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For the Welsh beekeepers

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Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 08 9:59 pm Post subject: For the Welsh beekeepers
Found this link on another site. Thought it might be useful to Sally, Mochyn & Chez or any other Welsh bee keepers. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7410975.stm

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 08 10:28 pm Post subject:

I don't live in south wales but there is certainly a problem in west wales, last year I lost 2 colonies in the summer but they were my only 2 carnolian strains. All the others overwintered well even a late cast I took in early august which I fed well. However I know of people who had heavy unexplained losses--one chap lost all 8 hives. I have just seen some recent stats which suggest losses are worse here than in other parts of the u.k. . Interestingly when I was in Lancs we were told varroa had more or less seen off the "wild" colonies but ever since we have been here I seen very dark what I believe to be native bees foraging and we took a swarm of them a couple of weeks ago---time will tell if they are more robust.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 08 10:49 pm Post subject:

It's this bit I thought you would find particularly interesting.

Quote:

New queens will be bred to re-establish the stocks of Pembrokeshire beekeepers free of charge and, in time, those of the rest of Wales.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 8:42 am Post subject:

lottie wrote:

Interestingly when I was in Lancs we were told varroa had more or less seen off the "wild" colonies but ever since we have been here I seen very dark what I believe to be native bees foraging and we took a swarm of them a couple of weeks ago---time will tell if they are more robust.

I think that is more or less what I've been told by far more experienced beekeepers - In Wales there appears to be patches of wild colonies something that hasn't been seen in Lancashire for a long time

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 8:49 am Post subject:
We're higher up in Sir Drefaldwyn, but there have been losses here, if I remember. We have a great bee-inspector though who I think will know about this and help out if needed. All I'm worried about just now is that they're stroppy (because of the weather, I think) making it difficult to pick fruit...

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 8:50 am Post subject:

We definatley get wild colonies round here,but I don't know if they are truly native or naturalised swarms from domestic hives.

They are small, dark, good tempered bees as a whole, our colony was one we never needed smoke with unless doing a major hive strip, am hoping if the current occupants make it that they will be the same, certainly they gave no trouble when I went through the combs at the weekend

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 8:55 am Post subject:
We used to have a wild swarm in one end of the roof every year, but none for the past two. Hope they haven't succumbed...

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 9:29 am Post subject:

The bees I am working with are small blacks.
There's a lot of talk about brood cell size.
Normal brood foundation is larger than natural & thus produces bigger bees which pre varroa was great.
As varroa prefers large drone cells to lay in the larger brood cells are a good second thus allowing varroa to build up to epidemic proportions.
In natural comb the varroa can only lay in drone cells so their numbers don't rise as dramatically plus some think the smaller bee can self groom which the larger fatter bees can't.
I'm hearing reports of a few wild swarms down here as well so maybe natural selection is working & all is not lost.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 9:37 am Post subject:

I've been considering moving to small cell foundation, I wanted to get my number of colonies up to 4 or 5 so I could experiment with one

My worker bee's are quite small and very very dark almost black and also are very good natured and gentle although the drones are huge - The original queen strain was Buckfast

Whilst I was taking my BBKA Basic exam at the weekend - I had to go through some bee's at another apiary and they really were not as well behaved as mine - they were extremely grouchy, not overly aggressive but there was a definite hostility there that you just don't get with mine - they were also very yellow and looked more like wasps than honey bee's - I had asked about buying in a Queen from this particular person but on reflection I'm glad he didn't have any spare

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 9:54 am Post subject:
This link says it better than I can. https://www.lapalmamiel.com/

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 10:04 am Post subject:
Fantastic - thank you - very interesting reading

IanNW

Joined: 21 Jun 2008
Posts: 75
Location: Flintshire, North Wales/India

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 3:53 pm Post subject:
The local Beekeeper for Conwy and south Clwyd is also one of the main providers of Nucs and Queen Bees for the area. He uses the local black bee which is originally native, and by reputation quite placid. Where i hope to get mine from come next April/May.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 9:50 pm Post subject:

TAVASCAROW wrote:

This link says it better than I can.
https://www.lapalmamiel.com/

Thanks

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 08 9:55 pm Post subject:

IanNW wrote:

The local Beekeeper for Conwy and south Clwyd is also one of the main providers of Nucs and Queen Bees for the area. He uses the local black bee which is originally native, and by reputation quite placid.

Where i hope to get mine from come next April/May.

Hope the swarm of black bees I've taken are placid we've got one very aggressive hive we need to requeen that ended up with me in A&E the problem is they are also our most prolific hive.

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