R&DBKA

Start to get ready for winter and watch out for Asia hornets

Romsey Beekeepers' VIRTUAL Honey Show takes place in October - prize giving to follow at the end of the month! Colonies are reducing in size and temperatures remain high in Romsey. Our bees keep active on ivy blossom before the equinox and frosts. There are still a few wasps - a wasp trap or two might help. Feeding is very important - make sure each colony has all that it needs to survive until spring by feeding syrup (1kg to 650ml water) now, while it is still warm enough for the bees to evaporate its water store it. It will be too late when it turns chilly. Any medication necessary to control Varroa will have been completed by now to prepare hives for winter shut-down. The next opportunity will be mid-winter, when oxalic acid can be administered. Keep a close watch for Asian hornets and check our Asian hornet page for important advice

Keep an eye on the weather:

• In spring the bees will use every warm, dry day to forage and build up colony strength. Cold or damp days can slow them down
• In summer the days are long but if it is too dry there will be a shortage of nectar; too wet, and they will be unable to forage
• In autumn the bees are consolidating. If it is warm, they will carry on rearing nrood and foraging. Cold weather will send them into a cluster
• In winter they will cluster to keep warm, but heavy rain may lead to damp conditions in the hive, strong wind can topple a hive that is not secure, snow can block the entrance

Click for the weather forecast for Romsey.
Check the forecast for the coming week to be ahead of your bees

We make no apology for repeating this message.
If you have not yet heard about the Asian hornet, please pause to read this.
It is not native to UK. It was introduced accidentally to the south of France and in a few short years it has bred, evolved and migrated throughout western Europe.

It is a predator with an insatiable appetite for insects. All of our native insect species are at risk but a colony of honeybees offers a feast. A colony of Asian hornets will eat their way through a hive of bees in a few days by 'hawking' in front of the entrance and picking the bees off as they come and go.
Please look out for this predator. It may be pretty but it is not welcome. In fact, it is NOTIFIABLE so if you see one, please refer to the the latest advice IMMEDIATELY