Category Archives: Disease prevention

Middlesex Beekeepers’ Day Part 2: David Aston, Plants and honeybees

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Emily Scott

A follow-up post to ‘Middlesex Beekeepers’ Day – Terry Clare, Queen rearing for the average beekeeper‘. Below are my notes from Dr David Aston’s talk. David is President of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), a Master Beekeeper and holder of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee biology, Disease prevention | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Middlesex Beekeepers’ Day – Terry Clare, Queen rearing for the average beekeeper

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Emily Scott

As I like to do each year, yesterday I went to the Federation of Middlesex Beekeepers’ Associations annual Bee Keepers’ Day. Each year the Middlesex associations (Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, North London, Pinner & Ruislip) take it in turn to host … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Disease prevention, Queens | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments

The great Facebook oxalic acid controversy

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Emily Scott

Bee researcher Dr Karin Alton really stirred up a hornet’s nest when she posted about oxalic acid on the London Beekeepers Association Facebook group this week. For those of you unfamiliar with Karin’s work, she is a researcher at the Laboratory … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | Tagged , | 54 Comments

What’s wrong with our bees?

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Emily Scott

An idyllic scene of sunshine on the apple tree at the Hanwell apiary on Sunday. The bees came to say hello in the super. Further down, they bubbled out from the brood frames. So many thousands of interactions happening. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | 21 Comments

10th Honey bee pests, diseases and poisoning revision post: Braula coeca: the ‘bee louse’

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Emily Scott

The BBKA’s Module 3 syllabus says ‘The Candidate shall be able to give: …an outline account of the life cycle of Braula coeca, its effect on the colony and a description of the differences between adult Braula and Varroa”. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention, Exams | Tagged | 29 Comments

Bee Keepers’ Day – Research on honeybee health and wellbeing

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Emily Scott

My second blog post on the Federation of Middlesex Beekeepers’ Associations annual ‘Bee Keepers’ Day‘, held last Saturday. Below are my notes from the second speaker, Dr Karin Alton. Karin is an entomologist from Sussex University, working with Professor Ratnieks at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

9th Honey bee pests, diseases and poisoning revision post: chilled brood and neglected drone brood

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Emily Scott

A 9th revision post for the British Beekeeping Association’s Module 3 Honey bee Pests, Diseases and Poisoning exam, which I’m taking in March. I’m doing the BBKA’s correspondence course, so my tutor, Pam Hunter, sets me papers which she then marks. The second question … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention, Exams | Tagged | 16 Comments

8th Honey bee pests, diseases and poisoning revision post: collecting laboratory samples

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Emily Scott

An 8th revision post for the British Beekeeping Association’s Module 3 Honey bee Pests, Diseases and Poisoning exam, which I’m taking in March. I’m doing the BBKA’s correspondence course, so I have a tutor setting me papers which she then marks. I’ve just sent … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention, Exams | Tagged | 14 Comments

7th Honey bee pests, diseases and poisoning revision post: Being a bee detective – investigating the death of a colony

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Emily Scott

Being a bee detective – investigating the death of a honey bee colony Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention, Exams | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

6th Honey bee pests, diseases and poisoning revision post: diagnosing and treating for acarine (tracheal) mites, and a bit of beekeeping history

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Emily Scott

A 6th revision post for the British Beekeeping Association’s Module 3 Honey bee Pests, Diseases and Poisoning exam, which I plan to take in March. I’m taking the BBKA’s correspondence course, so I have a tutor setting me papers which she then marks. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease prevention | Tagged , | 8 Comments