Beverley
Beekeepers' Association
The local
Beekeeping Association for East
Yorkshire
The
Gallery
Latest Images are placed at the bottom of this page - take
a look!
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This picture from the 1980s shows an African Long Hive.
They are suspended from trees or poles to keep animals
particularly the Honey Badgers (a Ratel) off
them. The Honeyguide bird is said to lead the Honey Badger
to hives. These hives mimic the hollow log beehives slung
in trees by villagers. The Long Hive is simple and has only
top bars with no foundation or queen excluder. Honey
is extracted by crushing and filtering the hive contents
but bees are so plentiful that their loss is quickly
replaced. As a piece of history -- the new grave to the
left in the photo was that of a friend of ours who
was the son of a Quaker family who befriended
Gandhi when he was in England
Chris
Coulson
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One of the mystical moments of beekeeping is when a swarm
is thrown onto a white cloth and the swarm runs into the
hive. This is frequently done at dusk so seeing the
queen is unlikely. However, seeing her when you have a
camera to hand is even more unlikely. Can you see her in
this photo?
Chris
Coulson
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Beverley Beekeepers' Association apiary meeting at
Beverley Parks. 23th August 2009. Topic
'Preparing colonies for winter'.
Chris
Coulson
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When doing an inspection always check the queen excluder!
Chris
Coulson
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'The Bee Lady' by Alison Clouston (1994). Wellington
Botanic Gardens, New Zealand.
Chris
Coulson
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I was once called out to have a look at a problem of bees
getting into a bedroom. Although there were only a few bees
on the window sill I found a thin line of honey running
down the corner of an under-eaves cupboard and a huge pile
of bees further under the roof. Using a mirror I saw combs
of bees up the cavity wall of the dormer window (see
photo).
Apparently the owners had had 'professional'
exterminators in at various times over 5
years and while they had killed the bees they
hadn't removed the comb, allowing swarms to reinvade.
Tapping the wall and using a stethoscope, to listen to the
'buzz', allowed the size and position of the
colony to be determined. After killing the bees part of the
plaster board wall was removed and 75 lb of honey and
comb (some 4 ft long) was taken out (see photo).
The timbers were thoroughly cleaned, the flight hole sealed
and the wall replaced. Bee problem gone. Moral --don't let
bees establish in cavity walls --besides the bee problem
ventilation is reduced and dampness can occur.
Chris
Coulson
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'In
2006 I was called to a friend’s house in Cottingham because
of bees flying in and out of the side of a plastic compost
bin. Inside the bin (see photo) I found a well
developed nest of bumble bees. They had tunneled up
through the compost and built their nest on its surface
presumably as it was dark there, the lid being on. The
absence of banding on the thorax/abdomen or abdomen seemed
to exclude a number of bumble bee species and the nesting
site and some features suggested the bee was
Bombus subterraneus,
although this species is said to be rare in
Britain. However, closer examination of the photo showing
the extensive brown/orange hairs on the thorax
indicated that the bumble bee was probably
Bombus hypnorum.
The photo shows bees, stored pollen, honey as well as
sealed and unsealed larva'.
Chris
Coulson
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This photo shows the flight board of three hives in
a row during the period of the heavy snows of January
2010. Interestingly it seems to show the effect of hive
ventilation on the snow on the flight board. It would
appear the draught from the hive, minimal as it may be in
winter, has caused a sort of reverse conice to form.
Chris Coulson