R&DBKA

Beware of the wasps, and give your bees space

The year so far has had its ups and downs - some hot spells but many cool rainy days. The nectar flow will hopefully increase and supers should fill. Remember that nectar can take up to 3 times as much space as honey in the supers so give your bees plenty of storage space. Swarming could continue so be on guard. Wasps will start to pose a threat - reduce your hive entrances when they do, and put a wasp trap up in your apiary. Make a simple one from an old 1-litre fizzy drinks bottle and a cheap plastic insert, easily found online; or go to Dave Cushman website for cheap, effective and simple solutions

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