| | | News etc. | | |
DEFRA Beekeeping Study - listening to beekeepers | Defra has commissioned People Science and Policy and East Malling research to conduct a study to better understand beekeepers' husbandry practices and how these are influenced by the advice available to them.
They want to hear from you (us), to help them improve their advice and training.
Defra want to hear from beekeepers in England and Wales no matter how much or how little experience they have.
http://www.peoplescienceandpolicy.com/beestudy/ | | 2010-03-06 23:02:09 |
DEFRA funding announcement | There's a press release on the DEFRA website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2009/090121a.htm
Apparently, £4.3m extra is being spent on bee health - £2m going on research, and the rest going to the National Bee Unit for their ongoing work with beekeepers.
We're not sure, but we think that's a trebling of the existing research budget.
On the other hand, the extra £2m of research funding will be spread over five years and be implemented via DEFRA's Bee Health Strategy, which we were consulted on towards the end of last year and which hasn't yet been finalised. So, in a sense, not only did we already know about this, but it's unlikely to be starting in a hurry. And it's about £6m short of what the BBKA were aiming for.
But it's still good news, and an almost tangible reward for the hard work of the BBKA and those beekeepers who've written to MPs, filled out questionnaires and braved the drizzle in Whitehall. | | 2009-01-27 18:33:59 |
2008/9 Membership | It's nearly October, which means it's either time to renew your LBKA membership or to apply for a brand new one.
Benefits of LBKA membership include our Winter Lecture series, the annual Bee Disease Management day, regular meetings, and unimpeachable help and advice.
The Application/Renewal form is available from the following links in either Word or PDF formats:
2008/9 Application/Renewal form (Word format)
2008/9 Application/Renewal form (PDF format)
| | 2008-09-12 11:55:35 |
Beekeeper Survey | The National Audit Office, which tirelessly investigates the more wanton excesses of government, has been tasked with surveying the state of the nation's honeybees. Or, if you read the small print, examining the work of DEFRA with particular emphasis on the National Bee Unit.
The future of the National Bee Unit, its team of indefatigable Bee Inspectors, its unparallellled technical and scientific backup and the valuable information it makes available to beekeepers, has not been looking entirely rosy in the hands of our current administration, and it wouldn't be a great stretch of the imagination to view this survey as part of a cost-benefit analysis aimed at, perhaps, allowing stretched resources to be more usefully employed on a fortnight of footraces, nicer chairs for the quieter bits of Whitehall or salvaging a little dignity from a PFI scheme.
Alternatively, it may be an open and objective attempt to see if the NBU could do with a bit more funding.
Therefore, anyone who keeps bees in England or Wales, whether or not they're a member of a national or local association, is strongly encouraged to respond to this survey, with their unbiased opinion of how indispensible the National Bee Unit is.
The survey is at: http://www.nao.org.uk/survey/beekeepers.htm
Somewhat unauspiciously, the deadline of September 5th is now supposed to be September 12th, despite what it says on the site. | | 2008-09-02 09:17:27 |
DEFRA Consultation on Bee Health Strategy | DEFRA has launched a consultation on a draft strategy on protecting and improving the health of honey bees in England and Wales. The consultation documents and response form are at the following address:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/bee-health/index.htm
The LBKA is on the list of consultees, and we will be responding in due course. However, DEFRA also "want to hear from a wider range of people, particularly individual beekeepers to make sure that the strategy represents accurately their priorities"
Therefore, we encourage all our members to respond individually if at all possible.
We will be discussing the LBKA's official response at forthcoming meetings, but if you can't attend and want to raise any specific points, then let us know either directly (see the details on our Contacts page) or by sending an email to defra.consultation@lbka.org.uk | | 2008-04-08 20:55:04 |
Bee Questions | Yesterday, Tuesday 27th November, Baroness Thomas of Winchester wasn't able to get to the House of Lords on account of an accident, so her question on whether the Government intended to increase funding for bee health research was asked by Lord Livsey of Talgarth, instead.
Lord Rooker, the Minister of State at DEFRA, was on fine circumlocutory form, stating that "The expectation is that funding for Defra’s ongoing programme of support for bee health will be at around the same level as previously", which is not quite the same as 'no', but as near as makes little difference.
Lord Livsey didn't like this much, and asked whether the £200,000 that DEFRA spends was adequate, given that Rothamsted (where most of the bee research happens) was struggling. Lord Rooker didn't deny this, but he didn't agree, either, and claimed that "Defra has not cut any work to Rothampsted (sic); the contract finished.", which sounds like an undertaker's euphemism, adding that "Our bee health research funding has remained roughly the same — £200,000 — for several years", which was dangerously close to a concession that the funding has, in real terms, declined by around 10% over the last five years. As it happens, £200,000 works out at something under a fiver per beekeeper, though Lord Rooker didn't say that. Instead, he said that bees contributed £165 million to the horticulture industry. That works out at around £3,750 per beekeeper, though Lord Rooker didn't say that, either.
After which, Lord Rooker pointed out that "there are 44,000 beekeepers, not all of whom follow the rules and the advice given by Defra.", which is true enough. He then said "That is one reason why we have illness and disease among bees in the first place.", which makes one truly glad that Lord Rooker is not at the Department of Health. Ignoring the rules may help to spread and harbour diseases, but it's surely not why they exist.
Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall then asked what DEFRA might be doing "to encourage domestic beekeeping, particularly in urban areas?", which was a good question. In reply, Lord Rooker returned to the matter of unruly beekeepers: "If we want to keep a serious bee population for crop and yield protection, we may have to go back to regulating the industry and some people would not meet the requirements of regulation for disease control. People keeping the odd hive in the back garden may be the root cause of the problem because they do not always follow the advice."
I may be wrong, but that doesn't sound much like encouragement to me.
If you'd like to read the full and impartial transcript of Lord Rooker's negative and authoritarian responses to these urgent questions, it's here. | | 2007-11-28 12:50:27 |
Watch some London Bees | This year, the Natural History Museum built an artificial tree in which to house some bees, thanks to the generosity of a manufacturer of a breakfast cereal and the assistance of some LBKA members.
There is now a live webcam in the colony, which you can see here:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/kids-only/naturecams/beecam/index.html
| | 2007-07-17 12:04:56 |
Dorset Beekeepers | It may have seemed odd that, although we know our London colonies sometimes swarm, they rarely cause much in the way of inconvenience or panic, even though we live in one of the world's largest cities.
In the delightfully unspoilt county of Dorset, however, they've managed to stampede the tourists and break an aeroplane, all in the space of a week.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6691851.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/6684685.stm | | 2007-05-25 18:00:30 |
New Venue for Monthly Meetings | We're now going to be having our monthly meetings at Walworth Garden Farm (click here for map). Walworth Garden Farm is, as the name implies, mainly horticultural, and there are no goats, sheep, ducks or rabbits.
However, there are bees, and we've also been promised that the tea will be better than we're used to. Members and non-members alike are cordially invited to attend, especially if they bring cake.
The change of venue will be current from June 10th 2007 (inclusive) until further notice.
Meetings are scheduled for the second Sunday of every month at 11am. | | 2007-05-25 17:50:57 |
A Buzz about Bees | Today there has, for one reason or another, been a great deal of interest from the media today in bee diseases, and the losses we've had over the winter. Mostly prompted by an article in the Guardian
Colony losses over the winter are not unexpected, and can be caused by starvation, poor weather or diseases. More rarely, but not unheard of, is theft. In any case, most beekeepers will experience some level of loss each year.
Following the reported prevalance of Colony Collapse Disorder in the US, beekeepers' associations in Britain, and the National Bee Unit in York, have been keeping an eye out for unusual patterns.
So far, apart from some isolated cases, our members have not reported levels of colony loss out of the ordinary. Our Chairman, who keeps a relatively large number of colonies, has had particularly severe losses this year and lost over half his stock, but there is no sign yet of this being due to anything particularly unusual, though the case is still being investigated.
It is thought that most losses are caused by viral diseases which are spread from hive to hive by bees, other insects, mites (such as varroa) or even by beekeepers. Bee viruses, like human viruses, can't be 'cured' as such, and we can only do our best to avoid them. The US House of Representatives Agriculture Committee is compiling a report on CCD, which is due out in May, and we'll be looking at that carefully at the time.
If anything does come to light that suggests there is a specific problem arising, we will keep our members informed as to what to look for, and any methods they might employ to minimize the impact. In the meantime, all we can do is wait and see. | | 2007-04-12 17:56:50 |
December Meeting | Our surprisingly well-attended December meeting, despite being held in the warm and cosy basement of the Natural History Museum, soon moved outdoors. It wasn't warm, but it was fairly mild. And we wanted to try something.
A nearby hive had a varroa problem. Keen-eyed readers of the latest BBKA News will have noticed that another weapon in the armoury against varroa can now be used in the UK. Oxalic acid has been used in many other countries as a varroa treatment with good results. It has also been trialled successfully in the UK, but until recently, most beekeepers have not been allowed to use it. We now can use it, but never when brood is present.
Oxalic acid comes in its pure state as a white powder. It's not very pleasant, and must to be handled very carefully, using gloves and goggles and reading the instructions on the packet. To treat against varroa, a small amount is dissolved in sugar syrup, which is then applied directly to the bees. A ready-made product, that works in the same way, is now available from Bee-bay* in Devon (see below for contact details and pricing). We recommend that individual beekeepers use a ready-made product simply because it avoids the hazards of handling and storing the pure acid. And because only very small amounts are needed, for beekeepers with a small number of hives, the ready-made product will work out cheaper than buying the ingredients separately.
James Croft kindly took some photos, which show the process nicely:
For those who couldn't attend, please have a Merry Christmas, or a Happy New Year. Or both, if you feel up to it.
Simon Wilks
*Bee-bay offer "Hive Clean" in 500ml (at £14.42) and 100ml (at £5.30)bottles. Currently, they have an offer of a 100ml bottle with applicator nozzle and instructions for £3.50 + £1.50 postage (so £5 in total).
They can be contacted at Bee-bay, Units 1&2, Fletcher Ind. Estate, Clovelly Road, Bideford, Devon EX39 3EU. | | 2006-12-10 20:00:55 |
Membership Renewal | LBKA subscriptions are due for renewal on October 1st. The forms are online in Word and PDF formats.
Word: http://www.lbka.org.uk/documents/memberform2007.doc
PDF: http://www.lbka.org.uk/documents/memberform2007.pdf
Costs for full members, and BeeCraft subscribers, have been raised slightly, but all else is much the same.
We do ask members to renew on, or before, the date of the AGM (1st November, 7pm, Roots and Shoots), but I'm sure we'll see you all there, anyhow, as we've been lucky enough to engage Professor Robert Pickard to deliver a talk on 'Bees and the evolution of societies'. | | 2006-09-29 13:59:24 |
Harvest Statistics | Our regional bee inspector, Alan Byham, writes:
"Each year I am asked to obtain information on honey yields and prices in
the South East region. The main purpose of this survey is to gather
information for Defra's annual statistics on food production.
"Personal information, IE names and addresses, is not passed on to Defra,
just the average honey amounts etc. as requested on the attached form.
"Thanks for your assistance with these figures"
The forms are here in Word or PDF
| | 2006-09-29 13:50:27 |
Beeswax Wanted | We've had a request for unpurified beeswax in quantities of 2-3 kg, for lost wax casting demonstrations.
If you've have surplus wax, please let me know (simon.wilks@lbka.org.uk), and I'll put you in touch. | | 2006-09-25 10:04:49 |
IPM Day 2006 | Our IPM Day will begin at 10:30am on Sunday 7th May. The weather is forecast to be fine, with a little cloud, and it should be warm.
Click here to download the full programme.
As last year, we'll cover monitoring, resistance and five control methods, each of which can be integrated into the day-to-day management of your hive(s). Even if you haven't got bees yet, it will be useful.
It's open to all current LBKA members, both Full and Associate. There will be a short break for lunch, so bring sandwiches. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. | | 2006-05-02 14:32:44 |
Observation Hive |
| Although there's been an observation hive at Roots and Shoots for a few years, it's outside. This means that for at least five months of the year, it has to be boarded up to stop the bees getting too cold.
Happily, Roots & Shoots' new Learning Centre has given us the opportunity to put an observation hive inside the old office building, pictured here behind the yellow skip. |
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Having bees indoors is all very well, but bees need to get outdoors, so they can gather nectar, pollen, propolis and water. Besides, people have to work in the building, and, although bees are generally docile and industrious creatures, they have their limits.
So, the first thing to was to drill a hole through the wall so the bees can get out.
Here's Julian Lush, who did all the woodwork, drilling a hole. The bees, we hope, will happily fly through a piece of two-inch drainpipe. To be honest, they won't have much choice. |
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Here's the hive being attached to the wall. It's a three-frame hive (3 brood frames), which can swing out from the wall so both sides can be viewed.
Observant readers will notice that this is being installed the wrong way, with the bee-exit facing into the room. We noticed this too, and it's the right way round now.
You can see a small perspex box at the bottom right-hand side. The bees will pass through this and, In winter, when there aren't any flowers available, it will allow us to feed the bees with sugar. Because it's a small hive, they won't be able to store enough for the whole winter by themselves. |
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Outside, we've put the bee chimney. Bees aren't like helicopters, and can't fly straight upwards or downwards, so they'll probably crawl up the walls of this. The front has been covered with perspex so we can see the bees going back and forth.
Because individual bees don't live very long (about five or six weeks in the summer), a lot of dead bees have to be taken out of the hive. This might be difficult for them if they have to drag them all the way up the chimney, so we might have to help them out. Either way, we won't be surprised if we see quite a few dead bees at the bottom of the chimney during the summer.
Installing the hive took no more than an hour or so, and thanks go to Trevor Crane for helping out, to Julian Lush, who built the hive and to Sylvia and Raymond Chamberlin, of High Wycombe, who helped with the design which is based on one of their hives. |
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In beekeeping, as in anything, too many cooks can spoil the broth. So while the construction was under way indoors, the rest of us were gathering material for our next project. |
 | | | 2006-03-14 09:30:54 |
CABK Spring Conference | One of the key events of the beekeeping year in London, the Central Association Spring Conference, is moving from Waterloo to Kennington. In previous years, the conference has been held at the Waterloo Campus of King's College, but will now be held in the new Learning Centre at Roots and Shoots on March 11th.
The Central Association aims to bring science to the beekeeper and the lectures, though scientific in nature, are intended to be of interest to a wide range of beekeepers. Further details are in our calendar | | 2006-01-30 14:38:26 |
Sir John Ritblat | Congratulations are due to our President, now Sir John Ritblat, who was honoured at the New Year by the award of a knighthood. The honour was awarded for services to the arts for, as well as keeping bees, Sir John is chairman of the trustees of the Wallace Collection and a major benefactor to the British Museum.
| | 2006-01-30 14:34:33 |
NBU Cuts Averted | Lord Bach, the Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food, has issued a statement, which has been agreed by both the BBKA and the Government. I've pasted the full text below, but in essence, the NBU funding cuts for bee inspectors will be put on hold until further consultation happens. Apparently this means that the cuts will be on hold for the life of the current parliament, which might be about three years.
The BBKA thanks all those who've helped on this issue, and we'd like to add our thanks, too. So Thank You to all LBKA members, supporters and well-wishers who have helped fight this issue, whether by signing the petition or stalking the corridors of power.
STATEMENT BY LORD BACH FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH THE BRITISH BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ON 10 NOVEMBER 2005
Speaking after a meeting on 10 November with Dr Ian Gibson MP and the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), Lord Bach, Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food, said:
“A healthy population of honey bees is crucial to the sustainability of the English countryside, contributing both to agriculture and biodiversity. The meeting has shown that Defra and beekeepers recognise the importance of effective measures to control disease and that the responsibility for these is a shared one.
Beekeepers have expressed concern about possible future deregulation of European Foul Brood (EFB), a highly infectious disease of honey bees, and consequent reductions in the bee inspection service and bee research. They have emphasised the importance of the inspection service to early detection and diagnosis of EFB, to prevent the spread of the disease and enable the appropriate treatment to be applied.
I have listened very carefully to beekeepers’ concerns. The ‘shook swarm’ technique, which is being evaluated by the National Bee Unit, could provide an alternative to the use of antibiotics in disease control. However, as I said earlier this year, we have no wish to introduce changes which would prejudice the effectiveness of disease control measures. I stand by this. Whilst I cannot anticipate future expenditure decisions, I have assured the beekeepers that we will not cut expenditure on EFB inspections without further consultation and unless it is clear that control of the disease will not suffer. We will share all the evidence with the beekeepers before proposing any such change.
The responsibility of individual beekeepers to keep their stocks in a healthy condition is also of critical importance. I have discussed with BBKA how the considerable assistance which is already made available by the Central Science Laboratory’s National Bee Unit to individual associations can be made even more effective. The BBKA have agreed to consider how best to ensure that disease recognition is taught more systematically in introductory courses and to ask their examinations board to consider a stronger emphasis on disease recognition in the examination syllabus. I have promised the continuing support of the National Bee Unit in this work”.
| | 2005-11-30 13:41:25 |
Honey Yield in 2005 | Alan Byham, our Regional Bee Inspector, has requested individual statisitcs on honey yields in 2005, but it seems that his form is more geared to larger-scale producers than us amateur, urban beekeepers.
At the AGM this was discussed and it was agreed that members should be invited to let us know how much honey their bees produced during the season on an strictly voluntary basis because it is a matter of considerable interest to compare urban honey production with yields elsewhere. It is not at all intended to make this a competitive matter.
If you agree to declaring the prowess of your bees (or their slackness), please let the Secretary (jlush@lbka.org.uk) know how much honey they made for you in 2005. We will let all members know, in general or aggregate terms, how much we all got. Vis a vis the RBI, we will be discrete in passing on any information. | | 2005-11-21 15:34:17 |
IPM Day | It is our intention to run Integrated Pest Management days each year in the early summer, but this will of course depend on the preparedness of our Bee Inspectors to give their time towards this.
In 2005, our thanks went to our bee inspectors, Alan Byham, Nick Withers and Caroline Washington from the NBU, for giving up a Sunday to run our Integrated Pest Management Day.
Overall, the varroa message remains "Monitor and Manage", but the range of techniques is expanding. The main message of the day was: There are lots of ways to cope with varroa, but it's best if you choose three or four that you're comfortable with, feel happy doing and which fit in with your way of beekeeping.
The Association now has thee resistance-testing kits and enough stuff for fifty tests, which I'll be loaning out to any member who wants them. | | 2005-11-21 15:31:22 |
LBKA Treasurer | Bernadette Thompson took over the role of Treasurer of LBKA in June 2005.
Bernadette is among the instructional staff at Roots and Shoots and attended the Introduction to Beekeeping Course in 2005.
You will find her amongst the other officers under Contacts and she should be contacted from now on all money matters. | | 2005-11-21 15:11:49 |
LBKA Honey Show | Our annual Honey Show will be part of the Kennington Gardens Society's Summer Flower Show, at St. Anselm's Church Hall in early July, courtesy of the KGS. Put some honey aside in the early summer for the occasion.
LBKA has two classes, liquid honey and crystallized honey. To enter either class, you need to take your jars to Roots and Shoots. For more information, contact simon.wilks@lbka.org.uk any time before the show. | | 2005-11-21 15:07:38 |
October Newsletter | Here's the new newsletter
It's all good stuff, though the Editor forgot to mention the Roots and Shoots Apple Day on October 16th (11am to 4pm).
See you there! | | 2005-10-11 23:34:01 |
National Bee Unit | It's easy to forget those tireless labourers who spend the year toiling on our behalf, but who now find themselves ignored and isolated, their work taken for granted, their survival left to chance and with little useful to do till the spring.
Yes, if you haven't already, it's time to write to your MP.
We're specifically urging members to write concerning the proposed funding cut for the National Bee Unit (NBU). Recipients of BBKA News and/or Beecraft will find the main points amply explained in either publication.
Others may want a recap, so here it is:
The present government has pledged to reduce the costs of the Civil Service by an arbitrary amount. As part of this campaign, the NBU is expected to reduce its costs from £1.25m to £1m by 2008. The NBU are proposing to do this is by reducing the numbers of bee inspectors, particularly seasonal bee inspectors.
The rationale behind this is because, by 2008, there should be diagnostic tools and management techniques for the control of EFB available to beekeepers. As the diagnosis and control of EFB forms the bulk of a bee inspector's work, then if beekeepers can do this themselves, there won't be any need for bee inspectors.
This is all well and good. Provided, of course, the diagnostic kits and management techniques not only work, but are readily available, used regularly and appropriately by beekeepers and that EFB remains the most critical pest.
If, out of this list of possibles, it turns out that one or more don't happen (e.g. beekeepers don't diagnose EFB efficiently, or that Small Hive Beetle gets a hold), then the bee inspectors will need to be kept, in which case the funding cuts will have to be made out of the research, development or education budgets and, obviously, if cuts in these areas were a good idea, they'd have been proposed already, which they haven't.
However, it won't be possible to properly determine the effects of the cuts until after the bee inspectors have gone. By which time it will be too late. EFB is virulent and spreads rapidly. As it's already arguably endemic, it won't take much negligence for it to cause serious damage to bee stocks and the morale of beekeepers. We already have too few beekeepers (we're a net importer of honey), and with even fewer the knock-on effect on agriculture, which is worth at least £120m a year, would be noticeable.
The doom and gloom continues. Beekeepers currently insure themselves against disease through Bee Disease Insurance (BDI). The vast majority of claims, at present, are for hives destroyed following an EFB outbreak, certified by a bee inspector. No bee inspector means no claim which, in turn, means no insurance. So, even if EFB goes away, that means the future of BDI may be uncertain, throwing doubt on our ability to insure against other diseases in future. Again, this is likely to reduce the number of active beekeepers.
Overall, we're not particularly happy about this, so we're urging all members to lobby their MP on this issue, if they haven't already.
Thank you for your help.
In the interests of balance, a copy of the letter to the BBKA setting out the DEFRA case can be viewed at the BBKA website at: http://www.bbka.org.uk/news/news/nbu-cut-backs.shtml It should also be pointed out that early indications suggest that the 'shook swarm' technique, without additional antibiotic treatment, is effective at controlling EFB in at least some circumstances. In addition, varroa is arguably being managed effectively by beekeepers themselves, and the same may apply to EFB. Opinions, however, are divided.
| | 2005-06-21 16:52:41 |
Wax Wanted | If anyone's got a substantial amount of beeswax available, an architectural student is after around 15kgs for making models with. If you can help, please let me know on 0207 611 6407 or email me at simonwilks@lbka.org.uk and I'll put you in touch. | | 2005-03-21 11:50:45 |
NBU Cuts | Although progress on the National Bee Unit funding problem (in short, they're looking to cut the number of Bee Inspectors) has been limited, there are definite signs of objections being noted, though not, it seems, by DEFRA.
However, those bastions of the establishment, Radio 4 and Private Eye, have both carried items on the proposed changes recently, and so now is still a good time, if you haven't already, to write to your MP. | | 2005-03-21 11:44:20 |
NBU Funding | The BBC website is currently running a story about a proposed 20% reduction in funding of the National Bee Unit, and the possible consequences of any reduction in the number of bee inspectors.
Neither the BBKA nor the NBU appears to have much to add to the story at present, but it's likely to be one of the warmer topics of discussion at next week's National Honey Show (RAF Museum, Hendon - see Calendar for details).
As beekeepers, we all have a vigilant, active and sensitive approach to disease, but it's best to keep abreast of all the new techniques and responsibilities. For this reason Alan Byham, our Regional Bee Inspector, has kindly agreed to run an Integrated Pest Management IPM) day on Sunday May 8th 2005, especially for London beekeepers.
Please make sure it's the first thing you put in your new 2005 diary. | | 2004-10-14 11:31:12 |
Resistant Varroa in Kent | The National Bee Unit (NBU) has recently confirmed that varroa mites resistant to pyrethroid treatments (Bayvarol and Apistan) have been found in colonies near Sandwich on the east coast of Kent.
More details will appear in the forthcoming June issue of the newsletter, in the meantime, further advice and information is available from the NBU website.
In short, beekeepers in London should start looking for signs of resistance this year, we should be familiar with alternative control methods where they're not already being used.
Notes:
Varroa is a tiny mite that lives on bees. It is present in most of the world, and was first found in the UK in 1992, since when it has become endemic. Strong colonies of bees can usually cope with low levels of infestation, but in winter, when the colonies are smaller and more vulnerable, or if infestation is heavy, varroa can destroy a colony of bees entirely.
To help bees over-winter safely, beekeepers in the UK have been allowed to use pyrethroid treatments. These are placed in the hives for a limited time at the end of the season. This is done after the honey harvest has been removed, so that none of the treatment enters either the honey or the beeswax it has been stored in. | | 2004-06-07 15:11:28 |
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