{"id":2033,"date":"2025-01-02T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/?p=2033"},"modified":"2025-09-03T21:42:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:42:37","slug":"forage-for-bees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/?p=2033","title":{"rendered":"<p style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; color: blue;\">Better season 02\/01\/25<\/p>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\nh2, h3, h4 {color: green;}\n\n.maxwidth {\n  max-width: 800px;\n  margin: auto;\n}\n\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"maxwidth\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">East Devon Beekeepers January meeting 2025<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preparations for a Better Season \u2013 a talk by Dan Basterfield NDB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Held at Kilmington Village Hall. Attendance 35, Including friends from West Dorset branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dan Basterfield and farther Ken run the Blackbury Honey Farm in East Devon, currently with between 90-100 hives. They are both BBKA and NDB examiners and teach, lecture and write at all levels across the UK and Ireland. They founded <em>Advanced Beekeeping Courses<\/em> in 2020 to provide training for experienced beekeepers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How will your colonies start the season?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <strong>good start<\/strong> to the season would be that your bees have survived the winter with a youngish, laying queen, they are healthy and they have, or will have, space for expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <strong>bad start<\/strong> would be a dead colony! Examine the remains and try to work out the cause(s). Was it a drone laying queen, or problems such as chalk brood, Vairimorpha (Nosema) or mouldy combs. Look for granulated stores which prevent colony expansion in the spring (queen blocking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dan displayed four key events that will help you have a better season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"336\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-1024x336.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10599\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-1024x336.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-768x252.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-1536x504.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season.png 1857w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To achieve the <strong>Good Start<\/strong> referred to above, preparations need to be initiated in the autumn, so let\u2019s look at a universal beekeeping plan to achieve this aim.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Universal-hive-cycle.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10604\" style=\"width:500px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Spring<\/strong> is the time of <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>swarms and swarm control (or prevention)<\/strong><\/mark>, often by making increase with simple splits.<br><strong>Summer<\/strong> will see the <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">honey crop<\/mark><\/strong> harvested, but it is also a time when <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">queen raising<\/mark><\/strong> can be attempted. Queens raised now will be suitable for replacing old queens in the autumn and can be overwintered to replace any losses you may suffer.<br><strong>Autumn<\/strong> is the time to take stock of the situation. Small colonies or colonies with poor queens can be <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">united<\/mark><\/strong>. These stronger stocks are more likely to survive the winter. Old queens can be replaced with your newly raised queens, and all the usual winter preparations can be started (varroa treatment, feeding, mouse guards, close entrances down, wasp traps, woodpecker proofing if you have a problem with them, hefting (see later), make sure hives are weather-proof and wasp-proof, tie hives down, etc, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>Winter<\/strong>, despite all your preparations, there will be <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">losses<\/mark><\/strong>. Remove the affected hives and clean them up ready for next season. Check the hive parts and carry out repairs and renovations if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The message is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#008000\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Successful overwintering is preceded by a good end to the previous season. <\/mark><\/strong><br>Of course, with our British climate, we are always dependent on the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"336\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Successful-wintering-red-1024x336.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10603\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Successful-wintering-red-1024x336.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Successful-wintering-red-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Successful-wintering-red-768x252.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Successful-wintering-red-1536x504.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Successful-wintering-red.png 1857w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dan explained that the role of the beekeeper in winter is that of a caretaker. The preparation for winter has already been done. The beekeeper therefore needs to ensure the hives are dry and remain upright during winter storms. Also, occasional checks for remaining stores will ensure the colony does not starve. This is quickly and easily done by \u2018hefting\u2019 the hives, preferably from the back. The timeline of events is as follows: in November and January, if the hive feels heavy, that\u2019s good. Plenty of stores for the rest of the winter. From February to April, \u2018heavy\u2019 could be a sign that all is not well. This is the time of year when brood is increasing rapidly and stores are being used to feed that brood, so you might expect the hives to be lighter. Heavy hives at this time of year may need to be investigated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Any inspection during the winter months needs a good reason to disturb the colony, therefore, if you feel it is necessary to check your bees, make it a quick inspection. Wait for a still, sunny day with the temperature at or above 12\u00b0C before opening the hive, and don\u2019t open the brood chamber unless you feel it is really necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency feeding<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"241\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Fondant.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10619\" style=\"width:240px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Fondant.png 400w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Fondant-300x181.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hefting may indicate feeding is advisable. Fondant is the best emergency feed for the winter months. It keeps well and does not go mouldy. Bees need moisture to take it down but usually there is enough moisture at the top of the hive for them to dissolve the sugar crystals. Only bakers fondant or specially purchased fondant feeds from beekeeping supply companies should be used.<br>Dan uses clear plastic take-away tubs filled with the fondant (above), putting one or two tubs over the holes in the crown board. The amount used can be seen by lifting the roof with minimal disturbance to the colony, and topping up feed is also quick and easy. If the bees need the feed, it will be used quickly. If not, it won\u2019t go mouldy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"336\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Equipment-red-1024x336.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10601\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Equipment-red-1024x336.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Equipment-red-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Equipment-red-768x252.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Equipment-red-1536x504.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Equipment-red.png 1857w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#008000\" class=\"has-inline-color\">&#8220;By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.&#8221;<\/mark><\/strong><\/em><br>Benjamin Franklin<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ideally, you should be looking to prepare for the whole season. No. 1 priority is \u2018All equipment cleaned and repaired\u2019. Do you have enough spares? Do you have extra equipment for, say, queen rearing or cut comb \/ sections?<br>If you are only looking at the next 3 months, then you will need brood boxes with drawn comb or foundation fitted, with contingency stock for swarming and possibly making increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drawn comb has been called<em> \u2018the most valuable piece of equipment that you can\u2019t buy\u2019<\/em>. Comb that has not had brood in can be used after cleaning up the burr comb. Brood comb that has some dark patches can be used after acetic acid treatment, but dark comb is always recycled.<br>Spring-drawn comb can be created by putting a deep box as a first super. This will be drawn out where oil seed rape honey is available, but be sure to extract these frames promptly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"336\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Beekeeper-red-1024x336.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10598\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Beekeeper-red-1024x336.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Beekeeper-red-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Beekeeper-red-768x252.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Beekeeper-red-1536x504.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Beekeeper-red.png 1857w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Plan for beekeeping eventualities<\/strong> \u2013 have a plan to deal with swarming, robbing, starvation, disease, varroa, queen failure, uniting&#8230;<br><strong>Develop core skills<\/strong> \u2013 making splits and uniting are essential skills. Using nucleus hives is a good way to learn these management techniques.<br><strong>Mark your queens<\/strong> \u2013 ideally, mark queens at early spring inspections. If all your queens went into winter marked, this will tell you if there has been a late supercedure. Queens are easier to find in spring as colonies are small and there are no drones to confuse you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helpful guide to Options throughout the beekeeping year<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-plan2-1024x541.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10600\" style=\"width:700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-plan2-1024x541.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-plan2-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-plan2-768x406.png 768w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-plan2-1536x812.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Better-season-plan2-2048x1083.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Decide what you want\/need to do. Make honey, make bees or make queens? You can&#8217;t do all three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary of colony checks and what to practice this coming season<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-regular\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Colony checks after main flow<\/strong>:<\/td><td><strong>What to practice next season:<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Queenright<\/td><td>Queen handling<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Disease free<\/td><td>Queen marking<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Stores and laying space<\/td><td>Nuc making<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Unite weak healthy colonies<\/td><td>Uniting colonies<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hives weather-proof &amp; pest proof<\/td><td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Further reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:40% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"290\" height=\"358\" src=\"http:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Using-Apideas.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10609 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Using-Apideas.png 290w, https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/2501-Using-Apideas-243x300.png 243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Using Apideas<\/em><\/strong> -How to set up and manage Apideas for mating honey bee queens. <br>Dan Basterfield.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>BBKA Healthy Hive Guide<\/em><\/strong> &#8211; Dan Basterfield, Roger Cullum-Kenyon, Ivor Davis.<\/p>\n\n\n<script>\nconst scrollToTop = () => {\n\nwindow.scroll({\n    top: 0, \n    left: 0, \n    behavior: 'smooth' \n});\n};\n<\/script>\n<input type=\"button\" value=\"Scroll to top\" onclick=\"scrollToTop()\">\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>East Devon Beekeepers January meeting 2025 Preparations for a Better Season \u2013 a talk by Dan Basterfield NDB Held at Kilmington Village Hall. Attendance 35, Including friends from West Dorset branch. Dan Basterfield and farther Ken run the Blackbury Honey Farm in East Devon, currently with between 90-100 hives. They are both BBKA and NDB [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Better season 02\/01\/25 - East Devon Beekeepers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Forage for bees consists of carbohydrate rich nectar providing energy, and protein rich pollen providing food for body growth and repair.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eastdevonbk.co.uk\/?p=2033\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Better season 02\/01\/25 - 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