Lots more discussions, demos and tips at http://www.woodlandstv.co.uk/

Lots more discussions, demos and tips at http://www.woodlandstv.co.uk/

 It’s a nice sunny day, early May, the temperature is above 10 degrees and there is little wind. It is mid afternoon, bees are flying and I’m going to inspect my hive.

 In a hive there are three types of bees. There is the queen, the drone and the worker. There is only one queen and only the queen will lay eggs. The drones are the males, do no work and are only there to mate with queen. There are the workers who are all female, work very hard and number thousands. A good colony will consist of one queen, 300 to 3000 drones and 20,000 to 40,000 workers.

 Bees have four stages of development. The queen lays an egg in a cell, which becomes a grub or larvae. This then goes into a pupa state and changes into the final bee. The queen takes 16 days to go from laid egg to emerging queen. A worker takes 21 days to go from an egg to an emerging worker. The drone takes 24 days to go from an egg to an emerging drone.

 The queen determines the composition of a colony. The queen will give the colony its temperament or its mood. Changing the queen can turn an aggressive hive into a good-tempered one. Within six weeks all the bees in the colony will have changed to the new temperament. Please don’t quote me on that – I’d have to look at the books for the life cycles of the bees to give an accurate figure!

 Before I end up telling you stuff you don’t want to know about beekeeping, why don’t you join me on a visit to one of my hives … a few hours in the life of a beekeeper – life behind the veil.

 Beyond The Veil

Sitting around in the sun for half an hour to get used to a brand new bee jacket with the hood on may not sound like fun. It is sometimes hot and it can sometimes feel a bit claustrophobic. I do ask anyone new to beekeeping to get used to their jacket and having a veil on your face. I use the Father Brown-type bee jackets with a big wide-brimmed veil suspended from a big round hat. I don’t care for the hoody type jacket because I don’t like the jacket on my neck and cotton resting on the back of my head.

 I still practice getting my gloves on with my bee jacket hood up. That’s it! Put them on and take them off. I do it still. Mainly because I pinch the Missus’s cleaning gloves and she blinking buys the smaller size! She knows I’m going to take them! I’m using the blue household gloves that are thicker than the yellow Marigolds and don’t tear so easily. I do have suede gloves with gauntlets that reach up to my elbows.  I’ve got four pairs – all from well meaning friends that buy them as gifts!  I use the rubber ones though because I like to be able to feel what I’m doing with my fingertips. I can do that in my blue Tesco rubber gloves …

 Now Where is That Bee Brush and That Hive Tool?

I undo the zipper on my hood and let it sit on my shoulders and collar.  I take my smoker and open the hinged top and light it up. I select three rolled up loo roll centres that I light with my cooks’ matches and as they catch fire I drop them in the smoker and start pumping the smoker bellows.  I pop in some dry twigs and some rotten wood I collected from a fallen tree; I’ve knocked it against the tree to remove all the insects. I’ve found a fallen tree and go back there to fill a black bin bag with dry wood. 

 I gently pump the bellows and watch for flames at the top of my smoker so I know the wood has caught light. Then I pop the lid down and watch the smoke wisp out of the smokers funnel top. Yes, lighting the smoker is one of my favourite bits about beekeeping. Remember to keep it going by pumping the bellows at least every minute or so!

 Lighting the smoker for me is the final act before I gently go into action. I’m just going to pop my bee jacket hood up, zip it up, pull on my gloves and I’m ready to greet my bees.

Up until now it hasn’t always been so easy to find out when and where woodfairs are happening, but a new website Woodfairs.co.uk that solves the problem.  Woodfairs.co.uk is regularly updated with details of woodfairs across the country.  Well worth adding to the “Favourites” list in your browser.

In the meantime, watch this video to get a flavour of what visiting a woodfair is like …

Video by WoodlandsTV.  Lots more discussions, demos and tips at http://www.woodlandstv.co.uk/

 Strahan explores the extent of oil reserves and finds that for various political and technical reasons world oil reserves are probably very significantly overstated.  He goes on to explore alternatives and shows how slow we have been to develop these.  Even where the technology has been worked out, they are expensive:  in exploiting oil shales, for every three units of energy extracted from shale one unit is used up in its production.

 “The Last Oil Shock” is a very readable book and starts dramatically by outlining why America and the UK invaded Iraq (oil, of course) and goes on to put this into the context of western fears over security of oil supply. Strahan works through why we are short of oil – not just the stuff running out, but us consuming so much.  For example the average American travels 40 miles by car each day and even the British each do about 18 miles per day.

 Yet this book is not all gloom and doom – David Strahan tries hard to be positive and looks at the ways we can start to prepare for the shock both as a civilisation and personally.  He examines not just ways to use less energy but ways to develop lifestyles that are less energy-dependent.  Using electricity for heating has always been extremely inefficient and this book gives encouragement to all those who are looking at ways to heat their homes from renewable resources such as firewood and heat pumps.

 In some ways you feel as if you’ve been taken on a tour of the Grand Canyon constantly looking into the abyss and seeing what a deep hole we have dug for ourselves, but ultimately there is optimism – says Strahan “I have to believe that the outcome is still within our control – if only just”.

Lots more discussions, demos and tips at http://www.woodlandstv.co.uk/

Lots more discussions, demos and tips at http://www.woodlandstv.co.uk/

With the recent snowfall there was ample opportunity to capture that perfect winter picture and as usual I was out and about visiting the woods in Wickham Bishops. On entering the woods I found myself mesmerised by the silence that surrounded the woods.  With the snow gently drifting down covering the woods in a fluffy white blanket, I was struck by a truly spectacular scene. 

I recently read a study on snowflakes and found that they are not frozen raindrops.  When raindrops freeze as they fall it is called sleet.  Sleet particles don’t have any of the elaborate and symmetrical patterning found in snow crystals.  Snow crystals form when water vapor condenses directly into ice, which happens in the clouds.  The patterns emerge as the crystals grow.

Should you wish to find out more about snow and intricacies of snow crystals you can read more at http://www.snowcrystals.com/

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the snow pictures. I look forward to photographing the woods again in Spring time.

Should you be interested to view and/or purchase any of the photographs taken at Oaters Wood, please visit my website at www.natalibrownphotography.com or contact me direct on 07939 107638.

To see all of Natali’s Winter photos of Wickham Bishops Wood click on the slideshow above. 

There are more woodlands like this one for sale at this location.  For more details visit the East Anglia  section of our website.

Getting started

The best time to take up beekeeping is in the Spring.  Bees will have been in a cluster all winter and in late March or early April they will start to emerge.  They may be about much earlier if the temperature isn’t too cold; they have been known to pop out for cleansing flights all through the winter.  In Spring the fruit trees and flowers in bloom will supply the new colony with sufficient nectar and pollen to encourage the queen to start laying. 

If you have never kept bees before, start with just the one hive. Being a beekeeper is not only a hobby, but a magical, enchanting ancient craft. You will be joining a long line of beekeepers going back hundreds of years.  Enjoy the experience, read about beekeeping and take it easy, there’s no rush.   Acquire your new skills with patience and care.

 Who can keep bees?

 Beekeeping can be a family hobby.  It is suitable for the young and old.  It is an ideal retirement hobby, or a very relaxing pastime for the busy executive.  Landowners, woodland owners and gardeners would all benefit from keeping bees.  I’ve met beekeepers that are surgeons, and others who sweep the streets, shoulder to shoulder at the local beekeeping association meetings.

You can keep a hive in the bottom of the garden or in out apiaries on your local farms.  Farmers love bees and you should be able to find a number of quiet sites.  When you site your hives, sort yourself out a seat to sit and watch your bees working. Watch them land and takeoff. Heathrow couldn’t beat your healthy hive for the number of takeoffs in one minute.  At the entrance there will be bees just fanning air into the hive, others on guard.  Watch the drones circling over the hive.  Beekeeping is a relaxing hobby and an excellent contrast to a hectic work life.

Why keep bees?

Well, bees produce honey, they produce beeswax and they produce propolis (the only varnish used on the Stradavarius violin).  They also produce royal jelly.  And bees will produce more bees!  Queen bees sell them for about £38 a time or you can take the honey. Good hives will produce over 20lb of honey a season. You might also be able to sell beeswax.  A hive can be made to pay its way if you want to. Your personal reason for keeping bees can be your own choice but you’ll join a wide band of fellow beekeepers worldwide.

Siting your hive

You can keep bees in your garden but please consider your neighbours.  They might not like the idea of being in the flight path of thirty thousand bees!  If you do have a big garden then site the hive with the entrance facing an obstacle like a hedge or a fence.  This forces the bees leaving the entrance to circle like mini jumbo jets to gain height to fly away to forage.  Incoming bees will also stack and wait to come down. You could ask local farmers or your local council for a site.  A little research and you could have your hives sited in the gardens of the local stately home or rear of a garden centre. You’ll be surprised how many landowners welcome a well-mannered beekeeper.  Remember the Country Code!

Bees stink!

Many years ago when the kids were toddlers my wife pointed out that my hive warning signs were spelt wrongly.  I had made several signs saying, “Bees Sting!” My wife said it should be “Stink”!  Well, bees don’t smell unless it’s the scent of honey and beeswax. However Bees do sting, and will sting the curious and the foolish that disturb them.  Bear this in mind when siting your hives and keep them away from places where people walk dogs, schoolchildren may play or vandals might decide to knock the hives over.  For some reason bees do not like horses, so don’t put your bees on the side of a field containing horses.

The livestock – buying bees

Usually you buy what’s called a “nucleus of bees”.  This is a small colony of bees on five brood frames and comprises a young, laying queen and a retinue of worker bees and brood in the comb.  You’ll see these advertised by beekeeping equipment retailers.  They are usually available around April or May.  You can save money by shopping around for a nuc.  The major retailers charge £200 plus for a nuc. Your local Bee Association may be able to supply one for only £95 with loads of free advice.

When you buy a nucleus of bees you will need somewhere to hive them.

The hive

A British National Hive comprises of the following:

• a flat roof –probably about 4” deep and capped with tin to keep out the elements.
• a crown board – sometimes called a quilt, the crown board is a framed flat ply board with a hole in the middle. Useful for putting a feeder on the hive, clearing supers and sits under the roof on top of the honey super.
• a honey super holding 11 shallow frames. This is a square shaped box with no bottom or top and has a rebate in each side. 11 frames sit on the rebates and hang in the box. The frames are fitted with wax that is called foundation and is used for the storing of honey.
• a queen excluder – a mesh screen that sits on top of the brood box and stops the queen getting in to the honey super and laying eggs in the honey comb.
• a brood box containing 11 deep frames – very similar to a honey super but much deeper. This has 11 suspended frames and is where the brood live. The queen lays her eggs in the wax cells of these frames. This is called the brood chamber and the brood nest is spread across these frames.
• a varroa floor -This is a mesh floor.  When the bee grooms off the varroa parasite it falls straight through the mesh. Older hives had a solid wooden floor and it was found that the varroa stayed on the floor and hitched a lift on the next available bee.

The hive stand

This can be a hand made wooden stand, a milk crate or a couple of breeze blocks. It keeps the hive off the damp ground. I make a bench out of old planks or joists and sit a couple of hives on that. I also ratchet strap my hives to the bench. Keeps the hives together in high winds and stops vandals pushing them over.

The beekeepers protective clothing and tools

• the beekeeper’s jacket – this is usually white and fitted with a hood and veil. It keeps the bees off your face.
• gloves – soft gloves are essential to stop the bees stinging your hands.  Don’t buy expensive suede gloves; buy cheap blue rubber gloves just a bit thicker than Marigolds. (Marigolds tend to rip)
• the smoker – the smoker is used to calm the bees down when inspecting the hive. The smoker as its name suggests burns small chips of wood or rolled paper and smoke is gently puffed into the hive entrance. The effect of the smoke is to make the bees think they may have to evacuate the hive so they gorge themselves on honey. This stupefies them and they become more docile.
• the hive tool – a simple lever similar to a pry bar about 7” long and  used to prise hive parts apart. I use a small packing crate tool sold in B&Q for £3.45. You’ll lose these so don’t bother buying the expensive stainless steel ones.
• the bee brush – used when you take the hive apart.  Bees invariably crawl onto the sides of the hive boxes. The brush is used to gently clear away any bees that might otherwise be crushed.

The bottom line – the start up costs

• It’s not necessary to spend thousands of pounds on kit to enjoy beekeeping, but don’t buy anyone’s old hives unless you have them looked at by an experienced beekeeper. Why did the colony die? Did the hive die of disease. A few quid saved on the hive could lose you hundreds if disease takes hold of your future colonies. Disease doesn’t always occur immediately, it could take years to emerge.
• You can buy a good healthy nucleus of bees treated for European Foul Brood and Varroa for £145. You usually have to collect the nuc from the supplier.
• A hand made complete hive in white pine is about £140 with a ridge roof (very pretty) for an extra £25. Painted with Cuprinol it will last years.
• The 11 brood frames and 11 super frames cost approx £1.50 each. You can buy the 11 brood frames and 11 super frames and the brood foundation and super foundation from Thornes Beekeeping Ltd. Wax foundation is simply a sheet of wax impregnated with cell walls. It makes it easy for the bees to draw out the wax into honeycomb.
• a bee jacket on Ebay – £39 plus postage
• a hive tool from B&Q £3.45
• a bee brush from eBay £3.95 plus postage
• a smoker, about £21 plus postage, these seem to be quite cheap on eBay. Buy a nice big one that will stay alight. Don’t buy any fuel for your smoker, it’s fun to make your own smoker fuels – use old cardboard loo roll centres, collect dry wood and bark, use wood shavings etc. Buy a box of the longer cook’s matches for lighting the smoker.

Some Useful Links:

www.dave-cushman.net – excellent beekeeping site.

http://www.beehivemaker.co.uk/ – hand made, quality, cheap hives.

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/ – British Beekeeping Association.

http://www.thorne.co.uk/ – Thornes Beekeeping, always a bit pricey

http://www.bees-online.co.uk/ – Maisemore, usually cheaper than Thornes

http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/ – excellent beekeeping info

http://www.beekeeping.co.uk/ – National bee supplies, good range.

 -         more readily available

-         cheaper, though being more bulky you have to compare carefully  the transport costs.

-         they take much less time to season (dry out), typically 6 months rather than the two years needed for hardwoods

Whilst softwoods are lighter, their calorific value (how much heat they give off) is generally the same as that of hardwoods on a weight for weight basis.  All current log-fuel burning equipment works well with either hardwood or softwood logs, or a mixture.

This is good news for many owners of small woodlands because very often for management reasons you will want to take out softwoods planted in the 1960s and 1970s or simply thin them out.  It is often hard to find a good market for such timber (especially lodgepole pine and spruce) so being able to use it for firewood can be a great help.  Prices of all firewood have been rising over the last couple of years and, because it is a retails market, it is less susceptible to swings in prices.  Of course if you are using firewood form your own woodland you are immune to changes in market prices.

 Demand for firewood is currently growing rapidly, illustrated by the fact that domestic demand for wood-burning stoves in 2009 is said to be 50% above the level of 2008.

 In terms of drying out, the moisture content of log fuel should be 20% or less.  If you burn wetter material there are various risks – it can corrode equipment and the chimney and lead to reduced heat output .  If you have a stove it may be worth getting a meter for checking how dry your logs are.  There is a selection of these meters available on Amazon which range in cost from £25 to £65.   One UK source of moisture meters is stovesonline.co.uk where meters cost about £32:

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/firewood-moisture-meter.html