Hive 3 – Peter Reader inspected, Very calm bees. 7.5 frames BIAS. Added new brood box with mix of foundation and drawn comb. Cleaned floor of chalk brood detritus. If colony continues to build will be suitable to split and receive on of the new queens in May/June
Hive 1b, Dean Gregory inspected. 8 frames BIAS, Queen seen. Bees calm, 3rd super added. Super 1 full, super 2 half full.
Hive 3, peter Reader inspected, very calm colony. Queen seen, 7 frames BIAS , expanding nicely. Sufficient room in 2 supers. Chalk Brood on floor
Hive 1b – Dean Gregory inspected as the day was cooling. 8 frames BIAS, Queen seen, no chalk brood. Bees excited.
Over the winter Custodians visited the Apiary on a regular basis to check on the hives. Three succumbed:
Hive 1, the WBC, suffered wind damage, the roof & cover board blown off.
Hive 1E, the Observation Hive, small going into winter.
Hive 98, one of the Carniolian Queens, went into winter very strong and well supplied.
Custodians visited the Apiary on a bright but breezy Friday 27 March for the first full check of colonies 2. 4, 5 and 96. Mouse Guards were removed and Queen Excluders & varroa boards inserted. All colonies, although not strong, were fine. A further inspection will be carried out in two weeks
Hives1B, 1C and 3 will be inspected separately.
Eleven Members attended the last Meeting of 2019. Coming a day after the Honey Show there was plenty of cake! 21C and Sunny. Varroa treatments administered 8/9 19 were removed stores assessed and feeders added & replenished. Four members prepared their hives for removal from the Association Apiary to their own sites.
Hive 1 – Anne-Chantal ballard – WBC single brood, 3 BIAS, 1 stores. 1 stores in super. Varroa treatment removed. Feeder added with aim to build stores for winter to 15 Kg . Temper 10.
Hive 1B – Dean Gregory – National 14×12, 5 BIAS, 3 stores. Feeder replenished. Temper 8
Hive 1C – Dean Gregory – National Deep, 5 BIAS, 4 stores. Temper 6
Hive 1E – Observation Hive – 5-frame nuc. being fed. For use at Blackmoor. not inspected.
Hive 2 – Rowan Roberts – National ‘Brood & Half’, deep 4 BIAS , 1/2 brood 5 BIAS. Light on stores. Temper 8.
Hive 3 – Peter Reader – National Deep, 7 BIAS, 3 stores. 2 supers. Well stocked for winter. Temper 9.
Hive 4 – Graham Rowden/Andy Horton – National Deep, 5 BIAS, 6 stores but 4 predominantly pollen. 1 super. Temper 8.
Hive 5 – Grant Pearce – National Deep, Queen seen, 3 BIAS, 5 stores. 1 deep used as super with 3 predominantly pollen and 3 stores. Super above cover board for cleaning-down being refilled. Temper 8
Hive 96 – Chris Clark – National Double Brood, Queen seen, 6 & 4 BIAS, 4 stores. 1 super. Temper 9. Carniolan Queen introduced early June, easily seen, built up well over summer. For brood-rearing in 2020.
Hive 98 – Chris Clark/Graham Rowden/Gareth Cornelius – National Double Brood, Queen seen, 3 & 5 BIAS, 5 stores. 1 super above crown board for clearing down. Temper 9. Carniolan Queen introduced early June, easily seen, built up well over summer. For brood-rearing in 2020.
Green Hive (Gareth) – Gareth Cornelius/Chris Clark/Graham Rowden – National 14X12, Queen seen, 5 BIAS, 2 stores. Feeder removed prior to removal home. Temper 9. Carniolan queen introduced late June. Hive removed from Apiary 20/9/19
Horton Hive – Andy Horton – National Deep, Queen seen, 5 BIAS, 4 stores. 1 super. Feeder removed prior to removal home. Temper 8.
Horton Nuc – Andy Horton – National Deep, Queen seen, 2 BIAS, 3 stores. Feeding continuing. Hive due for removal home. Temper8.
Paul & Rachel’s Hive – Paul Bridgman – National Deep, 7 BIAS, 3 stores. Quick inspection. Feeder replenished. Temper 8/7. Removed from Apiary 21/19 19
Jo Wade Hive – Alex Wade – National Deep, Queen seen, 3 BIAS, 4 stores, 5 in Super. Temper 10. Hive due for removal from Apiary.
The 2019 Petersfield Beekeepers Association Honey Show took place in Buriton Village Hall on 14 September. With 25 honey classes, 6 beeswax classes, 6 confectionery classes, 5 display classes and 2 mead classes there was a lot to see.
Petersfield Community Radio visited and talked to Honey Show Manager David Parkinson. https://petersfieldradio.uk/2019/09/the-beekeepers-annual-honey-show/
The results are posted on the Honey Show page of this site
Ten Members attended the Apiary on a sunny, slightly breezy, day. The lowest attendance for the season explained by PDBKA’s attendance at the two – day ‘Secrets of the Heath’ festival staged on Petersfield Heath.
Hive 1 – Gareth Cornelius/Chris Clark – WBC single brood, 2 BIAS, no stores. 1 super with 2 frames stores. Requires feeding. Varroa >5/day. MAQS added. Batch 19/007/1. Temper 10
Hive 1B – Dean Gregory – National 14 X 12, 4 BIAS, 1.5 stores. Feeder on. Varroa <1/day. Temper 8.
Hive 1C – Dean Gregory – National deep, 5 BIAS, 3 stores, sufficient room. Cleaned -down super removed. Requires feeding. Varroa <2/day. No chalk brood.
Hive 1E – Observation Hive at Secrets of the Heath for two days.
Hive 2 – Rowan Roberts – National ‘Brood & Half,’ Queen seen, 4 BIAS, some stores, sufficient room. 1 super 1/2 full. Varroa >7/day. MAQS added. Batch 19/007/1. Looking good for the winter. Temper 9
Hive 3 – Peter Reader – National Deep, 7 BIAS, 3 stores, sufficient room. 2 supers. Varroa <3/day. Temper 9
Hive 4 – Philippa Graham/Rowan Roberts – National Deep, Queen seen, 4BIAS but few eggs, 7 stores, sufficient room. 1 super. One cleaned -down super removed, one retained with feed-holes reduced to encourage clearing. Temper 9
Hive 5 – Dean Gregory/Gareth Cornelius/ Chris Clark – National Deep, Queen seen, ? BIAS, 4 stores, sufficient room & stores. 1deep with 4 stores. 1 super with 2 stores placed above crown-board for clearing. Varroa 2/day. Temper 9
Q96 & Q98 not inspected
Gareth ‘Green Hive’ – Gareth Cornelius/Chris Clark – National 14 X 12, 5 BIAS, 3 stores, Feeder on at winter strength. Temper 9
Jo Wade Hive – Jo & Alex Wade – National 14 X 12, Queen seen, 3.5 BIAS, 5 stores, sufficient room. 1 super filling, feeder on at winter strength. Varroa <2/day. Temper 10
Horton Hive – Andrew Horton – National Deep, Queen seen, 5 BIAS, 3 stores, sufficient room. 1 super. Feeder on. Minimal chalk brood. Varroa >2. Temper 8
Horton Nuc – Andrew Horton – National nuc. changed to 6-frame poly nuc. Queen seen, 2 BIAS, 2 stores. 1 frame food donated from ?. Feeder on. Temper 7
Paul & Rachel Hive – Peter Reader – National Deep, 7BIAS, 3 stores, sufficient room. Inspected to see eggs only.
This is the time of the year when our normally happy bees often become very grumpy and defensive about us opening up the hive.
They now have all their stores to defend and they are under constant attack by wasps and robber bees. We are included on the list when we come along and remove their honey and return the wet supers above the cover board!
Reducing the entrance of the hive is essential and returning wet supers at night will also discourage robbing and reduce stress.
We have however, had a few beekeepers made quite nervous about the change in their bees behaviour and worried about
possible stings to neighbours and their pets.
Please contact us before you get too stressed about this as we are here to help and will do so!
Anne-Chantal or any committee member.
Sixteen Members attended on a Sunday when many of our ‘usual’ Apiary attendees were off spreading the bee-word at the Hampshire County Sports Day. A sunny, breezy 20C, scattered clouds and occasional calms.
Hive 1 – Anne-C Ballard/ Paul Bridgman – WBC single brood, 4 BIAS, no stores, sufficient room. 4 frames stores in super.Needs feeding-up for winter (8 frames were removed for extraction 18/8.) Health check good. Varroa-board inserted. Temper 10
Hive 1B – Dean Gregory – National 14X12, 4 BIAS, 1 stores, sufficient room. Feeder added. Temper 8
Hive 1C – Dean Gregory – National Deep, 6BIAS, no stores, sufficient room. 1 super. Less chalk brood than previously.
Hive 1D – Graham Rowden/Chris Clark/Dean Gregory inspected 31st August – on 2 frames. No brood, no queen. Tipped out in front of 1E.
Hive 1E -Graham Rowden/Chris Clark/Dean Gregory inspected 31st August – observation hive made-up for weekend show.
Hive 2 – Rowan Roberts – National ‘Brood & a half’, 4 BIAS, queen seen & marked. 1 super. (1 super removed 18/8) Dry super removed. Temper 9. Varroa-board inserted.
Hive 3 – Peter Reader – National Deep, queen seen, 6 BIAS, 2 stores, sufficient room. 2 supers. Temper 9. Varroa-board inserted.
Hive 4 – Paul Bridgman/Grant Pearce/Richard Williams – NationalDeep, 5 BIAS, 6 stores, sufficient room, 1 super. (2 supers removed 18/8). 2 dry supers removed, 1 returned over eke to try to get bees to clear-down. Suggestion from Brad Davies to place CD’s/DVD’s over feed-hole to limit access and encourage ‘out-of-nest’ impression. varroa board inspected, <1/day. No varroa treatment needed. Temper 10.
Hive 5 – Rowan Roberts/Grant Pearce – National Deep, ? BIAS, 3-4 stores. 1super 1/2 full, 1 deep 3/4 full. (2 supers removed 18/8) 1 dry super removed. varroa board inspected, <1/day. No varroa treatment needed. Temper 9.
Hive 96 – National Double Brood, Carniolan Queen – not inspected
Hive 98 – National Double Brood, Carniolan Queen – not inspected
Horton Hive – Hortons -National Deep, Queen seen & marked, 5 BIAS, 5 stores, sufficient room. 1 super. Temper 8 Varroa < 1 /day. no varroa treatment needed. Some chalk brood.
Horton Nuc – Hortons – National Deep, Queen seen, 2BIAS, 3 stores, sufficient room. Apistan removed. Feeder replenished. Temper 8.
Green Hive – Gareth Cornelius/Chris Clark – National 14X12, Carniolan queen seen, 5 BIAS, 2 stores, sufficient space. Still drawing. increased feed strength to 1:1. Temper 9
Paul & Rachel’s Hive – R & P Bridgman/ Anne-C Ballard – National Deep, Queen seen, 7 BIAS, 3 stores, sufficient room. Health check good but some chalk brood. varroa-board in. Temper 10. 2 ltrs 1.5:1 syrup given