31 August, it's the end of the honey season and we've finished extracting the summer blossom crop.
Despite a dodgy spring and summer weather -wise, our bees managed to produce an average surplus of 42lbs of delicious, fragrant honey per hive, whilst still leaving enough stores to see them through until next spring.
Next job is to complete the varroa treatment and put the honey supers into winter store having protected them against wax moth.
Looking forward to the privilege of speaking at the National Honey Show at Sandown Park in October.
My latest batch of grafted queens have emerged in the incubator and been transferred to Apidea mini mating nucs. Thus begins the next stage in their perilous journey towards becoming a mated, laying queen ready to head her own colony.
Although they have been selected from my calmest, gentlest colony, mating is a lottery over which I have no control. They will fly to the nearest Drone Congregation Area where they will be inseminated by about 15 different drones. The fittest and strongest drones usually get there first so if there are a few scallywags amongst them her offspring are likely to display some of their genetic characteristics. Only time will tell.
GENERAL HUSBANDRY ASSESSMENT 13 JUNE 2024
Cock-a-hoop to learn that I passed my General Husbandry Assessment with flying colours! This is a major milestone and means I am one important step closer to achieving my aim of becoming a Master Beekeeper.
Sponsoring Women in Birindi, Uganda to create sustainable income from beekeeping.
11 March 2024 Proud to have been elected to serve as a Trustee of Hampshire Beekeepers Association at the AGM yesterday. Looking forward to helping to further the cause of good Beekeeping in the County and beyond.
See my article on Fit2Fight in the March edition of BeeCraft Magazine.
