Author Archives: Meridian Beekeepers’ Association

It’s widely believed that high varroa levels and the associated viruses (deformed wing virus and bee paralysis virus) are the main causes of winter colony loss. Some of the authorised chemical treatments for varroa are themselves harmful to bees and potentially to the beekeeper too. Sugar dusting has for sometime been recommended as part ofContinue reading “Dusting bees with icing sugar”

There used to be a British Standard for nuclei. This is no longer in use but the requirements set out in that standard are still relevant today. A nucleus colony should: • have a young, good quality, laying queen. She may be marked and/or clipped • have all stages of brood present • be freeContinue reading “The value of nuclei”

Whether you’re conducting a hive inspection or just sitting in front of your bees with a cup of tea, studying them carefully will tell you a lot about the health and well-being of your colony. This page aims to suggest what you might look out for. Inside the hive It’s best not to disturb yourContinue reading “Reading your bees”

Whether you search online or look through a beekeeping catalogue there’s a bewildering array of feeders available in different shapes and sizes. Making sense of all this can be difficult. This page describes the different types of feeder and explains when and how to use them and also looks at the different feed mixes andContinue reading “Feeders; the different types and their uses”

Spring is just around the corner with all the hope and promise that holds for our bees. So it’s worth taking time to plan our first hive inspections. The changeable British weather at this time of year means we need flexibility to practice our beekeeping activities as the weather allows. By early March, most healthyContinue reading “The first Spring inspection”

Most new beekeepers quickly learn how to work out when a colony is making preparations to swarm. That’s because, an unchecked swarm will result in a diminished population within the hive, a loss of bees for the beekeeper and can be a nuisance to neighbours. A swarm will certainly reduce the foraging force at aContinue reading “Queen cells and how to identify the different types”

It was a warm, wet January with ten sunny days but I couldn’t get to my colonies and was reduced to external checks only. All colonies were taking in plenty of pollen indicating queens were already laying. By putting in and removing varroa boards a week later and then examining the drop of pollen andContinue reading “Louise: reflections on 2022”

Queens emerging in 2023 will be marked Red There are good reasons for marking your queen. Not only does it make it easier to spot her in a busy colony and allows you to keep track of her age, but it helps you determine that the queen you’re looking at is the same queen youContinue reading “Marking your queen”