March Roundup
I don’t think many of us will forget March 2018 in a while, what should have been the beginning of Spring turned out to be a very cold and snowy month indeed.
It started with the first trade show of the year - Bee Tradex in Stoneleigh. After several days of very heavy snow in Lincolnshire we managed to dig out the lorry and gingerly manoeuvre on to the main road. We have so many people to thank for getting us to Stoneleigh that weekend – you know who you are!! The numbers were significantly down at Bee Tradex as was to be expected. The organisers put on a great show as usual, dealing admirably with the difficult situation they encountered. Congratulations to all involved.
The weather dealt us another blow on the way to the Ulster Beekeepers Convention the very next weekend. More snow delayed our lorry on the way to the port and meant a different ferry crossing was taken. As usual our fantastic team adapted and made it to Ireland in plenty of time.
Thank goodness, no such problems for the Welsh Show just a couple of weeks later. A warm welcome greeted us in Builth Wells for the annual WBKA Spring Convention.
We are now taking orders for collection at the BBKA Spring Convention at Harper Adams University on Saturday 14th April. Please call us on 01673 858555, email sales@thorne.co.uk or order via the website https://www.thorne.co.uk/2018-shows
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Finally – we have another Thorne baby to announce! Seb Paton was born on Thursday 29th March to proud parents Maria and Lee. Maria has worked in our office for several years, so many of you will have spoken to her on the phone and seen her at our Rand Open Day. Lee is our wax plant supervisor and has been a loyal Thorne employee for almost 15 years. Congratulations Maria, Lee and big sister Maisie!
Equipment Focus………
A slightly different way of strengthening your wax…..
Taylors originally called it ‘Rigid Wired’ and then latterly ‘Stronghold’ Foundation. We call it ‘Crimped’ but whatever it is called it is seen by many as one of the best ways of securing foundation in a frame and ensuring a flat drawn comb with little or no buckling.
By studying old EH Taylor catalogues we have found that the machinery for embedding the wire into the wax was made in about 1930. The workmanship and engineering skills in making the machine are quite exceptional but typical for that time in England. We have since improved and modified the original machine and it works as well now as it ever did, wiring three sheets of shallow or two sheets of deep foundation at once.
The finished wired sheets lay perfectly flat and are very easy to insert into the frames by bending the extended wire ends through 90 degrees so that they lay flat on the wedge recess of the frame.
Willie Robson of Chain Bridge Honey Farm in Berwick-upon-Tweed uses no other type, it is also used extensively throughout North America, being manufactured there by Dadants. For a short video showing how we make the crimped foundation click here https://youtu.be/NYQB-YQD-iQ
Ask our Expert
Out with the Old!
We are told to refresh around half our brood frames each year… or you can do a Bailey comb change to change all the combs at one go. You could change half your hives one year; the other half next year… and repeat…
Spring is the best time of year to change brood combs. It gives the young wax workers lots to do, a byproduct of which is to discourage swarming. The colony should be fit and healthy, on 6-7 combs of brood and wanting to expand. If you suspect the colony is diseased in any way a shook swarm is a better option.
Above the old brood box add a new (or cleaned) box of fresh frames with undrawn comb, and above this second brood box, a contact or rapid feeder with 1:1 sugar syrup, or a queen excluder and a super of stores.
The wax workers will collect in the new box, above the warmth of the colony with a supply of food above them; this is their favorite and most productive position. Usually within a week they will have drawn all 10-11 combs. Sometimes it takes a week or two for them to get started… I have had one colony do in the last week what two others of a similar size have done in three. Only feed while the bees are drawing wax, once the job is done, super up as you would normally. You don’t want sugar to be stored in the supers...
Once the top box is drawn and the queen has started laying a new nest up there you insert a Bailey board under the top box trapping the queen in the top box. The Bailey board consists of a thin eke with an entrance above a queen excluder. Once you have the Bailey board in position, you then close off the bottom (old) entrance. The flying bees find the bottom entrance closed and walk up the front of the hive to the top entrance, they then re-orientate on this entrance.
Because the foraging bees are now effectively by-passing the bottom box; honey should not be dumped into the bottom box as the brood hatches. The old brood nest hatches out over the next three weeks and the young bees will move up through the Bailey board queen excluder into the top nest box. Once the bottom box is free of brood it should be removed, with the Bailey board, and the top box returned to the floor (with the old entrance now open).
Our Bailey board is available in National size and costs £11.50.
Beekeeping Blog
Last month was disappointing beekeeping-wise as here in Lincolnshire we were affected very badly by the Beast from the East, which brought massive amounts of snow and high-speed winds to the region.
Towards the end of the month however, when the temperatures started to rise and the winds began to die down, we managed to get the mouseguards off and scrape out any of the dead bees cluttering up the entrance to the hive. This enabled them to bring back what pollen they could collect without it being knocked off by the mouseguard. Hefting the hive also gave us a good idea of how much food they had left.
We also treated our hives with Apivar. This is the best treatment if you have varroa and are not taking honey supers off early in the season. In fact, due to the cold weather here in Lincolnshire, local farmers say we are not expecting the rape seed to start flowering for another couple of weeks, which could mean it may not be in full flower until early to mid-May! This gives plenty of time to treat colonies with heavy mite loads and remove the Apivar before adding any supers.
If you require any more information, please send an email to Alexandra at sasha@thorne.co.uk who will be happy to help or call one of our sales team on 01673 858555.
Apivar
A very small number of you may have read recent speculation about how Apivar is sold within the UK. To clarify, we are the sole distributors of Apivar in the UK and are proud to be distributing this tried and tested medicine in the on-going fight against the Varroa mite.
• Apivar is an amitraz based product and the worldwide leader in the treatment of Varroa, with more than 5 million hives treated every year in over 30 countries.
• Apivar kills up to 99% of Varroa mites in one application. There is no temperature sensitivity so Apivar can be used in any season when the supers are not present.
• Apivar is manufactured and distributed in France by Veto-pharma. This should not be confused with Apitraz which is distributed in Spain but the origin of manufacture is unknown.
• Apivar contains only amitraz and one excipient – the polymer strip. Apitraz contains amitraz and eight other excipients.
• Apivar strips are 205mm long and fit nicely into a National brood body. Apitraz strips are either 250 or 300mm and must be cut or bent before use.
• Apivar has a two year shelf life from the date of manufacture and can be stored at any temperature under 30°C. Apitraz has a shelf life of just one year and must be stored under 25°C.
For more information on Apivar and it’s advantages over Apitraz see our website or click here.
For FAQs click here. Please email us at sales@thorne.co.uk if you have any queries.
Bees for Development Update
Win a Thorne Refractometer
We are proud to be a long-term supporter of Bees for Development who help people in poor countries to earn a living through beekeeping.
To celebrate their 25th Birthday on April 1st, Bees for Development are offering Birthday Giveaways every month throughout 2018.
This month’s prize is a digital refractometer, donated by us! This refractometer is the perfect instrument to measure the moisture content of your honey, because as you know, excess moisture will cause honey fermentation. This tool is a valuable aid in quality control of your honey.
For a chance to win, simply enter your details here: www.beesfordevelopment.org/giveaway/index.html
This month we are featuring Hailu, a young beekeeper supported by Bees for Development in Ethiopia. Along with his mother and father they have 40 hives in a range of styles: Hailu is standing in front of one of them, made from a basket and covered in protective thatch to provide shade. Hailu makes beehives from materials he finds easily and catches wild swarms, meaning he can harvest honey and beeswax with little input cost. The money they earn from selling honey and beeswax makes an enormous difference to the family. Hailu helps his neighbours to start beekeeping by teaching them how to make and site hives. Bees for Development has helped 650 Ethiopian families like Hailu’s during the past two years.
National Honey Show News
The National Honey Show will be taking a stand at the BBKA Spring Convention at Harper Adams on 14th April. Come and talk to us about the show; collect leaflets and raffle tickets for distribution; and also chat to us if you’re interested in exhibiting your stunning honey, hive products, crafts; taking a trade stand; or any other aspect of the show. If you can’t make the show but need fliers, contact us: publicity@honeyshow.co.uk, don’t forget your address, let us know how many you need, and we’ll send them.
We’d also like to hear from you if you’re based in the UK and interested in showcasing your research by chatting to visitors or displaying a poster.
Lecturers booked for 2018 include Michael Smith and Clarence Collison, both from the US. The full draft programme – as always there may be last minute changes due to unforeseen circumstances – will be on the National Honey Show website shortly. The Friday Bee Craft lectures from young UK bee scientists, and the popular Saturday programme for newer, and “thinking about it” beekeepers will complete the usual full programme throughout the event.
The 2018 Show will take place at Sandown Park Racecourse from Thursday 25th to Saturday 27th October 2018. Still time to plan your entries.... See you there.
The National Honey Show, 25 to 27 October 2018, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, KT10 9AJ www.honeyshow.co.uk.
Upcoming Events
BBKA Spring Convention (Trade Show) - Saturday 14th April
Thornes of Devon, Grand Opening Weekend - Saturday 5th May 10am – 5pm
More information to follow on our website - Sunday 6th May 10am – 5pm - Monday 7th May 10am – 3pm
Spring opening hours
Rand, head office Mon – Fri 9am – 5.30pm
sales@thorne.co.uk Sat 9am – 12 noon
01673 858555
Thornes of Scotland Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm
scotland@thorne.co.uk Sat 9am – 12 noon
01337 842596
Thornes of Windsor Tues – Sat 10am – 5pm
windsor@thorne.co.uk
01753 830256
Thornes of Stockbridge Tues – Fri 9am – 5pm
stockbridge@thorne.co.uk Sat 9am – 4pm
01264 810916
Thornes of Devon Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm
devon@thorne.co.uk
