R&DBKA

Winter preparation are in full swing. Look out for Asian hornets

Romsey Beekeepers annual Honey Show will take place the evening before the Romsey Show. Members - please make sure you enter; there are classes for everyone! Colonies are reducing in size. Daylight hours and temperatures are gradually decreasing. Ivy blossom will be a welcome bonus for the bees at the end of this disappointing season. There are still some wasps, so keep the entrances small and do not super under until they have stopped predating. Any treatments necessary to control Varroa should already have begun so that the Varroa load is low and the winter bees that will be raised from now are in good health. The next opportunity to treat will be mid-winter, when oxalic acid can be used. Keep a close watch for Asian hornets and check our Asian hornet page and the NBU website for important advice. There have been far too many sightings for complacency this year. 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 reduce the water content. It will be too late when it turns chilly.

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 honey bees 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