Christmas is coming … – The Apiarist

Synopsis: Beekeepers get ready honey, candles or mead for gifting at Christmas, yet what must a non-beekeeper get for a beekeeper?

Creation

“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fats”, to cite the standard nursery rhyme and Christmas music.

Neatly, I will’t vouch for his or her corpulence, yet my overdue season beekeeping visits to Fife are accompanied by means of skeins of pink-footed ducks arrowing overhead as they come from Greenland for the wintry weather. Their unique wink-winking flight calls will also be heard properly sooner than the straggly flying V formations will also be noticed. They’re an annual reminder that, then again onerous the wintry weather is in Scotland, it’s much more serious additional north.

I checked the forecast for the accurately named (for a beekeeping web page) Nuuk at the west coast of Greenland. It’s -3°C there in this day and age … relatively hotter than it’s right here. Nuuk citizens are playing the unseasonably heat overdue autumn climate and bracing themselves for the following 4 months when the temperature averages about -9°C.

No surprise the ducks fly south.

There’s been just one customer to The Apiarist from Greenland in 2023, possibly this ‘namecheck’ will draw in extra. I’ve extensively utilized slightly of creative licence. Greenland Beekeeper’s Affiliation seems to be situated within the balmy south of the rustic at Narsarsuaq, about 400 km south-east from Nuuk.

My bees are actually fed, handled with oxalic acid, strapped down securely and entirely self-sufficient for the following couple of months. Brood rearing is prone to get started once more within the subsequent fortnight yet I’m not going to do the rest – as opposed to periodically take a look at the entrances are transparent – till a minimum of mid/overdue February, and almost definitely later. I don’t most often heft the bins till brood rearing has picked up slightly.

Within the period in-between, there’s Christmas to take into accounts.

Presents

Whether or not spiritual or secular, the Christmas vacation is related to the alternate of items. As beekeepers we’re lucky that honey or candles (or mead … if it’s higher than mine) are gifts welcomed by means of virtually everybody. You’ll fortify an already distinctive ‘hand-crafted’ product with a customized made and personalized label. I produce those on my thermal printer, the use of ‘hi-vis’ marker pens so as to add purple, blue and inexperienced highlights for Santa and the sack of gifts.

Alternatively, a present for a beekeeper – from a non-beekeeper – will also be problematic.

Finally, beekeeping can seem like a relatively esoteric interest.

Neatly, OK, very esoteric.

It’s a end result of our enthusiastic willingness to maintain 1000’s of stinging bugs, the unique and specialized clothes, the smoke, the atypical terminology – making build up, slatted racks, ekes and supers.

We would possibly know what we’re speaking about, yet to the uninitiated it feels like gobbledegook .

So, pity the chums or circle of relatives who need – or have – to shop for a beekeeper a gift they are going to, a) be happy to obtain, b) use and, c) don’t already personal.

A present certificates for Thorne’s doesn’t rely.

If you happen to’re requested to provide a listing then existence is simple. If now not, drop some hefty hints.

Failing that right here’s a listing of items that I’ve used during the last season or two which were specifically noteworthy, a couple of of which I firstly won as items.

Probably the most pieces can most effective be sourced from a consultant beekeeping retailer, others are to be had a lot more extensively.

Trickle 2 bottle

Let’s get started with a stocking-filler … now not the whole thing needs to be chrome steel and hideously pricey.

The Trickle 2 bottle makes trickling oxalic acid (OA) answer alongside a seam of bees a doddle. They modify a relatively fiddly activity the place you might be juggling a bowl of OA and a small syringe, while concurrently seeking to depart the crownboard off for the minimum length, right into a easy, fast and environment friendly single-handed task.

The bottle has a small higher reservoir that, when complete, comprises 5 ml of liquid. The decrease ‘tank’ incorporates 100 ml. Each and every time you squeeze the frame of the bottle the higher tank fills. Then you invert the bottle, emptying the OA alongside the seam after which repeat.

It takes much less time to do it than it takes to examine how to do it.

At £1.31 this can be a no-brainer. For the small-scale beekeeper there’s no more uncomplicated strategy to dispense liquid OA answers. Business beekeepers will use a pressurised backpack/lawn spray setup calibrated to ship 5 ml consistent with 2d … yet I couldn’t have the funds for the Api-Bioxal to fill a kind of within the first position.

In fact, receiving this bottle as a gift this 12 months approach you received’t get to make use of it till subsequent November … as you will have already finished your OA remedy this wintry weather.

OK, not more nagging!

Those small bottles also are ultimate for shelling out concentrated glyphosate when the use of the ‘drill and drop’ approach for clearing dense growths of Rhododendron ponticum.

However don’t use the similar bottle for each programs.

Bandana

In top summer time girls glow, males perspire and horses beekeepers sweat like pigs .

The variation between men and women is described extra scientifically as ‘intercourse variations in thermoeffector responses’ and has been broadly studied. Fresh paintings presentations that women sweat much less as a result of, usually, they’re bodily smaller. Men and women with an identical physiques each perspire i.e. it’s morphological, now not physiological.

I’ve no concept how feminine beekeepers reply when the solar is thrashing down and there are two dozen complete supers to transparent, shift and stack.

Alternatively, I do know the way I reply.

The mix of 29°C, heavy lifting and a beesuit is hard. I most often put on a peaked cap beneath my veil, however the sweat perspiration nonetheless pours off me. It will get in my eyes, runs down my nostril and fills my gloves.

I’ve now not solved the final of those signs, yet dressed in a skinny bandana beneath my hat in large part prevents the primary two.

Those are to be had from Amazon and all kinds of different shops. They value about £11 for 5, a minimum of mine did. Pedantically those I exploit aren’t true bandanas. Those are extra correctly a sq. or triangle of material tied in position across the neck or head. As an alternative, mine are created from a skinny patterned polyester/spandex subject material with excellent ‘wicking’ houses, elasticated so it remains in position and I don’t need to fumble retying it within a closed veil with a thousand million bees seeking to get in.

You additionally get to seem like a rock god … or simply faintly ridiculous.

Kitchen blow torch

The primary of 3 pieces related to the near-ubiquitous beekeeper’s smoker.

People who smoke are such an integral a part of beekeeping that they’re – along side the veil – recognised by means of virtually everybody.

Alternatively, the rigors and tribulations of lighting fixtures the smoker are one thing that just a beekeeper is correctly conscious about. You don’t have to make use of a smoker, yet for those who do use one it’s infuriating if it assists in keeping on going out … or takes perpetually to mild within the first position.

An simply lit and constant smoker comes to a mixture of 3 issues; a big bodied smoker with excellent bellows and air waft, appropriate gas (of which there are one million choices, the easiest being dry, rotten wooden, egg bins, dried grass, cardboard, larch shavings, lavender, hessian … no matter you might have to be had ) and a lighter that can paintings within the depths of the smoker and on a windy day.

For years I used a standard DIY blow torch. Those paintings properly and they’re additionally helpful for flaming (sterilising) cedar brood bins. Alternatively, they’re huge and bulky, taking on treasured house within the (already overloaded) bee bag.

As an alternative I now use a kitchen blow torch designed to provide the easiest end on a crème brûlée. Those run on lighter gas (butane) and most often have a piezo ignition machine. They’re small and light-weight and I elevate mine along side a field of combined smoker gas. Extremely really useful and a couple of tenner.

There are different makes use of for those little blow torches … the flame is adjustable and centered. I used mine to silver solder in combination the copper shaft and slicing ring on my cellular punches.

Almost certainly the most productive smoker on the planet

I’ve used a couple of people who smoke through the years, yet for the decade I’ve been the use of Dadant chrome steel people who smoke. Those are 4 inches in diameter and both 7 or 10 inches top. The massive quantity smoker frame makes lighting fixtures them simple and guarantees – with the correct gas (see above for a listing of the most productive smoker fuels) – that they keep alight.

I began with the shorter smoker yet used to be then generously given the taller fashion once I left my last-but-one task. They now are living in several apiaries so I don’t have to hold a pungent smoker with me within the automotive at all times. Both fashion is superb and must final you an entire life.

Those people who smoke aren’t affordable … $55-58 in the US, and as much as £80 (I’m puzzled) in the United Kingdom. I’ve now not regarded exhaustively, yet the most productive costs I’ve discovered is from Gwenyn Gruffydd.

You received’t remorseful about it … specifically since we’re speaking a couple of present that somebody else can pay for.

Smoker field

There’s no smoke with out hearth.

A smoker will get sizzling and pungent in use. It remains sizzling and continues to pong lengthy after you forestall the use of it. Due to this fact, if you wish to shipping it, and even retailer it safely, you wish to have to place it in a fireproof field.

I do know some beekeepers who use ex-army ammo bins, or metal buckets (now not ultimate as open-topped), but when you’ll be able to’t in finding one thing appropriate or desire a purpose-made field then take a look on the one bought by means of Abelo.

That is simply large enough for the huge Dadant smoker, has a relatively hermetic seal across the inside the lid and a protected catch. You’ll put a lit smoker into the field and it’s going to quickly move out. In observe you must almost definitely extinguish the smoker first, yet a minimum of this presentations that the field seal is beautiful excellent.

The fashion I’ve has been up to date and the brand new one seems to have sticking out hinges and a hard and fast (quite than fold flat) maintain. I’m now not certain why the design has modified and I feel I favor the only with out stuff jutting out because it packs into the auto slightly extra simply.

The Abelo field is ready £59 – greater than many people who smoke – yet must final properly. There are different designs; Thorne’s do one with an exterior ‘pocket’ for hive gear yet I’m certain the inevitable damn would power me totally bonkers.

OK, sufficient pyromania, what else?

Stainless-steel honey valve

I run my extractor with that valve open, letting the honey run without delay thru coarse and advantageous filters into 15 kg buckets. The valve is plastic and drips slightly until tightened down. Alternatively, it’s slightly used, so that is inappropriate.

By contrast, once I jar honey, the valve is used for each and every … unmarried … jar.

Open, modify rapid waft, gradual, slower, very gradual, forestall.

Any next drips sooner than I will take away the crammed jar and substitute it with a brand new empty jar considerably gradual the bottling procedure.

Those drips are worse if the honey is somewhat too heat. With comfortable set honey that is actually noticeable … the variation between 31°C and 34°C can flip a nice 60 minute activity into an infuriating 90 mins of interruptions.

This doesn’t subject for those who’re simply making ready part a dozen jars, but when there are 120 to fill it begins to make an actual distinction. Any longer than that and I’d have to begin saving for a Swienty automated filling station .

On a whim I purchased a stainless-steel honey valve to interchange one of the crucial plastic valves. At £32 it’s over thrice the cost of a plastic valve, nevertheless it has a miles cleaner ‘bring to an end’ and drips – whilst now not utterly a factor of the previous – are actually slightly an issue. I’m going to shop for a 2d one for my different bottling tank so I will jar batches of sentimental set or transparent honey with out frustrating drips.

Possibly relatively indulgent nevertheless it does make a tedious task rather less time-consuming.

What? No longer very ‘Christmassy’?

Let’s transfer on.

Books

The books I’ve loved maximum this 12 months are about bees, now not beekeeping.

Maximum beekeeping books are in large part limited to already well-covered subjects … I’m now not certain I will face some other tortuous description of Pagden’s synthetic swarm. Like maximum introductory classes for beekeeping, the contents are a lot of a muchness, most effective the presentation varies. In consequence my cabinets have many extra books on bees than on beekeeping.

I write about moderately slightly of science in my posts. Usually the paintings I attempt to quilt is new. On occasion it’s even authentic. I’m certain one of the most research mentioned will, in time, be thought to be seminal … cited in coming many years as ‘the primary find out about that confirmed X’ or ‘a landmark in our working out of Y’.

However, maximum will disappear with out hint or – at easiest – be used as filler to reinforce a more moderen find out about of the similar subject that presentations a lot the similar factor.

Science has a tendency to transport forwards in incremental, faltering steps. My posts have a tendency to speak about the stairs, now not the total adventure.

For the latter you wish to have a retrospective view and a few contextual data.

The dancing bees

Just like the veil and the smoker, even non-beekeepers are conscious about the waggle dance utilized by bees to keep up a correspondence the positioning of pollen and nectar. It’s in large part taken with no consideration now, although it stays the one type of invertebrate communique we perceive.

Karl von Frisch received the Nobel prize for interpreting the waggle dance in 1973. Tania Munz, a historian of science, has written a complete biography of von Frisch, documenting each his clinical research, the context by which they had been undertaken – Nazi Germany – and the issues that this brought about. Really helpful.

The Dancing Bees: Karl von Frisch and the Discovery of the Honeybee Language by means of Tania Munz, 2016, ISBN 9780226020860 College of Chicago Press £24

Honey bee biology

I discussed this guide previous within the 12 months. If you happen to don’t wish to take on number one clinical papers yet are nonetheless all for working out the biology of the honey bee then this can be a excellent position to begin. Brian Johnson covers just about the whole thing; genetics, body structure, neurobiology, behaviour and building.

It’s closely referenced and a dense learn, possibly higher for dipping out and in of, quite than studying it quilt to hide. There’s a relatively complete index. If you happen to didn’t growth additional than ‘O’ degree biology then possibly glance in other places, yet you don’t want two PhD’s and a mind the scale of a planet for many of the guide.

Honey bee biology by means of Brian R Johnson, 2023, ISBN 9780691204888 Princeton College Press £38

Box guides

Honey bees are (wrongly) the poster-child for pollinating bugs. If you happen to consider the preferred press, or any collection of industrial ‘sponsor a beehive’ ‘beewash’ firms, they’re the most effective bee that does any pollination.

They’re now not.

There are masses of different species in the United Kingdom, and 1000’s extra globally. Because it’s helpful as a way to recognise one of the most local bees that our bees proportion the surroundings with – and compete for sources in – I’d counsel two box guides.

Pocket Information to the Bumblebees of Nice Britain and Eire by means of Richard Lewington, 2023, ISBN 9781472993595 Bloomsbury Publishing £11 (paperback … and these days 30% off and ~£7.60!)

Box Information to the Bees of Nice Britain and Eire by means of Steven Falk, 2015, ISBN 9781910389027 Bloomsbury Publishing £50

The rest by means of Thomas Seeley

Thomas Seeley is a wonderful scientist and a super communicator. If Brian Johnson’s guide (above) is simply too ‘sciency’ then I’d counsel any of the books by means of Seeley which are these days in press. The breadth of protection is much less; Honeybee Democracy offers with nest web page variety by means of swarms and The Lives of Bees discusses main points of loose dwelling honey bees. Each are remarkable; properly written, superbly illustrated and really attention-grabbing. There’s simply as a lot science as Honey bee biology, albeit on a narrower vary of subjects, nevertheless it’s much more obtainable.

Honeybee Democracy by means of Thomas Seeley, 2010, ISBN 9780691147215 Princeton College Press £25

The Lives of Bees by means of Thomas Seeley, 2019, ISBN 9780691166766 Princeton College Press £25

In spite of everything, for those who’re all for discovering ‘wild’ colonies then Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Looking is an relaxing learn . Revealed in 2016, ISBN 9780691170268 Princeton College Press £19

bru go back and forth mug

It used to be bitterly chilly within the apiary nowadays, although eased somewhat by means of the dazzling overdue morning solar striking just about the horizon. If I’m running open air within the wintry weather I love to take a sizzling drink with me and use a bru go back and forth mug.

Those have a ceramic lining, are relatively properly insulated and feature a craftily-designed leakproof lid operated with one finger … push-to-drink then push-to-seal. Those mugs are perfect for automotive trips. The medium (340 ml) is ready the similar quantity as a latte in maximum espresso retail outlets and also you must get a bargain for now not the use of a disposable cardboard cup.

Ultimate minute items for beekeepers

By way of ‘final minute’ I imply on-line and delivered digitally …

Beekeeping is a global interest and it’s entertaining and informative to be told how beekeepers in different international locations set up their bees. The bees are the similar, however the surroundings and control strategies are incessantly very other.

If you wish to see how they mismanage them there’s some nice stuff on YouTube.

I’ve subscribed to the American Bee Magazine for a few years. They’ve were given some nice common columnists and it supplies an interesting perception into beekeeping ‘over the pond’. A virtual subscription prices $16 (~£12.60) a 12 months.

Take into account that even non-subscribers can view archived virtual again problems with ABJ which are a number of years previous.

For US readers it’s essential possibly take a look at BeeCraft to get an perception into our bizarre sq. Nationwide hives without a point out any place of slatted racks. A virtual subscription prices £25 (~$31.60) a 12 months.

Expensive Santa
I’ve been a excellent beekeeper and I’d like a DANA api MATIC1000 filling station with a 70 cm turntable from Swienty
Please 🙂

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