Fedor Lazutin: His Contribution

to Sustainable Beekeeping
Dr Leo Sharashkin, James Roe & David Heaf

Dealing With Swarms

No 120 incorporating BeeBiz June 2015 Sergej Milov & Our Correspondents

The New Apiburg Trap Modified

for Small Hive Beetle
Michael Ifantidis
Contents No 120 • June 2015

EDITORIAL & A Rather LATE NEWS 33 Editor

Mixed Spring 2
Honey on Tap; Modified Apiburg Trap;
Fedor Lazutin;; Strange Habit of Solitary
Bees; Oil Beetle; Strength of Spider’s Silk;
Fox; Pesticides; Railway Poster;
NEWSROUND
ASSOCIATION NEWS 8
Eva Crane Trust
His Honour David Smith QC 1938 – 2015:
An Appreciation
Richard Jones
Bee Farmers Association
Margaret Gillman
British Bee Veterinary Association
The Inaugural Meeting
John Hill
PESTICIDES
Ecosystem services, agriculture and
neonicotinoids
European Acadamies Science Advisory Council
Report
Mixed News from France
BEEKEEPING AWARDS
Vita Europe Announces Award for
Honeybee Health Initiatives
Beekeeping Book Shortlisted for New
Zealand Award
FEDOR LAZUTIN: 14
In Appreciation of his Contribution to
Sustainable Beekeeping Throughout the
World
Keeping Bees With a Smile
- by Dr Leo Sharashkin, Missouri, USA
Things I like about Fedor Lazutin’s
Horizontal Hives
- by James Roe, Bourbon Honey Farm,
Bourbon, Missouri USA
My Initial Experience of Fedor Lazutin’s
Beekeeping Concept
David Heaf, Wales
BEEKEEPING CONGRESSES 24
Apislavia 2015 Turkey and Apimondia 2014
Ukraine: - a comparison
Viktor Fursov, Ukraine
RESEARCH 28
Foraging Lines
Making the most of drone cells: workers
tune their honey storage behaviour with the
season
Dr Margaret Couvillon, Switzerland
IBRA Change of address and contact details
VITA EUROPE Website now available in
many languages
IN BRIEF
US bee losses
Problem of urban swarms
CORRESPONDENTS 34
England: Nigel Payne; Canada: David
Dawson; Australia: Geoff Manning; Russia:
Vitaliy Petrovsky; & Nepal: Tej Bahadur.
MANAGEMENT 38
Commercial Beekeeping in Denmark, Part
2, April - June
Anders-Peter Blaesild, Denmark
Translated by Anthony Lee, Denmark
SWARMING 44
Regarding the Catching of Swarms
Sergej Milov. Odessa region, Ukraine
Capturing and Hiving Swarms, A Survey
From our correspondents
DEALING WITH SWARMS
John Phipps
PEST CONTROL 48
Further Modifications on the Apipurg®-
trap Improving Mainly its Efficacy against
Aethina tumida (SHB) Threatening the
European Bee Races of Apis mellifera L.
Michael Ifantidis, Greece
COMMENT 52
Scientific evidence: what is it and how can
we trust it?
Manu Saunders, Australia
OUT OF THE PAST
THE GREAT WAR –
ITS EFFECT ON BEEKEEPING 54
as seen through the pages of the
British Bee Journal:
The First Anniversary – July to August 1915
Stuart Ching, BA, BA (Hons). MEd,
Nottinghamshire
BOOKSHELF 56
Farming for the Landless:
New perspectives on the cultivation of the
honeybee
by Sarah Waring
John Phipps
Sub-editor: Val Phipps
Neochori, 24024 Agios Nikolaos,
Messinias, Greece
tel: 00 30 27210 78089
email: manifest@runbox.com
Advisory Editors
David Aston NDB, Science;
Geoff Hopkinson NDB, Environment
Correspondents
Australia, Geoff Manning; Brittany,
Job Pichon; Canada, David Dawson;
Croatia, Gordon Lovric; Cyprus, Roger White;
Czech Republic, Dr Vita Vydra; England,
Nigel Payne; Italy, Alison Parnell and Ilaria
Baldi; Ireland, Philip McCabe; Lithuania,
Rimantas Zujus; Nepal, Bhim Suwal, Jitendra
Lihani; The Netherlands, Ko Zoet; Poland,
Maciej Winiarski; Portugal, Antonio Pouseiro;
Scotland, Mike Thornley and Eric McArthur;
Serbia, Predrag Cvetkovik, Russia, Vitaliy
Petrovsky; Ukraine, Dr Alexander Komissar;
USA, Ann Harman.
Bee Farmers Association -
Margaret Ginman
Central Association of Beekeepers -
Pam Hunter
Publishers and Advertising
Northern Bee Books
Scout Bottom Farm, Mytholmroyd,
Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 5JS
tel: 01422 882751
fax: 01422 886157
email: sales@recordermail.demon.co.uk
Design
D&P Design and Print
Printing
Custom Print Limited,
13-23 Naylor Street,
Liverpool L3 6DR
Cover photograph
Collecting a Swarm, Micromani, Kalamata,
Greece (John Phipps)
The Editor welcomes articles for inclusion in the BKQ,
but please state when submitting a ms if it has been sent
simultaneously to any other magazine or journal.
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily
those of the publisher.

© The Beekeepers Quarterly ISSN 0268 4780

 2 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

EDITORIAL
Honey on Tap whom must be beekeepers, threw caution money on their product. In fact this is

I
n all my 43 years of beekeeping I have
never before experienced anything
like it. Almost everyone with whom
I was in contact, on the street or by
social media networks - yes, all of them
non-beekeepers - had to share with me the
exciting news about the hive from which
honey would flow at the turn of the tap.
They had seen it on You Tube, and made
further studies of it by Googling. Wasn’t it
great and when was I going to get one?
But surprisingly, it wasn’t only non-
beekeepers that were so excited, but
thousands of those who are members of our
craft; 36,457 people, I guess the majority of
to the wind and by supporting the project
helped raise $12,174,727 USD in just one
month, achieving 17,392% of the target of
$70, 000 USD.
I am not going to give any information
here, nor photos of the key components of
the hive, for most beekeepers will be well
aware of its construction and perceived
advantages. Developed in Byron Bay,
Australia, full marks must go to its creator
Cedar Anderson and his team. It is a
startling and simple innovation with frames
whose cells can be opened sideways for the
honey to flow out, but there are many,
many questions I would ask the developers
before I would think of splashing out any
precisely what I did, write to them, I mean,
with a list of questions - and I even offered
to test just one flow frame here in my Greek
apiary. As expected, I received not a whisper
of a reply.
Not surprisingly, many other beekeepers
have come up with very pertinent questions
that should really be answered by the
company. Between us (Ann Harman and
her contacts, Claire Waring and myself )
managed to make a list of our queries which
appear in the box to the right of the page.
If the company cannot answer our
questions, we very much look forward to
hearing the experiences of those beekeepers
who have bought the hives.

What-ifs and Questions about the Flow Hive:

- an accumulation of concerns

1. Are the Flow frames food-grade plastic?
2; Does the plastic tubing come with the Flow super or do
beekeepers have to buy it from a supplier? If they have to
buy it, can they be sure it is food-grade tubing?
3. In the photos of the hives (website) no bees are seen flying
around the jars of honey, especially the jars with no lids.
If I took an open jar of honey into my bee yard on the
sunny day shown in the photos I would be mobbed by bees
almost instantly. Even if the jars are given some sort of cover
wouldn’t I expect to see bees around the jars?
4. I assume a queen excluder is essential. What if a small queen
slips through the excluder and lays eggs in the Flow frames?
What if the queen excluder got damaged and the queen got
through?
5. Only the ends of the frames are visible without taking off the
cover and inspecting the frames. How easy is it to remove
the frames for inspection?
6. Some colonies do not fill honey frames out to the edges
although most of the frame is ready to harvest. How can a
beekeeper tell when to harvest?
7. When the Flow frame is ‘opened’ what if little bits of wax
come out with the honey?
8. If little bits of wax do come out with the honey, will they
prevent the frames from closing tightly after harvest or stick
the two frame parts together tightly?
9. What if small hive beetles get into the honey super?
What if they have started to slime the honey?
What if they get mashed upon closing the frames?
10. Many honeys crystallize – some slowly, others rapidly
– most honey is a mixture of flowers. If waiting for the
bees to fill out to the edges, what if the centre area cells
start to crystallize. What if bees have visited canola (oil
seed rape) that crystallizes within days? What if the bees
gather goldenrod that crystallizes rapidly? What if honey is
thixotropic like heather honey?
11. Some bees use quantities of propolis. What if they stick things
together in the Flow super?
12. At the end of the honey season how can the Flow cells be
cleaned so that no honey is left to crystallize? Crystals left in
the cells are nuclei for more rapid crystallization the following
year.
13. What if cells have partially crystallized honey? Will they close
back up if the honey does not flow out?
14. What if bees stick pollen into an empty cell in a honey super.
Will this affect the operation?
15. With only 3 or 4 Flow frames in the super and the rest of the
frames conventional ones, what if the bees ignore the Flow
frames and fill the conventional ones - won’t honey extractors
still be needed?
16. What if prolonged severe weather (drought, endless rain, etc.)
occurs. Can the Flow super be left on for the bees to eat?
17. What if a beekeeper puts it on a weak colony and wax moths
lay eggs in it (sometimes they do even in moderate or strong
colonies)?
18. What if a bee or several bees get smashed when closing the
Flow frames – will that prevent the frames from closing? How
would the beekeeper know since only the ends of the frames are
visible?
19. Only one end of the Flow frame is visible when wanting to
harvest. What if there is a problem at the other end of the
frame?
20. What if other insects (such as ants) are attracted to the
harvesting, especially if it takes hours?
21. What if the climate is such that honey ready for harvest is
12/15% water and therefore very viscous?
22. What if the colony becomes diseased with American foulbrood
(AFB) and the hive must be burned? The fumes from the
burning plastic would be toxic.
23. In out-apiaries, if Flow hives are used, won’t it be very easy for
thieves to easily harvest the honey?
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
New Modified Apiburg Trap
I
n Athens, on the 13/03/2015, a
meeting was held on the subject of
the Small Hive Beetle, SHB, (Aethina
tumida) during which a modified
version of the Apiburg trap was introduced
by its creator, Dr Michael Ifantidis.
In a recent communication to the Editor,
Michael Ifantidis wrote:
“It is interesting to note that the relevant
information given through the internet was
fully confirmed. The SHB has been spread
in a not negligible number of localities
and apiaries in Calabria and one in Sicily.
The Veterinary Service of Italy has applied
really draconian measures to tackle the
SHB problem, by burning whole apiaries
in which the beetle has been detected.There
are good reasons to doubt the effectiveness
of the combustion of the bee colonies  or
of other administrative measures in the
concrete case of the bee pest, since bee
colonies in the form of apiaries are not like,
for example, flocks of sheep. The spread of
the Varroa mite (through bee swarms) in
the early 1980s around Frankfurt-am-Main,
Germany, despite the systematic application
of different administrative measures for
successive years, is the best confirmation of
my assertion.
In the case of SHB, it is more difficult
for the spreading of the pest to be brought
under control with such measures since the
enemy:
(a) can move autonomously  by flying in
small groups (in the night) from one
region to another and at distances of
about 15 km each time;
(b) it can survive outside the bee hives
(colonies) for some weeks;
(c) and it, of course, invades wild bee
colonies as well, which in their turn are
further spread through the swarming
process.
It is impossible therefore to restrict the
progress of the pest, in general, by trying to
“corral” - or even worse - to burn the bee
colonies. It would be more advisable to start,
without delay, the carrying out of appropriate
experiments in the infested region of Italy
by comparing the effectiveness of different
forms of traps, as well as their thriftiness,
against SHB.
The most likely alternative to the above
control methods would no doubt be the
treatment of the infested colonies with
chemicals (as the Americans have already
done for several years). Personally I prefer
non-chemical pest and disease control in
beekeeping in order to prevent  residues
accumulating in honey.
In order to contribute to the starting of an
effort amongst the scientific community and
the beekeepers of Europe for fighting SHB,
in this perspective, I propose to familiarise
the researchers with the function of the latest
model of Apiburg, modified especially for
its use against SHB (but not exclusively) as
presented at the meeting in Athens. As part
of this process I am submitting the paper,
with illustrations, for publication in the
BKQ”.
FEDOR LAZUTIN
I
was very sad to hear about the death
at an early age of the Russian beekeeper,
environmentalist, gardener and author,
Fedor Lazutin. Known throughout the
world for his great interest in rationalising
beekeeping, reducing it to its basic non-
intrusive elements, revealed for all in his
classic book “Beekeeping With A Smile”.
Within a short time of obtaining a piece of
land, with the help of his wife he transformed
it into a paradise for bees and other forms
of wildlife, as well as a plot which provided
them with good harvests of vegetables and
fruit. Not surprisingly, “Growing Vegetables
With A Smile” and “Growing Fruit With A
Smile” followed in the same light-hearted,
yet detailed manner, books which became
instant best-sellers on gardening throughout
Russia, by all accounts many millions being
sold. This again is hardly surprising as it is
estimated that almost 50% of Russia’s fruit
and vegetables are grown in the dachas
and gardens of its people. Leo Sharashkin,
the translator of his book into English, his
publisher, James Roe, and David Heaf, all
write about the influence of Fedor’s work in
this issue of the Quarterly.
Our sincere condolences to Fedor’s wife,
Lena, and sons Misha and Afonya.
OUR NOT-SO-CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
A
lmost every human activity,
supposedly for the good of
society, has an adverse effect
on the environment and its
limited resources. Whilst living in a post-
industrial era, we can look with displeasure
on struggling third world countries whose
manufacturing processes are as foul in their
emission of pollutants as were ours well
over a century ago and beyond (though we
are willing to buy their products at prices
cheaper than they can be manufactured in
the West). Yet the fallout from toxic particles
and poisonous gases in the atmosphere,
from aircraft and all forms of fossil fuel-
based modes of transport, still makes many
of our cities hazardous for human health
and habitats worthy of our vast wealth
of wildlife. Even the beautiful parks of
London are deceptive, their stunning beauty
and occasional tranquility are constantly
3
showered with pollution as they lie in the
criss-cross patterns of the flight paths of
thousands of aircraft each day.
And then, of course, there are the masses
of agrochemicals, with recent news once again
pinpointing Round-up, the glyphospate
weed killer produced by Monsanto as a key
player in the rise of cancer throughout the
world. The subject of neonicotinoids has
been aired many times in this magazine
and, as regards their perceived threat to
bees, I could fill the whole magazine with
papers of new research which aim to show
that these products alone are responsible for
the decline of pollinating insects. However,
the constant battle between groups of
beekeepers and the chemical companies
which produce the pesticides is, say a group
of scientists, diverting attention away from
their effect on other forms of wildlife, where
evidence of this effect is less challenging. Just
an introduction to the European Acadamies
Science Advisory Council Report on this
subject is outlined in our news pages, but I
would recommend those who have concerns
about neonicotinoids to download and read
the whole report.
One of the great problems for those
who try and get to the truth of whether
or not particular compounds are good - if
such truths indeed exist as science is not a
constant, whether in the farming, food or
pharmaceutical industries - there is such
a mass of material easily available on the
internet that it is impossible to absorb it all.
In that case, selections have to be made. But
what to select? Undoubtedly, for each paper
saying one thing, another comes up with
an opposite view. This constant ping-pong
battle between experts in their own fields
further confuses the enquirer.
How much attention then is to be
given to peer reviewed papers? This is the
difficult question; who are the peers who
recommend publication and where are
their loyalties? And, of course, why do
some papers never see the light of day. I
was told once, maybe half-jokingly, that
the success of a paper depends on whoever’s
desk it happens to fall on. In our Comment
section, “Scientific evidence: what is it and
how can we trust  it?” by Manu Saunders
from Australia, some light is thrown on this
difficult subject. Whilst I do not necessarily
agree with everything she says, particularly
in her use of analogies, the article makes
interesting reading and I would further
recommend readers to go on-line and read
the many comments which arose following
its publication.
For the moment, three questions
regarding neonicotinoids: I have it from
an excellent authority that neonicotinoid-
 4 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

coated maize seed is being sown in the UK,

despite the fact that the target pests do not
occur there - and it should be remembered
that when there is dearth of pollen, bees will
collect it from maize plants, so why is this
allowed to happen?
From the same source, I am informed
that it is impossible to grow organic oil
seed rape in the UK as the crop needs the
whole regime of pesticides if cultivation is
to be successful. Why, therefore, do farmers
struggle to produce a harvest from rape
instead of growing other crops? OK, it is a
good break crop, but agricultural systems
worked very well before the arrival of this
crop; - no doubt, there answer must be that
it is an exceedingly profitable crop compared
with others and despite the massive inputs,
good profits can be secured.
Lastly, it was said that with the partial
ban on the use of neonicotinoids farmers
would have to resort to older types of
pesticides, the effects of which would be
alarming for both beekeepers and those
concerned with conservation. So how many
cases of bee poisoning are we likely to see
by the end of this season, or, are beekeepers’
stocks being safeguarded to a great extent by
the very successful spray liaison schemes of
local beekeeping associations?

OBSERVATIONS
A Living Bee Mobile. Last autumn a friend
in our village invited me to her balcony
to witness what she believed was a most
unusual event. It was important she said
that I should arrive about an hour or so
before dusk. I must have reached her house
Solitary bees collect together on a mobile for the night. (John Phipps)
a little to early for as yet there was nothing
to see, but, as the sun began to sink into the
sea, a few solitary bees began flying around
us. Eventually we were joined by dozens
more, all of which were flying round a fish
mobile and then beginning to jostle each
other for a place to roost for the night. This
nightly behaviour continued for a couple of
weeks or more until the bees must at last
have reached the end of their life span.
This behaviour - of clustering together
in the evening - is a common feature
amongst solitary bees, but I normally see
them on flower heads, but only two or three
at a time. They remain quite drowsy in the
morning until the sun’s warming rays seem
to re-activate them.
Solitary bees, like all pollinating insects,
need all the help they can to survive. This
can be achieved by providing plenty of
flowers which are attractive to them and by
providing them with nests. It is completely
safe to encourage them into the garden and
Tubes can be made by rolling paper around pens
a whole range of nest boxes are available for A simple home for a range of beneficial insects - with different diameters as solitary bees vary
them in garden centres and on Amazon. minus tubes. (John Phipps) considerably in size (b) (c) (d) (e) (John Phipps).
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 5

b c

d e

Unfortunately, Amazon wouldn’t send

one to me in Greece, so I quickly made my
own out of odd scraps of wood. The tubes
will be now made out of paper (see excellent
description at www.solitarybee.com), and as
can be seen I have made a tier of narrow slots
at the base for ladybirds and other insects as
well as a larger space in the gable roof.
Oil Beetle. The black oil beetle (Meloe
proscarabaeus), a predator of solitary bees,
abounds in our flower-rich olive groves. The
one photographed here was in the process of
laying her eggs in a hole she was excavating
in the ground. Hundreds of eggs can be laid
in the one hole and the very tiny larvae,
or triungulins ( louse-like in appearance),
climb up onto flowers as soon as they hatch.
There each awaits a bee, attaches itself to the
bee’s body, and is taken back to the host’s Inset: Female Oil Beetle excavating a hole and about to lay eggs. (John Phipps).
 6 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

nest where it can feed on the pollen and

nectar stored by the bee for its own progeny.
Normally soil-nesting species of bees are
chosen, for once the larva is fully grown, it
digs deeper into the nest tunnel to complete
its development, emerging the following
spring.
Four species of oil beetle are found in
the UK - M. proscarabaeus, M. violaceus,
M. rugosus and M. brevicollis. At one time
four other species were present in Britain
and the remaining four are in sharp decline
due to loss of habitat and the decrease in the
number of wild bees. The first three of the oil
beetles mentioned above, the Black, Violet
and Rugged, are listed as priority species on
the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
How Strong is Spider Silk? It is
commonly believed that spider silk is
stronger than steel - but is it? Apparently, no.
Its tensile strength is just average compared
with steel, and its elasticity many times less.
However, on the positive side, its density
is six times less than steel, which makes its
ratio of strength to density in excess of that
A vixen made repeated visits to the author’s garden apiary - even during daylight hours - until the
of steel. fondant was consumed. (John Phipps)
Foxed! Every year beekeepers from some Bees On the Line

A honeybee trapped by a single strand of spider
silk. (John Phipps)
However, whilst it is interesting to look
into the science of materials, all that matters
is that the silk produced by spiders serves its
purpose well. In the photograph here, the
bee was trapped by one single strand of
spider silk. Often insects may be trapped
more easily in the morning when there is a
lot of dew about, for moisture needs to be
present for the silk to retain its stickiness.
Scientists are recognising that there is
important research work here - to find
adhesives which work well under water.
I
distance come to my area for the nectar wonder if anyone noticed the
flow from the mountain sage which is Network Rail Poster on their travels
quite prolific and flowers for several weeks. before the May Day holiday break?
Unfortunately, quite commonly, up to two or The poster features a bee with the
three hundred hives can be set down within sleepers of the railway line representing the
less than a kilometre of my garden apiary. stripes on a bee’s body. Donna Mitchell,
Each year, I place bait hives around my Media Relations Manager (Campaigns) for
apiary to attract swarms. I am not setting out Network Rail told me that “The bee is not
deliberately to poach other beekeepers’ bees, a permanent part of our marketing material.
but, should tang swarms take up residence in We’ve used it for May Bank Holiday work
any of my boxes, I am not unduly concerned visuals as we thought it tied in nicely to the
- on ethical grounds. Sometimes I put a slab idea that summer is coming and we will
of fondant not far from the baits so that be(e) really busy over the bank holiday!
bees might be drawn to them.
This April, I noticed that a whole slab
of fondant had disappeared in one night,
the packet, too. I thought it might have
been one of the beech martens which are
an absolute pest - noisy and smelly if they
get under the roof tiles and they have the
destructive habit of getting under the car
bonnet and stripping all the electric cables
and water pipes.
Mid-afternoon proved that I was
blaming the wrong animal, for a beautiful
vixen was happily chewing away at the
fondant in some long grass near my hives. I
don’t know why she didn’t carry it away, but
she must have made many repeated visits
until the fondant was all gone.
A lot happens around our apiaries, and
I am very fortunate to have the time to observe
and further investigate these interesting
aspects of nature which occur around my
own colonies. Poster featuring bees produced by Network Rail.
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 7

I
A Rather Mixed Spring
have received a lot of varying
reports about the conditions of bees
this spring. In Greece we seem to be
a month behind normal as regards
colony development mainly due to a long,
cold and wet winter, and in early spring
temperatures were about five degrees lower
than usual. In Ukraine and Russia there have
been huge losses of bees - a process which
started in autumn before many of the bees
went into their winter quarters. In Canada,
the bees seem to be strong, but desperate
for water as there was little nectar available
when the bees left their sheds. In the UK,
on media sites, many beekeepers are writing
about their losses - the chief reason being
queen loss, or drone-laying queens. This
seems to be on the increase. Is it possible to
keep a queen nowadays for three seasons? I
doubt it.
On the other hand, with the weather in
the UK and some parts of Western Europe
being milder than usual (bumblebees were
flying in January), I have been sent photos
of good strong colonies.
Let’s hope that this year is one that allows
us to enjoy in full the joys of our craft.
John Phipps
May 2015 Nice comb of spring pollen. (Graham White)

A comb completely filled with brood and covered with bees, Cyprus. (Roger White)

Excellent spring comb with eggs, larvae, sealed and

emerging brood, a good arc of honey and the beginning
of drone production, Brittany. (Job Pichon).
 8 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Newsround
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Eva Crane Trust
His Honour David Smith QC
1938 – 2015
An Appreciation
Richard Jones
Chairman Eva Crane Trust
7 April 2015
David Smith is made an honorary member of IBRA,
D
2013. Photo provided by his wife Clementine.
 going to bring this magnum opus right up
avid Smith was born in
Deal, Kent and attended
Lancing College, Sussex and
Merton College, Oxford before
taking up a career in the law. He joined the
Middle Temple and practiced as a barrister
in London, appearing in the city’s famous
courts including the Old Bailey. He took
silk in 1982 and became a Crown Court
Judge on the Western Circuit based at Bristol
in 1986.
Bees and bee books were a major part of
David’s life away from the law courts. His
beekeeping started when he took an interest
in his school’s WBC beehives. In those days
he had great difficulty in finding the queen
and often claimed that he had not improved
much at finding her even after sixty years of
practice. He filled in as a prep school teacher
for a couple of terms when waiting to go
up to Oxford and in that time met Capt.
Tredwell, the Country Beekeeping Instructor
for Hampshire. Tredwell felt that the long
hive was the answer to some of the difficulties
of vertical box beekeeping and invented the
Westley Hive, 33 brood frames long and
set on stands which eliminated bending.
The hives could not be bought so Tredwell
gave do-it-yourself lessons and David made
two which was the beginning of his lifelong
dedication to this kind of beekeeping.
He joined the Bee Research Association,
as it was then, in 1962 and in 1963 attended
his first Annual General Meeting. The
organization was looking for a Company
Secretary. Dr Crane asked if there was a
lawyer present who might fulfil the role and
the person who had met David at the station
said that there was a young barrister present.
David got to his feet and modestly said he
was the struggling barrister only to overhear
someone mutter “If he is struggling do we
want him”. He was determined to do the
job and in fact carried out the duties of
company secretary with dedication for the
next fifty years.
David’s interest in bees was possible
even surpassed by his love of books and
over the years he collected a fine library of
bee related material. Eva Crane was aware
of his knowledge and interest in this field
and persuaded him to produce several
books beginning in 1966 by editing and
reproducing John Evelyn’s treatise on bees
manuscript from the Elysium Britannicum.
This was followed by British Bee Books – a
bibliography 1500 – 1976. He was always
to date but never got around to it. Perhaps
the original awesome task exhausted him
for it is a monumental work essential to
any bibliophile or collector. In 1993, in
conjunction with a beekeeping solicitor,
David Frimston, he wrote Bees and the
Law, featuring various case studies from
British courts.
His support of IBRA extended to
attendance at conferences and gatherings
worldwide. He went to many Apimondia
Congresses including the one held in
Moscow in 1971 when, at the height of
the Cold War, he still went off exploring
the city on his own. He helped run the
IBRA stand at Apimondias held in Antwerp
(1997), Vancouver (1999), Durban (2001),
and Clementine, his wife assisted as well in
Ljubljana (2003) and Dublin (2005). Help
did not stop there. He attended EurBee in
Ulster, was a member of the National Honey
Show and a regular at the BBKA Spring
Convention. In the days when IBRA held
an International Conference on Tropical
Beekeeping he attended the gatherings in
London, Nairobi, Cairo and Chiang Mai,
Thailand in 2000. These are just a few; there
were many other events where he helped “fly
the flag”.
His interest and concern for the welfare
of IBRA remained with him to the end of his
days. He saw a situation now very different
from the glory days of the sixties and seventies
and had come to the conclusion that IBRA
no longer had a real role. IBRA’s prime
function of gathering and disseminating
bee related information had been displaced
by the internet with its rapidly developing
methods of instant communication. The
excellent journals could be produced more
efficiently by a specialist scientific publisher
so that, in his opinion, there was no sensible
course for IBRA to adopt but to wind itself
up with dignity. He intended to make that
point at the last AGM which he attended
although only just out of hospital after heart
surgery but did not have the opportunity to
speak.
I first met David when I was interviewed
for the post of Director of IBRA in January
1996 and, once appointed, we developed
a firm friendship. I respected his ability to
rationalise different viewpoints and come
to incisive conclusions. He also had an
attractive wit and sense of humour. He
underwent open heart surgery on a number
of occasions but he never allowed this to
daunt him or dim his passion for bees and
books.
Over the years he became a close
friend and confident of Eva Crane and this
relationship can be seen in the tribute he
wrote in “Eva Crane – Bee Scientist” (IBRA
2008). When Dr Crane set up her Trust in
2002 it was natural for her to appoint him as
one of her Trustees. He was very thoughtful
and a great asset to the Trust as it established
itself and planned the route it is going to
follow. In his passing the organization has
lost one of its most loyal supporters. He
will be missed in his official role and I will
miss him as a companion and friend of
innumerable bee inspired journeys.
The Trust extends its sympathies to
Clementine, his wife, Rupert and Julian his
sons and their families.
Bee Farmers
Association
Margaret Gillman
T
he season in the UK seems to
be getting off to a good start with
bee farmers all over the country
opening hives that look to have
over-wintered well. Even weaker colonies
seem to be building up well. However, we
still await meaningful information on winter
losses.
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Newsround
Bee farming in the UK is taking on an
international flavour with contacts this
quarter with commercial bee farmers in
Sweden, Spain and New Zealand.
In February our then chairman Murray
McGregor and I spent three days at the
Swedish Biodlingsforetgarna conference
in Skovde. Our hosts had combined their
annual conference with their own individual
trade show. It was great see some familiar
faces – Thomas Dahl, who I work with on
the EU Honey Task Force and Angi Sherriff,
one of our Apprenticeship Scheme sponsors
who regularly has a stall at this event.
Thomas introduced Murray and I to a man
from the Swedish environment ministry
and we had an interesting chat about our
National Pollination Strategy, BeeBase and
how each country chooses to spend its EU
Apiculture Budget – a subject which BFA
members still have strong feelings about.
Our Swedish counterparts share our desire
to see more of that money filtering down
to commercial bee farmers at ground level.
They, like us, feel that this would make a real
change in the bee farming industry.
I was keen to meet Pia Gerdin, an
Education Leader, at the Swedish Polytechnic
for Beekeeping. The Poly provides a two-
year course for youngsters who choose not
to go to university or mature students who
are looking for a second career. The funding
for this comes from central government.
Courses include bees, economics of running
a bee business as well as ergonomics, bee
breeding, bee production and colony
understanding. There are also units on bee
health, colony division, bookkeeping and
accounting, budgeting, plant life and much,
much more.
It struck me there is potential here
for exchange with our Rowse/ BFA
Apprenticeship Scheme. We could also
glean much from how they are funded. Pia
and I, together with the head of the project,
Bo-Goran Niellsen, spent time over the
weekend exchanging ideas. The students
fund their own wages and placements on
bee farms but the training is totally funded
by Government.
Our hosts explained that the Swedish
organisation has around 400 members with
about half of them being professionals. The
organisation caters for both amateurs and
professionals though there is an amateur
association with around 10,000 members.
Relations have been strained between the
two organisations in the past but all is good
now and Thomas introduced me to Marita
Delvert from the amateur group who was a
guest at the convention.
Around half of the Biodlingsfőretagarna
(the name of the professional group) members
had turned out for this conference. More
than last year. The conference programme
was a busy one and the exhibition was well
attended by traders – particularly big ones.
The trade show remained open 24 hours if
attendees wished it and I am told there were
still some customers at stall at 5.30 in the
morning. The Swedish organisation is set up
similar to ours as a not-for-profit company.
Thomas Dahl is the current chairman.
Murray’s talk was entitled Musings of a
Scottish bee farmer. As usual he was most
entertaining with plenty of pictures of the
Unimogs taking bees to the Heather; talk
of how his father set up the business; how
he has made his own unique stamp on the
industry. I then did a presentation on what
makes the BFA tick with particular emphasis
on our success in bringing young people into
the industry. Both talks were well received.
In fact, many did not want Murray to stop
and I was asked back the following morning
to give a second talk about the BFA position
on EU registration proposals. Even our
interpreters seemed to enjoy the occasion.
Bo-Goran and Murray had much to discuss
about their roles in modernising their bee
farming organisation.
The BFA has also been speaking to
Ivan Nielsen, from Denmark, about the
prospects of taking on one of our Rowse/
BFA apprentices for the summer.
Then, in March, a 36-strong party
of BFA members travelled to Madrid for
a three-day fact-finding visit. We had a
packed programme of visits and talks with
much business being done. We even had
time for a lesson in cooking paella during
an apiary visit. We had plenty of time to go
round an extraction plant and a regional bee
laboratory.
Discussions are now under way for our
seven second-year apprentices to work in
New Zealand during next winter. We hope
this will enhance their learning experience
and enable them to bring back new skills and
expertise to their existing employers. Two
of our apprentices – Hannah Reeves, who
works with the London Honey Company,
and Richard Cooper, of Beult House Honey,
– received much praise for a PowerPoint
presentation which they delivered recently
at Harper Adams Agricultural College.
We are now recruiting for our second
intake of apprentices. Four have been signed
up to date. We hope to increase this to
ten including taking on one for Wales. In
addition to our sponsors Rowse Honey, the
Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers,
DEFRA, The Livery Companies Skills
Council, City and Guilds and BJ Sherriff, we
9
have attracted two new sponsors – BeeGood
products and the Waterloo Foundation.
International
Bee Research
Association
New Editor for Bee World
F
rom January this year, Dr Kirsten
Traynor has become the new Editor
of Bee World. Kirsten Traynor has
been an IBRA member for many
years and when appointed she said “I am
honoured to have been selected as editor of
IBRA’s Bee World. The organisation has
always been of interest to me. Eva Crane was
an innovator for the bee industry, helping to
make bee research accessible. In September
2007, only a few days after her death, I
spent one month at the Library of Wales in
Aberystwyth, pouring over the Eva Crane
collection that had recently been transferred
there for safekeeping.   The digital revolution
has made bee research easily accessible to
everyone, but the flood of information can be
a challenge to navigate. I see Bee World much
like a knowledgeable guide, who highlights the
noteworthy landmarks, stimulates discussion
and integrates a sliver of history to bring the
modern world into context. Bees link disparate
individuals across the globe, opening doors
and creating connections. But globalis”ation
has brought new challenges to bee health and
increased the need for an internationally
focused publication that looks across borders
for scientific advancements and solutions.  I
look forward to building on Bee World’s strong
foundation and welcome two-way discussions
on keeping this magazine relevant to today’s
beekeepers and bee scientists”.
Dr Kirsten Traynor
 10 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

Newsround

British Bee Meetings will be held at venues around

the UK to enable as many delegates as
Veterinary possible to attend and meet likeminded
veterinary surgeons and associates. The next
Association meeting is planned for early autumn at the
The Inaugural Meeting National Bee Unit near York. Watch for
John Hill details when they are finalised.
varroa mites and Deformed Wing Virus
on the Hawaiian Islands. The research may
have been carried out in exotic places but the
problem is every way as relevant to us in the
UK. Veterinary surgeons must surely have a
role to play in this vitally important aspect of
ecology and agriculture.

N
After a break for lunch, Prof Steve Martin, Everyone agreed that the day had been
o it wasn’t a hoax! It really
from Salford University, gave a presentation a huge success and were intent on making
was the inaugural meeting
on the history and development of varroa sure that the BBVA would go from strength
of the British Bee Veterinary
mite infection across the globe. Varroosis to strength. Having been instrumental in
Association on April 1st, held
is arguably the most significant infectious getting the Association to this stage, Bob
at the Bristol Veterinary School in Langford.
disease affecting bees worldwide and the Moore expressed a desire to take a back
A letter in the veterinary press resulted in
interaction between this mite, the various seat. The President thanked Bob for his
over a hundred responses from vets keen to
viruses affecting bees, and the change in the tremendous work over last few months
form a Bee Association.
pathogenicity of both, gave a fascinating and proposed that he be made the first Life
Twenty-seven delegates were able to
insight into their effect on bee numbers and Member, which was unanimously agreed.
attend the inaugural meeting, including five
the subsequent impact on a range of plants For further information contact either
non-vets who are involved with apiary work
and trees dependant on bees for pollination. John Hill, President (john.hill3@zen.co.uk);
in its widest aspect. The business of setting
Prof Martin emphasised the globalisation of Keith Baxter, Secretary; or Chris Palgrave,
up a new association was dealt with in the
bees and some of the resultant calamitous Treasurer. A Facebook page will be created
morning session. The name – the British
effects. The audience was treated to an soon and a web site is planned for the near
Bee Veterinary Association – was approved;
account of his ground-breaking work with future.
the rules of the association; categories of
membership; setting of subscription rates
were also unanimously agreed.
The inaugural officers were elected by
unanimous votes. John Hill was elected
President, Keith Baxter became the Secretary
and Chris Palgrave took on the Treasurer’s
role. Six other Councillors were elected,
namely Beverley Cottrell, Catherine Fraser,
Rowena Killick, Robert Thurlow, Suzetta
Cameron and Fiona Maxwell.
It was agreed that Ordinary Members
must hold a registered veterinary degree.
Associate Membership will be open to any
non-vet who wishes to become a member.
The Associate Members will form an
important part of our organisation. There is
a huge amount of experience and knowledge Back row, Chris Palgrave (Hon Treasurer), Keith Baxter (Hon Secretary), John Hill (President), Robert
within the beekeeping community and this Thurlow, & Prof. Steve Martin.
will be of great value to the BBVA. The Front row,
annual subscriptions for Ordinary Members Bob Moore (First Life Member), Suzetta Cameron, Catherine Fraser, Beverley Cottrell & Rowena Killick.
is set at £40 and Associate membership is
£30. Students wishing to join will have
free membership. There was agreement that
veterinary nurses will be a welcome addition
to the membership list in due course.
The principle aims of BBVA are
to provide a forum for discussion and
continuing professional development, based
on science and evidence-based medicine,
for veterinary surgeons with an interest in
bee health and management. Promotion of
education in bee husbandry, disease, science
and the production of honey and other
hive products to the profession will form a
major component of our initial work. Basic
bee knowledge is essential to understanding
the problems associated with bee health
and disease, however, vets with beekeeping
experience are relatively few and far between. Bob Moore, Prof Steve Martin & John Hill.
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 11
Newsround

PESTICIDES Executive Summary Extract:

Critical to assessing the effects of
neonicotinoids on ecosystem services is
their impact on non-target organisms: both
invertebrates and vertebrates, and whether
European Acadamies Science Advisory located in the field or margins, or in soils or
Council Report the aquatic environment.
Ecosystem services, agriculture and
neonicotinoids Here, the Expert Group finds the
A focus on honey bees has distorted the following.
debate around neonicotinoids. 1. There is an increasing body of evidence
that the widespread prophylactic use of
last year was also particularly badly hit
by poor weather, especially high winds.
Beekeepers saw mortality of between 50%
and 80% in regions such as Provence-Alpes,
Côte d’Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Midi-Pyrénées
and Languedoc-Roussillon.
Parasites such as the Asian Hornet now
cover three quarters of France and beekeepers
have attacked Agriculture Minister Stéphane
Le Foll for not acting on a promise to have
them targeted as Class 1 pests.
However, there is a growing number of

B
neonicotinoids has severe negative effects beekeepers with numbers back to 70,000
ut there is more and more
on non-target organisms that provide commercial producers across the country
evidence that widespread use of
ecosystem services including pollination and a rise to 1.3 million hives. This matches
neonicotinoids has severe effects
and natural pest control. the levels seen in 2011.
on a range of organisms that
2. There is clear scientific evidence for Despite falling production in France –
provide ecosystem services like pollination
sublethal effects of very low levels of only the west and Brittany were relatively
and natural pest control, as well as on
neonicotinoids over extended periods on spared by the slump – there is no fall in
biodiversity.
non-target beneficial organisms. These demand as the average consumer in France
Public and political attention has
should be addressed in EU approval eats 600g of honey a year and only one in
focused on whether honey bee colonies
procedures. four does not eat any at all.
are being affected by neonicotinoids. But
3. Current practice of prophylactic usage
studying honey bee colony numbers does
of neonicotinoids is inconsistent with
not show what is happening to the many
the basic principles of integrated pest BEEKEEPING
other species providing the ecosystem
services of pollination, natural pest control,
management as expressed in the EU’s
Sustainable Pesticides Directive.
AWARDS
soil productivity or the underpinning
4. Widespread use of neonicotinoids (as Vita Europe

B
of biodiversity. Honey bees are just one
well as other pesticides) constrains
pollinator - others include bumble bees, eekeeping associations across
the potential for restoring biodiversity
solitary bees, hoverflies, butterflies and the world are invited to enter a
in farmland under the EU’s Agri-
moths. Other pollinators have generally new Vita award for honeybee
environment Regulation.
declined across Europe as honey bee colony health initiatives. The Vita Bee
Further information and pdf of full report:
numbers have fluctuated. Initiative Awards will highlight the vital work
www.easac.eu
In addition, honey bee colony structure of voluntary beekeeping groups to combat
provides a buffer against losses of foragers the ongoing health threats to honeybees and
and workers, which is overlooked by publicise good practice for the benefit of
France Sends Mixed Message. other beekeepers.
many studies looking at the impact of
neonicotinoid use on honey bee colony Colonies Up, Production Down. Winners of the Award will receive
survival. In contrast, bumble bees have Pesticides, Parasites and Bad trophies and equipment such as microscopes
much less buffering capacity - and solitary Weather Blamed to a value of £250 to help them in
bees none at all. Protecting honey bees is not Honey production has dropped to its lowest maintaining healthy honeybee colonies.
enough to ensure sustainable agriculture. level in 20 years and has been halved over Entrants will also receive a limited edition
Some intensive agriculture has become the past three years as bees are dying in booklet highlighting the best projects. Many
reliant on neonicotinoids, with proponents unprecedented numbers: with pesticides projects will also be publicised online for the
arguing that their withdrawal would and parasites being blamed. Last year French benefit of beekeeping communities across
have serious economic and food security hives produced just 10,000 tonnes of honey the world.
implications. However, EASAC notes that and France’s consumption of 40,000 tonnes Jeremy Owen, Sales Director for Vita
some recent research has questioned the was only met by massive imports of honey. (Europe) Ltd, said: “As a honeybee health
benefits of routine use as seed dressing This is a massive drop since 1995 when specialist with distributors across the world,
against occasional or secondary pests. In production was 32,000 tonnes and 20,000 we never cease to be impressed by the
some cases, neonicotinoid use has even in 2011. resourcefulness of beekeepers in countering
made pest problems worse by eliminating Now MPs have voted on an outright ban the series of health threats that have put
insects which provided natural pest control. on certain neonicotinoid pesticides from the honeybee populations at risk in recent
As the EASAC report acknowledges, all start of next year. These damage the honey years. In our travels we have encountered
pesticides involve a balancing act between bee’s nervous system and new research has initiatives to promote healthy honeybees
the desired effect on food production and confirmed they cause a slump in the bee’s and we thought it would be very valuable for
the inevitable risk of collateral damage to performance. The ban was voted against the these activities to gain a wider audience. We
non-target species and the environment. In advice of the government but was a victory are therefore delighted to announce Vita Bee
the case of the neonicotinoids, the increase for the beekeepers’ federation UNAF, which Initiative Awards recognising local honeybee
in scientific knowledge over the last two had called for action to save the industry. health initiatives across the world.”
years suggests that the current balance With pesticides and parasites being The Vita Bee Initiative Awards are open
requires reassessment. largely blamed for the fall in bee numbers, to any beekeeping group, large or small,
 12 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Newsround
in any part of the world. An international
panel of beekeeping experts will adjudicate.
Examples of eligible projects or initiatives
include:
- co-operation of neighbouring beekeepers
to tackle a local or widespread honeybee
health threat
 - schemes such as mentoring to help new
beekeepers with a particular focus on
honeybee health
- providing access to specialist equipment
to identify diseases
- specialist courses, meetings or regular
events to target particular health threats
 - online activities (websites, social media
and/or email groups) addressing health
issues for a particular beekeeping group
- disease identification skills transfer to
young, new or inexperienced beekeepers.
All sorts of initiatives will be eligible, (max 1000 words)
but honeybee health should always be a
significant if not the only focus of the entry.
An indication of successful outcomes will be
beneficial.
The closing date is 10 July 2015. Vita
will announce the winners at Apimondia
2015 in Korea in September.
Entries should be submitted
electronically to the email address provided
on the form; photographs, video, audio
recordings and other supporting material
may also be submitted plus:
- Contact Details
- Name
- Organisation if appropriate
- Address
- Telephone
- Email
- Initiative Title (max 20 words)
- Summary (max 150 words)
- Initiative Outline including aims, who is
involved, timescales, results
NB Additional materials Web links
are preferred, but emailed attachments are
acceptable if they do not exceed 4 MB in total.
Further details from Stephen Fleming
stephen.fleming@palam.co.uk
Beekeeping Book
Shortlisted for
New Zealand
Award
Cliff Van Eaton’s book Manuka: the
Biography of an Extraordinary Honey
published by Exisle Publishing, has been
shortlisted for the 2015 Royal Society of
New Zealand Science Book Prize.The results
of this prestigious award will be announced
this May at the Auckland Writers Festival
the winner receiving a cash prize of NZ
$5 000. www.royalsociety.org.nz/books
 FEDOR LAZUTIN:
In Appreciation of his Contribution to Sustainable
Beekeeping Throughout the World

Each year, Fedor Lazutin planted over 100 acres of wildflowers for his bees.
All photos by Fedor Lazutin (except where stated)

Keeping Bees With a Smile only about Fedor Lazutin’s plot. Inspired to lift a super. You can pull honey from
by Dr Leo Sharashkin by his example others had followed suit one end of the hive without disturbing the
and created an eco-neighborhood of some brood chamber on the other, minimising

F
or many, beekeeping begins with eighty families who shared the desire to disturbance.
the hives. For others it begins with work together and restore the Earth ‒ just You can even remove old dark
the bees. For Fedor Lazutin it as bees do. comb from the brood chamber without
began with a smile, and a vision. encountering a single bee. To achieve this,
Leaving the city in the early 2000’s he Beekeeping without sugar or splits early in the season close the entrance of

F
leased some 100 hectares of abandoned edor’s bee yard drew visitors your horizontal hive and open another on
agricultural fields sown in forage grasses ‒ a from around the world. He the opposite end. The bees will move their
desert in the bees’ eyes. His family built a never fed his bees sugar, did not brood nest there ‒ closer to the fresh air and
small cabin and started planting hundreds treat against disease or parasites, the influx of nectar and pollen. Late in the
of different species of trees, shrubs, and inspected the brood nest only once per year fall, when the bees form the winter cluster,
wildflowers beneficial to the bees. ‒ and joked that it was one time too many. you are able to remove the abandoned old
Fedor was deriving tremendous In his hundred beautiful peaked-roof hives, dark comb and the bees won’t even notice.
satisfaction from it all, and wrote in Keeping he never had to locate the queen ‒ not even
Natural beekeeping that works

W
Bees With a Smile: “The magnificent once. In his entire beekeeping career he did
linden trees stand to this very day as a not make a single split, relying instead on hen one of my Ozark
living reminder of the good people who natural swarming. Many other things we neighbours heard that I
planted them so long ago. What else take for granted (like queen excluders or wanted to follow a similar
could serve as such a beautiful memory of buying package bees) he had no use for in natural approach with my
a human being?” his apiary. bees in southern Missouri, he had a nervous
When I visited his homestead in 2010 it Fedor was bringing back the tradition laugh. “You can’t keep bees naturally
was hard to believe that the lush landscape of keeping bees in single-box horizontal anymore. I fumigate all my hives every fall,
drowning in flowers and filled with the buzz hives, and perfected his techniques to a fine and even then half of them don’t survive
of the bees had been a barren old field just art. With the horizontal hive layout, you until spring. Imagine what will happen if
a few years earlier. And this was true not have access to all frames without having you don’t treat!”
The bee-friendly horizontal hives of Fedor Lazutin’s design are well-insulated and minimize the keeper’s intervention in the life of the bee colony.
However, my own experiences with
horizontal hives and natural beekeeping are
those of healthy bees and joy. Swarm traps
work remarkably well, and horizontal hives
are easy enough for my 5-year-old boy to
manage. I am very grateful to Fedor Lazutin
for introducing me to Keeping Bees With
a Smile and the natural method. I am in
touch with beekeepers the world over who
share this sentiment.
I had 100% colony survival rate in the
winter of 2013-14, and 80% survival rate
in this past winter of 2014-15 (well above
the state average of 50%) ‒ all without ever
treating my bees. I do not think I could
have comparable results using conventional
methods.
Not to mention that I now get to
climb into trees (to hang swarm traps) and
puff dandelions ‒ simple things we love as
children but then forget when we grow into
“serious adults” with mortgage bills and jobs
and the state of the world to worry about.
To me, the rediscovery of the smile through
natural beekeeping is even more valuable
than the honey and the other hive products
that my bees bring.
To celebrate Fedor Lazutin’s
life work, his comprehensive book
Keeping Bees With a Smile: A Vision
and Practice of Natural Apiculture
is available to BKQ readers with
a 10% discount ‒ visit www.
HorizontalHive.com and use
promotional code TENSMILES
when you check out. Discount good
through 31 August 2015.
Dr. Leo Sharashkin lives on a
homestead in south-central Missouri
where he catches feral swarms and
keeps bees treatment-free in a variety
of horizontal hives. He is regular
contributor to The Beekeepers
Quarterly and American Bee Journal
and teaches natural beekeeping
courses around the country. His
website (with free hive plans): www.
HorizontalHive.com
“If the bees could write a book review they would be screaming ‘Yay yay yay, finally, a book
that makes sense for us!’” - a review of Keeping Bees With a Smile on Amazon.
 16 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

sustainable beekeeping

Misha Lazutin, now 12, helping at his father’s apiary.

The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 17
sustainable beekeeping

Top left and above: Lena Lazutin with her little son Afonya
midst the blooming glory of their permaculture homestead.

The Lazutin frame is now produced by a number

of Russian bee equipment manufacturers. Its
large dimensions (43,5 cm long by 47 cm deep,
37 mm spacing on-center) offers twice as much
uninterrupted comb surface compared to a deep
Langstroth frame, facilitates strong spring buildup
and helps produce very strong colonies.
 18 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
sustainable beekeeping
Fedor Lazutin relied on swarms
as the primary method for
increasing his apiary.
Swarming for health
F
or me personally one of the
most fascinating aspects of Fedor
Lazutin’s beekeeping approach
was the respect for bees’ swarming
instinct as a core requirement for a healthy
colony.
Just two hundred years ago in Russia
there was a curse: “let that your bees don’t
swarm”. Lack of swarming was seen as a
big calamity, and today many beekeepers
and bee researchers come full circle to the
conclusion that natural swarming ‒ through
interruption of the brood cycle and other
mechanisms ‒ is a natural control for Varroa
and a great contributor to colony health.
Spreading the word
A
bee in the hive works until the
very last moment contributing
to the common wealth and
perpetuation of her colony. Very
similarly, Fedor Lazutin continued to travel
and inspire others with his bee-friendly
beekeeping ‒ for as long as his wings could
carry him.
In October 2014 ‒ just four months
before his passing ‒ Fedor came all the
way from Russia to the USA and made
presentations to hundreds of people
across the country. His comprehensive
natural beekeeping course in Rockbridge,
Missouri, attracted people from all over
the US, Canada, even from Europe, and
we walked away greatly enriched with the
understanding of the beekeeping alternatives
available to us all.
And looking at my hives teeming
with bees this spring, I could not help the
feeling that Fedor Lazutin continues to live
through all the bee colonies that would
otherwise have perished without his insight
into the ways of healthful and sustainable Fedor Lazutin in Missouri, October 2014.
beekeeping. (Photo by Leo Sharashkin)
The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 19
sustainable beekeeping

Swarm traps are an easy way to get started in beekeeping with free local bees, or to increase your apiary.
Latest research confirms local feral bees may have greater disease resistance than commercial strains.
 20 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
sustainable beekeeping
Things I like about Fedor Lazutin’s
Horizontal Hives
by James Roe, Bourbon Honey
Farm, Bourbon, Missouri USA
jroe@jamesroe.com
I
met Fedor Lazutin when he
visited Missouri and spoke to the
annual meeting of the Missouri
State Beekeepers Association in
October 2014. Dr. Leo Sharashkin
(www.HorizontalHive.com) interpreted his
talk for the mostly English-speaking audience
but I found him quite approachable in one-
on-one conversation. I purchased the English
version of his book Keeping Bees With a Smile
at the meeting and had read most of it before
the meeting was over. Subsequently I have
read it three times as I wanted to master his
concepts and techniques for application in
my own apiary.
For a brief review, I found his book to be
eminently readable, his scholarship regarding
early and different ideas and practices
of beekeeping and his way of integrating
all these ideas into a practical method of
keeping bees to be just what I wanted. His
lucid rationale for the way he developed
his successful beekeeping operation at his
(for me) extreme northern location enabled
me to confidently adapt his system to my
latitude (38 deg N).
The distinct convenience of the horizontal
hive set on legs at a comfortable height,
requiring no lifting or shifting about of boxes
is the first thing one notices about Lazutin’s
design. But it is the management advantages
that convinced me to embrace his ideas in my
own operations. These management practices
are derived from fundamental understandings
of bees and their behavior. In particular I
note: the importance of using locally adapted
bees, not interfering with the brood nest
during the Summer and allowing the bees to
arrange their nest for the Winter according to
their evolutionary development and the ease
with which the size of the hive can be adjusted
according to the immediate needs of the bees.
This last is particularly important because
I have experienced, and noticed it is a great
problem for other “vertical” beekeepers, the
doubts and uncertainties as to when to add
more space.
I have a great respect and admiration of
Lazutin’s vision of natural apiculture, but I
am willing to adopt and adapt at least some
of the “conventional” practices in my own
operations. Thus, I plan to re-queen rather
than wait for swarming (from locally adapted
stock). I will make splits as needed for increase.
And I will feed sugar syrup when I don’t have
honey, especially when establishing new
colonies from nucs or small splits. I do hold
firmly to the belief that chemical treatments
in the hive are not the way to deal with mites.
Another great thing about horizontal hives: they are remarkably easy to build. Cut a board
in four sections, connect it on screws, and the box is ready. (James Roe)
For just a brief description of my
modifications for my latitude and winters,
I have decided on standard Langstroth deep
frames in a box holding 30 or 32 frames.
I have found plenty of evidence of single
depth deep boxes successfully over-wintering
, especially if the bees have been allowed
to arrange their winter stores without
interference (ie, late Autumn inspections). I
also weigh all of my hives to be certain they
contain sufficient stores and to check them
during the Winter. Here in mid-Missouri,
we are somewhat fortunate in that we usually
have at least short periods in February and
March that are warm enough for the bees to
make cleansing flights and to open the hives
to add more stores if necessary.
Some of the minor advantages that
rapidly become evident to the beekeeper
who starts with horizontal hives include
being able to store extra frames in the box
while the colony is constricted in the Winter
and early Spring and using the fact that the
division board has a bee space below it which
allows the bees to find a syrup feeder in the
unoccupied side of the hive (thus, inside the
box and easily replaced as the bees are under
the quilt and not disturbed at all by removing
the cover).
For free horizontal hive plans and more
information on Keeping Bees With a Smile
and Natural Beekeeping methods visit:
www.HorizontalHive.com
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
sustainable beekeeping
My Initial Experience of Fedor
Lazutin’s Beekeeping Concept
David Heaf
www.bee-friendly.co.uk
david@dheaf.plus.com
I
was introduced to Fedor Lazutin’s
hive and its management through
being invited to review his Keeping
Bees with a Smile for BKQ (No.
114). I was impressed by his largely natural
beekeeping method: minimal interference,
no sugar feeding or acaricides, and colony/
queen reproduction by natural swarming.
His double-walled insulated hive design
– based on a long, deep, cavernous trough
– suggests that colonies in it would be well
shielded from the extremes of environmental
conditions more prevalent in eastern Europe
where trough hives are more common.
To me, only Lazutin’s use of foundation
seemed to depart from naturalness, but it
Top-view of modified Lazutin hive. (David Heaf)
understandable because of the huge tall-
format Dadant-width frames of his hive.
For some time I had been wanting to try
an (ERB) (1), a trough hive developed
by Mellifera e.V. in Germany, (2) but I had
not been able to find the necessary portrait-
format Dadant frames at a reasonable price.
So instead I decided to try out a Lazutin
hive, albeit modified to suit my resources.
I chose National top-bars, which I had in
stock, rather than the Dadant top-bars that
Lazutin uses, and made 450 mm deep side
bars to fit, together with a bottom bar. That
frame size determined the trough width and
depth. For the double walls I used plywood
inside and out, separated by an internal
frame width of 2” (nominal) timber. I made
the walls long enough to fit 25 frames into
the trough. Despite my choosing a narrower
frame than Lazutin’s, were all of mine to
be filled with comb, the total comb surface
area measured in hive brood boxes full of
21
comb would be equivalent to that of four
Langstroths, five Nationals or seven and a
half Warrés.
For wall insulation, instead of using
polystyrene, I chose dried reeds, and this on
the basis that my climate here in Wales is a
lot less severe than in eastern Europe. For
top insulation I used a Warré ‘quilt’, a 100
mm deep frame filled with planer shavings
retained with hessian. The quilt rests on a
Warré-style top-bar cloth placed on the
frame top-bars.
The roof has eaves and gable ventilation
under an aluminium top. The hive is
supported on four legs screwed to the sides.
The slide-out floorboard has an entrance
notch positioned at the centre of a long
side and fitted with an alighting board. In
normal use the floor is pressed tight against
the bottom rim of the trough with four
wedges.
A key feature of the ERB that I also wanted
in my Lazutin hive is its uninterrupted
brood nest. However, as I also wanted combs
uninterrupted by wire, I decided to use comb
side supports comprising 75 mm lengths of
6 mm bamboo skewer inserted horizontally
into holes in the side bars. This resulted in
an approximately 200 mm wide clear run
of comb from the top to the bottom of the
frame. Each frame was fitted with 20 mm
deep starter-strips of foundation clamped in
the wedge of the National top-bars.
Frames compared. (David Heaf)
A 2.2kg prime swarm was run into the
hive in mid-May 2014. The colony built
comb on seven frames during 2015. On
most frames the combs did not grow to more
than about three quarters of the available
depth. The nest area was equivalent to about
12 National brood frames. However, on
inspection it looked a vigorous colony. By
mid-July the colony had apparently swarmed
again. There was no brood, far fewer bees and
four hatched queen cells. By early August
there was a good sized brood area again.
By late September the stores were estimated
at only 7 kg, so were supplemented by
feeding a sugar-honey mixture to achieve a
weight of 9kg, the safe minimum found for
my Warré colonies.
Running in a swarm. (David Heaf)
At the time of writing (mid-March 2015)
the colony is building up satisfactorily. Its
continued progress is reported on a web
page (3). Harvesting honey in such hives is
done by the individual frame, so there are no
boxes to lift. With a centre entrance, there
are two honey storage areas, one at each end
of the brood nest. I am considering moving
the entrance to one end, as is the method of
several ERB beekeepers, in order to simplify
honey management. The frames are too big
for my extractor, so honey will be extracted
by crush and strain followed by pressing
the comb. As with all my colonies, there
is no Varroa treatment. My average winter
loss rate over eight winters is 19%, and the
average colony age 41 months.
I do not practise swarm control, only
swarm management. Lazutin reported that
his colonies were so reluctant to swarm that
in order to force them to swarm and so get
natural queen/colony reproduction he had
to restrict the brood nest. Although he did
not use swarm control, a trough hive lends
itself to controlling swarming via splits
using the same box and a division board.
Colonies can later be united with the help of
a perforated division board.
Could Lazutin’s hive be of interest to
UK beekeepers? Maybe its cost would be
a deterrent. The hive is far better insulated
than would normally be considered
necessary for the UK climate, and thus
needs more wood and greater complexity of
construction. I managed to make mine for
the cost of top bars, fixings and paint, as the
rest of the wood was reclaimed from refuse
wood destined for power stations. Few UK
beekeepers would be in a position to match
that cost saving. The nearest equivalent hive
made in the UK is a double-walled western
red cedar ERB complete with frames which
costs about £605 plus delivery (4). Even a
single-walled modified ERB in Weymouth
pine including frames imported from
Germany to the UK costs about €375 plus
€80 delivery (5).
The author would be interested in being
contacted by anyone trying out Lazutin’s hive
concept and wishing to share experiences or
gather information.
References
(1). www.dheaf.plus.com/framebeekeeping/
modified_einraumbeute.htm
(2). www.mellifera.de
(3). www.dheaf.plus.com/framebeekeeping/
oneboxhive.htm
(4). Matt Somerville,
http://www.workingwood.net
www.beekindhives.co.uk
(5). www.einraumbeute.de
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 23
BEE BREEDINGbeekeeping
sustainable

An outer comb in June. (David Heaf)

 24 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
BEEKEEPING CONGRESSES
From Apimondia to Apislavia
Vasyl Priyatelenko (1), Victor Fursov (2), Elena Ilienko (1)
(1)  Private Beekeeping Enterprise, Zherdova, Brovarskiy region, Kiev District, 07440, Ukraine.
E-mail: 10081975@ukr.net
(2) Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Street 15,
Kiev, 01601, Ukraine.
E-mail: ufensia@gmail.com
P
robably everyone who is
interested in beekeeping knows
about the Apimondia and
Apislavia Beekeeping Congresses.
Apimondia is an international beekeeping
organisation which includes more than 100
beekeepers’ unions all around the world.
Apislavia, however, was originally managed
by representatives of several Slavic countries,
but today it also involves other countries
such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, Georgia and
many others. Both Apimondia and Apislavia
Congresses are held every two years; so every
year one of these conferences is held.
The 43rd International Apicultural
Congress Apimondia took place in the
Ukrainian capital, the city of Kiev on
September 29th – October 04th 2013, in
which we were participants and presented
our work. On November 04th – 9th 2014
we also participated in the 10th Apislavia
Congress which was arranged concurrently
with the 4th International Mugla Beekeeping
& Pine Honey Congress in Oludeniz,
Mugla Province, in Turkey. Here we would
like to share our experiences and even a
kind of comparison, of course, without any
claim of a deep analysis of all the work of
the Congresses, but discuss some questions
which are of closer interest to the ordinary
participant.
The 10th Apislavia Congress was well
organised with a complex range of activities,
to the primary merit of the Turkish people.
There was comfortable accommodation
in the Liberty Lykia Hotel complex, with
excellent facilities for exhibitions, and rooms
with equipment for reports and so on. At this
time of year the weather was so pleasant in
the region, which certainly contributed to
the fruitful work of the participants and for
those who came to the Congress with a study
trip or as accompanied person.
We noticed that both the Apimondia
and Apislavia Congresses are conducted in
similar ways. Firstly, there is the exhibition
of manufacturers of various beekeeping
equipment, tools, protective clothing,
medications, books, etc: in general, everything
connected with beekeeping. Certainly, the
level and range of the exposition of the 43rd
Congress of Apimondia was significantly
higher than was presented at the 20th
Congress of Apislavia, though there was
plenty enough to make the event interesting
for beekeepers.
Secondly, an important part of all
Congresses is the presentations and published
reports of the participants. Whilst the
Abstracts of Apimondia 2013 in Ukraine
were published in book form and contained
the work of many authors, the Abstracts
were of only one page or even less, being
made available only to those who paid the
very high cost of the registration fee (i.e. 150
Euro), and, unfortunately, many Abstracts
were not accepted for publication. The
Abstracts of Apislavia 2014, however, in
Turkey, were easily published on DVD only,
and even included some long papers, and
they were translated in English, Turkish and
Russian. Fortunately, there was no expensive
registration fee for the Apislavia Congress.
On the first day in Turkey, the opening
ceremony and presentations of the Congress
were held in the large hall, where we also
made our report. Further reports were held
in two smaller halls - many of which were
presented by Turkish participants. There
were also two large halls with many colourful
posters in English and Turkish. There was
easy access to comfortable exhibition halls
with commercial stands, where poster
presentations and meetings with colleagues
and experts took place.
This contrasted strongly with the
Apimondia Congress in Kiev where all the
presentations and posters were done inside
two separate huge buildings with large
halls. Unfortunately, some participants
never found the second building and thus
were unable to see some of the important
posters. No “marks”, “labels’ or “arrows” were
done to direct visitors to the appropriate
places. Additionally, Ukrainian, Russian and
Byelorussian participants were allocated a
place in the farthest hall for their exhibition
called “Innovation Space”. Unfortunately,
these innovations and reports were seen by
only a small audience of devoted beekeepers
and experts who found the area by chance. In
our opinion, this subdivision wasn’t justified
and all reports should have been carried out
in the same large hall. It is very necessary
to have a more careful and justifiable
approach to the selection of presentations.
For sure, reports should include really
innovative topics that are always interesting
for all beekeepers and experts, though some
advantage should be given to those of the host
country of the Congress. We think that the
process of selection of all reports concerning
“innovations” should be done by the
Organising Committee - there should be no
difficulties if one of the main criteria included
the authors’ work having been published
in authoritative and refereed beekeeping
journals or had attracted significant interest
in other media channels.
Apimondia’s traditional events include
special competitions and awards for the best
honey, photos, books and journals about
beekeeping as well as a special contest to
choose a “Honey Queen”. In 2013 in Kiev,
the young lady from Turkey was elected as
the “Honey Queen” for that Congress and
the winners in each of the competition classes
received bronze, silver and gold medals.
The winners of the best honey contest
in Turkey each received a very attractive,
unique, golden “Oscar-looking” statuette of
a beekeeper, wearing protective clothing and
with a frame of harvested honey. Additionally,
some famous and devoted beekeepers received
their special, very nice honorary boards.
Whilst we understand that there is a need
to collect funding through sponsorship for
Congresses - as well as for the activities of the
governing bodies themselves, this commercial
aspect should not get in the way of the true
goals of the Congresses. We think that, first
of all, beekeepers from all countries expect to
see, hear and know new ideas in the field of
beekeeping.
At the same time, we understand
very well how it’s difficult to assess the
technological innovations in the field of
beekeeping technology. The outcome here
can’t be easily visible through a simple start
of the unit through the press of one button,
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
BEEkeeping congresses
Apislavia Congress Hall
Vasyl_Dochinets, Sinan Uygun (Kovansan Co) and Rashad Anakishiev -
at the stand promoting long hives with round combs
with the exception of the manufacture of
equipment. It requires more than one year of
active beekeeping to obtain and to estimate
the results of some innovations, for example,
such as a new beehive design and new
methods of working with honeybee colonies.
A good example of this would be the hive
of Roger Delon, which was widely publicised
primarily through Apimondia Congresses.
In general, we think that only new and
convenient combinations of a hive’s size and
frames were proposed in this hive, but it
has no significant innovations related to the
biology of honeybee colony. We consider that
in beekeeping many proposed innovations
are just wishful suggestions or insignificant
improvements. It needs a specific professional,
beekeeping and scientific approach to assess
proposed innovations.
It’s obvious that there are respectable
and experienced people in the governing
bodies of Apimondia and Apislavia and
among organizers of Congresses. However,
we understand that they can’t be fully
competent in all aspects of the beekeeping
industry and be able to evaluate all the
proposed beekeeping innovations. Probably,
it’s necessary to create a competent expert
Congress’ Committee, which could evaluate
innovations in beekeeping technologies
which will undoubtedly raise the authority
of Apimondia and Apislavia thus making
Turkish Beekeeping Company Macahel with their nucs
Apimaye Company’s beehives
the Congresses much more interesting and
valuable for both the public and beekeeping
experts.
We think that the Congresses of
Apislavia and Apimondia are meetings of the
National beekeeping unions and beekeeping
associations, but it seems that the opinion
of ordinary members aren’t always taken
into the account during the formation of
their governing bodies. The President of
Apimondia, Gilles Ratia also participated
in the work of 20th Apislavia Congress in
Turkey, but it was our impression that he
wasn’t fully satisfied with the event.
At the Apislavia Congress the group
of beekeepers from Ukraine was quite
numerous (over 30 people), moreover about
30 other countries were represented, and
over 2000 Turkish participants and nearly
50 Turkish beekeeping companies took
part. Unfortunately, the organising of the
Apimondia Congress in Kiev didn’t unite
Ukrainian beekeeping associations, but only
led to their confrontation. It is possibly
for this reason that those in attendance in
Turkey were in small separate groups, which
didn’t represent all the existing and active
beekeeping associations, the official institutes
nor the NGOs in Ukraine.
We were also in our small beekeeping team
(Vasyl Priyatelenko & Victor Fursov). We
made a mutual presentation and poster about
25
innovative beekeeping technology of effective
beekeeping by the use of a specially modified
three-storey beehive with unique metal
‘n’-shaped top bars, or Vasyl Priyatelenko’s
beehive. It was quite expensive to manage a
separate stand so we worked with a limited set
of visual materials (original new comb frames
and a poster). We consider that our report at
the 20th Congress of Apislavia was successful
and useful, because it has been presented as
one of the first among others, and it aroused
a great deal of interest among the audience
and organisers of the Congress. This being
the case, we focused on the dialogues with
representatives of beekeeping associations and
societies from different countries, including
Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland,
Germany, USA, China, Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Byelorussia and others.
We were pleased to find some encouraging
prospects of mutual cooperation, particularly
with representatives from Turkey, Kazakhstan
and Poland. There is a great hope that it will
be possible to manage some active practical
steps forward to our mutual collaboration.
Some beekeepers, scientists and experts
expressed the intention of visiting our apiary
in Ukraine. We are ready to introduce to our
colleagues our proposed new beekeeping
technology and to show the effective practical
work of honeybee colonies in our new
bee hives.
 26 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
BEEkeeping congresses
Finnish Juhani Waara - Paradise Company.
Vasyl Priyatelenko informing delegates about the
frames used in his new hive.
Turkish Host-Beekeepers - the family of Hasan Guresci.
Ukarainian beekeepers Alex Komissar and Vasyl
Dochinets with Turkish Organisers. (Photos by
Viktor Fursov)
Vasyl Priyatelenko with his poster presentation.
Victor Fursov and Vasyl Priyatelenko - in the
background hives used for transportation to
pine forests to collect honeydew produced by
Marchalina hellenica.
Oscar Winner from Kyrgyzstan.
We had a very pleasant impression
after our personal communication with the
President of Apislavia, Dr Tadeusz Sabat
(Poland), with Professor Muhsin Dogaroglu
(Turkey) and   Mr. Cristian Constantinescu
(Apimondia, Romania), Mr Zia Falcon
(President of Mugla Beekeeper’s Association
(MAYBIR), Turkey), Mr.  Bahri Yilmaz 
(President of Central Union of Turkish
Beekeepers). We offered them the chance to
become acquainted with our new beeeeping
technology. We also hope to receive some
support in our activities.
We also want to highlight a coverage of
Apislavia events by the public media. Almost
all the time the work of Apislavia Congress
was covered by several Turkish TV channels.
Unfortunately, it was not the case at the
Apimondia Congress in Kiev in 2013. After
Apimondia and Apislavia many participants,
including us, published some materials and
reviews in beekeeping journals and on the
Internet. For example, now many of our
videos from both of them are available on
YouTube.
Knowing the specifics of people who
are engaged in beekeeping and their great
interest in new publications, we hope and
wish that specialized beekeeping journals
and newspapers would pay more attention
to beekeeping Congresses. In Kiev, Ukraine,
some representatives of international journals
attended the 43rd Congress of Apimondia,
but still very few (unfortunately “BKQ” was
not there either). But we did not see them
at all in Mugla, where only one beekeeping
newspaper “Aricilik” and one local journal
“Aricinin” from Turkey were represented.
The technical tour at the end of the
Apislavia Congress was very interesting. It
was a visit to the apiaries in the forest near
Oludeniz, Turkey, where honeydew pine
honey is traditionally harvested due to the
activities of the unique coccids, Marchalina
hellenica, living on red pine trees. What did
we see? Actually, there were a lot of small
hives, with only 10-12 frames with a height
of 230 mm, which are convenient for warm
Turkey but where honeybee colonies would
not survive in other harsher climates. It was
interesting to know that Turkish beekeepers
with these small hives are able to apply for
government support and receive small grants
of about 4.00 US $ per colony annually.
Very encouragingly, we found a really
great interest for beekeeping in Turkey, where
the 45th Congress of Apimondia will be
held in 2017. We hope that in expectancy of
this event all other beekeeping activities will
contribute to real progress in the beekeeping
industry and beekeeping research in Turkey.
The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 27
�ora�in� �ines
28 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

Dr Margaret Couvillon

Making the most of drone cells:

workers tune their honey storage
behaviour with the season

Drone comb built around the edges of worker comb. Normally, about 17% of a comb will be made up of drone cells. (J Phipps)

A
ll organisms are faced with the
same goals of survival, growth,
and reproduction; and for most
organisms, the resources needed
to accomplish these goals are limited so
that the organism is constantly confronted
with trade-offs. For example, should the
limited resource (e.g., calories) be allocated
to growth so that the organism gains in size
at the expense, perhaps, of reproduction, or
should all the eggs, as it were, be placed in
the single, proverbial, reproductive basket?
Such trade-offs oftentimes extend past
the organism itself, particularly when the
organism constructs elaborate structures
that take time and energy and also are
involved in survival or reproduction.
Richard Dawkins referred to such structures
as an extended phenotype (Dawkins, 1982).
A female golden-silk orb weaver spider
uses her precious energy and time (e.g.,
resources) to build her nest, which is crucial
for her survival and growth; however, the
resources are then not available to make her
egg sac, which is crucial for her reproduction
(Rainer, 2010).
One of the most interesting tasks of
a behavioural ecologist is to tease apart
the relative importance of the organisms’
options in these trade-offs, thus allowing us
a small glimpse into the “brilliance” that the
evolutionary machinery imparts. In other
words, we often assume that the organism,
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 29

which, in the case of the honey bee, has had
many, many, many millions of years to evolve
optimal solutions to problems, including the
successful allocation of limited resources.
Our job is to understand the process.
A recent paper looks at the honey bee
colony’s use of drone comb, which is a
limited resource in the colony, and how the
use flexibly and successfully changes with the
season (Smith et al., 2015). It turns out that
honey bees have figured out a behavioural
mechanism to get the most out of their
drone comb.
Drone comb shares the hexagonal shape
of the usual worker cells, but at 6.4mm in
wall-to-wall dimensions, they are slightly
larger than a worker cell (5.2mm). The
larger size of the cell generates a larger drone,
although small drones can develop in the
regular-sized cell (Couvillon et al., 2010).
A typical honey bee comb will contain
approximately 17% drone comb (Seeley
and Morse, 1976). When the drone cells are
not busy protecting the next generation of
developing boys, they can also be used for
honey storage; however, the two activities
are mutually exclusive, and if a drone cell is
allocated for drone growing (reproduction),
it cannot be used for honey storage (survival).
Of course, the importance of drone
growing changes throughout the year. It is
most important to make drones when it is
likely that the drones will go on to greatness,
and by greatness, I mean a shot at mating
with a virgin queen. So in temperate regions
during the spring and early summer, when
swarming is most probable and virgins
are abundant, the colony will display peak
drone production time. (Winston, 1991).
However, as summer wanes into autumn,
and the likelihood of a drone actualizing his
reproductive destiny correspondingly drops,
the colony will also stop allocating resources
into drone production. What is not known,
however, is if these seasonal changes in
drone production can be correlated with
behavioural choices in drone cell usage.
Every month from April to September,
Smith et al. took two empty frames – one
side of drone comb and the other side of
worker comb – and filled them with sugar
solution (e.g., to simulate honey). The
frames were inserted into a hive between
frames of brood but above a queen excluder.
Two weeks later, the researchers recovered
the frames and determined the proportion of
cells – once filled with sugar solution – that
were spanking clean. They hypothesized that
during the time of year when making drones
is advantageous for the colony, there will be
a greater proportion of sugary drone comb
cells that are cleaned (to make way for a new
baby boy egg) compared to sugary worker
comb cells; conversely, they hypothesized
that this would not be true at a time of year
when it is not advantageous for the colony to
make drones (Smith et al., 2015).
And that was exactly what they saw.
During the spring and early summer,
the workers busily cleaned out a greater
proportion of drone cells compared to the
other side of worker cells. However, by July,
any difference in clean drone vs clean worker
cells disappeared. These results provide the
first compelling evidence that honey bee
workers adaptively adjust where honey is
stored in the nest as a function of season
(Smith et al., 2015). The behaviour allows
the honey bees to make optimal use of a
limited resource – the drone comb – in a way
that maximizes drone production only at a
time when it is useful for the colony to do so.
Of course, as with most interesting
research, more questions arise than answers.
How is it that a honey bee worker, who
herself may only live 30-40 days (Seeley,
1985), know that season she is experiencing
if she cannot compare seasonal differences?
Are the workers detecting season directly,
especially given that most involved in cell
cleaning are young enough that they haven’t
yet transitioned to foraging and have only
ever lived inside a hive? Alternatively,
perhaps the nurse workers are ignorant of
season, but are responding to some other cue
from the hive about whether or not it is time
to rear drones. Either way, as usual, the bees
have figured out a simple, elegant solution to
an age-old problem.
References
Couvillon, M.J., Hughes, W.O.H., Perez-Sato,
J.A., Martin, S.J., Roy, G.G.F., and Ratnieks,
F.L.W. (2010). Sexual selection in honey bees:
colony variation and the importance of size in
male mating success. Behav Ecol 21, 520-525.
Dawkins, R. (1982). The Extended Phenotype.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rainer, F. (2010). The Biology of Spiders.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Seeley, T.D. (1985). Honeybee ecology: a study
of adaptation in social life. Princeton University
Press.
Seeley, T.D., and Morse, R.A. (1976). The nest
of of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Insectes
Sociaux 23, 495-512.
Smith, M.L., Ostwald, M.M., and Seeley,
T.D. (2015). Adaptive tuning of an extended
phenotype: honeybees seasonally shift their
honey storage to optimize male production.
Animal Behaviour 103, 29-33.
Winston, M.L. (1991). The biology of the honey
bee. Harvard University Press.

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 30 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
BEEKEEPING DEVELOPMENT
The Gambia: A Beekeeping Experience
Geoff Hopkinson BEM NDB
Gambia: Area - 4,361 sq miles;
Population: 1,534,000;
Capital: Banjual;
Currency: Dalasi;
Religions: Sunni Muslim, Protestant;
Languages: English, Malinke, Fulani, Wolof.
(Times Atlas of the World)
The Gambian Bee Project is a sub-set of the work carried out by the Wonder Years of Excellence (WYCE) in the village of Medina
Salem in the Kombo South region, originally focusing on the school started 11 years ago by couple from Wednesbury in the
West Midlands. Since that time, a clinic, a tree nursery plus a Mums and Toddlers group, started by Wendy Healey in 2009, have emerged.
As well as the school, clinic and tree nursery there is a popular Mums and Toddlers Group.
T
he Bee Farm was started from
nothing apart from some empty
donated hives of two designs:
Kenyan Top Bar and Dadant
hives. A group of South Staffs beekeepers
and their wives made a visit there in October
2011, with another group visiting in March
of this year. Essex beekeeper, Clive de Bruyn
was a welcome addition to the October
trip. Starting in 2005, the donated hives
were cleaned and baited and were quickly
occupied. A shade area, a bee-house and
Map of Gambia
perimeter fence were constructed while a
training group produced full-time bee farm
manager.
The aim is to produce honey for sale
in a number of places to local villagers and
already the Medina Salaam honey is being
presented, labelled, in good containers and
is far superior to that sold locally in recycled
water bottles.
Future plans include co-operation with
other beekeeping groups in Gambia, shops,
hotels and volunteers. The project has been
Flag of Gambia
Coat of Arms of Gambia
generously supported since its inception by
donors in the UK and the aim is for the bee
farm to help to finance the village school.
Wax candles, soap and creams are also for
sale. There also exist opportunities to inter-
change with other groups in the area.
The 2014 group were able provide new
plane irons for the existing workshop planes,
plus a sharpening stone and a marking gauge.
The perceived need was to turn out long hive
top bars, 32 mm wide, and thus achieving a
degree of standardisation. In the meantime,
the resident beekeepers Yankouba and Zulio
were assisted in the preparation of wax strips
for the top of the top bars, this again being
an aid with a subsequent reduction of cross-
combing.
There is one significant feature in the
beekeeping, due to the nature of the bees
themselves. Being of lively nature and with
that undesirable trait of ‘following’, the
proximity of the school makes after-dark
apiary work with lamps the most feasible
management strategy. That and the practice
of hoisting up the hives into trees to combat
the termite invasions comes as shock to the
volunteers on their first visit.
The idea of a compost heap was put
forward some time ago by WYCE but being
made of timber, the termites soon demolished
the corner stakes. The construction of a large
concrete block compost bin was the answer.
Those were made in the village where a 50
kilo bag of cement costs abut £5. The use
of well-rotted compost dug into the dry
sandy soil of the area should pay dividends
in terms of increased fertility and as an aid to
water conservation.
A heartening development in the past
year has been the launching of a Young
Farmers Club but with a sub-set of Young
Beekeepers, who are now being kitted out
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
BEEkeeping development
Geoff Hopkinson at the WYCE Bee Farm. Due to their aggressive nature,
the bees need to be examined during darkness.
The hives are hoisted up into the tree canopy. at the WYCE Bee Farm.
31
with protective clothing.
The British beekeeper exists within a
post-industrial society, within a maritime
climate and, unless blessed with some time
spent in the tropics, they can have little
comprehension of the extremes within
which some races exist.
The weather and pests and diseases
are fundamental issues to be faced by all
beekeepers but in Gambia, the role call
would be for wax moth, small hive beetle,
snakes, lizards, termites and ants.
A westerner’s perception of the overall
problem, although probably combined with
a certain naivety, is as follows:
If a localised and comparatively
simple project can be upgraded and
extended, using locally manufactured
materials, then such an expansion could
be readily absorbed without altering or
degrading long-established ecological
systems.
Within such a hypothesis, the role of
women is extremely important, in view of
their existing control of many family food-
producing enterprises. When built into the
principals of women’s co-operatives and
enterprises and when allied to adult literacy
schemes, then the prospect of uplifting
depressed communities by virtue of financial
stability linked with viable marketing
schemes is a very real one indeed. The all
 32 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

BEEkeeping development

The straw-topped hive is suspended to avoid ant and termite damage.

Bait hive 10m up in a Bombax tree. Young beekeepers group meeting on a Saturday morning with the headmaster
pointing to the hole in the wall of the bee house through which bees will enter
to occupy an observation hive.

important issue is that the aid offered is
relevant to existing conditions.
There are, however, many Gambian
examples of ill-conceived European projects,
with wind turbines which are inoperative
due to a lack of spares. Also, there are poly
tunnels and irrigation systems with no way
to maintain them and a generator with no
money for cabling, fuel or the necessary
cabling. As so very often happens, the
fault lies at the top of those organisations
sponsoring aid.
There are many exemplary Beekeeping
Aid projects taking place in Africa and commendable task by any standards. There
particularly those under the aegis of ‘Bees has been a spin off in that by working
Abroad’ and ‘Bees for Development’. The collectively with fund raising and giving time
Gambian project is perhaps different as it in the field, it has increased that feeling of
functions as an expression of good will but is solidarity that is not always the case in Local
confined to a single Beekeeping Association. Associations. The South Staffs. members are
The March 2014 report of the to be commended for their efforts.
Department of International Development
(DFID) names 28 countries in receipt
of their help, Gambia is not one of those
listed. Nevertheless, here is work carried out
by a Midlands contingent which is aiming
to raise living standards via education, a
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
late news
IBRA
From 1st May 2015 the Registered Address of the
International Bee Research Association is: Hendal
House, Hendal Hill, Groombridge, East Sussex,
TN3 9NT, United Kingdom. Please contact us
by email:
General enquiries - mail@ibra.org.uk
Bee World - beeworld@ibra.org.uk
Journal of Apicultural Research - jar@ibra.org.uk
Bookshop enquiries - bookshop@ibra.org.uk
Membership enquiries - membership@ibra.
org.uk [5] IBRA Website:
www.ibrabee.org.uk
IBRA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
IBRAssociation
IBRA Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBRA_Bee
VITA EUROPE
To meet the growing global demand for
information about products to tackle
honeybee diseases, the website of Vita
(Europe) Ltd is now available in four of
the top ten languages used on the internet:
English, Russian, Spanish, and French. A
separate website in Italian is also available.
Vita’s website covers the identification of
the main honeybee diseases and pests with
videos and text about how to treat them and
how to boost honeybee immune systems.
The accessibility of the Vita website in
different languages is already proving its
worth with more than 50% of users reading
the information in a language other than
English.
Sebastian Owen, Commercial Development
Manager, explained: “With distributors
in 50 countries, Vita must keep abreast of
changing national regulations and ensure
that customers can receive clear instructions
about the advantages and correct use of
products. We are therefore keen to make this
information available directly to as many
beekeepers as feasible in their preferred
language without having to deal with the
problematic if entertaining automated
translations sometimes encountered on the
web. We hope to add a few more languages
in due course. Owen continued: “The pattern
of product sales in different countries tells
a fascinating story of the how threats to
honeybees have gone almost global in the
past two decades and how new pests are
spreading rapidly with no respect for national
boundaries or even continents. We will be
exploring aspects of these stories on the Vita
blog (www.vita-europe.com/blog/) in the
coming months.”
To access Vita’s website www.vita-europe.com
in Spanish, French or Russian, just use the
drop-down menu in the top right of the
screen. To access Vita’s Italian website, go to
www.apicolturaonline.it/vita-italia/
33
IN BRIEF Problem of Urban Swarms
US Bee Losses Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum’s
A survey conducted by the Bee Informed book “Bees in the City” (Guardian
Partnership working with the Apiary Books, 2011) undoubtedly helped to
Inspectors of America found that 42.1% increase the number of hives in London
of colonies were lost in the year up to April - as people were inspired to take up
2015. What was surprising about the results the hobby to help Britain’s beleaguered
was that while winter loss rates improved honeybee population. Apparently, the
slightly compared to the previous year, number of city beekeepers doubled very
summer losses – and consequently, total quickly, and though the newcomers to
annual losses – were more severe. As one the craft were advised to take part in
might expect, the bee losses seem to be beekeeping classes, the courses were
correlated with areas in which the highest quickly oversubscribed and waiting lists
amounts of pesticides are used. became very long.
For more information: http://www. Very recently, Alison Benjamin wrote
motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/05/40- a piece in The Guardian regarding the
percent-us-honeybees-died-over-past-year problems - including fear - which were
caused by urban swarms. And, in reply
to her question as to where the blame
lay she clearly stated that it was down
to the beekeeper for not being vigilant
enough to be aware of the tell-tale signs
that swarms were imminent. In the next
breath she stated that “unwanted swarms
should be a rare occurrence”. It is very
easy to say this, but in practice swarm
control is not easy hence the numerous
volumes of work on this subject alone.
I believe the fault lies with those
people who just over five years ago
encouraged urban beekeeping, many of
whom made money too from running
classes and selling bees to novices whose
lifestyles and situations were not at all
favourable for the craft.
the Joyce Jones Bee Jacket
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Takes the sting out of beekeeping.
Fully tested and carefully made
in our own apiaries.
100’s sold at our very reasonable prices
& no complaints
Flat top £36.00
De lux £48.50
Ex large £57.00
Childs de lux £41.00
Over trousers £25.00
New All in one Jacket & Trousers
(grey) Med, Large, Extra Large £90
*All prices include V.A.T. & postage
Obtainable only from Limetree Apiaries
Dewsbury Road, Elland HX5 9BE
tel/fax 01422 375713
 34 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

from our correspondents

Drone harvesting. As a method of varroa control some beekeepers put a frame divided into three parts but without foundation next to the brood nest. Drone
comb is usually constructed in the partitions by the bees and as each comb full of drone brood is sealed over, it is cut out and disposed of, thus ridding the
hive of many potential mites. This method of control, plus the lack of enough wild bees’ nests, and beekeepers normally preferring worker foundation, may
well lead to the lack of drones in the environment and cause unsuccessful mating of queen bees. (J Phipps)

ENGLAND
Nigel Payne
The Chiffchaffs are back, swallows too. Dorset
turned yellow overnight as the huge acreage
of Oilseed Rape responded to a sudden burst
of warm Spring sunshine. Winter turned to
Spring as if Nature had thrown a switch, and
instantly the new beginning for beekeepers
was upon us. All those preparatory tasks
left undone loomed large, and those of us
less organised, like myself, disappeared into
workshop or garage to get things under way
once more. Every year I promise myself to
be more disciplined, but it never seems to
happen - Christmas comes and goes and
then, Hey Presto, it’s all hands to the pumps
once more.
No matter how long you are a beekeeper,
no two seasons are the same. This is one
aspect of the craft which makes it so
fascinating. Boredom never happens with
bees!  The feature for this year is the large
amount of stored honey left over from last
Autumn. The final major honey harvest
in this area is around early to mid-August,
anything after that being left for the bees.
There is some heather hereabouts, but mostly
it’s our old friend ivy.  Usually the bulk of this
late honey is used up by the bees, and does
not cause much of a problem the following
Spring, but not this year- there are boxes and
boxes of it, and the urgent task now is to get
most of it off and replace with foundation, or
drawn comb so that the queens have room
to lay and the colonies do not turn to swarm
preparation, bless ‘em!  Much of this honey
isn’t granulated, so it’s almost certainly not
ivy. It doesn’t look like heather honey either,
so I’m left wondering from where did the
bees get it?  There has been an explosion of
Himalayan Balsam in this part of Dorset -
mostly along the many “carriers” draining
the water meadows into the Rivers Frome
and Piddle, so I guess that could be one
possibility.  last year.  Apparently they are a protected
Two colonies were lost this past winter.
All the evidence points to queen failure:
plenty of stores, no discernible evidence of
disease, just a handful of dead bees present.
Poor mating was almost certainly the culprit.
Given the vagaries of our island climate
here in the UK it is usually blamed on the
weather, but, of course, inadequate drone
populations may well play a big part.  If that
is indeed the case, then “Drone Harvesting”
as a means of dealing with varroa must be
called into question. This subject has been
raised in the past, and perhaps it has more
significance than we realise. We need our
drones!  - let’s look after them, big, bug-eyed
docile chaps that they are!  Have you noticed
that when sitting quietly by the hive entrance
on a warm sunny day in summer, you can tell
when a drone is coming in by the different
sound of its “Buzz”?
Flight noise also applies to hornets!  They
do seem to be more plentiful hereabouts
these days. Already, in April, I have been
flown around by queen hornets in the apiary,
no doubt looking to take over an empty
nuc box as happened on two occasions
species in some parts of the EU.  Certainly,
in my experience, they do not deserve their
fearsome reputation. I worked in close
proximity to their “nests” in empty boxes
last summer and not once did they show any
sign of aggression. These are, of course, our
native Vespa crabo, and not their “Foreign
Relatives”!
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Honey prices remain buoyant.  I have
seen as much as £6 being charged for a 1lb
jar at our local Farmers’ market. The average
is between £4.40 and £4.80 for local honey. 
Demand is high, despite blended-imported
honey being sold in the supermarkets for as
little as £1.40 per pound. No doubt, people
are keen to find local unblended honey,
and seem quite prepared to search for it.
New Zealand Manuka honey commands
exorbitant prices - as much as £9.00 per
lb!  I imagine people must buy it otherwise
the shops wouldn’t stock it. The power
of advertising!  One assumes that the
principal antimicrobial activity of honey is
due to its intense osmotic pressure (being
a super-saturated sugar solution) and that
the small amounts of hydrogen peroxide
present contribute but little to this property.
Florence Nightingale knew all about this
back in the days of the Crimea, when she
used local honeys to dress infected wounds
with great effect. Still and all, you can’t blame
the New Zealanders for cashing in on the
belief that Manuka honey has almost magical
properties!   
CANADA
David Dawson
Birdsfoot Trefoil
One of the useful-for-bees crops that is
grown in Canada on a relatively small scale is
Birdsfoot Trefoil. It is a perennial leguminous
plant that like others of the same family
fixes nitrogen from the air with the help of
symbiotic bacteria that grow in nodules on
their roots. It is a moderate source of pollen
and honey for bees placed nearby but its main
claim to fame is its use in pastures for grazing
livestock. When cattle or sheep eat too much
rich green food they get bloated, but with a
percentage of trefoil in the pasture the risk of
bloating is reduced. With its deep tap root it
is frequently used for erosion control along
roadsides and other reclamation projects. It
is commonly seen along roads in Manitoba
and is quite recognisable by patches of bright Honeybee on birdsfoot trefoil. ( D Dawson)
yellow flowers.
Birdsfoot trefoil grows throughout North
America, but commercial seed production
in Canada is quite small. It is considered a
relatively difficult seed crop to produce for
a number of reasons, one being that the
seedpods pop open when they become ripe
and a significant amount of seed falls to the
ground and is lost. Another reason is that as
it grows close to the ground and is cropped
over a number of years, weeds tend to build
up in the field. It has a long flowering period
that overlaps canola (oilseed rape) which bees Solitary bee on birdsfoot trefoil. (D Dawson)
Hives placed on a field of birdsfoot trefoil. (D Dawson)
prefer to the trefoil, but when the canola has
finished flowering bees will work the trefoil.
It is not known as a crop that will produce
a lot of honey but when humidity and
temperatures are right it will yield copiously.
Beekeepers reckon it will yield about 80 lbs
per hive in a good year.
Because of the long flowering period,
the competition from other more attractive
crops and the automatic popping of the
seedpods, farmers have to time the harvest
very carefully. If a heat wave is forecast the
farmer will cut the crop in the early morning
when still covered in dew, and then combine
it later the same day when it has dried. A heat
wave would cause a large number of nearly-
ripe pods to fully ripen and pop open. The
average yield is somewhere between about
150 lbs of seed per acre, up to 400 lbs per
acre or more in a good year. The price of
the seed varies from year to year and when
prices are up it can be quite profitable. It is
a low maintenance crop that grows for many
years before the weeds take over and make it
necessary to plough it down.
35
Bees Throng Watering Devices Whilst
Awaiting Nectar
Bees are desperate for water with everything
so dry here and no flowers as yet for nectar.
In order to provide water for them I have
used an upturned dustbin lid as a receptacle
with pieces of wood, drilled with holes, as
rafts for the bees. To add to their buoyancy
and to prevent them from sinking when
waterlogged, pieces of bubble foil have been
placed beneath them.
A simple watering device for bees. (D Dawson)
AUSTRALIA
Geoff Manning
Two pieces of news. One national, one
international.
American Foul Brood
First, back in the good old days when
governments did things useful, rather
than selling off utilities, we had very low
incidence of American Brood Disease. Many
long term beekeepers never saw it in their
outfits. Should it have turned up, one of the
five notifiable diseases, in the case of New
South Wales, Apiary Officers would appear
and if necessary work with the beekeeper in
the paddock to clear up the outbreak. There
was usually an attempt to identify the source,
and the officer would almost certainly call a
field day.
As I have implied those halcyon days
are well gone. AFB is now common.
Exactly why is open to debate. There is
some anecdotal evidence that the use of
antibiotics when European Brood Disease
arrived in the country may have masked AFB
 36 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
infections. Around the same time the Apiary
Officers were restricted in their disease work
to requested advice, and their numbers
gradually fell to the present two.
The industry has made representation to
government of course with limited success.
Government record on border biosecurity is
not something to be proud of, so no surprise
that endemic disease is regarded as an
industry matter. If only it were transferable
to humans. We might then have had our
equivalent to the successful brucellosis
eradication campaign in cattle.
I might add that I personally do not see
AFB as a major problem. In the past hives
were burnt or, when it became available,
irradiation of equipment became the
treatment of choice. Irradiation is now all
the go, with most beekeepers in decent range
of the facility treating all dead outs, no matter
what the cause.
However, I am in a minority I suspect.
Sections of the industry hark back to the good
old days, and at the yearly state conferences
have eventually managed to get a levy passed
to be proactive in the matter.
So some hard-working people were
inveigled into putting together a Draft
Code of Practice. This is a misnomer; it will
require all the state governments to agree
to enforceable regulations. It is certainly
true that most of the practices are desirable
but the degree of compulsion is going
down like a lead balloon. One reason is
that to most beekeepers it came out of the
blue. It is generally considered that in rural
industries about half the participants join
their appropriate organisation. We are no
different. It is also true, at least for us, that
only about half or less of these members
regularly attend conferences. Many don’t
even regularly attend their branch meetings.
Newsletters, etc. seem to be mainly read for
the “for sale” column to see who might be
selling up.
Submissions have closed and some
changes flagged. Just where it will end up is
pretty unclear, but it does have the potential
to split the industry. Beekeepers like their
own independence, though many seem keen
to tell others what to do about most things.
Nothing unusual about that.
The Flow Hive
The international news of course is the
launch of the Flow Hive. The amount of
publicity it has achieved is unbelievable.
It seems that every second person in the
street stops me and asks about it; “Will it
work?”, or “Have you got one?”, etc. The
inventors live in this area and I believe they
are members of the local amateur bee club.
However I do not personally know them.
I am not going to describe the device;
after all, it is shown on the web. Beekeepers’
reactions from around the world are
interesting, most saying it will not work,
or similar; that it is a scam, it is the end of
beekeeping as we know it, and so on.
Certainly there do seem to be some
issues, not surprising I guess. The main
concern to beekeepers which surfaced at the
last meeting of the amateur club here is that
some people have subscribed for one, and
don’t realise they will have to get some bees
from somewhere. Yeah, unbelievable I know,
but the public perception of bees in crisis has
led to this same public wanting to do their
bit to help.
Concerns that owners will not get down
to the brood box are to my mind unfounded
in the sense that this already happens, to
the extent that if the empty super is already
quite heavy, one will perhaps be reluctant to
remove it to do the necessary management
when it is full of honey. And most of the
aspiring beekeepers do not realise that they
will need at least three supers to contain the
bees in the spring.
I do have a major concern. Robbing. I
dread what may happen if the draining honey
outside is not well sealed, and the beekeeper
is off to the local football match, or DIY
mega shop. Actually I am more worried by
the amount of honey that will be exposed for
the bees to clean up. As these hives will be
mostly going to people in suburbia there is
the potential to do beekeeping a disservice
if the extracting is done during a dearth.
You wouldn’t want to be hanging out the
washing next door. Twice in the media and
the regulators will be out in force. Not a
problem of course if the draining is done at
night.
Whether or not it will prove a useful
addition to the beekeeping toolbox remains
to be seen. The first PCs were pretty useless,
as were the first motor vehicles, and I bet the
Wright Brothers did not foresee Jumbo Jets.
RUSSIA
Vitaly Petrovsky
Unfortunately we lost all our bees during
the autumn and winter.  The bees had
unusual behavior in the fall. Firstly, the  bees
disappeared completely from their hives.
Secondly, the honey remained in the empty
hives and wasn’t robbed out by neighbouring
colonies. This was typical in many parts of
Russia. Normally we travel all the way from
the Urals into Ukraine each spring to buy
new colonies. However, I think that this
year it will be very difficult to do so because
of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
We hope, though, that we will be able to get
queens sent to us from from Mukachevo,
in Ukraine, but as for full colonies we have
no idea.
The cost of buying queens varies
enormously. The price last year for Carpatica
queens was $20 and Buckfasts $100. A full
colony of bees cost us $130. And honey -
not too bad at the $12 per kg.
NEPAL
Introducing Tej Bahadur Pun Sherpaja
Tej Bahadur
I am a teacher of English since 2005
having studied at the institute 45 minutes
walk from my home. I also keep bees (to
supplement our large family’s income) and
also teach beekeeping. My wife and I have
two children, but my extended family is large
- and includes our parents, my three sisters,
my two brothers and their children.
Our area of Nepal is dependent on
agriculture and fortunately people here do
not use chemical fertilisers only organic ones.
Cattle are of great importance to us.
From where I live the mountain ranges of
Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machapuchhere, as
well as others can be seen. We have electricity
and there is a road which links to other places
by jeep.
People here are so friendly, helpful, and
kind that one can easily feel welcome when
they first arrive here.
In the past I used to publish a literature
magazine but unfortunately this ceased
publication once those who worked with me
went to seek employment in other parts of
Nepal.
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 37

Uncapping the combs - excellent white cappings!

Full super of combs ready for extracting.

Village house.

Beautiful mountain ranges. I have heard from Tej since the earthquakes and fortunately for his community they were not directly affected by the disasters.
 38 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPING
Monthly Tasks in the Apiaries of Danish Beekeeper Anders-Peter Blæsild
Translated into English from “Tidskrift For Biavl” by Anders-Peter’s good friend and beekeeper, Anthony Lee
APRIL breeder queens. Sixty bees are taken from
With the ability to swing between summer each colony and placed in a small plastic pot.
weather and winter weather within the space These pots are put in the freezer overnight
of a few days, the month of April presents and then sent to a laboratory for analysis
the first major challenge of the year that bees under a microscope. If Nosema spores are
and beekeepers in Denmark have to face. found in any of the samples, then the queens
from these colonies are disqualified from
Avoid Chilling the Brood the squad of potential breeder queens - the
During the first weeks of April the bees go season’s first casualties of our efforts to breed
through a generational change, as all the only the healthiest bees.
winter bees die off. This is not something A visit to all my out apiaries showed
that the beekeeper can do anything about, that only 3% of my bees did not survive the
but we can help them to retain warmth in short, mild winter, which I was more than
this period when there is a lot of brood in satisfied with. The colonies were generally
the hive in relation to the number of bees. large and strong, which bodes well for the
Colonies should not have more frames than spring flow of winter-sown oilseed rape. The
those that they cover; the first inspection in rape is already coming into flower and is very
my colonies always results in me reducing early this year, but the bees must still develop
the space available for the smaller colonies. at their own tempo, we can’t rush them. In
If I become over optimistic regarding the any case, my experience is that oilseed rape
progression of a colony and give extra space does not secrete nectar in earnest until the
too early, the result is chilled brood and the last two weeks of its flowering, which can
bees will either clean out or eat the brood. last between 4 and six weeks.
So, if you’d like to avoid the tiring process
of extracting honey this year, April is your The Major Spring Colony Inspection
chance to do something about it! When the point comes in April that lots
of new bees are emerging in colonies, it
is time for the major Spring inspection.
This intervention has several goals, but the
primary one is to establish colony condition
and health. The first breeding evaluation is
also undertaken as part of this inspection,
but here I shall describe the intervention step
by step. The first thing I do is find the queen.
This is easiest to achieve by creeping up on
her; by this I mean by lifting the frames
quietly and carefully. The first is checked for
the queen, whereafter it is placed over in an
empty 6 frame nuc hive until the inspection
is finished and it can be replaced. The frames
are then checked one by one until the queen
has been located. She is then checked for
During early spring inspections I can get a nice any defective legs and to check that she is
working position by using a hive cover as a stool. marked, and that her marking or colour code
During the first week in April I visit all corresponds with that shown on my colony
my apiaries and take samples for Nosema card in my log book. If the colony is a nuc
testing. It’s a sampling strategy involving the I had created the previous summer, then
colonies that have been identified as potential she will be a randomly-mated queen given
to the colony as a mature queen cell. She
will in this case need marking, and whilst
she is being held between my fingers I will
also take the opportunity to clip her wing.
It’s just the edge of one wing that is clipped,
and for this I use a small pair of embroidery
scissors. When I place the queen back on the
frame she normally just carries on about her
business as if nothing had happened. I do
keep an eye on her for a few seconds though,
just to check that the bees don’t ‘ball’ her;
they rarely do so with the strains of bees I
use, but if it does happen it can be stopped
by using a little smoke.
The next part of the inspection is a check
for any sign of brood disease. This can only
be done when there are no bees on the
frames, so beginning from one end I shake
the bees off a frame and into the bottom of
their hive, inspect that frame and proceed
to the next one. Here I’m making sure that
there is no dead brood; this could show itself
as capped brood where the cappings are
sunken; where sealed brood has been bitten
open; or contorted larvae or mummified
larvae following chalk brood. If there is no
sign of brood disease I move onto the next
phase in the inspection. I would though
recommend that beekeepers with limited
experience who are in any doubt as to the
presence of brood disease seek help from an
experienced beekeeper.
By now I have handled the bees in quite
a rough way and am thus gaining a good idea
of their temperament and their calmness on
the comb. Potential breeder colonies are
given a ‘grade’ for these parameters, which is
noted on their colony card. I also note how
much brood there is, and how many frames
the bees cover. If the colony contains an
older queen, then I need to reassure myself
that her marking matches that listed on her
colony card. If, for example, her mark is blue
enclosing a smaller yellow circle then I know
with certainty that it is a queen from Line
AB999 that has mated with drones from
Line PS538.
Now I’m finished with the colony
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
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and the hive is closed again. Such an
inspection usually takes around 10 minutes,
although even after many years of practice
it can sometimes take twice as long. I have
deliberately referred to this inspection of
the colonies as an ‘intervention’, because
each time I open a hive of bees there is a
considerable amount of stress placed on
the colony. This is why I only open a
colony up for a good reason, and I try
and combine several goals or functions for
each disturbance of a colony. Following an
intervention, it can take several days before
harmony is fully restored in a colony.
The Major Spring Colony Inspection
Checklist
1. Find the queen (check for defective 25 – 30 kg higher that those colonies with
limbs).
2. Colony assessed for the presence of
brood disease:
- any dead larvae, bitten open or
collapsed cells?
- any contorted open larvae?
- any chalk brood mummies?
3. Completion of the Colony Cards:
- calmness on the comb
- temperament
- amount of brood
- number of frames the bees cover
Creating Twin-colonies
When I’ve completed all colony inspections
it’s time to carry out certain interventions
which will ensure the production of queens,
nucs, and honey. My priority as a queen
breeder is first and foremost to produce
bees. I need to be sure I have a continuous
over-supply of young bees which I will use
to fill mini mating nucs, in order to ensure
good mating results for my new queens. The
solution is the creation of a number of twin
colonies, which exist for the sole purpose of
harvesting young bees. In a typical season I
can expect that a twin colony can produce
enough bees to fill 20 to 25 mating hives of
the ‘Kieler’ or ‘Apidea’ types. I make up
twin colonies by setting one colony above
another, with a queen excluder between, in
order to keep the two queens apart. I used
to use the ‘newspaper method’ when uniting
colonies, but I’ve recently switched to using
a product called Bienenwohl. It’s applied by
dripping, just like an oxalic acid treatment,
and it means that both colonies then have a
similar odour. I try and twin colonies that
are of a similar size, which minimises the
risk of losing queens during the process. I
equalise the colonies at the same time as
uniting them, whilst equalising the number
of brood frames, I need to be careful to make
sure that I know where the queens are.
One week following the unification I check
both brood boxes for egg laying. If this is
so, then I place a queen excluder over the
upper box and add supers. I usually lose
about 10% of queens during the uniting
process; when this happens I do the same as
for the twin colonies, whilst also removing
the queen excluder between the two brood
boxes, so that the remaining queen has the
run of both boxes.
This method of uniting colonies can
also be used when honey is the prize sought,
although in this case one of the queens
should be removed during the unification of
the colonies. The united colonies with one
remaining queen give a honey yield that is
two queens. I have, over the last 15 years
united over 2000 colonies and I see the
distinct pattern of a smaller honey yield
when there are two areas of open brood.
I live in an area of rich soils and
consequently there are lots of wheat fields.
This means that the honey flow ends when
the hawthorn has finished flowering. I
remove honey from these twin colonies
as quickly as possible, so that I can get on
with feeding. When there are two large
areas of brood that need to be kept going it
requires 3 litres of a slightly watered down
sugar syrup, each time I harvest young bees,
which I do every sixth day. How I go about
harvesting young bees from twin colonies I
shall explain later.
It goes without saying, that when I’m
feeding these twin colonies in high summer
I cannot take any ‘honey’ from them for the
remainder of the season. What I do instead is
that when I’m finished with harvesting bees
for the mating hives I use the twin colonies
to create six nucs. A large production of nucs
ensures that I will have enough colonies for
the following season, whilst also giving me
the possibility of earning some extra money.
6-frame nucs ready for sale or for use as part of a
twin-colony.
Twin-colonies as Finisher Colonies
For the rearing of queens I also use twin
colonies, although in quite a different way.
Both queens share a single brood box,
getting five frames each, and separated by a
39
dummy board across the centre. When they
have filled their frames to bursting point I
place a queen excluder on the brood box and
place a box filled with combs of foundation
above. The bees at each of their sides begin
drawing out the foundation, and in this way
become a sort of single entity. When they are
well into the drawing of the combs in this
new box I take a frame of brood up to this
box; one from each 5-frame colony in the
bottom box, swapping them with two of the
newly drawn combs. This process is repeated
every fourth day, and when all the frames
have been in rotation, the colonies are ready
for the rearing of queens, which begins in
May. The bees should be kept somewhat
overcrowded at all times.
It’s worth noting that there is also a
frame feeder in the first box of foundation
frames I add to these twin-colonies because
I have to feed these colonies if there is no
nectar flow on any given day. I don’t try
and produce any honey from my finisher
colonies, because I believe it’s not possible to
rear queens of consistent quality in Denmark
without continual feeding.
These kinds of twin-colonies are called
‘Finishers’, the function and maintenance
of which I also describe later. It’s worth
noting that these Finisher colonies need to
be started in April in order to be ready by the
middle of May.
Other Tasks for April:
- addition of second box for all colonies
- addition of queen excluder and first
honey supers at the end of the month
(dependent on the weather and honey
flow)
- addition of frame fitted with drone
foundation
(either for fighting varroa or for
breeding purposes)
- plan the island mating visit schedule,
in relation to grafting, so that it all fits
together with the boat sailing times
MAY
May is colour and sounds. Green, white and
yellow fill the eyes, whilst birdsong and the
hum of bees is music to the ears. I never fail
to be surprised by the level of nature’s noise
in May. This inferno of birdsong and flowers
has a single goal – reproduction.
A Busy May
Bees play a significant role in ensuring
nature’s next generation. They are important
for pollinating many species of flowering
plants, whilst also providing a degree of
food for other animals and birds. The bees’
presence is vital for the ecosystem; a fact that
 40 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Commercial beekeeping
is finally being realised by many people.
For a beekeeper May is a busy month.
oilseed rape, dandelion and hawthorn usually
all flower in this month; flowers which are
the most important bee forage over most of
Denmark. May is a month where we have
to prioritise our work. It can be difficult to
achieve everything I would like to around
this time, for during May colonies can grow
from a single box to 4 or 5 boxes.
Expansion of Bee Colonies
When my colonies reach the point when
they are filling their second brood box, where
there are 5 or 6 frames of brood, the time has
come for them to be given honey supers. It’s
a good rule of thumb that three frames of
sealed brood will fill a whole box with bees
when they have emerged, and that’s why
the expansion in a hive can be so explosive.
Before I add the supers I switch around the
two brood boxes so that the second box (the
one that they will overwinter in) is at the
bottom. This just saves me having to do it
later when there are more and heavier boxes
to lift. I have also noticed that most of the
pollen sits in the new overwintering box at
the end of the season (see my operational
plan from the February article). Now I lay
a queen excluder over the two brood boxes
and if the colony is strong, I will put on two
shallow supers with frames of foundation.
If it’s a weak colony I’ll only add one super,
and if it happens to be an exceptionally
strong colony I will add three supers. If all
my colonies were in my back garden, then
I wouldn’t have to do this, I would just add
the supers one by one as required. However,
when I have 15 out-apiaries I need to make
some rational decisions, as well as thinking
about my fuel consumption.
When the bees are filling their available
space and there is a nectar flow you need to
be timely with adding your supers; if the bees
don’t have the supers and begin filling up the
brood chamber with honey, then the queen
is denied space for egg laying and this often
brings about a swarming fever. Once this
swarming desire has begun, it does not help
at all to try and counter it by adding supers.
Avoid Swarming
One of the traits we Danish queen breeders
try to breed in our bees is that they can
tolerate feeling pressed for space in a box
without them immediately deciding to
swarm. We assess this characteristic during
the May/June swarming season. If a colony
shows a strong desire to swarm, they are
removed from the list of potential breeder
queens.
The strength of swarming tendency has queen ends up being accidentaly lifted over
much to do with race, but is also determined on a frame into the central colony then any
by lineage in combination breeding. If a new grafted larvae received will not be accepted.
line is begun, where new breeding material I then move the brood frames that are
is brought in, it is as a rule necessary to about to hatch in the side-colonies over into
undergo two matings with stable drone the queenless colony. Frames removed from
lines (of low swarming tendency) in order to the queenless colony are replaced in the side-
minimise the swarming desire. colonies. Also, on a weekly basis, I give two
May is also the month where tests are frames of pollen to the queenless colony, as
carried out of a colony’s ability to clean out there is a large protein use during the feeding
dead brood. This trait is a very important of the grafted larvae. This is how Starter
one for bees avoiding brood disease. The colonies are managed for ten weeks in a row.
test is a very simple one, though somewhat The central, queenless colony always
time consuming for the busy beekeeper. A consists of 4 frames with emerging brood,
piece of capped brood with a total area of 2 pollen frames, 1 feeder, 1 frame of
100 cells is cut out of a frame, taken away foundation, 2 ‘cell frames’ with grafted
and placed in a freezer for a minimum of 24 larvae, and thousands of young bees. The
hours. The frozen piece is then given back relation of the three colonies, which stand
to the colony. After 48 hours an inspection side by side and close together, and have
is made, to assess what percentage of the the same type of hive bottom, means that
dead brood has been removed by the colony. the older bees migrate to the ‘queen-right’
Colonies which do not remove 100% of the side-colonies. Old bees should not be in
dead brood are removed from my breeding the queenless colony because it affects the
programme. I have recently begun to assess quality of the new queens being reared.
the colonies after just 24 hours, to help me The grafted larvae sit in the central colony
better select the colonies that are best at this
for 24 hours, after which they are transferred
kind of hygienic behaviour. to a colony which “finishes” them over the
next 4 days. These colonies are known as
Queen Rearing – Starters ‘Finishers’ because it is here that the newly
Breeding and rearing queens is a bit of created queen cells are developed and finally
a complicated affair. I realise that the sealed.
description that follows may be difficult to
follow if one has never been involved with Finisher Colonies
queen rearing. In the finisher colonies I strive to create
Basically, it can be said that the system an environment that ensures the fledgling
is based around a queen’s developmental queen cells are looked after in the optimal
stages: 3 days as an egg, 5 days as a larva, way. In all stages of their development as
and 8 days as a pupa. My production of larvae they must be swimming in royal jelly.
queens begins in a so-called “Starter”. This I shall now describe the operation of these
is where the grafted, newly hatched larvae finisher colonies in words, but I also invite
begin their life as queens. To begin with, you to see a little film I made and have put
I create an environment where the larvae on Youtube. Go to Youtube.com and search
get optimal care and attention. There is no for “dronningavl”, and watch how I do it.
queen and no open brood, but there are a A finished colony is one with two queens
huge amount of young bees, and also plenty which reside in the lower box, each over five
of stores. A Starter consists of an assembly frames, divided by a dummy board, with
of three colonies that are situated side by each colony having their own bee entrance
side and rather close together. The colony in on either side of the hive.
the centre will remain queenless all summer, Prior to giving a frame of newly started
but will be fed sealed brood combs from the queen cells to the finisher colony I make an
‘side-colonies’ once a week. The two ‘side- intervention that will ensure that the cells
colonies’ are twin-colonies, with two queens are surrounded by attentive nurse bees. This
in the brood box having 5 frames each, and is done by finding two frames in the lower
separated down the middle with a dummy box containing eggs or newly hatched larvae.
board. From these colonies once a week a These two frame are taken to the box above
frame is lifted with eggs from each queen, and placed either side of the frame of new
and placed over a queen excluder in a box queen cells, and next to these three frames
above. Here these frames shall remain until there need to be frames containing lots of
eggs begin to hatch. During the weekly pollen. It just remains to return two frames
rotation of these side-colonies it’s important to the bottom box, in the centre of each five-
to be aware of where the four queens are, frame colony. At the beginning of the season
and that they remain in their quadrants. If a these two frames are of undrawn foundation,
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Commercial beekeeping
however, later in the season I use hatched
brood combs from the box above, because
I find that bees are reluctant to lay eggs on
new foundation after St. John’s Eve (i.e.,
John the Baptist, 23rd June).
Four Days, Four Groups
When a frame of new queen cells is placed in
a finisher colony, and when there are young
bees, food and pollen in the appropriate
amount, then such a colony can optimally
look after up to 15 queen cells. Cells are left
in the finisher colony for 4 full days. On
the fifth day they will be sealed, so can be
removed and placed in an incubator prior to
hatching. At the same moment as the cells
are replaced, then the rotation continues by
adding another newly started frame of cells
and lifting up two frames of eggs or larvae
and some pollen from the bottom box. The
tricky part about these finisher colonies is
the fact that they need to be really full of
bees, but not so full that they start building
brace comb on the queen cells. This is
ensured by having the appropriate number
of boxes on the hive, and always having one
frame of foundation in the same box as the
cells.
On the day that I add a new frame of
queen cells, if there is no honey flow on
this day then I give the finished colonies 2
litres of thin liquid feed (50%) in a frame
feeder. When there is a flow, it’s necessary
to be ready to give extra space to the finisher
colonies because otherwise a whole frame
of queen cells can be ruined by brace comb
in just a few hours. I usually have 300
queen cells in rotation in summer, and it
is my first priority to look after my finisher
colonies. As this rotation system is based
on the continuous addition of new cells, I
need to be grafting every single day for 10
weeks. It is interesting in that it seems like
the finishers get better and better during the
70 days that the work that this rotational
work is in progress. I have in the past tried a
system where I am only grafting every other
day, but it was obvious that this sacrificed
the quality of the queens. This system works
best when one is rearing many queens, and
when grafting every day four groups of
finisher colonies are required: one group for
each day of the cycle. The number of finisher
colonies within each group is determined by
the number of cells being produced each day.
If you are interested in making a few queens
for your own use, it’s fine to to start them
off in a packed queenless colony and then
move them over to a colony with the same
conditions as found in the finisher colonies.
Bees for Mini-mating Hives
As mentioned earlier, I keep a number of
twin-colonies for the production of bees
to fill mini-mating hives. These colonies
comprise two 10-frame brood boxes, one on
top of the other, with a queen in each brood
box and separated by a queen excluder. The
young bees are to be found in the upper
chamber, whilst the older bees congregate in
the lower chamber. It is the young bees we
are after, because it is those which are needed
to ensure successful mating of the virgin
queens. I therefore harvest the young bees
from the upper chamber of these colonies.
The queen is found first and temporarily
imprisoned on the frame with the help of
a circular queen cage made of nails. Then
all the bees from this box are shaken off the
combs into a large bucket. When all the bees
have been shaken off, the empty frames are
replaced, the queen is allowed to go free again
and the hive is closed. The queen won’t be
alone for long up there in the empty second
chamber; bees will quickly move up from
the lower chamber to attend to her. Bees
can be harvested in this way once a week.
The bucket full of bees then gets banged a
couple of times on the ground; this is done
so that any unwanted old bees that have
been harvested with the youngsters will now
fly out of the bucket and return to the hive.
The bucket is then tipped into the entrance
of a Marburg swarm box. Such a box is made
so that the bees have to go through a queen
excluder to enter. This is to ensure that no
drones end up in the mini-mating hives, if
they are to be used for island mating. There
are two frames of open stores in the swarm
box, a swarm lure, and ventilation holes
in the top. Once the bees have all crawled
inside the box then it is closed, any drones
are brushed away from the outside of the
box and it is placed indoors in a cool place
for a few hours or overnight. The swarm box
is then opened and the bees are sprayed with
a fine mist of water; this makes them very
easy to handle and they are now ready to be
packed into mini-mating hives. I use 3.5dl
of bees per box, they can just be scooped
up with a measuring scoop whilst they are a
little wet. 3.5dl is plenty, but it doesn’t pay
to scrimp on the amount of bees used here.
Remember that packing of mating hives for
island mating should be undertaken indoors.
If this isn’t possible then it should be done
late at night or very early in the morning,
so that there is no risk of drones ending up
inside.
An Invitation to Danish Beekeepers
I have now described my framework for
my queen breeding and production. It can
quickly become rather technical sounding
when I attempt to set these routines down
41
into words. Something is also lost in the
words: many of the small facets of this
work cannot really be adequately described
in words, they need to be experienced and
learned through doing. My methods are
based on the production of a high number of
queens every day, because it is the basis of my
income. However, I hope that hobby queen
producers can get something out of these
words. It is in the interest of all beekeepers
that as many of them as possible breed from
their bees. Therefore I would like to invite
you to take the opportunity of using our
island mating stations to mate your queens.
On the website of the Danish Queen
Breeders organization (dronningavlerne.dk)
you can see which dates we make trips to
these islands.
The production of queens begins on the
15th May. It’s not possible to begin earlier
than this, because drones in Denmark are
first ready for mating towards the end of
May.
Last but not least - and in spite of this
busy time – remember to notice all the
colours and hear all the sounds of nature in
May!
A Marburg swarm box is used when collecting
young bees for use in mating hives.
JUNE
Midsummer Work
In June we reap the fruits of our labours of
helping to build our colonies into large and
strong communities - a work that began the
previous August when we started getting the
bees ready for winter.
When the hawthorn
has faded, it is time to harvest the first
honey. In a normal year this happens around
Constitution Day, 5th June.

In my region, after the hawthorn there
follows a period of dearth when very little
new nectar is brought in. The bees thus have
plenty of time to dehydrate all the spring
nectar and it is possible to harvest a honey of
very good quality and with low water content
at this time.

The bees have this year (2014)
enjoyed a long and sunny spring, with a wide
variety of nectar sources. My bees first got a
good flow from the early dandelions - it is a
 42 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Commercial beekeeping
plant that really helps bring on the colonies.
Dandelion pollen has a high biological value
which ensures that the bees develop well. It’s
important that bees pollen gathering comes
from a variety of sources, and that also they
collect pollen from wild growing plants. It’s
something they have had the opportunity of
doing this spring, and this may mean that
we will have a good honey harvest and some
healthy families - Hurray!
The First Honey
In early June, I’m always so busy with my
queen breeding that I often find it difficult to
extract as much honey as I should. It means
a lot to take a super or two from the bees so
that they don’t sit with too much room. It’s
optimal to get them down to 3 or 4 boxes,
which makes it easier for the bees to keep
warm the honey that does remain. When
later in the season we get a flow from the lime
and the clover it’s also easier for the bees to
get that nectar evaporated. 

When I remove
honey I use a petrol-powered bee blower -
it’s a quick and easy way to get some honey
from the bees. But it is also a noisy machine
to walk around with, and it tends to spoil the
otherwise pleasant experience of harvesting
honey. But alas! - It is one of the compromises
of having so many hives.

I have chosen not to
have employees, so the days go quickly with
filling mating hives, making nucs, sending
out queens to customers, and grafting every
day. This year the plan is to get one super of
honey extracted from every hive in June, and
let the rest sit on the bees until July.
A Warning about Mites
After a short and
very mild winter such as we experienced this
year, the majority of colonies will have had
a small amount of brood most of the time;
this means that there is a great danger that
we will have a problem with varroa mites this
year. I regret that I didn’t give my bees an
extra oxalic acid treatment in the spring, so
it is important that I constantly evaluate mite
development. Be careful to take the top of the
mite population by removal of drone brood,
but also be aware that it may be necessary
for early preparations for overwintering and
formic acid treatment.

The First Nuclei
Creating nuclei is part of beekeeping with
varroa mites. The formation of nuclei is, in
itself, a varroa-control, when there are brood-
free periods in colonies. In June nuclei are
formed with virgin queens, as the first queens
are mated around July 1st.
In July I establish 200 nuclei in six-frame
boxes. These I create in the following way:
- One frame with open stores and pollen
- One frame full of sealed brood
- Bees from two open brood frames
- Four frames of foundation
- A queen cell that will hatch in two days
After 7 days I check the nucleus to see if
the queen cell has hatched and/or whether
there are any new queen cells created on the
frames. If there are queen cells on the frame,
it means that the queen cell was not accepted.
Therefore I will now remove any queen cells
and add a virgin queen in a queen cage. At the
end of the check they are given a 2.5kg pack
of fondant.
Now the nuclei will be left in complete
peace for 14 days. This is because the queen
is ready for mating during this time, and if
I go and disturb the colony the bees will try
and protect the queen to such an extent that
they ‘ball’ her and kill her. In around 80%
of the nuclei there will now be an egg-laying
queen, and because there is not yet any sealed
brood in the colony, if I give an oxalic acid
drip treatment at this time I will have a 99%
varroa-free colony.
In the nuclei which, by this time, still
don’t have a mated queen, I shake the bees off
the frames and take the box home, to be used
again to make nuclei in July.
Nuclei Made with Virgin Queens in
Queen Cages
This is what I do when I’m making up
nuclei with virgin queens in queen cages,
rather than using sealed queen cells:
- One open brood frame with eggs and
larvae
- One frame of sealed brood with emerging
bees
- The bees shaken from two frames of open
brood
- One frame of stores with pollen
- 3 frames fitted with new foundation
The queenless nuclei is left for seven days
and then opened and the two brood frames
are checked for queen cells; these cells are
now destroyed. Then a queen cage is added,
containing a virgin queen and attendants.
Finally, the colony is given a 2.5kg pack of
fondant.
Now the colony is left alone for 18 days,
after which time there is usually an egg-
laying queen, and it is time for an oxalic acid
treatment. It’s important when making nuclei
to make a plan, so that there is a queen on
the seventh day, and keep a note of when the
oxalic acid treatment should be given. It’s
also important with the creation of nuclei
that there is unsealed brood; if not then
panic can take hold of the colony and many
bees will leave the hive. The sealed frame of
brood in the nuclei will ensure that there are
plenty of nurse bees to look after the queen
when she is mating, and also to look after the
forthcoming brood. I believe that a mixture
of bees of all ages gives the best results when
creating nuclei. The nuclei need one more
pack of fondant after 18 days, after which
they will have bees which are old enough to
gather pollen and nectar that they can look
after themselves. But be careful – they must
never be allowed to go hungry!
Note: the number of required brood frames
described for nuclei relates to those that are
made in the first half of June – after St. John’s
Eve nuclei should be given an extra frame of
sealed brood.
Virgins in Mini-mating Hives
When making up Apidea or Kieler mini
mating hives, I use virgins that have just
hatched in an incubator. These newly-hatched
queens are always accepted when they are
packed into mating hives together with 3.5dl
of young bees that have been sprayed with
water.
I’m convinced that the reason the queens
are nearly always 100% accepted is because
they have had no contact with other bees,
and because they have not yet developed
much pheromone. In contrast, the virgins
which have been in contact with attendant
bees are very hard to get accepted. It is not
recommended, because the acceptance rate is
under 50%.
So, if you don’t produce your own queens,
you will need to find a queen breeder that
will sell you some mature queen cells. It
works fine to pack these mini-mating hives
with 3.5dl of wet young bees along with a
queen cell that will hatch 2 days later. Two
days before hatching the cells are very robust
and can withstand a lot, whilst at the same
time the pheromones coming from the queen
inside the cell are so weak that the bees accept
her. If the cells are added too close to their
hatching time the bees will often bite the
cells and kill the queen inside. Bees are very
faithful towards their old queen and find it
difficult to just accept a new one.
After the mating hives are packed with
bees and the virgin (or queen cell), they are
fed, and then they must be kept in a cool dark
place for a minimum of 3 days. Next, they are
placed out for mating in the evening or early
morning, and then left in peace and quiet for
17-18 days. If mating success is achieved, it’s
important that the queen is not taken before
the brood in the mini-brood combs are fully
sealed. This is because it is at this time that
the queen first achieves her full pheromone
production, and so there is a much greater
chance that the queen gets accepted in her
new colony. The mini-mating hives should be
given a feed again after 17-18 days; the first
time I feed I use fondant, the second time I
use dry sugar. I find a mating result of 75% a
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 43
Commercial beekeeping
satisfactory outcome is these mini hives. Keeping it Trim
 - feed the newly created colonies
After the mated queens have been I think that as a beekeeper I have a - queen production
removed from the mini hives they are left responsibility for my actions and the signals - cut grass in out apiaries
queenless for 5 to 7 days. After this, the queen I send to my fellow human beings. As a
cells that they have made are destroyed, and beekeeper, I am a food producer, which
now a virgin in a queen cage is added. If cells brings certain obligations. Therefore I could
are to be used again then they can be added not dream of spraying the plants around my
at the same time the mated queen is removed. hives with weed-killing poisons - there are
The use of cells implies, however, extra time no pesticides which have no impact on our
spent later on marking the queens before they shared environment. It takes about 5 minutes
can be used or sold. to tidy up an apiary with a grass trimmer.

I
have been contacted by many people with
More Bees Without Varroa follow up questions for my Monthly Tasks,
I don’t really recommend that hobby who have either called or written an email to
beekeepers use small mating boxes, but rather me. They have all received a reply, as best I
make some nuclei on the frame size which can, and it’s great to get some feedback on my
they keep their bees. The use of these mini- work – thank you! Dandelions are beautiful – and provide bees with
mating hives is much too time-consuming if pollen of high quality.
only a few queens are to be mated. Summary of June Tasks:
If an increase in the number of bee - pack bees to island mating and random
colonies is not desired, then the nuclei can just mating
be reunited with the old families following - inspection of drone colonies on the
honey removal and varroa treatment. It is a island and random mating stations
completely safe way to change queens and - honey removal
ensures a large and powerful colony going - make up nuclei
into winter. 

 - after St. Johns Eve – get the bees back
down into one brood box, ready for
winter
New queens are on their way.

The Show everyone in the UK

is talking about

Beetradex 2016
Where? Stoneleigh cv8 2lz,
hall H1

When? March 5th 2016

Cost? Still £4 online and £5

on the door

Free lectures, 40 + traders

Come and grab a bargain

www.beetradex.co.uk
 44 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

Regarding the
Catching of Swarms
Apiarist Sergej Milov. Odessa Region, Ukraine

Preface by Alexander Komissar, beekeeping friend of the author:

Sergej Milov describes a very interesting phenomenon. His results, from my point of view,
are fantastic. Just think about it -110 swarms caught in one season, or 160 over two years!
I believe that this is not only a beekeeping record for Ukraine, but also for the whole
world! The scientific value of this result is enormous, as Sergej collected swarms from a large
territory, all of which made their way to his apiary. Maybe scientists will find some chemical
or pheremone which will attract swarms as did the empty combs of Sergei and this principle
could then be used for the catching of aggressive killer bees in the USA.
Sergej Milov

I
t has never been my intention to
write about catching swarms, for I
don’t know anything much about
this branch of beekeeping science.
However, I have some ideas gained through
practice.
One of my friends wrote on the Internet
that I had caught 110 swarms in one season
and as a result of this I had hundreds of
phone calls. As this is not a topic which is
suited to being explained over the telephone,
I have put together this small article which
describes my enormous success with swarms,
but it is important to understand that I have
little understanding of the results.
Before writing this article I read
publications and saw films on YouTube (in the
Russian language) which describe methods
of catching small quantities of swarms,
perhaps 4 or 5 and up to a maximum of
20, with the help of specially designed small
hives or traps. Much information is given
about these traps, including their placement
with the locations being identified by a GPS
device.
However, I really caught 110 swarms
without the benefit of the above information,
I caught them in my own yard, without
having to climb trees and without any
swarm traps, but only by using standard hive
bodies. Whilst I am proud of my success,
and can describe my methods, I repeat, I
really don’t understand how the results were
achieved.
Of course, like most beekeepers, I have
had preliminary experiences with swarms
and some ideas of how they can be caught.
But the recent good results described here
have been witnessed by my beekeeping
friends and I have given a report on this
phenomenon at a meeting of our region’s
beekeeping organisation; fantasy plays no
part in this story!
A clue to the collection of so many
swarms in the one apiary is possibly due to
the way in which I store my empty combs.
This is also determined by the activities of
the wax moth. The wax moth problem, i.e.
the destruction of combs, begins in our
region from the 20th - 25th May and stops
in October. From the middle of October
and up until 20th May I store empty combs
in hives with 7-10 hive bodies. As we have
cold winters the combs are safe from wax
moth until spring. The hives, with floors and
roofs, stand firmly next to each other with
open entrances on one side, all of which are
covered with an awning.
The start of intensive swarming usually
coincides with the beginning of the
destructive activities of the wax moth. Whilst
some of the stored combs will be used for the
expanding colonies, many others will not, as
yet, be needed. The boxes with spare combs
are therefore, in rotation (about every 10 -14
days), put on occupied hives for just one day
which easily allows the bees enough time
to clean the combs of wax moth eggs and
larvae.
In normal years all empty combs will be
used during summer for honey production.
However, in 2008 we lost 170 colonies by
poisoning due to agricultural pesticides so,
in 2009, we had an excess of good empty
combs. To prevent these combs from being
destroyed by wax moth I began, as described
above, to place full boxes on normal colonies,
so that every so often the colonies would on
a regular basis keep the pests at bay.
I believe that two important factors, small miscalculation and, that in time, after
therefore, contributed to my success
with swarms:
- having a huge number of boxes filled
with good, empty and clean combs;
- that the empty combs had very recently
been on normal colonies for a day.
The fact that swarms found these hives
especially attractive is the basis for their
occupation of them, even more so if several
boxes of combs were on the one hive.
During swarming time we had a
maximum of 5 swarms taking possession of
hives (with 4 - 8 boxes of combs) each day,
but more usually just 2 - 3 swarms.
It is important that the hives are placed
side by side. If an “attractive” single hive
becomes the object of more than one swarm
a sad result will occur, for the bees will fight
over it leaving heaps of dead bees. However,
when the hives are next to each other, instead
of fighting, a second swarm will move along
to the next available hive, and so on.
On one occasion, early in the morning,
I took boxes containing swarms from hives
and moved them to a distant apiary to free
places for more swarms. As a result, the
number of free empty combs in each hive
decreased very quickly.
I did have the idea once of putting
swarm traps with empty combs cleaned by
my colonies in different places, but now I
believe that the locating of them in one yard
is the better option.
A case for widely dispersed traps could
be made due to the fact that neighbours
gave me information about the presence of
swarms in their gardens. However, I begun
to understand that the swarms came from
a great distance away, that they had made a
some orientation in the locality, they would
find my unoccupied hives.
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
COLONY MANAGEMENT
Some swarms were headed by queens
with distinctive markings made with
coloured nail varnish. Finding swarms
with marked queens gives the possibility of
calculating the distance they had travelled.
On one occasion this was 25 km. My apiary
is 12 km from the sea and few bees come
from that direction. The fact that I had so
many swarms might be indicative of their
coming from a large area, perhaps in the
range of 30-50 km. However, this topic
needs special investigation by scientists
whose interests don’t concern the harvesting
of tons of honey. I am an apiarist, but
perhaps a little unusual according to the the
significance of these words. I usually work
in apiaries with the express aim of robbing
honey from bees; other beekeepers, on the
other hand, may mainly breed bees and
receive honey from them only from time
to time.
As for my method of swarm catching, it
was used only after the loss of a large quantity
of colonies, when I had many spare empty
combs and much free time. Normally, I have
neither spare combs nor free time. All empty
combs are usually used for nucs after white
acacia (pseudoacacia) has finished flowering
45
and then I haven’t a spare second. The above
management strategy was the result of the
loss of 170 colonies in 2008; free time and
spare combs happened simultaneously,
which is why I caught 110 swarms in 2009.
In 2010 I was busier than the year before and
had fewer combs to spare and the swarms I
caught significantly reduced to just 50.
Now one of my beekeeping friends, a
beekeeping apprentice, uses a modification
of my method, but he uses only 4 to 10
combs. This is not an exact version of my
method, but his best results so far are about
50 swarms per season.

DEALING WITH skep, turning the skep onto an old hessian sack
and placing them in the shade then, if the bees
SWARMS seem to want to return to the place on which
John Phipps they clustered, I will cut the branch, if possible,
with the bees scurrying upwards and even
running over each to reach the hive entrance.
Some bees remain on the flanks of the moving
crowd and with Nasonov glands exposed and

R
and put it in front of the entrance to the skep: wings beating they direct stragglers onwards
ecently, I helped some the rim of the skep is partly lifted with a stone and upwards. Within a very few minutes, this
beekeepers hive a couple of swarms, leaving a gap through which the bees can enter. enthralling part of beekeeping is over. I so
both of which were nicely clustered But the best part comes in the evening much look forward to this that I would never
on the low branches of olive trees. when the skep is carried to a prepared hive (with entertain the idea of dropping bees into the top
The beekeepers had been caught out so were frames fitted with sheets of foundation) and of the hive.
hastily cleaning frames and adding new sheets with a wide board sloping upwards from the Surprisingly, this traditional method of
of foundation. As requested, I supplied them ground to the hive entrance. With everything hiving swarms seems to be very much a British
with some drawn combs. in place, the skep is given a downward but practice. I have asked our correspondents
Before adding the frames to the brood gentle thrust so that the bees land in a large how they deal with swarms - both as regards
boxes, the beekeepers took handfuls of lemon throng on the ramp. The first few seconds their capture and after treatment and, as I
leaves and crushed them onto the inside walls, after this are interesting. Firstly it looks as if expected, their answers vary considerably. A
in the way that old skeppists might have done the bees are going to slide down the ramp, brief summary of their methods is made in the
with leaves of lemon balm, to release the citric but this is soon followed by an upward surge, table overleaf.
scent apparently so loved by bees.
Collecting both swarms was done
efficiently and quickly: the prepared hives
were placed beneath the swarms, with the
bees just in contact with the frame tops, and
the branches vigorously shaken to dislodge the
bees. At the same time, the bees were heavily
smoked both to drive them down into the hive
and to prevent them from returning to the
branches on which they had clustered. Both
hived swarms were kept in the shade of the
olive trees and later repositioned in the apiary.
This seems to be the common practice in
Greece, that is, to hive them immediately. The
beekeeper on the cover of this issue is a skeppist
and has about a hundred hives - ‘koffinia’,
basket hives made with reeds and daubed with
clay and cow dung. The bees are kept in this
way to produce swarms each spring, all of
which are transferred to Langstroth hives for
his son’s commercial apiaries. The beekeeper
uses no smoke to drive the bees into the
hive - he lures them in by whistling to them.
Yes, unbelievable - unless like me you have
witnessed it!
After decades of beekeeping, the collecting Above. In Australia, Geoff Manning often uses a tube to collect his swarms.
of swarms and hiving them is still one of my Top right. My Greek friends shake the bees into the top of a prepared hive and smoke the bees down
greatest pleasures. I have used the same method between the frames and off the tree.
throughout the years; shaking the bees into a Bottom right. In Greece I use the same system of capturing and hiving swarms as I always did in England.
46 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 47
 48 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
PEST CONTROL
Further modifications on the Apipurg®-trap
improving mainly its efficacy against
Aethina tumida (SHB) threatening the
European bee races of Apis mellifera L.
M.D. Ifantidis
Thessalonika, Greece
I
n the issue of the “BQ” No105,
September 2011 (pages 38-44)
different models of the Apiburg® trap
have been shown. Among them the
latest model - IV to date (Fig 4, p. 40 of
the same issue) has been recently further
modified, leading to the creation of the two
newer models (– V and – VI). In Figure 1
of the present paper the newest of them is
shown first.
A brief comment on a minor
modification: The long and narrow
entrances (bi, ci) like slits around the hive
entrance of the model - IV with a width of
3.8mm have, in the newest model - VI,
the form of circular holes (with a diameter
again of 3.8 mm). These entrances are
intended for the adults of the small hive
beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida and also for
the adults of the wax moth. They do not
allow honeybees to go through.
Nevertheless, the first of the major
modifications concerns the length of
the “propylea”, i.e., of the dark tunnel
which connects the visible (external) hive
entrance in the front side of the Apiburg®
with the internal, not visible (in operating
position), horizontal one drilled in the
middle of the roof( Figure 2). The tunnel
which is seen clearly in Figure 3, is about
three times longer in the newest models (-
V and - VI) than in the previous models.
The elongated “propylea” aim to make
it more difficult for the wasps as well
as for the robber bees to reach into the
bee colony, or even more so, to prevent
them from totally having such success,
because these invaders must confront
now with many more bees within a
longer than within a shorter tunnel and
consequently they must fight against them
before they can enter into the bee colony.
Furthermore, should any wasp or robber
bee be successful the it would be almost
improbable thereafter to find their way
out again through the dark tunnel and
then to the outside of the colony. Instead,
they would rather try (in vain) to escape
through the illuminated back side of the
Apiburg®, which nevertheless does not
lead to the exterior. The illumination of
this area is made possible by the lateral
entrances of the sliding drawer, by its
windows and by its gauze roof. Exactly
the same must be valid also for the larvae
of the SHB: Any SHB larva which would
have been completely developed some time
in the bee colony, having the tendency to
be attracted to the light (a property named
as “positive phototaxis”) will not move
towards the dark tunnel, which ultimately
leads away from the bee hive. Instead they
too would move towards the back side of
the Apiburg®, which is illuminated. There
they would be confined and definitively be
killed by the worker bees.
So, with the new Apipurg® model
equipped with the elongated dark
tunnel, the WHOLE bee hive itself
would function as an enormous trap for
adult wasps, robber bees and possibly
for SHB larvae as well.
There should be no reason to doubt
the usefulness of the elongated tunnel, for
example tο worry that it would obstruct
the circulation of the worker bees. One
has only to think about the always
successful maintenance of a bee colony
in an observation hive for decorative
purposes (Figure 4). Another example
with the same concept is the hive of the
HOBOS (an abbreviation for Honeybee
Online Stadies), which was created in
2006 by Professor Tautz Jürgen of the
University of Würzburg (Germany). This
is also equipped with a long, as well as a
bright, tunnel at the hive entrance without
it making any problem for the normal
development of the bee colony.
The second, but of equal importance,
of the major modifications made in order
to create specifically the more effective
Apiburg® -VI model (the newest one)
specifically against SHB, concerns the
horizontal entrances, which are in use
for the first time on its floor (see again
Figure 3, right photo). They are covered
with conical valves from a metal plexus.
Their optimal number for increasing the
effectiveness of the Apiburg® trap against
the SHB adults but complementary also
against wasps (especially for their queens),
against robber bees, against the wax
moths adults as well as against Acherontia
atropos adults, could be revealed on the
basis of the results of further relevant
experiments, taking concurrently in
account the necessitated higher cost for
their manufacture.
The idea to create the additional
entrances for invaders on the bottom of
the Apiburg®-trap in order to enhance its
effectiveness primarily against the SHB
adults, has arisen due to the fact that this
invader is a nocturnal adult insect (as for
example are also the adults of the wax
moths) and therefore it is characterised
by the property of “photophobia”, i.e.,
by its tendency to be withdrawn away
from the daylight. That means that those
SHB adults which would have not passed
overnight through the various and many
entrances of the Apiburg®-trap, would be
withdrawn next morning as far as possible
away from the daylight under its bottom.
Indeed, in the absence of the bottom
entrances these SHB adults would usually
gather under the hive. So, the next evening
and during the whole of the following
night, they would increase the invasion
pressure around the hive entrance, thus
increasing the probability for a greater
invasion rate of SHB within the bee
colony. On the contrary, in the presence
of the bottom-entrances characterised the
newest Apiburg® -VI model, the beetles
that would have arrived in an apiary too
late in the previous night, would continue
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 49

Fig 1. General aspect of the newest Apiburg ® –VΙ model with a putative Fig 2. Front-top view of the Apiburg ® –VI model carrying still the putative
chamber on it (the colored frame). Instead of the two lateral entrances of the chamber on it. Between the internal horizontal hive entrance (a) and the
previous model leading directly into the slighting suitcase (the real trap) the perpendicular external one on the front side of the structure (b) there
two newest models carry only one at the distal end of the construction. is the non-visible elongated tunnel connecting the bee colony with the
Around the hive entrance with a width of 10mm there are additional inputs surroundings.
with a diameter of 3.8mm leading selectively the SHB and wax moths adults
indirectly into the real trap. The parapets for closing the hive entrance and the
lateral entrances are out of their functional position. They are equipped with
holes of 3.8 mm diameter.

Fig 3. Uncovered Apiburg –V (left) and –VI (right) models. Common features in
both of them are: a) the elongated dark tunnel (“propylea”) in the form of an
upside lying down Latin L and b) the sliding suitcase (the real, definite trap), the
cover of which is made from a metal plexus tight for the bees and for all the
invaders too. Its bottom is made from aluminum. The common feature c): in the
middle of the lateral sides, the two longitudinal narrow sockets into which small
and thin blocks are inserted. The VI - model is additionally equipped: i) with
the horizontal tubules-valves (3,8 mm diameter at their narrower end) on the
back side of the drawer and around the external entrance, which is connected
through the tunnel with the internal horizontal entrance (the main entrance = Fig 4. The elongated light tunnel did not obstruct at all the normal
“pyli”) of the hive, and ii) with two horizontal entrances on the bottom of the development of the bee colony within this decorative observation hive.
Apiburg®, which are covered with conical valves from insects tight plexus.
Their narrow (upsides) end allows all the hive invaders to go through.

all the next day to be trapped, going
through the bottom-entrances into the
darkness of the space under the hive floor
(i.e., under the roof of the Apiburg®-trap)
in their permanent effort to go possibly
further away from the day light.
A further, but not the last (minor),
modification to be mentioned here
concerns the material of the bottom of the
sliding drawer (see again Fig 3). This is
made from aluminium. When the drawer
is removed from the trap for cleaning
(Figure 5), if it is put on a hot plate with
a high enough temperature, the heated
aluminium base will kill any invaders which
 50 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

are still alive. This possibility acquires its - It captures queen wasps too, as also
full significance when the invader is the
SHB, since the beetle remains alive for
several days. In addition, the aluminium
prevents deformation of the bottom of the
drawer, which can possibly be caused by
the ambient humidity and rain.
The main feature of all the improved
models of the Apiburg®-trap is that the
hive entrance is found below the level
of the hive floor. This feature makes it
feasible to install all the necessary and
useful already mentioned appendages in
the space created between the floor and
the roof of the Apiburg®-trap, without
obstructing in any way the function of the
bee colony.
The advantages of the improved - Apiburg®-trap captures selectively
Apiburg®-trap models have been reported
in detail in the issue of the “BQ” No105,
September 2011 (pages 38-44). Here they
are mentioned again in brief, but with the
added advantages of the latest model:
- Apiburg®-trap, contrary to all till
now known traps, which are offered
on the market for use in beekeeping,
captures the adult SHBs before they
can gain access to the bee hive, thus
breaking the life cycle of this pest
at its most critical moment, i.e., just
before starting its reproduction which
is detrimental to the bee colony.
- It captures every kind of flying hive
invaders, in contrast again to other
different kinds of traps which have
been invented separately for wasps, or - With the circumstantial use of special
for SHB, or for Acherontia atropos, etc.
trapping.
carry wholes with a diameter of
other traps do. The advantage of only 3,8mm allowing the SHB but
Apiburg®-trap over the other types in not the bees to go through (see
this aspect is that it prolongs the active again Figure 1), the beekeeper can
time of capturing the queen wasps, repress rapidly and successfully the
because it starts functioning as early detrimental phenomenon of the
as possible in the spring time. This is noisy form of robbing in the apiary,
feasible due to the fact that Apiburg®- simply by putting the “parapets” for a
trap constitutes an integral part of reasonable time on the lateral inputs
the modern beehive, by replacing of the Apiburg® as well as on the hive
completely and permanently the entrance, until the robbing is over.
common (movable) hive base. So, the - By capturing only robber bees, which
beekeeper does not need to seek the are responsible for the silent form of
proper moment in the spring time in robbing, all the improved Apiburg-
order to put the trap in place, again trap models function in addition
contrary to the case with the other as an indicator of the conditions
types of wasp traps. for nectar secretion in the location
around an apiary. Under conditions
only the robber bees, due to the of poor nectar secretion the number
possibly drastic reduction of the of trapped robber bees per day would
number of lateral entrances parallel increase, signalizing the necessity for
to their restriction at the distal end moving with no delay the bee colonies
of the structure (see again Fig.1). to another more prolific location,
By capturing the robber bees the producing nectar or honeydews in
Apiburg®-trap eliminates the bee abundance.
colonies between each other in their - Apiburg- trap attracts all the invaders
non-natural congregation of them in solely with the natural odors of the
the apiaries. On this way it contributes bee colony. This enables the beekeeper
significantly to the prevention of silent to save time and money, which he must
form of robbing and consequently spent to buy, to renew and to apply
to the prevention of automatic, long insect attractants by using other types
time spreading of parasitic (i.e., Varroa of SHB traps. Also in contrast to the
destructor and Acarapis woodi) as well traps already available on the market
as of infectious (i.e., Nosema, Foul Apiburg® trap is sustainable for many
brood, etc.) diseases. years, thus achieving easy the desired
paid off.
accessories, the so called “parapets”, - Apiburg® trap retains all the advantages
i.e., side protection boards, which (the use of pollen trap including) of

Fig 5. Back-top view of the model-VI. The sliding suitcase is slightly pulled
out of its functional position. The pair of metal screens and the internal
(main) horizontal hive entrance in the middle of the roof are clearly shown.
The parapet carrying two holes (of 3,8mm diameter) is at its functional
position, covering the entrance to the suitcase.
Fig 6. Chalkidiki-skep (Greece). The lack of bottom which involves the
permanent ventilation of the bee colony from the down side in summer and in
winter does not prevent its normal development.
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 51

a b c d e
The Apiburg Trap will help to protect colonies from (a) Hornets (b) Wasps (c) Waxmoth Damage (d) Robber Bees and (e) Small Hive Beetles

the movable hive bottom, concerning
the manipulations (examination) of
bee colonies in contrast to the fixed
hive bottom.
- In comparison again to the fixed
hive bottom the Apiburg® (as well as
the common movable hive bottom
does) would suffer less, under
condition of high ambient humidity,
(argumentation of John Phipps,
personal communication).
- Due to the partially perforated but
bee tight roof of the Apiburg®,
which is functioning at the same
time as the hive floor, the bee colony
is continuously supplied with the
necessary amount of air during the
whole year, as it is happened with
the Chalkidiki-skeps (Greece), which
nevertheless have no bottom (Fig 6).
This is valid also during the procedure - With the aid of small and thin
of the moving the colonies. Thereby
the beekeeper safes time, because
he does not need to replace the hive
cover with the classical screen board to
secure the necessary ventilation of the
provisionally confined bee colonies.
- Since Apiburg® is not equipped with
an alighting board the beekeeper
also saves space in his vehicle when
he moves his colonies. The absence
of the alighting board a) deprives the
SHB adults of the opportunity to
hide themselves underneath it during
the day and b) it does not favor wasps
which fight against the guard bees in
front of the hive entrance.
(wooden) blocks which are inserted
perpendicularly between the
Apiburg® trap and the hive, between
the chambers or between the last
chamber and the cover of the hive it
is possible to fit the parts of the hive
properly together, thus avoiding any
shifting that might occur. In this way
the invaders cannot find secondary
entrances to intrude into the hive and
they are forced to go through the holes
which lead them into the Apiburg®
trap.

The Central Association

of Bee-Keepers
Bringing Science to the Beekeeper
Acting as a bridge between the beekeeper
and the scientist, the CABK is a must for all
who are interested in bees and other social
insects. We organise two conferences per
year, plus our social evening which takes
place during the National Honey Show.
Single membership costs just £10 per year,
and includes free copies of lecture booklets.
To join us, visit the CABK website or
contact the Hon Secretary:
Pat Allen +44 (0) 1708 220897
pat.allen@btconnect.com
http://www.cabk.org.uk
Registered charity number 278710
 52 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015

COMMENT
Scientific evidence: what is it and how can we trust it?
Manu Saunders
PhD Candidate at Charles Sturt University

T
he phrase “scientific evidence” “true” situation. This means using proved reviewed by their scientific peers – only
has become part of the vernacular or appropriate ways of collecting and they are qualified to assess the validity of the
– thrown about like a hot potato analysing the data and ensuring the research methods and the accuracy of the conclusions
during discussions of major is conducted ethically and safely. the researcher has drawn from the results.
environmental, health or social issues. Control scenarios may also be necessary Oscars are decided by international
Climate change is one example. The EU’s when testing for effects or impacts – such film industry professionals. Similarly,
ban on neonicotinoid pesticides is another. as when developing new products (such having research findings published in
We’ve heard numerous mentions of as medicines), or evaluating management an international peer-reviewed journal
the associated “evidence”, indicating the actions (such as farmland pesticide use). essentially means that other professional
importance of the issue and the need The control scenario represents the opposite scientists who specialise in that kind of
for action. This evidence is presented by of the scenario being tested. This is so the research have verified the quality and validity
proponents in much the same way that results that are seen in the test scenario are of the research.
evidence is given in a court case, usually to guaranteed to be from the tested product or This process takes a long time – from
back up policies or decisions that will impact impact, and nothing else. submission of the manuscript to a journal,
people’s lifestyles. But, unlike in a court case, If the scenario involves environmental to the final publication date can take six
we are rarely told exactly where the evidence processes of some kind, the test and control months to a year, often longer.
comes from and why it is evidence. should ideally be carried out under natural For really important decisions, especially
Scientific evidence is information conditions (or in an environment where ones that will affect lots of people (how we
gathered from scientific research, which takes these processes normally occur). should manage our national parks, for
a lot of time (and patience!) to conduct. But Sometimes this can be virtually example), multiple studies may need to be
there are a few things that all this research impossible to do, and lab-based or combined sourced to show that a majority of scientists
needs to have in common to make it possible lab/ field studies will need to be done instead experienced with the issue agree on the
for decision-makers, and ultimately all of us, so the “nuisance factors” can be controlled. evidence (just like a jury in a court case).
to accept it as “evidence”. Take the recent neonicotinoid issue. If This is to show there is a “scientific
a researcher wants to prove that use of a consensus” on the evidence, and it provides
Objective and unbiased pesticide does not affect bees flying about even more reason for taking action on the
Research needs money to pay for laboratory in the environment where the chemical is issue at hand.
equipment, field surveys, and materials - normally used, they will need to test two Of course, not everyone agrees on
not to mention the wages of all the people different scenarios. everything – think of any topic from the
involved in the project. And money certainly One hive of bees will have to go about Earth being round, to what you and your
doesn’t appear out of thin air, even around their business out in the field while being family will eat for dinner tonight! So if a few
the quantum physics department! exposed to the pesticide. A second hive of scientists disagree with the majority group of
The majority of researchers have to bees will have to be in the same general scientists over a particular issue, that is not
constantly apply for funds to carry out environmental location as the first hive (to immediate proof that the evidence is wrong,
their research. These funds can come from ensure both hives experience the same overall and neither is it shocking or newsworthy.
different places, usually government bodies living conditions), but remain completely After all, we don’t talk about the Best
such as the Australian Research Council uncontaminated by the pesticide throughout Actor Academy Award nominee who got the
(ARC), academic or research institutions, the test. fewest votes.
non-profit organisations or even industry It’s obvious how impossible this would be
bodies. Applications are judged on scientific to manage under natural conditions, where Interpreting the evidence presented to us
merit and their relevance to society or the no one can control the drift of chemical Most of us hear of “scientific evidence” from
funding body’s interests. droplets or the movement of tiny insects journalists, newsreaders, politicians or media
Mostly, funds are distributed fairly. But across the landscape! In this case, completely commentators, and often we don’t have the
if an organisation funds a research project field-based studies may not exist, but it opportunity to check the facts ourselves.
that will benefit them financially, then we would be misleading to say that a “lack of But understanding where true scientific
cannot accept the findings as “evidence” field studies” means that the pesticide does evidence comes from, and what it means,
unless different researchers (from unrelated not affect bees. is imperative to helping us tackle the most
organisations) come to the same conclusions important issues affecting our own lives
through their own independent research. Peer-review and professional consensus and the world we live in.
This step is the most crucial, and it turns So the next time someone says they
Ensuring results will be valid and accurate research into the “evidence” that we all talk have “scientific evidence” to back up their
Scientific evidence relies on data, and it is about. The researcher has to present their case, ask a few questions. Who funded the
crucial for researchers to ensure that the data, results and conclusions in the form research and why? How much evidence
data they collect is representative of the of a scientific report or paper. This must be is there and how was it gathered? Was the
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 53

sample size or location representative of the “real” situation?

Has the research been published in an internationally-
accepted, peer-reviewed journal, or is it only available online
on a personal or organisation’s website? Do a majority of other
scientists agree on these results? If a few disagree, are they
qualified to evaluate the issue? (For example, a medical doctor
and an astronomer are both scientists – but that doesn’t mean the
astronomer is qualified to perform heart surgery!)
And if someone claims there is a “lack” of evidence on a
contested issue, ask them to clarify. Do they mean that peer-
reviewed research has been carried out, and found no proof of
an effect? Or, do they mean that no one has yet funded research
to examine the issue? These do not mean the same thing - as the
saying goes:
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
Manu Saunders does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive
funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from
this article, and has no relevant affiliations.

Publications
2015 
Keystone resources available to wild pollinators in a winter-
flowering tree crop plantation, Agricultural and Forest Entomology,
17:90-101
 54 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
THE GREAT WAR –
ITS EFFECT ON BEEKEEPING
- as seen through the pages of the British Bee Journal
The First Anniversary – July to September 1915
Stuart Ching, BA, BA (Hons). MEd
Beekeeping still carried on despite the
battles raging on the continent. The
advertisements show the continuing trade
in really mundane things, the Honey Shows
still took place, the honey samples were
still being sent to BBJ for analysis and the
articles were still being written. Honey
was still being imported. ‘Isle of Wight’
disease continued as the major issue with
beekeepers. To outsiders beekeeping was
going on as it had for centuries. However,
as in all wars, things get serious when
the casualty lists are published. During
the period now being reported, lists of
beekeepers wounded or killed in action
were regularly recorded in the magazine
– strangely almost all of Army personnel.
Unfortunately, it is not made clear what
was the nature of their injuries in every
case. Their names are spread throughout
this work.
July
Honey Imports.
The value of honey imported into the
United Kingdom during the month of July,
1915, was £11,562.
Among the Bees - Banff
Purchasers of bees should invest very
cautiously, and before paying should
demand a certificate testifying that the bees
are free of disease. The very great number of
shows - cattle shows, flower shows, honey
shows - where the fruits of our industry are
generally exhibited, which will not be held
this season must have a very prejudicial
effect in withholding displays of honey
and kindred produce. The poor visitors
lists in many health resorts and watering-
places mean a considerable shrinkage in the
quantity of honey sold. The heavy claims
on our purses owing to war demands must
make many a housewife erase luxuries from
her list of purchases. The high price of
actual necessities will curtail purchasing
possibilities. Sportsmen who visited the
North in such numbers will come in tens
instead of hundreds.
Honey Shows but it was decided that it would be better
Tuesday, August 3rd, 1915. Bridgnorth to deal with the bees by the aid of science
and District Bee-keepers’ Association, held rather than of brute force and water. Taking
in connection with the Hampton Loade a leaf from the German book, the wretched
Horticultural Society. bees were subjected to poisonous gases, and
in two minutes they were all reduced to
Monday and Tuesday, August 16th and senseless harmlessness, and swept away in a
17th, 1915, Cannock, Staffs. Honey Show, bucket.
in connection with the Horticultural
Society’s Show. Answer (question can be surmised)
WH White (Harlington). Queens from
Advert Italy. The last we heard of Sig. Gaetano Piana
Fisherman would exchange his outfit, several months ago, he had been called up
comprising three rods, reels, lines, salmon to rejoin the army, and no doubt is now
and trout flies, spoons, wings, feathers, fighting his country’s battles. Under the
dressing box and contents, for good stock of present circumstances it is not likely that any
bees, with hive; must be guaranteed free from queens will be sent from Italy this season.
disease. Coupar, Broughton, Cockermouth,
Cumberland. Royal Lancs. Agricultural Society.
This society is running its annual show this
Royal Show, Nottingham year at Blackburn from July 29th to August
Mr. Watts exhibited his well-known Bee 2nd. Owing to the absolute necessity of
Escape and also his recently invented Hive economy they are unfortunately obliged to
Roof Escape, for which he was awarded first drop the honey classes. They have, however,
prize. Unfortunately, Mr. Watts will not be decided to have lectures and demonstrations
able to place the roof escape on the market in the bee tent, the lecturer being Mr.
at present as it is impossible to find a firm J. Herrod-Hempsall, of Luton, who for
who can undertake their manufacture owing several years toured the county as expert.
to the great amount of Government work We understand the R.L.A.S. are spending a
in hand. This difficulty will vanish when good deal of money and energy in providing
the war is over, and bee-keepers will then be hospital accommodation for wounded
able to avail themselves of this very efficient soldiers.
device.
Honey Show
Herefordshire BKA August 5th, at Madresfield, Malvern.
At a committee meeting held on Wednesday Annual Show of the Worcestershire BKA
it was decided that the annual honey show
shall not be held this year, and that no Answers (questions not printed)
prizes will be offered in honey classes at “DoNNo” (Chilwell). Clearing Supers. To
horticultural or other local shows. get the bees out in anything like that time
you would have to use a very strong solution
The New Standard of carbolic for the cloth, which would taint
A couple of days ago the business quarter and spoil the honey. We should prefer to
of the Rue de Chateaudun was invaded take the super a distance away from the hive
by a strange horde - no less than a flush and shake the bees off, using a feather, or a
of swarming bees which, following their twig from a bush, to brush away those that
queen, began to hang in a cluster from one refused to be dislodged by shaking.
of the lampposts. Finally, the firemen, who
are generally a last resort, were called out, PJS. (Notts.).—Under the circumstances
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015 55

we think your best plan would be to drive to the best standards after the ravages of the more fighting men than the usual average of
the bees out of the box and tie as much as disease that have affected the district, the any industry. To place on record the part
possible of the comb containing brood into fifty entries were exceedingly creditable to the members of our craft have played in the
frames, re-hive the bees on them in the new the exhibitors. With characteristic generosity present war we propose to make a “ Roll of
hive, and feed up for winter. it was agreed to send the jars of honey in an Honour,” and shall be pleased if our readers
open special class to the wounded soldiers. will forward us the names and addresses,
Advert together with the regiment and rank, of any
Tamlin’s Nonpareil Incubator, 100 eggs, Letter bee-keeper serving his King and Country;
latest style, with book of instructions, eggs, I had to kill my bees with cyanide of potassium also if killed or wounded. We print below
or exchange for driven bees; stamp for reply. by putting in the poison at the bottom of the some of the names already sent in.
B. Castlow, 72, Nicholson-street, Portrack- hive and pouring water on it, taking out two
lane, Stockton-on-Tees. or three frames to do so, and then putting Col. Sir Arthur Boscawen -
frames back again with the bees still on them. Thames Defences.
August They were all dead next morning. Now the Capt GH Green and Lt. T Coopsey -
The value of honey imported into the United frames had about 6 or 8 lbs. Of honey, which Worcesters
Kingdom during the month of August, I uncapped, cut up, and extracted the honey. Dr. Lloyd - Royal Navy
1915, was £20,003. Is this good to eat, or will it be poisonous and Gunner FT Foster - RGA, Singapore
necessary to destroy? Pte. T. Bailey - 7th Worcesters.
Fred Watts Pte. R. Wagg - Birmingham City Battalion.
Suffolk BKA Reply. As cyanide of potassium is such a DCO W. Medlock. -
We are fortunate enough to have a hard- deadly poison it will be best not to take any 21st Siege Battery, RGA.
working secretary. Mr. Jones has, during risk, but to destroy the honey.
the last year, collected a great amount of Members of the Northumberland BKA
honey for our wounded heroes, and we have Adverts Col. Gibson, Stocksfieldon -
no doubt his and all other similar appeals White Leghorn cock (Hunter’s), 1914; 7th Northumberland Fusiliers.
will meet with a hearty response from bee- exchange for two strong driven swarms, or Col. Roddam, Alnwick -
keepers all over the country now that the sell 15s. WA Reid, Skeog, Whithorn, NB. 7th Northumberland Fusiliers.
bulk of this year’s honey has been secured. Major Sitwell, Berwick-on-Tweed (Secretary
Wanted, young Anglo-Toggenburg goat, in NBKA) - 6th Northumberland Fusiliers.
Blythe Bridge Show. milk, or near kidding, must be extra good Col.Sgt. J. Smith, Newcastle-on-Tyne -
With a patriotism which is commendable, milker, in exchange for strong stock bees, 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.
the committee decided to hand over the in good hive, or sell 35s; offers. Wyer, New Spr. George Bruce, Wooler - RE
profits after the payment of working Sawley, Derbyshire. Pte. Thos. Gordon, Wooler - Royal Scots.
expenses to the fund which is being raised
in the district for the care of the wounded September Lt. K. O. McLeman, Rothampstead
soldiers, while during the course of the Interesting Exhibits. Laboratory, Harpenden - RAMC
proceedings a jumble sale on behalf of the By kind permission of Mr CW Knight, the 2nd Lt. PJU Cowan - 5/l0th Middlesex
Red Cross Society was conducted by Mr. Crayford and District BKA held a successful (son of our Senior Editor).
WG Hart, and resulted in a substantial sum show and demonstration in the grounds Staff-Sgt. Mortimer, Winfrith -
being realised. of Maypole House, Dartford Heath, on No. 3 Coy 17th Div. Train, ASC
Saturday afternoon, August 28th. There Percy G. Harding, Ilfracombe -
Honey Samples. were many visitors, and the weather being Royal North Devon Hussars.
MM. (Mansfield). The honey is spoiled by fine several hours were spent in a pleasant and Gnr AA Baglev, Brightlingsea -
honeydew, which gives it the dark greenish interesting manner. Every effort was made to 10th Middlesex
colour. It is worth 3d. or 4d. per lb. in bulk. keep the show up to the high level of former
In future please do not place a letter next years, and, despite the war and its calls upon
to the bottle. There was no cork wad in friends and supporters of the association, the
the cap and the honey had leaked out and result was very creditable to all concerned.
saturated the letter, which we have had the
greatest difficulty in deciphering, in addition Honey Samples
to being extremely messy. Will other readers “Enquirer” (Mansfield). No. 1 is rather thin,
please note. and the flavour spoilt by ragwort. No. 2 is
also poor in density, but the flavour is good.
Advert
Black Spaniel, Bruce, cobby, 12 months, Advert
£2 2s or exchange bees or honey up to 50s. Wanted, offers for bees in hives, for two
Brook, West Hanningfield, Essex. pairs of show homers, one an Antwerp hen,
and four Norwich show ages. D. Sinclair,
Northants BKA Inchnuck Cottage, by Glenboig, Lanarkshire
The Association provided a very interesting
exhibition to a large number of visitors to A Roll of Honour.
Abington Park on Wednesday afternoon. Although bee-keeping is considered a minor
Though the entries were naturally not up pursuit, we venture to say that it has provided
 56 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
Farming for the Landless
- new perspectives on the
cultivation of our honeybee
by Sarah Waring
Platin Press 2015
Paperback, 194 pages
Illustrated with a few B&W plates
ISBN 978-0-95-694046-9
£10.50 pp from NBB
Honeybee Tapestry, by Dorothy Steadman.
When I first read the title of this book I
immediately recalled the wording on a
beautiful piece of bee tapestry that an old
lady once made for me:
“God bless the bee
Long may she yield
A harvest from
My Neighbour’s field.”
This lady wrote many poems about her
village and its people and though the latter
were unnamed, it was easy to identify them
by their traits which she so cannily described.
Of course, her short satirical rhyme
contains a profound truth, for as beekeepers
are mostly landless, their bees profit
enormously from the crops and plants
grown by other people over an area of some
twenty-five square miles. Often, without
their cultivation on farms or in gardens,
there would be insufficient natural resources
for the bees as their natural heritage has
declined dreadfully over the last five decades.
The dependence and well-being of
‘domestic’ or ‘farmed’ honeybees (feral
BOOKSHELF
Sarah Waring (photo taken at her book launch)
- graduated in Fine Art and Photography and
lectured at the University of Westminster and the
University of Art. Her career also includes writing
and editing and she lives and works in the UK and
Italy. Sarah has travelled extensively throughout
rural Europe and has had hands-on experience in
ecology and agriculture in Austria, Italy, Sweden
and Wales.
colonies have largely become extinct) and
indeed, other pollinators, are therefore in the
hands of those who manage the land, that is
farmers and horticulturists whose primary
concerns are for profitable businesses,
supported by the agrochemical companies
who provide them with the means to make
good profit margins through the use of a
wide range of their plant-protection
products.
Sarah Waring’s New Perspectives explores
in full the negative impact that this scenario
has had on beekeeping, an underrated and
invaluable industry that has already suffered
in the past from a range of crippling outbreaks
of diseases and new pests. In order to produce
this erudite work, Sarah has meticulously
made herself familiar with a vast amount of
research and travelled far and wide to meet
and interview beekeepers, scientists and bee
breeders to learn more about honeybees and
the problems that confront them.
Changes in farming practice, particularly
an increasing dependence on monoculture
and the loss of orchards, for instance, and
the constant statements by agrochemical
companies, despite evidence against them,
that their products are harmless to bees
are two major themes which Sarah covers
in much detail. It is obvious from her
investigations that these two factors have led
to honeybee decline. Whilst monoculture
of crops like oil seed rape may well help to
Review by the Editor
increase the yields of beekeepers, bees need
access to forage for colony maintainance
all through the year, and sufficient flowers
tend to be absent in the vast areas of arable
land. Whilst a temporary ban is in place
on harmful neonicotinoid seed dressings
on crops pollinated by bees, the companies
that produce them still rail against the
legislation and have the support of the
UK government. In mitigation (for past
sins?) agrochemical companies have started
wildflower initiatives so that farmers can
grow bee-favoured flowers on strips around
their fields to extend foraging conditions for
them. But which beekeepers would wish to
have their colonies attracted to these field
margins when neonicotinoids, asks Sarah,
still remain effective in the soil?
Beekeeping itself is scrutinised by the
author. Like many people she believes
that loss of habitat and agrochemicals are
not the only causes of bee decline. She
gives us a very good summary of Colony
Collapse Disorder, its origins and the many
investigations instigated worldwide on the
problem. Its association with other diseases
including viruses, of which varroa mites
are likely vectors and the fungus Nosema
ceranae are given much attention, but as
one expects, no sound conclusions to this
beekeeping enigma have resulted despite the
financial resources and manpower given to
the problem.
Sarah considers two ways in which
beekeepers themselves may unconsciously
have contributed to honeybee decline.
Firstly, the transportation of bees to other
areas perhaps as part of normal migration
of colonies, and secondly, and most
importantly, the purchase and use of bees in
areas to which they have not been adapted.
To find out more about bee breeding and the
importance of having bees of the right sort
in the right locality we find her in Slovenia,
where she is instructed in this important
aspect of management by Ales Gregorc,
Professor of bee breeding.
Another important thread in the book is
that of conservation. When the knowledge
about the severe plight of bees became
generally known, bees, once the charge
of beekeepers, soon became the collective
property of the public. In London alone
the number of beekeepers almost doubled
in a very short time and city and roof-top
beekeeping became very popular. However,
whilst some beekeepers made use of this
impetus to run classes and sell bees, others
were seen to be more cautious - in fact were
quite concerned about this development.
Here Sarah quotes an important comment
from London beekeepers Alison Benjamin
and McCallum: “If we are serious about
 The Beekeepers Quarterly Number 120 • June 2015
A remote apiary location, Lapland, Sweden. With no agricultural crops, no varroa, yet plentiful forage
especially from rose bay willow herb, Helen Berbqvist’s bees do very well during the short summer with
their endless hours of sunlight.
halting the decline of honeybees, we can’t
blithely introduce thousands more colonies
into urban areas without being aware of
the potential consequences if there is scant
forage to sustain them”. This echoes a
comment I heard from another London
beekeeper “If you want to help bees, then
plant more flowers” - and of course this
includes providing forage for all our wild
pollinating insects.
Is there any good news in the book?
Yes. Sarah describes the work being done by
Caroline Birchall, founder of Bee Collective,
an ex-Rothamsted scientist and currently an
advisor for Natural England, which together
with Bug Life and the Co-operative Group
are planning “Bee Roads”. These corridors
will provide bees with year-long forage and
connect to larger areas of land with a wealth
of bee plants. Whilst still in its early stages
this is an important development to help
Britain’s pollinating insects.
This is an important and timely
book relevant for beekeepers, farmers,
conservationists and anyone who has an
interest in our environment. It should be of
considerable interest, too, to lay people, who
have become aware of some of the problems
bees are facing, as dished about by the media,
so that they have a better understanding of
the issues involved. Sarah has tackled a very
difficult and emotive subject rationally,
giving the reader an enormous amount of
information to digest and consider. It is a
very readable book, broken up beautifully
from time to time with lyrical passages
describing her time with bees and the varied
landscapes through which she travelled.
BOOKSHELF
Sarah Waring writes: I have a fascination
with mountain life which is being further
developed in Italy. I live part-time in a small,
vibrant Alpine village where I grow fruit and
vegetables, saving and sharing seed, and am
involved in projects to reinvigorate rural life,
including a recent food sovereignty conference,
an agricultural land-sharing scheme and land
art exhibitions. The area, which borders
Austria and Slovenia, is fascinating as a
beekeeping region where A. m. carnica and
A. m. ligustica hybridise naturally, the local
flora is rich for wild pollinators and small-
scale agriculture is seeing a gentle revival.
The local beekeeper with a small apiary
located close to my crops also keeps sheep and
donkeys, and predominantly grows corn,
beans and potatoes in rotation. I worked on
this family farm when I first arrived in Friuli
and still help with occasional husbandry and
harvest work. As yet, I’ve not been tempted to Migratory beekeepers, Dobruja, Romania.
A commercial apiary Fushë Kosovë, Kosovo.
Despite the devastation caused by the war, the
uncultivated fields left to lay fallow produced
plenty of honey from the wild flowers.
57
become a beekeeper myself. Interestingly, the
more I researched for the book and the more
I learnt about both the theory and practice
of apiculture, the more I became aware of
the time required for responsible beekeeping,
especially given today’s pressures on bee health.
As my work takes me from place to place, I
need to remain flexible and, so far, don’t
foresee enough permanency in my day-to-
day life to keep bees well. Having said that,
I am of course obsessed by beekeeping. When
I was in London last month to launch the
book, I spent valuable time at Bee Urban,
a community beekeeping initiative based
in Kennington, where I felt immediately at
home in the lodge building surrounded by the
indomitable smell of wax. Organiser Barnaby
Shaw and other volunteers were in the process
of relocating due to a controversial Northern-
line extension of the London Underground.
My presentation of Farming for the Landless
at Bee Urban’s new site in Kennington Park
was all the more apt after hands-on experience
of digging to help transplant the flower, herb
and fruit plants that would provide forage
for the organisation’s colonies in forthcoming
months. As it was late February, early March,
the bees themselves were inactive beyond the
hive, but contributing to the preservation of
a rich pocket of plants in South London was
particularly satisfying given the heightened
need for sufficient forage alongside growing
numbers of urban beekeepers in London, as
discussed in the book.