Dear Member,

During a recent visit to the Moravian wine and fruit growing area of the Czech Republic I came across beehives in several locations There were usually about 10 hives, some looking fairly tatty, and others in good condition.

In addition several places had large covered wagons which had entrances for bees in two layers - about 12 to 14 entrances. Clearly these were used to transport bees to areas where pollination was needed, either for top fruit or for the vines.

This led me to wonder about two differences in beekeeping between the Czech Republic and Britain. Firstly, why don’t beekeepers who transport their bees for pollination, or to take them to the heather, use something like the bee wagons which are easy to transport - just hitch the wagon to a car and take it to the required area, and secondly why is there such a prevalence of bee theft in Britain?

In the Czech Republic hives were in clear view of trains and roadways. Here I seldom see beehives when travelling about because we are all so aware of how vulnerable hives out in a farmer’s field, or away from you own home, can be. It is hard to identify why our hives are so much more of a theft target than they are in Central Europe.

Those of you who were unable to attend Gerry Collins talk “What's going on in my hive?” missed a treat. With some fantastic photographs and some sound effects Gerry gave many insights into how to ‘read’ what is going on in a hive from what can be observed through our senses - sight, sound and smell. He made the point that much of this ‘reading’ of the bees comes from experience, and that the more experience you can obtain the more you will understand about your bees.

This is for me one of the main reasons for us having Apiary meetings - it gives you the opportunity to see bees other than your own for comparison, and expands the possibility of your seeing and understanding more about bees in general. As he said, if you only have one hive it takes a long time to build the experience that you would gain if you had 50. So next year, come along to as many apiary sessions as you can, or visit other people’s hives to expand your awareness of what can, and does, happen in a beehive. There is so much to learn about these little creatures.

Which brings me neatly to my hobby horse. Do consider doing some study this winter while there is less to do in the apiary. The BBKA correspondence courses are well put together and your tutor will give you valuable feedback. Also consider doing one of the Modular exams or at least do the study for the Module, there is no need to take the exam unless you want to gain a certificate and perhaps work towards becoming a Master Beekeeper!

If you read this before our Rugby Honey show, please come along to support those who enter and to support Bees Abroad, a very worthwhile charity that encourages beekeeping in East Africa and enables people to make a living from beekeeping.

Please check our Events Page for the dates of meetings and events.

Regards,

Margaret Holdsworth