Welcome to the January 2026 Newsletter from Rugby Beekeepers
Happy New Year to you all and every good wish for a successful Beekeeping year.
Cathy Moore
January may seem a sleepy month in the beekeeping world, but much may be going on in the apiary! This month I have asked fellow committee members to add their special gems of knowledge to the newsletter. The committee consists of many very experienced beekeepers who are happy to share information to help support you and your bees. I am sure you will find their contributions very useful, see their suggestions below.
Things to consider during January 2026
- Ensure bees not starving by hefting the hive, if unsure [see the article in January 2026 edition of the BBKA News page 8- 11 by Jane Medwell]
- Check for woodpecker damage or other signs of vermin trying to enter the hives, address accordingly as discussed in last two newsletters.
- Equally a quick check for dampness is wise, if necessary and stock available, replace the roof if wet and damp inside
- Make sure the holes in your mouse guards have not become blocked by debris or dead bees
- If weather turns from bright frosty days to heavy rainfall monitor for risk of flooding, raise hives or take advice. If snow drops, clear the entrances
- Make, repair, clean or spruce up equipment if needed for the spring
- Read the articles that interest you or consider joining a local beekeeping study group, any BBKA exam/assessment fee is refundable by the RBKA
- Monitor varroa drop with drop boards then treat, if necessary, if you do. We have just used Oxalic Acid whilst the weather is so frosty and bees clustered. But do not bump or disturb bees’ hives during the process if possible <br|>
There seem to be snowdrops and crocus coming up in some places already, could this be a problem in early spring if these plants have already sprung?
Do try to Attend the New Years meetings on the first Wednesday of each month for exciting talks and the opportunity to speak to beekeepers with a wealth of experience
Gail Plester
Following the module exams and assessments taken by our members over the last year we are pleased to announce the following successful candidates;
Basic Assessment - Liz Davis & Chris Eldred
Bee Health certificate - Louisa Richards
Module 3 - Helen Rathbone
Congratulations to you all,
Samantha Peckett
New Year’s Resolutions for my Bees
Ongoing care resolutions;
- I will of course monitor the bees as usual to check for varroa, enough stores and strength of the colony. Also consider the flowers and shrubs that feed them this time of the year.
- My resolution to avoid mistakes made previously is to avoid mistakes made previously!
- Mild weather encourages bees to build up faster, in the past I have paid less attention to the strong colonies with plenty of stores. My previous error to correct this year, is to watch the strong colonies more carefully, especially if there is little forage as they eat stores more rapidly than the smaller colonies. Ironically making the strong colonies more vulnerable to starving!
- I will prepare for spring and summer during the winter this is a recurring resolution How many times have I said to myself ‘I have frames and wax to make up, dirty kit to clean, and repairs to make’. Each year I want to be ahead but find myself making 20-30 frames up frantically for a swarm or split. Will I succeed this year!
- The other job is using the steamer to extract wax from old frames in the winter, [now] whilst there are little in the way of wasps and bees enquiring. Strangely I have seen wasps this week, I have never seen in the frost before… quite odd. Are there wasps nests that have survived the winter and will therefore be hunting in numbers much earlier? thus will I need to consider wasp defence much earlier in 2026
Steve Brown
As some of you are aware, Cathy Moore, our previous Yellow Legged Hornet coordinator is moving away and will be very much missed. We thank her for her hard work in this role and wish her all the best in the future. I have taken up the reins and can be contacted.
Due to the mild weather in 2025 the number of confirmed sightings and nests continue to grow. WBKA is aware that the county may well soon have its first sighting and needs to be more prepared. As part of the plan to achieve this we are looking for more people prepared to be Yellow Legged Hornet verifiers. That is, beekeepers who are prepared to go and set up traps when there are confirmed sightings. Each area is trying to set up a list of people who would consider doing this. The exact role and how it would work in practice is not yet decided. If you are interested or would like to know more, please email me on the link above.
There is also a hornet bait station being developed using AI recognition which will reduce the need for daily monitoring and avoid by -catch. It was trialled last year in the south of England with good results. The cost of this is not finalised yet but if you would like more information go to https://www.buzzcopper.org WBKA is looking into this further.
With effective bait stations, Track and Trace to locate a nest it is theoretically possible but there are practical legal and safety considerations before this can be undertaken. WBKA considers that it is wise to look at these now so that there is a firm strategy in place before it is needed. The DIRFT complex means that this area is considered high risk. I can give more information on the county strategy in the next few months.
Liz Davies
Cleaning solution
It is worth pointing out that the NBU June 2025 Apiary Hygiene update, guideline No.3 in particular recommends that a soda mix is now advised of 1 Kg washing soda to 4.5/5 litres of water with 150mls bleach, no longer is washing up liquid recommended. The advice is to make up the soda solution, dispense 1 ltr and add 30 mls of bleach. Replace every two weeks. Speak to Greg if you need more clarity on this matter.
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Monthly meetings
Our normal monthly meetings start in the new year with first being held on Wednesday the 7th January and on the first Wednesday of the month thereafter. We are arranging presentations covering; essentials of a comb change, small scale queen rearing, varroa and swarms. The presentations are aimed at beginners/improvers, so please do come along. There will also be more experienced beekeepers at the meetings, so you will be able to ask questions at the end of each session. Information will be sent out prior to each meeting to remind you when it is happening and the subject of the presentation.
Greg Winton
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