May I start by wishing you and yours a healthy and happy New Year, and may it be your best beekeeping year ever.
The year has started cold and frosty though I understand it is about to turn warmer again. I have not seen a bee for several days and in such cold weather it’s not surprising. Today (12th January) started at 3C but it is, we are told, to be the last of the cold days for a week or so and tonight’s temperature is forecast to be 5C, quite a change. We have the first snowdrops open and the yellow mahonia and pink Viburnum Bodnantense ‘dawn’ is beautiful once again as well as the Viburnum tinus (which has been in flower all winter), a clear sign that spring is just round the corner. The day’s are obviously getting longer and with the sun on your back it feels quite warm. There’s every danger I might have to start gardening again soon; I’ve even posted the order for my seeds already. If the days do warm up significantly bees may begin to fly again and my advice is to keep well away for a day or so if you want to avoid being ‘bombed’ with messy yellow gunge. It will be clearly seen on the hive roofs, the top of your car and of course any washing hanging out to dry, not to mention the person hanging it out. After so long ‘indoors’ your bees will be only too pleased to be out again and you will be able to hear them from quite a considerable distance. If the weather does stay warm and bees continue to fly each day, it will pay you to heft your hives to check if they have sufficient food. Do not open your hives and remove brood frames at this time, it is far too early and there is nothing whatever you can do other than to add a little food. I feed fondant at this time of the year, just a half kilo margarine box with a 25mm hole in the base placed right on top of the brood frames. Bees seem unable to resist fondant and soon begin to take it down and make use of it. Once feeding is started it must be continued until the bees are clearly obtaining sufficient food of their own from outside the hive. Feeding stimulates breeding and to maintain the temperature within the hive bees and brood consume a lot of food. From now on until spring is the time of the year when bees frequently die of starvation, an in-excusable reason for ‘managed’ bees to die. Bees in the wild have no one to ‘take care’ of them and if they have not stored sufficient to last them through the winter then they have a problem of their own making. ‘Managed’ bees on the other hand should never die of starvation, but it is well known that too many beekeepers remove too much honey from their colonies in the autumn hoping that the winters will continue to be mild and hence the bees will not need it all. It is well known that the biggest hazard to bees is man; leave bees alone for a few more weeks.

Kevin tells me that the wax, jars etc that folks have ordered will be delivered to this January meeting. Anyone who was not at the meeting can collect their order from LGBS. To get there, travel westwards along the A66 and take the second right turn, signed Bishopton, after the Elton (Yarm/Norton junction) crossroads. LGBS is about a mile along on the left.

Last month’s meeting seemed to go with a bit of a swing, the turnout was good and folks enjoyed the quiz - most of us have lived through the years in question yet we had difficulty remembering exactly when things happened. It was good fun and helped to set up the evening for the ‘party’ that followed. It gives folks a chance to talk to each other and as I have said before talking is good for us.

There are mixed stories going round regarding last years honey yields but on the whole it seems folks did not do too badly, while one or two did extremely well. The success is frequently due to the right preparation. Clean frames, elimination of old brood combs, new foundation, dry hives, robber-proof hives and disease free bees are but some of the tasks that help bring in the honey. There’s not have a lot of time left before it will be beekeeping time again. Sit down and make a list of ‘things to do’ before you are caught out once again by inadequate preparation.

It’s not too early to remind you that the Cleveland Show is only a few short months away; set some honey to one side to be prepared later; and don’t forget the wax you were going to show but never made time to clean. The April meeting will be concentrating on showing; have a jar or two ready for I feel sure our speaker on the night will help by commenting on whatever people bring.

Last October I commented on the suggestion that all animal health products, including Apistan and Bayvarol may soon be covered by a new EU directive banning their sale to the general public. The January issue of Thornes Beekeepers News once again dedicates space to the potential problem. There is apparently someone in Brussels who is in the real world and there is now every chance that the status quo will be maintained. But this is not yet confirmed, so in the meantime we have to wait while folks dither. The proposed regulations are aimed primarily at farmers who at the moment can obtain various medicines off the shelf without prescription. It seems that discussions were taking place with the aim of using this opportunity to improve the availability of medicines to keep farm animals healthy; (bees are classed as farm, food producing animals). But at the eleventh hour the EU Commission has introduced a new clause to force every medicine for food-producing animals to be classified as a Prescription-Only Medicine, available only on a veterinary prescription. I say again that if we are to avoid the high cost of having to obtain Apistan and Bayvarol from the local vet now is the time to do something about it. And I say again that our representatives to the YBKA and BBKA should raise the issue as a matter of the utmost urgency for such legislation creeps through and becomes the Law of the land before we know what is happening. As I said before the most likely outcome is that beekeepers would have to go on a training course to learn how to use medicaments and have a qualification certificate before being able to purchase such items. I fear even more beekeepers will see no alternative but to give up the craft. We should not let it stand there but follow it through to make our views known to folks that matter. I have checked the ‘web’ for information and contacted the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) where there is provision for individuals to ask questions etc. The nearest section I could find was one dealing with domestic pets where I have sent the following note:

"Hardly pets, but I could not see where else to put my question. There is an EC proposal to reclassify animal medicines as 'prescription only'. I am a beekeeper and my concern is the situation regarding medication for honeybees? At present we can purchase Apistan and Bayvarol for the treatment of the Varroa mite from normal beekeeping equipment suppliers. Shall we in the future be limited to purchasing them and other bee medicines only from veterinary outlets? If this were to be so it would inevitably increase the costs of beekeeping yet again. Vets are hardly likely to want to visit a beekeepers apiary to administer medication and the costs for doing so would be prohibitive. If the medicines are to be only obtainable from a vet and yet administered by the beekeepers the responsibility for 'treating bees' may still be the beekeepers, no different from what it is now. On the whole beekeepers have shown a distinctly responsible attitude towards the use of medicines in the past, why cause the change and possible added expense?"

I can only say ‘watch this space’ but there is every reason for you too to do something similar.

Well that was yesterday and today the temperature is 10C and bees are flying from every hive as though there is no tomorrow, returning home with loads of grey pollen from the Viburnum tinus. Dead bees are being thrown out though there is not as many as I expected to see. I have given the nucleus and two of the other hives a feed of candy, the remaining two hives seem heavier and stronger. I must keep an eye on them now for once feeding has started it must be maintained until the bees can cope on their own.

I’ve recently received the updated list of members from Ian Brown, our secretary, and it shows we have 38 members. We welcome our latest new member, Mr. Geof Warfe from Billingham, I feel sure he will quickly settle in and enjoy the company of fellow members who will gladly give him all the help he will require to enable him to enjoy our ‘sport’. I have been talking only today to a member of the public who wishes to become a beekeeper. We must do all we can to encourage more people to join our ranks, for judging by reports in the local press there are beekeepers out there they are just not joining the local associations. If every member was to encourage one non-member to join we could double our membership overnight.

It’s now Monday 20th, and I have just received an Email from the VMD saying:

"The message could not be delivered because you do not have create permissions on this folder or it is only available to folder owners at this time."

I’ve not the faintest idea what that means but I must find out, just watch this space.

Kindest regards to you all,
Bryan Hateley