Having a corrupt web site has unfortunately meant a blog-free year to date. This means that I’ve been able to spend more time with the bees rather than sitting trying to think what I could write. However, a much more knowledgable beekeeper was able to sort the problems and we are back on air again
Fortunately I practise what I preach and I can look back through my hive records, my varroa-count records and other documents to recall the story of the year.
Starting the year with 9 hives rather than the usual 8 was a wise precaution as one became queenless. How I don’t know.
A glorious week in February meant all the hives could be opened and given a treatment with Apivar. A weekly check was made and the strips were removed once the drop had been zero for two consecutive weeks.
An early spring meant that I was able to start spring-cleaning in early March. Every hive was given a clean floor, brood box and crown board and every frame was scraped clean of wax and propolis. My idea of cleanliness doesn’t necessarily match that of the bees but we both have to compromise to live together.
Over the apiary hedge was 175 acres of oil seed rape. My expectations of stacks of full honey-tubs were rudely dashed. Continual dry weather meant a low nectar yield so my rape harvest was below expectations.
Continual sunshine meant that the girls could at least continue flying day after day. It also meant that the airfield over the road was able to yield an abundance of ragwort: not good news. Ragwort has a most unpleasant flavour and it taints anything with which it is blended. I have a stack of tubs sitting on one side maturing in the hopes that the ragwort influence will slowly decrease.
I have experimented with sublimation. I bought an electric vaporizer and also a Gasvap. Both had to be used with a full-face gas mask although with the electric vaporizer it was possible to use it safely simply by standing well downwind as it warmed up. The Gasvap was not so successful. It was necessary to stand right by the entrance whilst the Gasvap belched (most of the) fumes into the hive entrance. Having a beard meant that the gas-mask was not a tight fit to my face and I was breathing in oxalic acid fumes. Not recommended.
Madeleine, my trainee/apprentice this year had a thorough grounding as she worked with me almost the entire season. Her help was invaluable, especially when it came to moving hives over to Debden Green to establish an out-apiary beside the borage. Yes, lovely borage honey. A beautiful, almost clear runny honey and the yield was sufficient to get me close to my target harvest weight.