Bees will need a source of water available to keep the hive cool. But while bees can fly, they are not very good at swimming. So put a float or small stones in your water so they can sip from the shore. Check water levels and replenish very frequently.

Also think about inspecting, 30 plus degrees in a bee suit is very unpleasant. I haven’t looked up the effects of letting heat into a hive by opening it, but it makes extra work for the bees to regulate the internal temperature. Do you really need to inspect this week?

Finally, plants in general do not produce nectar above 30 degrees centigrade. So, the bees have extra work, less food and the June/July gap to contend with. Heft your hives, if they are not heavy, feed your bees. For many this is a balance between removing a super to maintain an unadulterated honey crop for later in the season. Or letting bees feed on their own honey (that’s my call, in my apiary) if there are few stores, feed thin sugar syrup, which will also provide water.

Best of luck, it will be cold and raining soon enough! Cathy Moore

Welcome to a warm sunny July. Firstly I would like to thank members of the Branch that have helped support the spring & summer events at Rugby, Dunchurch and those offering to help Cathy next week at Brinklow, along with the other smaller events around Rugby. Also, a large thank you to Margaret Holsworth for kindly allowing us the use of her garage to store equipment and Maurice for the use of his trailer to carry the heavy equipment necessary for the shows.

Educating the public is certainly a part of our role as a member of RBKA, whether it is explaining the cycle of honeybee life, pollination, production of honey or the Asian Hornet concern.

Most of the swarming instinct has passed but not all, still be mindful of strong hives.

Again, this year I have found that not every split has taken, speaking to members just like last year, the early splits appeared less successful than the later splits.

Things to consider during July

• Be mindful of the egg laying pattern when you are expecting the new queen to be laying – do you have a new queen settling into laying? or a worker laying. There are plenty of articles on line/BBKA to help differentiate between the two
• Wasps are starting to show interest already, take care they do not overwhelm your hives. Reduce the hive entrance if necessary, to allow only one or two bees access at a time
• Constantly have supers ready or brood boxes, to top -up hives and allow space for honey. Drawn out brood frames may come in very handy next year
• The brambles can get thick and dangerous around hives, for safety reasons try to keep them cut back and controlled. However, they do provide semi -protection from predators, if left to grow in front of the entrance
• Varroa mite count is a useful exercise for each hive – refer to the National Bee unit for guidance
• Check your hives for disease when you find time, if in doubt get advice. If you know what normal brood looks like, then it will be easier to identify different /abnormal brood. You may not know what the problem is, but you can ask a more experienced beekeeper for advice
• If you extract, prepare by booking the extractor if needed, also ensure you have an adequate supply of jars and equipment ready. Do check water content first, to prevent fermentation. Maybe keep a couple of jars of honey back for the Warwickshire Honey show
• The weather has been so abnormally warm, remember bees need water, ensure they have access, whether a brook, pond, or river nearby or a shallow pot of water in the apiary with stones in
  
  Gail Plester