Bee News

This good weather has got the bees working hard and keeping me on my toes.

There was a swarm in the village last month, a very rare event for April. It was quite large one and high up, so difficult to reach. I set a bait hive which had quite a few visits by scout bees, but they were not able to impress the rest of the swarm.

My four colonies are doing very well, with two threatening to swarm. Swarming is to be discouraged as you lose many honey producing bees and they take much of the honey with them. They use convert honey to wax to build their new home. However, if they are determined, it will be difficult to prevent entirely. It is only natural, after all. It’s a bit like spinning plates at this time of year, making sure they have everything they need at the right time. Suppliers have run out of wax foundation, which help the bees make honeycomb. This could be due to a high demand as well as the impact of the Corona virus.

I have one colony that has produced 2 supers of honey already (20kg approx.). Two other colonies are not far behind either. I expect a big harvest at the end of May.

Tim Gordon-Jones

[Please note that this message is not posted on behalf of Bentworth Parish Council and does not necessarily reflect the Parish Council’s policy]