Introduction.
Here we are officially in autumn and the first day is mellow and pleasant though the swallows are not to be seen and must have gone south to Africa. The bees are still down at the river collecting Himalayan balsam and 3 colonies have been insulated with woolly material in the roof space above crown boards. The other 3 have still to finish cleaning up a few frames of partially capped honey that I scraped to expose the honey and encourage them to take it downstairs to the brood boxes.
Pesticides.
I’ve been thinking about pesticides again and that there are not many scientists speaking about the latest research, and the problems associated with the big drug companies producing them. Dr. Scott McArt from Cornell University, is one of the few scientists who is currently studying this subject intensively and educating beekeepers. He is not afraid to challenge the drug companies that threaten those who rock their boat and expose some of their flimsy science. At the moment, there is no rigorous testing around how sub-lethal doses affect pollinators in the field, and most adjuvants added to pesticides to enhance the product are harmful but do not have to be tested. In a fascinating interview with Dr. Humberto Boncristiani, from Inside The Hive TV, https://www.insidethehive.tv/ Dr McArt explains many things about pesticides including both the synergistic and antagonistic effects of mixtures of these powerful and damaging chemicals. I watched this in 2 hour- long sessions and got a lot from it. I look forward to reading Dr. McArt’s book on pesticides which will be coming out within the next year.
Bee Apprentices.
Most of you will remember my delightful wee bee apprentice Connie who started beekeeping with me when she was 6. Now Connie is 12 and living with her family in Wales where she’s in charge of their colony of honey bees. https://www.beelistener.co.uk/swarms/my-beekeeping-journey-so-far-by-connie/ I was delighted and truly honoured to be sent a jar of honey from her very first harvest. What a thrill for Connie, and me.
New Apprentice.
I’ve got a new wee bee apprentice called Leopold who is busy learning the theory before getting serious about the practical aspects. He still has a few more motor skills to acquire before looking inside a hive but he’s a quick learner.
Looking for Disabled Varroa.
Inspired by several beekeepers including Steve Riley, Ray Baxter, Paul Honigmann, and Joe Ibbertson I’ve started seriously monitoring varroa by counting the natural drop on the floor of 3 colonies on a daily basis. Of course, I have been monitoring varroa for years but not in such an intensive way with a view to becoming treatment-free before too long.
Yesterday, I got my dissecting microscope out and studied varroa for damaged bodies and bitten legs in an effort to discover which colonies might demonstrate varroa resistant behaviour. Imagine my delight to find a good few disabled varroa with some still alive and unable to scuttle around properly due to lack of legs and feet. The colony that came from the free-living colony in the wall swarm is biting varroa exoskeletons “shells”. At least, I am hoping that the bees are doing the biting, but it could be earwigs so I need to stick at it a bit longer before getting too excited. Each of the 2 colonies examined shows promising behaviour, and I plan to check out the colony that will go to my new beekeeper friend Louise in the spring.
Prosthetic Surgery.
Mounting the Asian hornet proved problematic due to it becoming brittle in the short time since its demise in vodka, and a front leg broke off and floated down off the table onto the brown wool carpet. I spent nearly an hour on my hands and knees searching for it but had to give up. I came up with a solution and today I fitted a prosthetic leg. I removed the corresponding leg from a dead queen wasp and attached it with super glue which was a bit fiddly. However, I doubt that many folk will notice. Apparently I needed to relax the insect before pinning but I skipped that procedure in my hurry to get it in the box for viewing.
I took my insect and mite collection (braula, varroa, and floor mites) to the local association meeting the other evening so beekeepers could see the Asian hornet and the small hive beetle that returned with me (dead) from my last visit to Australia in 2018. The collection is preserved from decay by a vial of camphor and the giant wood wasp still looks as good as it did on collection in 2014. I don’t much like killing and pinning insects but the collection has turned out to be a really useful educational tool and conversation starter.
Fabulous read, thank you . The photo of yourself and Leopold is precious! ❤️
Thank you for commenting, Louise. I am glad you enjoyed the read.
Nice Frankenstein touch with the hornet leg!
I became interested in pesticides over a decade ago when the BBKA still argued neonics were a good thing (because other pesticides were worse – actually it’s the opposite but neonics tend to disorient, so workers die out in the field, thus there is no obvious pile of poisoned bees at the hive entrance.) I noticed the manufacturers argued different things in Britain (“no evidence of bee impact”, i.e. we never looked) and tropical countries (“great vs termites, disrupt colony level behaviours like grooming fungus off each other, long lasting in the soil”). So I now treat ANY statement by pesticide manufacturers as “dubious, not proven”.
Ron Hoskins told me if bees bite even just one leg off a varroa mite, they bleed out and die, so even minor nibbling is very effective. However I haven’t been able to find confirmation of that anywhere.
Thank you for that useful information, Paul.
I like how you know (from reading the bees’ dances) that your bees are going down to the river, where the Himalayan Balsam remains in bloom. Thanks, too, for sharing your photos of heavily damaged Varroa mites. Definitely a good sign! It is good to learn that the colony that inflicts this damage was established by housing a swarm that came from a free-living colony living in a stone wall.
Thank you for commenting, Tom. Good to know that you think it looks like the bees damaged the varroa, and not a scavenger like an earwig.
What wonderful news to hear of you scouring bottom boards and looking for those magic colonies 🤩 I feel quite complimented being mentioned, thank you! I’m looking forward to hearing of Leopold’s adventures in years to come 🙏🏻
Thank you, Joe for all comments. Your wonderful article in BeeCraft made me realise that I needed to stop just thinking about it and be brave enough to make the first move and miss the winter oxalic acid treatment. The colony from the wall has visibly bitten varroa that I can see with the naked eye. The missing legs need a bit more searching for.