A Month in the Apiary - February

by Nick Pendleton, Woodside Farm

Well, February is underway after a surprisingly dry, but cold January. Spring is fast approaching, and I am beginning to gear up for another season. Ever the optimist I am hoping for a better season than last.

As the weather warms up, I am checking the hives are still securely tied down, and the woodpecker defences still in place. All the hives will be gently “Heff’d” (a gentle nudge to see there are still sufficient stores to see out the months remaining to spring proper. I am continuing with my preparations, repairs and replacing equipment, where necessary. Having watched a zoom lecture on the essential role that Propolis (a very sticky by product of the colony) plays in antimicrobial defences, I have ceased scorching the hive interior with the blow torch. It might look nice and clean, but it does not do the bees any good. It’s back to lighting a sulphur strip and making a dash for the exit before I am overwhelmed by the fumes. It certainly sorts out the wax moth larvae and other nasties lurking in the crevices. At the Apiary I shall look and see if there is pollen coming in as it is an indication that there is a laying queen. The worker bees will also be taking occasional cleansing flights on the warmer days.

Inspired by YouTube, I have decided to have a crack at Queen rearing this year and to this end I have bought an incubator. It is the size of a tabletop beer fridge, so if it doesn’t work, I’ll pop something else in to drown my sorrows. I shall use the ‘Nicot system.’ This will involve capturing the queen and placing her in a small plastic perforated box, attached to a frame, inside the hive. Worker bees being smaller can pass through the grill, but it means the queen can only lay in provided cups, about fifty of them. After 24 hours she is released back into the hive to get on with being Queen, as normal. The cups are removed and placed in a Queen-less hive, for finishing, being removed again just before they hatch, to be placed in starter colonies.

For the horticulturalists in the village, plant of the month is Hazel – a genus of deciduous tree native to the UK. When out for a walk you will notice their long, pale yellow, male catkins. The female flowers are small red tufts of stigmas concealed in the flower buds. They provide no nectar for the bees; however, the yellow clouds of pollen provide valuable protein for the colonies’ larvae.

I am assured that ancient Britons believed Hazelnuts gave one wisdom and inspiration, hence the abundance of Hazel on Atheralls Farm. I almost feel inspired to pop down to the Griffin to have a pint of Harveys with that ancient Briton, David Hollings himself!

Nick Pendleton