Editorial
The season has started but we seem to be off to a cold start - snow on Easter Sunday. Some reports indicate that there have been higher than normal losses this winter. What’s your experience been? Robin Dartington suggests in this newsletter that it may be due to Nosema Ceranae that is know to be increasing in our area.
Thank you to everyone that commented on the new newsletter and website. There are still a few teething problems, such as printing, but these are beginning to be fixed. Please note that it is now even easier to get to the new HBKA Herts Bees web site. We have a new web address – www.hertsbees.org.uk – so please add this to your bookmarks.
Paul Cooper
North Herts news by John Hill
What an awful Easter it has been!!... I suppose we should be thankful that the main blossoms are not yet out. Neither are the bees of course.. and that means we should be thinking about feeding again as soon as it gets slightly warmer. The pear blossom was almost ‘out’ but the cold North wind has delayed emergence. Having been to the Highlands of Scotland recently, I can report that only snowdrops have appeared so far. No sign of any daffodils at Easter!. Let’s hope the forthcoming season is a kind one... I had so little honey crop last year.
Well,.. down to business!... Our last meeting in early March was very well attended by 19 members; the first part was an interesting talk on the various types of Bumblebees by Ian Johnson of ‘Natural England’, which was accompanied by some lovely coloured slides etc. The second part of the meeting was our AGM,.... when all went very smoothly,....no changes in Committee etc. except myself (who requested to stand down ( please).. after more years than I can remember). Our Chairman, Graham Beesley, outlined the previous year’s activities,... some members had good crops and others virtually nothing, (due I think, to the latter being on arable land, and ‘keepers ‘missed the boat’ due to cold, wet weather). Nevertheless, the NHBKA had a good year, attendance slightly up on both Apiary, and indoor meetings in 07/08. At our elections, all the existing Cmt. members were voted back on nem. con., and a replacement Secretary ‘volunteered’, in the name of Mrs. Christine Phillips.!! I offered to carry a little longer doing this Newsletter,which was gratefully acknowledged, but hopefully the rest has been handed over to Christine from now. (her ‘phone No: is 01462 6238260). Pat Veasey, our treasurer, presented the accounts, which were very healthy, and showed a profit of income over expenditure of almost £150, (which included £96, from selling jars in ‘07 ). Incidentally, our Xmas party made a small profit of £23.
Our last indoor meeting of the Spring season will be on Tuesday 8th April at 7.30 p.m. at the usual venue, Friends’ Meeting House Sollershott East, Letchworth, when we shall be having a “Hands on Experience” meeting with various members showing us their ‘hive techniques’, also, in the second part of the evening, we shall be holding a “Honey Tasting” Competition, (as we normally do at our AGM), so bring some for everyone to try.
Our Apiary Meetings have been tentatively agreed as follows:-
26th April - Nortonbury clear-up. Dave Mathews in charge! 2.30 p.m.
10th May - Nortonbury ‘Inspections’, with Peter Heath. Bee Inspector.
18th May - Boxwood Apiary 2.30 p.m.
24th May - Andy Johnston, Joint Mtg. with Beds BKA @ Shillington. 2.30
21st June - Pat Veasey Apiary, Gosmore Cross. 2.30 p.m.
19th July - Robin Dartington Venture, Buzzworks. Hitchin . 2.30 p.m.
Now for last month’s teaser:- (about the alternate sittings,..men and women). The answer is Two ways only!!
Here’s another for your consideration:- Which is warmer on a bed, a two-inch thick blanket, or two blankets one inch thick each? Why?
And to finish:
When Baby’s cries grew hard to bear,
I popped him in the ‘Frigidaire’.
I never would have done so if
I’d known that he would be frozen stiff.
My wife said “George, I’m so unhappe!
Our darling’s now completely frappe!”. Harry Graham. (1874-1936).
St Albans news by Anne Wingate
The season will soon be upon us when we have some continuous fine days. The bees are busy at every opportunity and oil seed rape (OSR) has started flowering near Aldenham. A super needs to go on now to help prevent overcrowding which leads to swarming. If your bees have died during the winter and you require a swarm, please let me know or look in back numbers of Herts Bees for offers of Nukes for sale.
Our next get together is on Saturday 12 April at 10 am at the Apiary. This year we hope to lay the base for a shed, which will be used for a toilet. There will be other general clearing up of filling in the ruts and ridges made by the electrical contractors last years. Please bring spades, shovels, tree cutters and secateurs and wear boots and gardening gloves. Has anyone got a small garden roller? Tea and buns will be served to help keep your strength up!
The outing to Peter Heath's Apiary will be on Saturday 26th April at 2.45 pm for prompt 3 pm start. "Insight into Commercial Bee Keeping" will be the theme of the visit. Peter hopes to open up a hive or two in one of his apiaries and then return to his work base for tea. Please try and share transport to save the environment. Please phone for address details if you have not received a postal copy.
All members who did not attend "Wax and Candle Making" talk by Christine Aitken missed a really good evening. Please read your programme card and support the meetings. Thank you.
Bishops Stortford news by Paul Cooper
Thanks to everyone that came along to the AGM on took place on 12th March. Many thanks to Gerry, our outgoing chairman, for his many years of inspirational leadership. As a consequence of Gerry stepping down, Dennis Osborne was elected as our new chairman. Frances Luck continues as the group secretary and Valerie Edel will be our treasurer but only until the next group meeting when she would like to hand it over to someone else. Any volunteers?
We discussed how we can increase BSBKA membership. We decided to hold more apiary meetings this year and to advertise them in local parish magazines, newspapers, etc. The meeting schedule is:
12th April - Alan
10th May - Susie
31st May - Paul
21st June - Dennis
12th July - John
2nd August - Pauline
23rd August - Pat
13th Sept - TBA
All meetings start at 3pm.
As usual Alan did us proud with copious tea, coffee and cakes. Thanks Alan!
A commemorative vase was presented in absentia to Stan Brownridge to celebrate 80 years of beekeeping. Stan wants to respond via this newsletter:
I am extremely sorry that I was unable to attend our recent (Bishops Stortford) AGM owing to a severe attack of lumbago rendering me unable to walk (or sit).
My regret is even stronger because I was unable to thank personally all those who had conspired to present me, at that meeting,with a huge glass vase, suitably inscribed to commemorate my 80 years of beekeeping.
It is now 47 years since I revived the Bishop's Stortford branch, after serving in Leeds for many years and a much shorter period in S.E. Herts.
Whoever chose the vase not only revealed good taste but also a knowledge of the great love of gardening and plants which my wife and I share.
I wonder if it will be possible - and perhaps my early and only opportunity to thank - all who participated in this very tangible reminder of my lengthy membership of BBKA through the newsletter
Welwyn news by Peter Mathews
Our Apiary Meetings restart on the 5th April at Raffin Green led by Peter Folge. Watch the diary for events - we have more on this summer including two new venues. These are aimed at advertising both who we are, as well as providing opportunities for selling honey. Please try to support these even if only for an hour or so. We need both you and hive products for sale.
WANTED - We have a number of new members looking to buy a hive, with or without bees. Please contact me if you are down sizing, or have equipment for sale.
West Herts news
No news this month.
Barnet news by Michelle vonAhn
No news this month.
South East Herts news by John Mumford
There will no doubt be other reports about the HBKA AGM in this Newsletter so I won’t say too much about it except. Without a HBKA Secretary there can be no HBKA. And without a HBKA Secretary there can be no BBKA Affiliation. Divisions are all part of the HBKA Charity and should HBKA fold, then the cash from ALL of the Charity (including Divisions) goes with it ! Think about it, heads in sand won’t solve the situation.
Not much to be said about the bees this month, except that they are having a rough time. Just when the bees really got going in March, the weather turned bitterly cold and it was back to square one. There is not much we beekeepers can do to help the bees out at the moment except to ensure that they don’t starve.
BuzzWorks news by Robin Dartington
Some steps forward, some backwards. A donated greenhouse frame was delivered, still assembled but no glass. The shed was broken into, two garden forks stolen and the frame disappeared over the Easter weekend. The same weekend two display sheds earmarked for BuzzWorks were stolen while still at the garden centre and a trailer was stolen from a private garden after thieves drove through two fences to come in at the rear. Apparently thieves can plan their free shopping trips using Google Earth. So cover everything up, on allotments, business sites or at home!
However, community projects are treated sympathetically by the police. We have been supplied free with a strident shed alarm plus a heavyweight alarmed padlock, plus warning signs that the police are regularly on patrol.
The grant has been delayed by a further three months. The project has been accepted with no further questions but WREN want assurances from the council on tenure beyond the proposed 5-year lease. So grant-aided building work will now have to wait until the autumn and we will add an interim garden only this summer.
Sam Thomas of Letchworth has come forward to volunteer a garden design and planting, including donating and installing all the plants. She is now reading up on bees and plants. Sam is the 10th volunteer member of the new association. The picture is of the bee garden seen from the site entrance.
Time to hand over the reins!
by Daphne Rooke
Bees have been a part of our family for many years. I remember seeing the hives in my grandfather’s garden in Cambridgeshire. My father always had bees where we lived on the edge of Ware. As children we had to look out for swarms and I would get on my bike to see where they alighted. During the war we had extra sugar rations from the Ministry of Agriculture for feeding them. When my father retired in 1966 my parents moved and there was no room for the bees, so they came to Cheshunt and I took over. My eldest son, who lives in France, now wants to start beekeeping and son no. 3 who lives near me will be taking over here, making the 4th generation. I expect I will still get a look-in and will continue to be a member of South East Herts BKA.
Vanishing Bees
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2008/mar/05/bees
Bio-fuels: A good idea in the wrong hands
Climate policy is on a collision course with our bees.
Nosema Ceranea in Hertfordshire
by Robin Dartington
I have lost 9 out of 20 colonies this winter, the worst I can ever remember. No starvation, just colonies dwindling away, with some dead bees left on the floor.
Andy Wattam took samples from about six dead colonies last December and analysis has confirmed only two bee pathogens out of the 10 mites/viruses/diseases tested – Nosema Ceranae and DWV (Deformed Wing Virus). The normal form of Nosema, Nosema Apis, was not present.
I have never ever treated for Nosema, the recommended treatment being to add Fumagillin to autumn feed which I have preferred to avoid as it arguably contaminates the hive. Winter build up of Nosema apis normally clears up when colonies expand in spring. But now the new form of Nosema has clearly arrived in Hertfordshire. Nosema ceranea is more virulent and kills in winter – the colony just dwindles. Nosema apis is often associated with dysentery, which showed as streaked combs, but Nosema ceranea leaves no obvious signs. Now I will have to consider treating all colonies as a routine – but if I got varroa under better control before autumn – and so reduced the level of DWV – colonies might not be weakened and be better able to cope with Nosema unaided.
It has generally been hoped that Nosema will not develop resistance to Fumagillin – but so far its use has been sporadic. Extensive continuous use might make it ineffective. And there is no alternative, so far as I know. Nosema is becoming another serious threat to the health of Britain’s bees!
It would be interesting to hear how many colonies other beekeepers have lost where the bees merely dwindled away.
What is Nosema Ceranae?
The article below, written by Peter Edwards, has been taken from the Stratford-upon-Avon BKA Newsletter [courtesy BEES].
The NBU has confirmed that a new and virulent strain of Nosema has been found in eight counties of England (Cornwall, Essex, Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Greater London, North Yorkshire) and three in Wales (Glamorgan, Powys, Dyfed).
Nosema Ceranae is an organism, technically known as a microsporidian, which infects the gut of insects; it is now thought that they should be classed as fungi. There are many different ‘Nosemas’, which are usually specific to a particular host, e.g. N. bombi infects bumblebees. Our bees are sometimes infected with N. apis and affected colonies usually fail to build up in the spring. N. ceranae is much more virulent, killing colonies rather than just weakening them because it causes greater damage to the gut lining; it is thought that this damage may also allow the entry of viruses, thus compounding the problem.
Nosema is considered to be a ‘stress disease’ because colonies under stress (e.g. those confined to the hive for moving, or by bad weather) tend to suffer higher levels of Nosema. This may be a factor in the loss of colonies in the USA, where large numbers of colonies are constantly moved considerable distances for pollination.
Nosema Ceranae was first identified as a separate species from N. apis in 1995 by Professor Ingemar Fries when he visited China. Although he subsequently showed that N. ceranae could infect western honeybees, little notice was taken of the finding until 2005 when Dr Dinh Quyet Tam of the Bee Research and Development Centre (BRDC) in Hanoi (Vietnam) contacted Dr Robert Paxton at Queen’s University, Belfast about the increased levels of Nosema in his bees. Subsequent research by members of the Queen’s team revealed that the Vietnamese bees were suffering exclusively from N. ceranae. In the same year it was found in Taiwan. Just like varroa, it appears to have crossed the species barrier from the Eastern honeybee to the Western honeybee. Since then, it has moved around the world at a frightening speed. In just ten years it has been spread through four continents - and yet we still import bees! Dr. Higes discovered widespread infection in Spanish bees in 2005 and massive losses were subsequently reported during the winter of 2005-6. There is speculation that the huge losses of colonies in France, originally attributed to the use of the pesticide ‘Gaucho’, may well have been due to N. ceranae. It has also been found in the colonies that have collapsed in America - and may be the cause of CCD. As Dr Robert Paxton wrote: ‘The implications for beekeeping with the western honey bee Apis mellifera are profound. I hope the relevant authorities and beekeepers take note. Forewarned is forearmed.
So what is the outlook for the UK? The NBU has now looked for, and found, N. ceranae in the UK and it is clear that it is already widespread; this is another problem we will have to ‘live with’. What treatment is available? Older infected bees defecate on brood combs and this contamination is subsequently cleaned up by young bees, thus spreading the infection. Although colonies suffering from N. apis often recover spontaneously, it can be treated successfully by moving colonies on to clean combs (empty comb in good condition can be fumigated with 80% acetic acid) and by feeding syrup containing fumigillin (available as Fumidil B).
Len Dixon adds: Nosema is probably the most underrated disease of bees there is. More colonies are probably lost though Nosema than all cases of foulbrood put together. The silly thing is that it is not that difficult to identify (certainly to suspect) or to deal with. Once upon a time, beekeepers treated colonies prophylactically with Fumadil B. Who does so nowadays?
It only takes a bit of careful observation to raise suspicions that all might not be well. A fairly simply microscopic examination of a sample of bees can confirm a diagnosis.
However, treatment with Fumadil B is not all that needs to be done.
What to look for? Well, yes, you do need a bit of understanding of colony spring development - and now is the time to become observant. Questions to ask - Is the colony developing as it should? Is there the expected quantity of brood and young bees? Is there an indication of faeces on the frames, tops of bars, or on the front of the hive at the entrance? If there are, suspect Nosema.
What to do? Fumadil B is made into a paste with a drop of water, then mixed thoroughly with a feed and given to the colony. In severe urgent case, the solution can be sprayed on the face of the brood combs, directly on to the bees, who in cleaning themselves up, will take in the Fumadil B solution.
Fumadil B can be difficult to dissolve. However, a newer version has recently been made available. This dissolves easily, and from personal experience, the bees take it down with little trouble.
A word of warning though. This does NOT cure Nosema! It prevents the Nosema spores ingested by the bee from germinating. It is essential to replace potentially soiled comb with clean. That is a part of the treatment. It is easy and simple to do. Don’t let your colonies succumb to this common and dangerous disease!
For Sale and Wanted
Over wintered nucs, all queens clipped & marked. British standard & commercial frames. Ring ☏
Annual General Meeting presentations
Robin Dartington gave us an update on BuzzWorks (see above) and was presented with some HBKA beesuits for use by visitors to BuzzWorks.
Martin Buckle gave us a fascinating talk and demonstration on wax. He showed how easy it is to make foundation – use clean wax from a solar extractor, heat in a pan on a hob with about 1cm of soft water (e.g. rainwater) in the bottom, ladle onto a damp board that has a rim around three and half sides, trim the sheet to size and then squash (e.g. using an old wringer) between two sheets of the foundation mould. Martin then showed us how to make candles and models (see photographs). He made it all look so easy.
Annual General Meeting - Treasurer's Report
by Tom Chapman
The surplus funds for the year ended 31st December 2007 were approximately £270. This was about £300 less than the surplus in 2006.
The majority of the difference is accounted for as follows:
£100 was donated to the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust in memory of Phillip Manning
£50 Honorarium was paid to Paul Cooper to recognise the hard work he puts in to editing the county newsletter
£57 costs were incurred in the running of the Bee Workshop in June, kindly hosted by St Albans BKA
The tax rebate relating to membership in 2006, payable within the 2007 financial year, has not yet been claimed. This and the claim for the 2007 membership payments is currently being made and will be shown in next year’s accounts. I estimate the net amount to HBKA, after disbursement to the divisions, will be approximately £100
In addition to the above, there is some outstanding interest owing to us on the HBKA deposit account, and some erroneous bank charges debited from our current account, both of which the bank is investigating at the moment
Whilst on a banking theme, on Phillip Manning’s recommendation we transferred the banking across from NatWest to Clydesdale Bank. This was because Phillip was not satisfied with the level of service received from NatWest. I have to report that they continued to demonstrate less than satisfactory levels of competence to the end when, upon closing the accounts, they made the two cheques out to me, personally. These were for a total amount in excess of £4,300! After discussions with our Chairman, we decided the most efficient way of dealing with it was to pay the amounts into my bank account then, once cleared, transfer the money into the new HBKA accounts (the alternative was to approach NatWest to try and explain to them what had happened). You will be pleased to note that I have not disappeared into the sunset with the money and it is all safely transferred across to Clydesdale Bank.
Looking forward, there are two matters that need to be considered:
The first is that the cost of newsletter printing and distribution continues to rise, from £218 in 2006 to £258 in 2007. The use of email and the internet to distribute the newsletter reduces these costs to virtually zero, therefore it is important that as many people as possible receive the newsletter in this way. Additionally, these newsletter costs are borne by all of us (through the capitation payment) but are incurred by only relatively few. Therefore, there is a strong argument that members who wish to receive a paper copy should pay the additional charges themselves, reducing the overall cost of HBKA membership to the majority
The second point is that we are still in the transitional phase for the BBKA capitation payments. Just to recap what has happened to date:
In Autumn 2006, each division collected fees from everyone who wished to be members of that division in 2007; in addition, any members who joined the individual divisions during 2007 would have had to pay a membership fee
In the following September, the HBKA capitation payment for 2007 fell due – this was £4.50 per member, as agreed at last year’s AGM
At the same time, 50% of the BBKA capitation payment was due – this was £6.50 per member – and covered the period from October 2007 to April 2008
Thus every person who was a divisional member in 2007 paid a total of £11 in capitation payments
The next capitation payment to the BBKA is due in April and will be for 100% of the amount – ie £13.00 – to cover the period from April 2008 to March 2009.
I propose that, instead of collecting the 2008 HBKA capitation fee in October (ie largely in arrears) we bring forward the payment to April, to correspond with the BBKA payment.
I also propose that the HBKA capitation rate remains unchanged at £4.50 per person. This would mean that the total amount payable per beekeeping member in April 2008 will be £17.50.
Copies of the accounts are available on request.