Category Archives: Disease prevention

Tis the season to drizzle

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Emily Scott

The Mite Before Christmas – a beekeeper’s poem Twas nine days before Christmas, when all through the bee house Not a creature was stirring, (thanks to the mouse-guard) not even a mouse The roofs were lifted up with great care, … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | Tagged , | 12 Comments

‘The Cornish Bee’ – notes from a talk by Rodger Dewhurst, Gwenen Apiaries

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Emily Scott

Last Sunday I went to a ‘Bee Fayre’, which is an annual weekend event held at Enys Gardens in Penryn, Cornwall. It was a haven for bee fans, filled with stalls selling every bee themed product you can think of, … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention, Queens | Tagged | 6 Comments

Tips learnt from Bee Health Day 2018

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Emily Scott

This weekend I went to Bee Health Day 2018, a day with local Cornish and Devon Bee inspectors learning about various diseases and pests. Accompanied by tea and pasties, so that you knew you were in Cornwall. We had four … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | 7 Comments

Oxalic acid sublimation demo

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Emily Scott

It was a beautifully sunny but chilly day yesterday for a demonstration by Tom of oxalic acid sublimation. Amazingly some of our bees were still flying even at temperatures of under 10°C (50°F). The snowdrop shoots haven’t come on much … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | Tagged | 10 Comments

Spring cleaning at the apiary

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Emily Scott

In the past few weeks Ealing beekeepers have been busy improving the association apiary and preparing the bees for spring. Tom has been running easy-going monthly volunteering sessions fuelled by plenty of tea; jobs done so far have included pruning, … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Disease prevention | 36 Comments

Time to smite some mites

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Emily Scott

This weekend it was time to replace our first lot of Apiguard treatment and put the second round of trays on. Can you guess which of our colonies had cleaned every last inch of their Apiguard tray empty and shining after two … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

How it’s all going: two weeks after shook-swarming

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Emily Scott

The apiary entrance is getting really pretty now as the wild flowers shoot up. White dead nettle, green alkanet and bluebells decorate the floor. Buzzing can be heard as bees on a mission zoom past your ears. Today was overcast … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | 10 Comments

Building comb and a home

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Emily Scott

Last weekend was warm, so Emma and I did a shook-swarm on our two strongest hives, Myrtle and Chilli. We worked as a team, Emma shaking the bees into a fresh brood box with new foundation, then passing me the … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Disease prevention, Uncategorized | Tagged | 16 Comments

Notes from a talk by David Rudland, ‘Bringing bees from winter into spring’

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Emily Scott

On Wednesday evening I went to a London Beekeepers Association (LBKA) talk by David Rudland on the topic of ‘Bringing bees from winter into spring’. David and his wife Celia (who came to the meeting too) are commercial beekeepers in Surrey … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Disease prevention | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

First peek under the bonnet

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Emily Scott

Yesterday wasn’t predicted to be sunny. And yet it was. The whole apiary was lit up; the daffodils glowed, the bees zoomed. It was the first practical session for this year’s intake of newbee beekeepers doing the Ealing association’s beginners … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | 21 Comments