Due to the strange late April weather we had were unable to go to the Training Apiary on Sun 23rd April for the practical part of our Introduction to Beekeeping Course 2023.
Instead we had frame and hive-making back in Brailes Village hall on the Sunday. But we promised attendees that they would all get a chance to see inside a hive and we have now arranged two sessions, the one we are reporting on here on Friday 05 May, and the second is on Saturday 13th May.
The first task was to get the students into the bee suits that we provide. One of the many ‘backroom’ activities that happens over the winter is that the bee suits need to be washed, as they are also used by the Monday and Wednesday Beginner groups, and we thank Margery Blower for doing so.
We have a good range of sizes and styles whilst students are asked to bring their own gloves and wellingtons. We get into suits well away from the bees!
Once at the apiary everyone has a quick ‘H&S’ briefing from David Blower MB (primarily on what to do if stung). The students were then split into 3 groups who were going to be shown a bee colony by Margery Blower, Liz Bates and Gary Thomas. The next step was to light smokers and then it was off to the bees.
And what an interesting session it turned out to be! The colony Gary Thomas’ group looked at had a (tiny) marked queen and a sealed queen cell on the face of a comb so we decided there was probably a supercedure happening and left them to it. Meanwhile in another colony swarm cells were found that resulted in a long look for the queen so that a nuc split could be done
The sun stayed with us for the whole evening and the students learned first hand one of the basics of beekeeping – expect the unexpected!
Apart from the three demonstrators mentioned above we also thank David Blower MB for arranging the session and Mike Clarke for putting the direction signs out and for all his work looking after the apiary site.
I wonder what the group on Saturday 13th May will find.