014 is World Doodle Day and the organisers have decided to link it to a good cause — honeybees. Vita will also give a prize for the best doodle relating to bees.
A mitey shock! Updated 4 weeks on.
Vita’s Guest Blogger had a nasty shock opening a hive this month to find that there were quite a few bees with symptoms resembling Deformed Wing Virus – suggesting a varroa infestation.
A scary shadow of her former self
A surprise find from last year.
Vita at BBKA Spring Convention
You can tell it’s spring in Britain — the oil seed rape is just coming into flower and Vita is preparing to go to the BBKA Spring Convention this weekend in Shropshire. There’s lots to talk about …
It’s that time of year
It’s time for a change — old comb for new foundation. Regular change brings lots of benefits and healthier bees. And maybe even a cost saving if the wax is rendered and recycled in exchange for new foundation.
ApiTonin – a product before its time
Vita is proud to announce the launch of ApiTonin, a unique and iconic new product.
First inspection and a mystery bee
The temperatures rose to 15C yesterday in Hampshire, so I took the opportunity to open my hives for the first time this season. And the news is good.