Practical Beekeeping Training at Cowdown Apiary 2024 - Winter Programme
With the colder, more inclement weather now with us the regular activities at Cowdown are being wound down with only essential maintenance tasks being undertaken. An ad-hoc programme of these activities will be sent out to a maintenance team but effectively Cowdown is now closed until Spring next year – 2025.
The year despite the vagaries of the weather has been successful and it is hoped that that those participating in the regular events have found it beneficial and might return to assist the new intake of beginners from the start of April 2025.
With thanks – Mike Barrie, Jim Stuart and team – November 2024
Activities Monthly Diary Guide
Frame cleaning, adding foundation to frames plus Hands in hive - TBA
Record keeping BBKA model from BBKA website
Personal equipment and bee inspection kit
Handling frames with bees
Introductory Training Course 2025
Practical Beekeeping Training at Cowdown Apiary 2024 - Winter Programme
With the colder, more inclement weather now with us the regular activities at Cowdown are being wound down with only essential maintenance tasks being undertaken. An ad-hoc programme of these activities will be sent out to a maintenance team but effectively Cowdown is now closed until Spring next year – 2025.
The year despite the vagaries of the weather has been successful and it is hoped that that those participating in the regular events have found it beneficial and might return to assist the new intake of beginners from the start of April 2025.
With thanks – Mike Barrie, Jim Stuart and team – November 2024
Activities Monthly Diary Guide
Frame cleaning, adding foundation to frames plus Hands in hive - TBA
Record keeping BBKA model from BBKA website
Personal equipment and bee inspection kit
Handling frames with bees
Hands in hive TBA - at Cowdown
Colony inspection process. (DEFRA acronym)
- D - disease
- E - environment (e.g. space)
- F - food
- R - ratio sealed brood: open brood: eggs
- A - aggression / amalgamation
Record observations; swarming predictions; suggest actions:
- Adding foundation in brood chamber
- Preparation for artificial swarm
Hands in hive TBA - at Cowdown
Varroa monitoring/control. E.g.Use of Icing sugar
Swarm control- what do you do with Q cells
Other possible tasks:
- Feeding
- Combining below average size colonies
Main honey flow – super management TBA - at Cowdown
Adding supers:
- Moving outer frames to middle with new foundation
Disease inspection:
- Varroa check
- General health
Robbing:
- Entrance reduction
Assessing bee temperament TBA - at Cowdown
Check entrances (wasps)
Clearing bees off supers, honey extraction, return supers
Autumn varroa treatment.
Uniting colonies TBA - at Cowdown
Assessing colony stores
Winter feeding
Preparing colonies for winter TBA - at Cowdown
Colony inspection using DEFRA acronym
D -- DISEASE -- Are there any signs of disease or brood conditions indicating abnormalities.
E -- EGGS -- Is the colony queen right and the queen laying the expected quantity and pattern of eggs.
F -- FOOD -- Has the colony sufficient stores (food) to last until the next inspection.
R -- ROOM -- Has the colony sufficient room in the brood box for the queen to continue egg laying and workers to store nectar in the supers
A -- AVERAGE -- (a) Early Season. Is the colony building up compared to other adjacent colonies.
(b) Mid Season. Are there any queen cells in the colony. Know what to do if open queen cells or sealed queen cells are seen.
The best way to report any sightings is via the 'Asian Hornet Watch' app.
