Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am Marie of Romania.
by Dorothy Parker
All posts by Gimlet
Beekeepers Smoker Fuel
Lighting your smoker and keeping it lit is part common sense, part practice and part art. Puff puff
Starter Fuels
As with starting any fire you need a starter fuel which lights easily and can be deftly thrust down to the bottom of the smoker without it being so volatile it sets fire to your sleeves or spits sparks at your veil. Continue reading Beekeepers Smoker Fuel
Michaelmas – Bees and Wintering
Michaelmas, or the Feast of St.Michael, is one of the four quarter days which mark the changing of the seasons.
The four quarter days are:
- Lady day or the Feast of the Annunciation 25th March;
- Midsummer’s day around 25th June;
- Michaelmas 29th September;
- Christmas 25th December – lest we forget – fat chance.
They all approximately coincide with either an equinox or a solstice. Continue reading Michaelmas – Bees and Wintering
How to Breed Varroa Resistant Bees
It is well known that some colonies of bees have traits such as grooming or hygienic behaviour which make them better able to cope with Varroa. Pinpointing such colonies with the aim of selectively breeding from them can be a challenge. There are several different methods and they range from the meticulous to the downright ruthless. Continue reading How to Breed Varroa Resistant Bees
Varroa Resistant Bees
The methods that bees use to cope with Varroa are the subject of much research. The ones we know about fall into two broad categories: Grooming and Hygienic Behaviour… Continue reading Varroa Resistant Bees
Moisture Content of Honey
Get this: the moisture content of ripe honey (~17%) is about the same as ripe cereals such as barley, wheat, triticale etc!
How to Stop Robbing Bees or Wasps
August is a wicked month and the bees are at their very worst: the major summer flows have dried up and the ivy is weeks away. The bees will beg, borrow or steal to build themselves up for winter.
Of course neither begging nor borrowing is open to them but they know how to steal!
Once robbing has started it is very difficult to stop so the best thing to do is try and prevent it from starting.
Here’s how: Continue reading How to Stop Robbing Bees or Wasps
Himalayan Balsam or Impatiens glandulifera
Himalayan balsam or Impatiens glandulifera originates in the Himalayas – surprise surprise. It was introduced to Europe as a garden plant but it quickly escaped the confines of the garden and joined the ranks of ‘Invasive Pests’. Other such plant species include Japanese knotweed, Giant hogweed, Sycamore or Acer pseudoplatanus and Trifids. Continue reading Himalayan Balsam or Impatiens glandulifera
Porter Bee Escape
If you’re looking at taking your honey off you’ll be looking at clearing the bees. If you’re in a hurry and you like a fight you can always shake them or brush them off the frames. Or if you are Gadget Man and don’t care about young bees being blown all over the landscape you can get yourself a bee blower. But if you favour something slower, more gentle and less brutal you’re looking at a clearer board. Continue reading Porter Bee Escape
Heathering
In this part of the world – July is the time to get the bees to the heather – if the flow is early you’ll miss it. But before you do that – have you got a heather site?
Here are some notes on what makes a good one. Continue reading Heathering