A Year With Bees
By Trish SwainAs the year draws to a close, it’s natural to reflect on the past season and take stock.
Our bees have had a good year overall, and are safely tucked up for the winter with (hopefully) plenty of ‘stores’ to see them through till next spring.
The cold and late spring put the bees under some pressure and our second hive had ‘nosema’, a protozoon which weakens the bees and shortens their lives by 50%. The bees fail to thrive and the colony becomes weaker and weaker, and less and less productive. Fortunately, treatment is available, and this duly administered and some extra sugar solution saved the day.
Spring finally ‘sprung’ and the blossom remained frost free and the bees had a bonanza, evidenced by the bumper harvest of fruit and berries in the autumn.
We took our first honey in mid-July, 42 lbs from hive 1 and 22 lbs from hive 2. The hot and dry weather meant the bees had to work hard ‘fanning’ inside the hive to keep to an optimum temperature. The bees made many visits to the bird bath and pond to get water. As flowers frazzled the bees struggled to find nectar. Herbs like oregano and sage were a lifesaver at this point.
In September we took our second lot of honey, only 7 lbs from hive 1 but 29 lbs from the second hive, making a grand total of 49 lbs per hive. The bees were then fed sugar solution to lay down as winter stores, a total of 48 lbs per hive. At last the ivy flowers came into their own and were literally crawling with bees (the flowers have a faint smell of honey). The mouse guard was put across the entrance to the hive, completing the winter preparations, though the bees will emerge on warm days throughout the winter and early spring; but in the meantime, they and we can enjoy the fruits of their labours.