BRAMBLINGS - the occasional newsletter of NCBKA

As I write this letter, the clocks have just changed, there has been little rain for two days and the daffodils by my front gate have burst into flower. Two weeks ago I watched workers visiting Hellebores. Since then, we have suffered freezing temperatures, snow, torrential rain, and strong winds. Despite this, if all is well in the hive, the queen has been laying for some time. Eggs laid in late January will have produced young workers in mid February and these will be capable of foraging by early March. Willow and much else has been in flower for some time so there is ample pollen available for brood rearing. By early April the potential foraging force is considerable. Queen rearing, if it occurs, can often begin around the beginning of April. Just because we are too busy, and the weather is wintry much of the time, does not mean that the bees will delay their progress! As numbers build and the first nectar is collected, the colony becomes better able to cope with inclement periods. The result of all this may be that progress towards swarming is well advanced by the time we manage our first Spring inspection. Last year's crop report showed that most early swarms occurred in May, but that there was significant swarming in April.

Loss of colony strength due to uncontrolled swarming is a sure way of reducing crop yield. Swarming is a natural part of the life cycle of honeybees, at least here in the UK. Our knowledge of the various factors involved is still not enough to give total control, and the most experienced beekeepers can still be caught out. Even strains bred for supersedure will swarm. Our meeting on April 5th is perfectly placed to focus on these issues. We couldn't have a better speaker. Do come!

We should all be aware that Foul Brood has been found near our area within the last two seasons. There are remarkable similarities between Foul Brood and Foot and Mouth. Believe me, loss of bees to Foul Brood is as heartbreaking to a beekeeper as loss of stock by a farmer. The insurance does at least ensure that, if disaster strikes, we stand a chance of re-equipping without horrific outlay. Note the rule that all colonies must be insured for the policy to pay out. In other words, if you acquire additional colonies by whatever means, these could invalidate your cover for the original colonies. Insurance taken out during the season doesn't take effect for 60 days so we need to plan our activities well in advance.

We will all be aware of the knock-on effects of the Foot and Mouth outbreak. For those beekeepers like me with hives on farmland, we may not be able to avoid the disruption. If there is an outbreak in the vicinity, our colonies may be trapped within the restriction area. The outbreak will have effects on movement through to the Autumn at least, and it seems wise to take basic precautions. Where there is any contact near farmed land our minimum precautions should be to keep the underside of our vehicles clear of mud so that disinfection can be effective. The same goes for clothing and footwear. Most beekeepers keep their bee suit sparkling clean, but we should scrub and disinfect our rubber boots between visits to different sites. Lastly, we must cooperate with the landowner or stockowner in whatever way is necessary.

Will Messenger 27/03/2001.