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Test apiary on Vita’s doorstep

The test apiary in a secluded part of the allotment

With the help of local beekeepers, Vita (Europe) Ltd has opened a test apiary near its Basingstoke headquarters to complement its other test apiaries across the world.

The apiary, on a large allotment (community garden plots for fruit and vegetables) within easy foraging distance of Vita’s offices, will be managed by some beekeepers from Basingstoke and Paulo Mielgo, Vita’s technical manager.

The Basingstoke beekeepers, who are experienced in allotment beekeeping, have constructed an apiary perimeter fence, for security and to ensure that the bees fly well above head height on foraging trips, as well as a small apiary shed to hold beekeeping essentials.

“Derek Western and Paul Rogers of Basingstoke have done a great job in preparing the apiary, fencing, shed, hives and drawing up an agreement with the local council,” said Paulo Mielgo. “I carried out my first inspection last week and, although the colonies are still quite small, they seem to be healthy.”

Paulo Mielgo (right) with Paul Rogers and shed

For Mielgo, having been born into a beekeeping family in Argentina, there are at least two unusual elements to the apiary. The colonies are in National hives – the traditional and most popular hive in Britain – rather than the Langstroth hives with which he is most familiar. Secondly, the apiary is in an urban area, a location rarely used for beekeeping in Argentina.

“I’m not yet certain how many colonies the local forage can support, but we hope to grow to the classic test apiary size of 21 colonies – three groups of seven colonies each,” said Mielgo. “With more than 100 allotment plots just outside the apiary fence, lots of city gardens, and farmland within two kilometres, the foraging potential looks good. The summer flow this year should help to confirm the optimal size.”

Sebastian Owen, Vita’s business development manager who began the apiary initiative, said “We have wanted a local apiary for some time and are very grateful for the support from local beekeepers who have been key in making this happen.

Some of the 100+ allotments

“Fittingly, the apiary is within foraging distance of the seventeenth century apiary of the Rev Charles Butler, the author of The Feminine Monarchie, the beekeeping book that revealed to the world the science that honeybee colonies are headed by queens and not kings.”

The tests and trials to be undertaken, including Asian hornet protection and nutrition supplements, will complement studies managed on behalf of Vita in other parts of Europe and South America.

The varroa count

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes To Editors

Vita (Europe) Limited is a mite control and honeybee health specialist. It is the world’s largest dedicated supplier of honeybee health products to the honey and pollination industries. With a rigorous and ethical approach to research and development into honeybee health, Vita has no commercial interests in crop pesticides or crop breeding that may be harmful to honeybees.

Vita researches, develops, and manufactures a range of honeybee health products. Its headquarters are in the UK, it has offices in Italy, France and Russia, and partners across the globe. These products are marketed internationally through a network of 60 distributors in 50 countries.

Vita’s honeybee health product range includes anti-varroa acaricides – Apistan® (outside the USA/Canada) and Apiguard® – chalkbrood and wax moth controlsfoulbrood diagnostic kits and health-promoting feeds. Vita also supplies Asian hornet traps, Small Hive Beetle traps, a Bee Gym varroa grooming aid and swarm lures. Vita products have been registered by more than 60 veterinary authorities.

Vita promotes sustainable beekeeping through Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Its treatments are designed to inhibit the build-up of resistance and wherever possible contain natural compounds and biological controls that are benign to all but the target pests.

Vita invests a very high proportion of its turnover in research and development. Research partners include universities such as Thessaloniki, Cardiff, Milan, Udine and Naples and institutes such as the FERA Laboratories in the UK and the USDA in America. Vita’s innovative research and development work has been recognised by and has received support from the UK Government.

As a result of its primary research of natural control agents, Vita is currently engaged in new projects exploring mite control in the agriculture, veterinary, and horticulture industries as well as public health and human allergen control.

See www.vita-europe.com for more information and a web app which can be accessed at www.healthybeeguide.com.

Follow Vita as “Vita (Europe) Ltd” on Facebook and Google+ and as @vitaeuropeltd on Twitter.

Media Enquiries
Stephen Fleming at Palam Communications
+44 (0) 1635 299116

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