Our first apiary meeting of the year was well attended and the bees revealed a number of interesting learning situations.
The weather was kind; relatively warm and calm and as a result, the bees were generally quite well-behaved.
Considering it was relatively early in the season, the West End colonies were all building up well and were already fairly strong.
Another strong colony but with a reputation for being a bit feisty! Hence the joke that Denise handed the inspection over to Louise. The inspection showed plenty of healthy brood at all stages but there was a couple of cells where Sacbrood was evident. This provided a good opportunity for newer beekeepers to see what Sacbrood looks like.
Like Chalkbrood, Sacbrood is most commonly seen during the spring and early summer, but will usually clear up on its own during a good nectar flow. There are no chemical controls on the market for use against sacbrood, however, the best method for prevention is to maintain strong, healthy colonies. Requeening may also be effective.
Despite the strength of this colony, it had not yet started producing drones in any great numbers, suggesting any swarming preparations are some way off.
Louise demonstrated the correct way to turn a frame to prevent spilling any precious nectar.
“Patched out’ just means those bees have already hatched and are working. The queen will soon lay more eggs in those cells.
Louise points out that the frame should always be brought up level with your eyes. One side of the frame had capped honey, on the other side, the honey was still uncapped meaning it still contained too much water to be capped.
Meridian Beekeepers’ Association 