As our followers know, and have seen, at Co-Treetment we have been developing the apiary through 2024 with the help of David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell and Lisa McKenzie. We have posted a whole series of details relating to this, which we have captured below.
However before you refresh your memories, have you ever wondered what happens as we enter into Autumn? What are the bees up to? Well thanks to David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell we have been able to provide details based from his latest newsletter on the topic. As we say, everyday is a school day!
The bees have known the year has been turning for weeks. Drone bees (males) are being ejected from the hives. The Queens are slowing down their egg laying and pollen is being stored. Gathering honey as a crop has ceased but the colonies continue to find nectar from the dwindling natural sources.
As the volume of brood diminishes the bees are back fill the space with this late season honey in readiness for the coming winter. We bee farmers are checking the hives to make sure the bees have what they need for the winter. Where colonies have not brought in enough nectar, we will add a feeder on top of the hive containing sugar syrup to make up for what they lack from natural sources.
The bees will eat this over the winter and into the spring. Failing to make sure your charges are stocked up will very likely end up as the death of the colony from starvation in the late winter or early spring.
For more specifics about David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell please use the link provided here; he is without doubt an expert on bees, who is willing to share and help.
https://lnkd.in/eGD4fXrX
The 2024 Co-Treetment overview, courtesy of Lisa McKenzie; creating the environment for the bees:-
Video 1;
On 29th March they installed the apiary, some thing we attached in the post of that time.
Video 2; was one with some sad news about bee hive 1 on 25th April.
Video 3; 9th May we showed a solution to save our first hive which was in danger of being lost as there wasn’t a queen bee.
Video 4; 16th May where we were able to see success in the merging of the hives.
Video 5; also 16th May – our slow motion special which focussed on the entrance to the hive
Video 6; 11 frames for the bees with a dummy board,
Video 7; the workers made it look amazing, stunning in fact, but the naughty workers moved the play area!
Video 8; we saw something amazing, the queen in amongst many other bees.
Video 9; in the middle of the screen we see a young female emerging.
Video 10; the worker bees 15 minute journey after de-capping is visible.
Video 11; a great look at lots of bees emerging; the cell sizes are different for female and male bees, the male bees (drones) are larger and so leave a larger cell.
Thanks to everyone for your support.
Simon Evans MBA
Darrell Taylor
Keith Cox
David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell
