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April 2007
This is the first meeting of the year. Ian is giving a
demonstration on how to open a hive and check the bees.
One of the beginners 'having a go'.
As this hive is one brood box it is best to kneel down to get
as close to the bees as possible.
Cover cloths are keeping the bees in the hive.
April 2008
Out of the six hives two have been lost this year.
Perhaps the colonies were too weak to come through the winter.
Of the four hives left, three are to be managed in different ways
Double brood box
Brood and 1/2 box
Single brood box
The other one is for supplies nucs to beginners if possible. Perhaps swarms will
allow us to increase back to six hives again.
The task for each group of beekeepers is to see which hive does
best and which one produces most honey this year!!!
Each group have to make a plan to be followed throughout the
year.
August 2008
Hives were changed onto the appropriate size of box in May.
Things did not go as planned due to the poor weather.
Often we did not get into the hives as often as we would like.
Bees built up in all hives much better than last year.
However any foraging to be had was eaten by the bees in wet
weather. Although there was a little honey at
the end of the year none was removed and was left for the bees.
All hives were fed 14kgs Ambrosia before gong into the winter.
All were treated for varroa in August. We will
have to wait until 2009 to see if any of the different methods
work.
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