We have seen a very successful start to our Annual Sale Days, with Scotland and Windsor wrapped up. The remaining Sale Days are as below:

Stockbridge, Hampshire - Saturday 17th September

South Molton, Devon - Saturday 24th September

Rand, Lincolnshire - Saturday 8th October

National Honey Show, Surrey - Thursday 27th - Saturday 29th October

You can now order online and over the phone for collection from these Sale Days. We will also be running our wax conversion service at all our Sale Days, so make sure you bring along your rendered wax!

We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our friend Bill Turnbull. We knew Bill for many years. Paul Smith, our Managing Director, and Nicola Bradshaw, Bees for Development Director, share some words towards the end of this newsletter.

Once again, can we ask if you are yet to shop on our new website, please make sure you reset your password before putting any items into your basket. If you have any issues with this, you can contact us on Live Chat during office hours, or email sales@thorne.co.uk.

Equipment Focus

Christmas Labels

This year we have seen one of the strongest honey flows ever! While you are extracting your bumper harvest, why not think about saving some jars for Christmas? We have Christmas themed labels ready for personalising, along with matching tamper labels.

Keep an eye out as this range expands over the next few months.

Ask the Expert

Frames Explained

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is about frames. What is SN1 and how is it different to SN4? What is the difference between SN frames and DN frames? What is a Manley frame? What does Hoffman mean? The variety of frames can be overwhelming so hopefully we can explain without confusing things further!

So, to start with, we will deal with the frames that are exclusively used for National or WBC hives, called British Standard frames. These are the most common frames in the UK as the National is our most popular hive. Frames for a Smith hive are very similar in that the actual frame space is the same but the lugs are just slightly shorter. In a standard brood body for a National or WBC hive, you need DN frames. If it helps, you can remember this as Deep National. In a super you need SN frames and this can be remembered as Shallow National.

The variations in frame are due to a slight difference in width of top bar and whether or not the side bars are self-spacing or not:

Self-spacing is also referred to as Hoffman (named after Polish beekeeper, Julius Hoffman), where the side bars stick out from the top bars and then taper towards the bottom. On one side the side bar is flat and the other is pointed. This means when they are placed into the hive next to each other, the frames space themselves. (This is important because it keeps the correct bee space, meaning the bees can get around the hive easily without leaving so much space that they build brace comb).

Non-self-spacing side bars are the same width as the top bar, meaning they cannot space themselves and require other means of spacing such as plastic or metal ends or castellations.

Narrow top bars are the most popular but the wider ones are used as well to stop brace comb being built in between frames. The following table outlines the different parts of each British Standard frame.

As you can see, the SN frames are the same as the DN frames, the only difference being that the side bars on the DN frames are longer to make a deeper frame.

Hoffman side bars are also found in Langstroth, Commercial and Dadant frames which means these frames are automatically self-spacing.

Manley frames are a type of frame for the super and we do these for British Standard hives (National or WBC), Langstroth, Commercial, Dadant or Smith hives. The main difference on these frames is that the side bar is wide all the way down, not tapered like the Hoffman side bars. They also have broader bottom bars. These differences are said to encourage the bees to draw out the wax further and be easier to uncap the frames, as it gives the beekeeper a solid support to lean on. As the bees can draw the wax and honey out further, it also means less uncapping as you need fewer frames per box.

Blog

August

August has gone so quickly! We can’t quite believe we are thinking about getting the bees ready for winter already.

This month has been another scorcher! We did have a period of time when, due to the heat, there was nothing much for the bees to forage on so they needed feeding. This time we fed them fondant as it was simply too hot for syrup. Robbing by other bees and wasps caused by syrup spillages is just too risky at this time of year, so the fondant went up in the top feeder. We wouldn’t normally put the fondant in a feeder in winter because the food needs to be close to the bees to stop them from chilling, but at this time of year feeding fondant up in the top seems to minimise robbing and the bees take it without issue.

We have also been sending out the last few of our queens. Queen rearing is another operation entirely so it has been a learning curve producing as many as we have this year but we are very happy with the quality and quantity of queens we have bred. We hope our customers will be as happy as we are!

In preparation for winter, we have been making sure all our colonies look healthy and able to survive. We have also put any bees that have been in nucs into full sized hives to give them chance to build up before closing them up for the winter.

This picture was taken shortly after bees were placed into full sized hives. As you can see there was slight confusion as to where their new homes were, but this soon settled down.

Mouseguards have already been placed on these hives with smaller colonies to prevent wasps taking advantage at this time of year.

Next month we will really be consolidating the bees, making sure each and every colony is in tip top condition going into winter.

In memory of Bill Turnbull

Written by Paul Smith, Thorne Managing Director

It was with great sadness that we heard the news that our friend, Bill Turnbull had passed away. He was a true gentleman, funny, witty, sincere, and genuine. His persona on TV was exactly the same as if you met him in person.

I first met Bill at The National Honey Show when it was held at The Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. I had recently become a trustee of Bees for Development and suggested to other trustees I could contact him as a customer of Thorne and simply ask him if he would like to be a patron of the charity. Without hesitation he was honoured and delighted to be asked as he knew of our charity work in some of the poorest countries in Africa.

The rest as they say is history. We became firm friends, meeting up at The BBKA Spring Convention at Stoneleigh, The National Honey Show, Apimondia, and The Ulster Beekeepers Convention at Greenmount. He and his lovely wife Sesi visited us when we were in Wragby and later at Rand.

Bill with Paul's Mother, Johanna Smith, at Rand

There have been many dinners together when beekeeping, family and football stories were exchanged. Bill was a keen supporter of Wycombe Wanderers and me Lincoln City. Good humoured text messages were often pinged when we played each other! I recall at Apimondia in Dublin in 2005, the Thorne and BfD crew were all in a bar after a hectic day. Bill and I were greatly outnumbered, probably 3:1, by ladies when he said, so pints of Guinness all round girls!

Since he became patron of Bees for Development, I can honestly say the organisation has simply gone from strength to strength and without him we would not be where we are today.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Sesi and children, Henry, Will and Flora.

Book Review

‘Varroa Management: A Practical Guide on how to manage Varroa mites in honey bee
colonies’ by Kirsty Stainton

Northern Bee Books 2022

ISBN 978-1-914934-41-4

£16.95

This short book is a very valuable contribution to the management of Varroa destructor by beekeepers, because it is clear, concise and covers all the current methods. I feel that Kirsty Stainton has performed a really useful service to all the beekeeping associations, because she has carefully and thoroughly assessed a great deal of scientific evidence about the effectiveness of the various treatments, and has given the reader the benefit of an enormous amount of current research. She has in fact boiled it down to very clear and useful chapters, which I feel would be excellent for those who are involved in training beekeepers in their Associations. I would go so
far as to recommend that there should be a copy available in every Association, both for training purposes and for consultation for the members.
The author wisely begins with a succinct description of the mite and its life cycle in the hive. She makes it very plain that this pest should be regarded as a serious threat to honey bee health, and in this way she strongly enforces that it is the responsibility of the beekeeper to manage the problem in his or her colonies.
Kirsty Stainton’s summary of the ways in which the level of the mite infestation can be measured is both clear and practical. She notes the inaccuracies with the various methods, and this enables the reader to make a judgement about the most suitable method to choose for his or her own practice. I particularly appreciated the undidactic tone of the author’s presentation of the various methods. It is clear that she is not particularly recommending any method, but objectively reporting on them. For example, of the method of uncapping drone brood, she says: ‘Drone brood uncapping has the benefit of being a fairly accurate way to determine mite infestation levels, it is also less labour intensive and messy than sugar or ethanol treating adult bees… One
drawback is that you can only perform this method when there are drone brood in the
colony.’ She gives all the references for her research, so that a reader could easily
investigate the evidence further.
There follows a list of treatments which are commercially available in the UK and Europe, and an explanation of the descriptions ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ aracicides (mite killers). Treatments are examined individually, under the rubrics of ‘Thymol based’ and ‘Oxalic Acid based’, and then on page 70 the reader is perhaps relieved to find a summary of all this information in a clear format - easy to consult and retain. The author then alerts the reader to the problems of resistance, when mites are effectively ‘selected’ by their ability to survive the treatment, and she then goes into the details of synthetic pesticides such as Flumethrin and Amitraz. She warns the reader about
the need to dispose of any treatment wrapping or residues very carefully indeed, and underlines the beekeeper’s responsibility for keeping records of any treatments which are applied to the hive.
The last part of the book deals with methods of husbandry which can be used to control Varroa, such as drone removal, artificial swarm, and queen trapping. Each method is explained in a simple, clear way, which I felt was encouraging to any reader who might have reservations about applying chemical treatments to their bees. It is here, towards the end of this short book, that the beekeeper will feel the writer really understands the art of beekeeping: for example, she has chosen to quote Wally Shaw (of Welsh BKA) for his method of splitting for swarm control, and I have to applaud her choice. I actually felt that, perhaps unwisely, I would direct a nearly-new
beekeeper to this part of the book first, if only because it is so ‘hands-on’ and practical, and I thought it provided an understanding of the colony which was really less apparent in the sections about the ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ chemical treatments.
In summary, I feel this is a very valuable book because it covers so many methods of tackling the Varroa mite, and I would suggest that it should be a reference book for any beekeeping course.

- Mary Montaut, Editor of The Irish Beekeeper (An Beachaire).

Are your bees prepared for Winter?

Unlike wild bees, the colonies in our hives don’t hibernate. They gather together inside the hive, forming a cluster of bees, and concentrate their reserves and energy in order to maintain the colony’s temperature.

The winter months can be hard. Low temperatures, confinement and a lack of nectar and pollen resource can lead to high winter mortality rates. Varroa-weakened colonies will also have a hard time overwintering, or bouncing back once the weather gets better.

Our team has put together this brief guide of the major questions you should ask yourself when preparing your hives for winter.

1. Follow a winter diet

Lots of carbohydrates:

The honey harvest deprives the bees of a part of their reserves. Bees need these food reserves to last until spring, and in particular to ensure that the colony recovers properly. Spring consumption (between March and April) can exceed winter consumption, and reserves can rapidly dwindle when the beekeeping season resumes. It is therefore important to closely monitor the hives’ weight at the end of the winter. Between late September and early May, colonies generally need between 15 and 25kg (33 to 55lbs) of winter provisions, and one or two frames of pollen.

Syrup-based nutrition is recommended for regions and periods in which temperatures do not drop below 15°C (59°F) during the day. Following the harvest, a light syrup can be provided as a supplement, in small, regular doses, to stimulate egg-laying and ensure that the bee clusters are large enough to survive the winter. A heavier syrup can then be provided during the winter to supplement reserves and possibly reduce the probability egg-laying.

In colder regions, beekeepers opt for sugar patties (candy) during the winter. Sugar patties have the special property of reducing moisture condensation inside the hive. The moisture causes the sugar patty to dissolve, which makes it possible for the bees to consume it. Lowering the humidity level also reduces the likelihood of mold and pathogen development, which can be harmful to the bees’ intestinal balance (risk of nosema).

In addition, when temperatures lower, the bees stop leaving the hive to look for food. Sugar patties can be placed directly on the frames, with the feeder upside down, enabling the bees to stay inside the hive.

Some protein

Bees also need protein, which is provided in the best-case scenario by pollen reserves. Pollen is essential for the colony’s vitality: it enables beekeepers to obtain good-sized clusters of bees for wintering and gives the bees enough energy to keep the cluster warm over the winter. To make up for mid-season shortages, it can be useful to provide protein supplements in the Autumn.

A vitamin cocktail

Food supplements can help strengthen the colonies just before winter. They should be viewed as “insurance” in case the quality of the reserves is insufficient. In good years, you won’t notice a difference… but in bad years, they can serve as a crutch to help your colonies live through the winter.

2. Measure varroa infestation and treat it correctly

We recommend (as do others!) that you begin treating your hives against varroa as soon as the harvest is over in order to prevent the harmful effects of varroa when the winter bees emerge (during the fall).

Post-harvest treatment is the most important of the year. It must therefore be very effective, while remaining as safe for the bees, the beekeeper and the honey consumer as possible. To verify the effectiveness of the treatment and measure the level of infestation, beekeepers must carry out at least two follow-up visits during this period – before and after the treatment at the end of the beekeeping season. You can thereby rapidly identify if your treatment was not effective enough, or if the infestation level was too high at the start of the treatment. In that case, you may need to administer a winter treatment (oxalic acid) to reduce varroa pressure and ensure your colonies start off on the right foot in the spring.

For the fastest, most accurate estimate possible, you can count on Varroa EasyCheck to monitor your infestation levels.

3. Preparing the hive for winter: cover it, but not too much!

Like our homes, hives need to be well-ventilated both in summer and in winter. A lack of ventilation generates a damp cold, which can compromise the colony’s health (by favouring the development of pathogens that cause digestive issues). When winter approaches, the bees themselves seal unwanted openings with propolis. The colony, acting as a cluster, then maintains the hive at a constant temperature of 20°C, thanks to the bees’ movements. But bees don’t only generate heat: they also breathe, producing moisture that must escape. If the hive is too well-sealed, the moisture cannot get out. The condensation on the hive cover attests to this. In some climates, it is necessary to wrap the hives for the winter, with specially designed covers, but these covers are not necessary for milder winters. In all cases, a ventilation opening should be left, even if the temperature drops below -20°C (-4°F).

In addition to good ventilation, it may be necessary to protect the hive with mice prevention measures: entrance reducers or deterrent blades at the entrance to the hive.

4. Keeping an eye on your colonies

In winter, beekeepers must open their hives as infrequently as possible in order to avoid exposing the bees to bad weather. With less frequent visits, it is difficult to rapidly spot warning signs. Bees can be lacking in food stores, be overcome by a major varroa infestation (even after the fall treatment), be poorly ventilated… these are the signs of a colony at risk, requiring urgent corrective action.

To enable you to be directly notified in the event of an anomaly, your hives can be equipped with connected sensors that constantly measure the temperature and humidity level inside the hive. You can thereby be warned immediately if a hive is suffering and needs assistance, without even needing to open it. You can then rapidly take measures to save it.

We are so sad that our lovely Patron Bill Turnbull has died, five years after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.  Throughout all of this time Bill continued being just as kind and supportive as always - he was Patron of our Charity for twenty years – during this time we discovered what a profoundly clever, witty, warm and generous man he was. 

In 2005, Bill ran the London Marathon dressed in his bee suit – raising funds for Bees for Development

Before his BBC Breakfast days, Bill worked as a journalist, reporting from many countries including all the places where we work today – he really understood our work and the huge benefits that beekeeping can bring. Bill would always somehow find time for our fund - raising events, often involving complicated travel plans, and he raised a record-breaking amount for us when he broadcast the BBC Radio 4 Appeal for funds for our work in Ethiopia.  For many years Bill hosted our Quiz on Friday evening of the National Honey Show – where he enjoyed gently cajoling the audience into giving donations in return for alleged misdemeanours such as ‘being too argumentative’ – the Honey Judges were always favourite targets!

Bill was uniquely warm, wise and generous – it has been our huge privilege to have had his marvellous support all these years, and we will surely find a special way to commemorate him.

- Nicola Bradbear

September’s Lecture Video Release

This month’s video is Kirsten Traynor’s Media Mayhem: “How the news media is pitting honey bees against native bees”  Kirsten coverss Insect loss and why it matters; Value of bees,; Current media climate; What the science says; Beekeepers as advocates and the Real issue.

Workshop Bookings Now Open

Booking for workshops opened 1st September. Browse this year’s fantastic selection, they are very popular so if you’ve a particular favourite, be sure to book early: 
https://www.honeyshow.co.uk/workshop-booking.php
As these are smaller sessions they must be pre-booked.

Deadline for competitive entry forms

Don’t forget the special classes for our younger beekeepers to enter:

Completed entry forms for all classes (except 95 -109 inculsive and 315-316
and 318, i.e. essays, videos, microscopy slides and photographs-see below) must reach the
Entries Secretary, Jill Tinsey; 1 Old School Cottages, Ettling Green, Dereham, Norfolk,
NR20 3EU by the 10th October 2022. Late entries may be made until the 17th October, but
will incur an additional late entry fee of £10.00.

Completed entry forms for classes 95-109 inclusive and 315-316 and 318, i.e. essays,
videos, microscope slides and photographs must reach the Entries Secretary by
12th September 2022, as the entries for the classes need to be with the appropriate
convenor by 26th September. No late entries will be permitted for these classes.

The Schedule of classes and entry form are available on our website:

Look forward to seeing you at this year’s show: Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 October 2022.

Upcoming Events

17th September – Thorne of Stockbridge Sale Day

24th September – Thorne of Devon Sale Day

8th October – Rand, Lincolnshire Sale and Open Day

27th - 29th October – The National Honey Show