Friday morning began to plan. I had boiled the kettle and poured some water into my thermos. A bag was packed, containing a hive tool, bee suit, latex gloves and pre-mixed oxalic acid. Soon I was on the bus and getting off by the church where Emma and I have one of our bee hives.
The day before the winter solstice, the day starts late. It was still dark at about 7.15am as I walked through the door into the apiary. Stones dug into my shoes as I made my way down the rough path towards the bees, fighting past overhanging branches.
Once in, my suit went over my coat. Hot water poured into the thermos cup, steaming magically high in the cold morning air. Into that I popped the oxalic acid container, to warm it for the bees.
Hive roof off and upturned. Insulation unpacked. And then the moment of discovery – are the bees still alive? Crown board turned over – yes! They were up under the fondant, huddled in a ball shape over about six frames. Somewhere in there, safe within the warm middle, would be the queen.
I was awestruck at the sight of the bees, but galvanised myself into action, squinting to make sure the acid was drizzled over each ‘seam’ of bees between the frames. Oxalic acid occurs naturally in plants such as rhubarb leaves. Used correctly, it is an excellent weapon against varroa mites, with a high efficiency (i.e. kill rate) of above 90%.
It was still pretty dark, but light was beginning in the sky. I have heard that bees crawl in the dark, something I had no wish to feel up my trousers. Our bonny bees seemed in a good mood, but a bit of an annoyed buzz started and I thought it best to not to push my luck. The crown board, fondant and roof went back on.
“Why is Emily doing this procedure in the dark as the dawn rises?” you may well be thinking to yourself. Well, I would have liked to be in bed too. But by the time I get home from work in December it’s even more dark, and I knew that the weather was turning to several days of rain, plus I would be away for Christmas. As I mentioned in my previous post, the research done by the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex indicates that colonies are most likely to be broodless between 10th-25th December (at least in Sussex). Oxalic acid treatment is most effective when colonies are broodless and the mites cannot hide inside the brood.
I was feeling pretty pleased by the way things had gone. Gathering my things together, I left the apiary at about 7.30am. Then I hit a snag. However hard I pulled the gate shut, however I twisted the key, I couldn’t lock the thing. The local drinkers hadn’t appeared yet, but it was likely they would turn up soon. I went round the back and managed to find a very nice lady from the church to help me, who I won’t name in case she’d rather I didn’t. She couldn’t lock the gate either, but she took the key and said she would do her best to sort it out.
After this drama I just about managed to get into work for time for our 9am team meeting. What a relief that I was able to find someone to help me, otherwise I would have panicked as I would have hated to leave that gate unlocked without anyone knowing about it. One of the hazards of keeping bees in an out apiary!
Happy Christmas to all of you, and happy honey munching to all your bees. Here’s a few memories of the 2013 beekeeping season.
Emma photographing the bees
Pistachio cake
David Pugh inspecting
Thomas inspecting
Flat Stanley in buttercups
Spot our queen
John Chapple inspecting Albert’s hive
Sunlight falling on our beautiful bees
Adventuresinbeeland's Blog 
Thanks for doing the oxalic Emily! I’m going to try tomorrow or early Monday/Tuesday morning – it was an absolute monsoon today! Interesting reading about Karin’s comments on oxalic acid and brood too. Have a great Christmas xx
LikeLike
You too, hopefully 2014 will be a great year for us and the bees 🙂
LikeLike
Merry Christmas Emily. You are one diligent bee keeper.
LikeLike
Merry Christmas 🙂
LikeLike
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Did flat Stanley?
LikeLike
I’m afraid Flat Stanley and I haven’t been in touch – he has been staying with another beekeeper for Christmas. He is a cheery soul so I expect he’s been having a grand time!
LikeLike
Have a good Christmas, thanks for all your interesting posts this year.
LikeLike
You too Philip, thanks for your posts also.
LikeLike
Merry Christmas, Emily. At the rate I am going, the bees maybe getting their rhubarb gift from me Christmas morning. I mean, those dates seem a bit hard and fast. What about weather? Anyway, love the passing reference of buzzy bees meaning your cue to leave–a familiar sound to us all. We are so pleased when they are docile that we linger a bit longer, and then the mood starts to turn….
LikeLike
That’s one way to celebrate Christmas! It’s so true what you say about spending a few seconds more with the well-behaved bees, and then finding that they may not be enjoying our presence to the same extent.
I see the dates as being more to do with sunrise and sunset times than weather. The workers will be sensitive to the lengthening of the days – this may well have more to do with how much brood is being produced than the weather. They can encourage or deter the queen from laying depending on how much food they give her.
LikeLike
Happy Christmas Emily, it is good to think of your bees tucked up with the best help that they can get. I’ve learnt such a lot this year following your blog. Amelia
LikeLike
I do so hope they all survive the winter. January and February will be the harshest months. Happy Christmas x
LikeLike
Merry Christmas and best wishes to you and your bees in the New Year!
LikeLike
Merry Christmas! I will pass your best wishes to the bees.
LikeLike
Happy Xmas… with associated cake, obviously. RH
LikeLike
Happy Xmas to you too – oh yes, there shall be cake!
LikeLike
Merry Christmas! Wishing you and your bees a happy 2014!
LikeLike
You too!
LikeLike
I’ve never inspected the hive in the dark before. It’s nice to know that it is possible.
Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful year 2014.
LikeLike
Possible, but not advisable! Not so much an inspection, just squirting the oxalic over the gaps between the frames.
LikeLike
I wish you and your bees a great 2014.
LikeLike
Thanks Alex, and you. I can’t wait to see my bees again next summer.
LikeLike
Happy New Year Emily. I like the look of the pistachio cake, and glad to hear your bees are alive. Ours were too last time we looked.
All the best for 2014
From Al, Anna and Morgan at A Simple Life of Luxury – alananna.co.uk
LikeLike
Thanks Al, Happy New Year to you three too. I always enjoy reading your blog and look forward to hearing more about your baking, running and bees in 2014.
LikeLike