All posts by Gimlet

Forage, Pollen Load Colours, Things to do in February, Things to do in January

Blooming Gorse

6 Comments

The gorse is in bloom early this year, although what is it they say – ‘When gorse is out of bloom, kissing is out of fashion’ – is that it?

Look out for orange/brown pollen loads – along with the brighter orange from the snowdrops.

In fact, when the weather does warm up and the bees are active and bringing in that brown pollen it is worth going out to watch them working the gorse because the flower is specially designed to  make best use of the bees for pollination. Enjoy the strong coconut scent of the flowers while you’re at it. Continue reading Blooming Gorse →

Bee Basics, Bee Trees, Forage, Honey, Pollen Load Colours

Bee Trees – Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

2 Comments

The sycamore is a valuable tree for both bees and beekeepers. Flowering quite early in the season, late April / early May it provides copious quantities of nectar and pollen whenever the weather is good enough to allow the bees to fly. The flowers hang downwards beneath the canopy where they are protected from the rain. Sycamore honey is pale gold with a greenish tinge and pollen loads are a greenish grey. Click photo below for a close-up.

Or click here for more pollen load photos

Click here for seasonal Forage Guide

Sycamore flowers and bees with grey green pollen loads
A honey bee homes in on Sycamore (Acer pseodoplatanus) flowers. Note the snot green pollen loads. Click photo for a close up.

Otherwise, its rude health, profligate rate of reproduction and non-native status mean the sycamore tends to be scorned as a weed tree species and ecological disaster area. Continue reading Bee Trees – Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) →

Bee Basics, Forage, Honey

Pollination

Leave a comment

Any warm sunny days in spring the bees will be working the snowdrops so watch out for orange/brown pollen loads – see photo above.

For the bees, this fresh pollen and perhaps a little nectar heralds the beginning of a new year and may help nudge the queen into lay.

From the point of view of the snowdrops – the bees are welcome pollinators. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male parts of one flower to the female parts or another flower. Wind pollination is where male flowers or catkins of a plant, hazel for example,  release massive amounts of pollen into the air where it is carried on the wind to the female flowers. Insect pollination is where the same job is carried out by an insect. To attract insects, the flowers of such plants often exude nectar.

That’s the bare bones of it and that might be enough. For the nitty gritty though – read on… Continue reading Pollination →

Bee Basics, Equipment

Beekeeping Equipment

Leave a comment

Be aware – taking up beekeeping is not cheap.

Do not be seduced by those apparently serene beekeepers who need no protective clothing and go at it in their sandals and an old onion bag. Bees are easily irritated as a rule, in fact their only tranquil moments are experienced as eggs.

In addition:

  • They are horribly attracted to the human foot;
  • They know where your eyes are;
  • They are never, ever hampered by emotions.

So trust me – if you are seriously thinking of taking up beekeeping, get proper equipment and build your confidence inside it. Continue reading Beekeeping Equipment →

Beeswax, Things to do in December, Things to do in January, Things to do in November

Rendering Beeswax

6 Comments

Beeswax is one of the most recalcitrant substances known to man and rendering beeswax is  not for the faint-hearted, so gird yer loins and don’t use the kitchen.

For the beekeeper, honey is probably the most profitable part of the harvest but it is not the only one. The next most important crop, for most, is beeswax, of which there are three sources:

  • Cappings from your honey extraction;
  • Old combs;
  • Scrapings from hive.

Beeswax has a thousand and one cosmetic and domestic uses but unless a good price can be assured the most fundamental use for the beeswax crop is as new foundation. Continue reading Rendering Beeswax →

Bee Basics, Things to do in December, Things to do in February, Things to do in January

Bee Basics – Apiary Site

Leave a comment

For anybody thinking about getting bees, an important consideration is – where to put them?

There is no perfect site for bees but there are points to consider – some affect the summering and some affect the wintering. It’s all swings and roundabouts (or snakes and ladders) with bees. Continue reading Bee Basics – Apiary Site →

Bee Basics

Bee Basics – Pheromones

Leave a comment

Pheromones are a family of small, volatile chemicals commonly employed in the insect world as a means of communication; they are chemicals which elicit specific responses and have a large role in colony cohesion/dynamics. The purpose and actions of pheromones within a community of social insects could be said to be analogous to those of hormones within the body of a single organism.

The number of pheromones active within a honeybee colony is unknown but here are some of them:

Queen substance: A cocktail of substances including 9 oxydecenoic acid and 9 hydroxydecenoic acid which are the main ingredients. Queen substance licked from the queen is passed around the hive by workers. It has a calming effect and prevents the building of queen cells. If the dosage of queen substance per bee is reduced below a certain level the inhibition is lifted, the bees become agitated and the production of queen cells will commence. Here are two scenarios when this will happen:

  1. Queen substance production is reduced such as in the aging queen;
  2. A colony builds up very strong and very quickly.

In the former, supersedure will commence. In the latter – swarming is initiated.

One of the ingredients of queen substance – 9 oxydecenoic acid attracts drones to the young queen who is out to get mated.

9 oxydecenoic acid will also hold a swarm together when it is hung up on a bush – it tells them ‘Mother is with us’. If ‘Mother’ is not with them they will go home.

Heptanone: Not clear what this is for. It is released from the mandibular glands of worker bees and it attracts the attention of other bees. Could be some sort of marker (‘hey, come and look at this thing!’) or an alarm pheromone. It has been found to have anasthetic effects on wax moth…

Isopentylacetate: Released when a bee stings and causes other bees to sting the same spot. I hate that.

Nasonov gland pheromone: Released from the Nasonov glands of worker bee – the visible white dot in the open tail of fanning bees. Carries a ‘come and join us’ message to disturbed bees.

Drone phermone: from drones and attracts other drones to drone congregation areas

Brood pheromone: from larvae and pupae – prevents laying workers

Click here for more about the life cycle of honey bees and how it is governed by pheromones

Click here for more on Supersedure

Copyright © Beespoke.info, 2014. All Rights Reserved.