Aggression in Normally Docile Irish Honey Bees

These past few weeks we have watched our little herb garden bee hive become more and more active….to the point of a little aggressive. Of course, being this time of year our minds went to a few different explanations as we kept our distance to allow them to do their thing.

There are several reasons a normally docile bee hive might suddenly become more assertive – one occurs when they are stressed at this time of year such as a lack of winter stores of food (probably sounds like us all, trying to gather winter food and fuel LOL). However, with the summer we just had, a lack of food stores would hardly be the case. 

Unless – they were being robbed of their resources by another bee hive or wasps. One way to try to ascertain if this is happening is to watch the bees coming and going into the hive to see if there is anyone leaving with pollen or if something looks amiss etc.

Another reason for aggression in a hive is when a queen dies and the bees are busy growing another one. Of course, there are also very simple reasons for aggression such as running out of space – and everyone crowded in on top of each other - making them a little testy.

As ever, we were observing and standing at the ready to assist or help in any way….bees would rarely require our help, but because they are in an unnatural environment of the hive, it is our duty to at least keep a watchful eye on things.

So, this past week we noticed with the warm sunny days a bit of a population explosion around the hive…..there were bees everywhere over a day or so. Upon closer inspection this is what we found.

They were building comb on the outside of the hive in an attempt to create more space for their growing population. They were already a good sized hive when they moved in last July (wild swarm), however, we did not anticipate this exponential growth at this time of the year!

So….the only thing to do was take a chance…..we grabbed a larger Top Bar Hive that was complete except for the roof – and working quickly so as not to stress them further, we moved the entire old hive into the bigger box. 

In the meantime, Max went to work finishing a temporary solid roof for the new hive – the old box was placed underneath the new one for the bees to clean out and as ever….we just stood back to allow them to get on with sorting themselves out in their new expanded space.

For us it was a learning curve…we have had bad weather and terrible summers for so long we had forgotten that bee populations will actually expand – at any time when food is plentiful and the conditions are right.

Even at this time in mid October, the conditions are still fairly pleasant for the bees with decent weather, warmish days and lots of vegetation close by. So, when the rain holds off for a few days at a time – watch out!  

They seem to have settled down again now - and the are back to being their normal docile, happy selves - going into winter in very good shape by the amount of honey we saw in the comb....

April

New Top Bar Hive with temporary roof - old hive underneath - bees coming in and out at the front

Top Bar Bees busy again

Its good to see the Bees back into the swing of things again, the last few weeks of sunshine was the boost that was needed to get them flying and foraging. Unfortunately, the rain has returned and settled in for the time being. This change in weather will affect the bees ability to build stores up for the winter so lets hope that the sunshine returns very soon.

I plan to show the Top Bar Bee Hives at the Skibbereen market again due to renewed interest from a number of aspiring beekeepers that I have talked to at the market. As always, I strive to improve the hive structure with each new hive that I build. The design originates in the Kenyan style of hive with some modifications to adapt to the Irish climate, such as ventilation to deal with excess dampness in the hive. I still prefer to use Larch timber for its durability and weather resistance.

 I am looking forward to seeing some more Top Bar Hives getting out into back gardens and fields. I set up a hive last week in a garden center and I am sure the bees will be very happy with the extended range of flowers and herbs to forage from.

All for now,
Max

Winter Shelter for Bees in Top Bar Hives

Winter shelter is important for Bees to survive a prolonged cold season and recurring cold snaps that occur well into the spring. This early Spring has seen a number of extended cold snaps that have taken their toll on hives that were not properly sheltered from the bitter winds.

A sun trap is the ideal protection for Bee hives, all it consists of is a wind break from the North, East and West and exposure from the sunny South. The wind break can be made of any material that will stop the wind, such as wood fencing, stone or block walls, straw bales or even a good heavy hedge that will block the wind.

I have often thought that installing the hive in a shed is a good way to keep the hive out of the weather. The bees just need to be able to get in and out through a short tube through the wall of the shed. Excessive heat in the shed on hot summer days could be an issue so thought would be needed to enable  lots of ventilation, perhaps removable windows or a roofing material that will not trap heat, such as sod.

What ever approach is used, keep in mind that Top Bar hives do not travel well, do to the unsupported comb at risk of breaking and falling to the floor of the hive. Top Bar hives are really intended to be in a fixed position, they can be moved but are very heavy when full of comb and is best attempted with two people and with minimal jarring or bumps while driving. 

Regards,
Max

Natural Beekeeping for Children

Trevor Danann is instructing a Natural Beekeeping course for Children in Leap, West Cork on May 12. He is the ideal instructor as he is himself 12 years old and has been a certified Beekeeper for the last four years.

After attending and passing the FIBKA Gormanstown Beekeeping Summer School, he has participated in managing several Top Bar hives, as well as assisted in numerous hive builds, Bee installations, inspections and extractions.

Trevor has also been assisting in the previous 10 Natural Beekeeping Courses and is keen to present this course himself to an audience of children.

The course is designed to introduce children to the skills of Natural Beekeeping, covering topics such as: Bees, Honey, Commercial Beekeeping, Natural Beekeeping, Bee Health, Getting started and Research. The two hours duration of the course will include time outside observing Bees around the onsite hives.

Any younger children attending the course must be accompanied by an adult. The cost is €25 per child.

Trevor can be found at the Skibbereen Farmers Market every Saturday at our stall and ready to answer any queries on the Hives on display or Natural Beekeeping in general.

Regards,
Max

Building a Top Bar Bee Hive

One search for images of Top Bar Hives on the internet will show you how many variations that have been developed in different regions of the world. It is nice to see so many beekeepers building and using Top Bar Hives, the interest has certainly grown exponentially over the last few years.

I have found that proper ventilation is key in Ireland to deal with the excess of rain that is a year round constant. Also being able to fit National frames into the box ease the start up or transition to Top Bar Beekeeping. Most of the hives I build are made from solid Larch, which is a long lasting timber that stands up to the local weather without much need for coatings. My hives are also free of any toxins, glues, paint, sealers or preservatives to provide a toxin free environment, essential to the health of the bees.

Each hive I have built has been an improvement over the previous ones, applying what I learn from beekeeping into each new hive. I guess that I must be on the 6th or 7th generation of design adaptation resulting in a robust hive that will last for years, providing a safe, dry and clean space for the bees to live.

Beginning each new project is first spent visualizing what I what to make and then looking at the material at hand to see how it can be used efficiently. Sometimes it takes longer to plan the hive than to build it and a proper plan means less waste of material. I have added a few machines to my workshop since I first started building hives but basic hand tools are all that are really needed to build a hive from scratch.

I will be hosting a Top Bar Hive building workshop this spring and hope to see both old hands at beekeeping as well as aspiring beekeepers take part.

Regards,
Max

Thinking outside the box

The standard beehive, as most people know, is a square box. This box contains all the latest and greatest in beekeeping technology, but still just an ugly square box. No wonder then, the growing interest in a hive that does not look like a box or even a hive for that matter.

Top Bar Hives buck the trend of sticking with what everybody else is doing. They are so different from standard commercial hives that most beekeepers scoff at the very idea that they could even work. When in fact, its the Top Bar Hive that has been around for hundreds of years and the commercial hives that are the new and strange way of beekeeping.

The basis of the Top Bar Hive design lies in the simple hollowed out log, which was used by early beekeepers to create a copy of the naturally formed hives found in old hollow logs or hollow tree trunks. These are the same bees that get into your attic space and set up house. These bees are not looking for a box to move into, a box is not a natural shape. What the bees are looking for is a sheltered spot to build their hive without risk of disturbance.

Bees forced to live in a modern box are under stresses that include crowding, dampness, lack of proper ventilation, diseases, pests, toxins and removal of most of their precious winter stores. (The winter stores are then replaced with a sugar water that offers no nutrition) All these symptoms of box life result in a far weaker hive population that is easily susceptible to disease and parasites.

Its no wonder that people are looking for an alternative to the box and Top Bar Hives are the answer for a steadily growing collection of beekeepers that are looking for a better way of keeping bees healthy.

Top Bar Hives - Thinking outside the box

"Yeah, I like bees"

"Yeah, I like bees but my Mom, you know, is afraid"

This was a comment from a little girl I spoke to at the local Farmers Market in Skibbereen, where we have a stall and display a Top Bar Hive. I had asked her a question after seeing her looking at the hive and trying to sort out what it was, I gave her a flyer for our Natural Beekeeping for Children course and she was very pleased.

I feel it is very important to introduce beekeeping to children because it develops an understanding of the extremely important relationship between mankind and the natural world around us. A lot of people have created an illusion of separation and distance from things natural but its still there, just outside their door, or tap tap tapping on the window.

Creating an understanding of the natural systems that we depend on to survive, instills respect and consideration for all the many facets of nature that surround us.

The Natural Beekeeping for Children course is being presented by Trevor Danann (age 12) who has been a certified Beekeeper for the last four years. This course takes place in May in West Cork, Ireland.

Regards,
Max

What is a Top Bar Hive?

This is a question that is asked most often by people who stop at our stall at the Skibbereen Farmers Market, so I thought I would explain it here.

A Top Bar Hive is an imitation of a hollowed out log with the added advantage of being able to monitor and extract honey with minimal disturbance to the hive. The hive shape and size are a more natural configuration than the common square box widely used. There is also a great amount of open space in the hive that aids in ventilation, which is a major factor in a healthy hive.

The hive stands on four legs about three feet high, which makes it very easy to work as the whole hive is at waist height. The bars that the bees use to build their comb upon are just a piece of timber with a groove, there is no foundation wax or frame. The bees are able to build the comb of varying sizes as they see fit.

The hives I build are made of local Larch, which is very weather resistant (used in boats and fencing) and assembled without toxins, glues, plywood, paint or preservatives. This creates a toxin free environment for the bees.

When you create a healthy environment for the bees to build their comb, you end up with the best honey possible. The bees are also less stressed and very easy to work without much need for smoke.

For a first hand look, stop by the market on Saturdays or even attend one of our Natural Beekeeping Courses.

Regards,
Max

Bee Garden Planning

April has asked me to contribute regularly to this Bee Blog and I will do my best to do so every day.

Planning a garden with Bees in mind means just being aware of what the Bees need throughout the year. Bees will fly every day that they can, weather permitting, even in mid-winter. If the winters day is mild and the sun is shinning on the hive entrance, then the Bees will venture out to see what they can find. 

Having a range of plants that provide nectar and pollen at different times of the year will ensure the bees can find sustenance at crucial times such as late winter / early spring and autumn / early winter.

One of the most important things to remember is to avoid spraying weed killers of any sort as Dandelions and wild flowers are a very important food source for Bees (and countless other insects).  

A simple list of important flowers for Bees would contain the following:

Dandelion, Forget me not, Wildflower mix, Snowdrop, Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Ivy, Heather, Catmint, Fushia, Hyssop, Hollyhock, Lavenders, Loostrife, Sage, Thyme and Tulip

Flowering trees make up a large part of the Bees' interest as well, Butterfly tree (Buddleja) and Lime trees being noted favorites.

More on this subject on another day,

Regards,

Max

One with Nature

Today is a lovely but cold day in West Cork - the kind that promises spring is near, but to hold off on the celebrations for another little while. For those of us who are bee keepers - we are watching our hives closely as the bees come out for a few minutes on days such as these.

We love to see the bees! Actually, it warms our hearts to know that the hives have survived another winter and are here once again with us. Living, thriving and warming to the sun's rays - in the same way we are.

But, it's more then this. Perhaps there is also some very deep connection to hidden aspects of ourselves. Parts of us are also warming to the sun's heat - we are waking up too. Along with the ground, the plants pushing up from the soil and the bees poking out to see the emerging world...

It is very much like our world at this time of year. The heat from the sun increases our vitamin D stores, brings back our immune function and after these winter months we are renewed in spirit and health. We are part of this cycle - nature has not excluded us from her embrace....

We are One with the bees on days such as this.....

Dried Sage from the garden - our bees love the tiny purple flowers....

Banning Deadly Pesticides

Avaaz.org is running a campaign at the moment to have deadly pesticides banned from use in certain crops and areas in Europe. Personally, this should not even be on an agenda with all we know about bees and poisons these days.

However, it is, and it does far more harm then perhaps we will ever know for decades to come. If you haven't already, please follow the link to their website and sign their petitions. The have done some great work over the years - and I am pleased to see them speaking up for the bees.

Azaaz Bee Campaign 

Gardening with Bees in Mind...

Today was another day that was a bit of a disaster as far as weather is concerned .... wow the amount of rain that came down in the last 24 hours is unreal. But, we cope and hopefully someday will dry out! LOL

It was also a day of mucking around in the garden, the air is warm and it was nice to get out there to see what is starting to burst up through the soil. I love this time of year with it's promises of all that is to come from a healthy growing garden.

Planning the garden is something that many bee keepers take fairly seriously with a few flowers and herbs that bees love I like to plant my herbs because it strengthens them as well as us. But there are many other plants they benefit from too. 

Flowering plants such as sunflowers, lavender and marigold flower either at different times or can be staggered to have something in bloom during the entire summer season. And in early spring any of the crocus, daffodils and snowdrops can be planted to give the bees a little head start.

Fruit trees and shallow pools of clean water are also helpful to have around for the bees.... Just keeping them in mind when planning your garden can go a long way!

Top Bar Bee Hive 

Herbs to Strengthen and Survive...

Today was not a bee day - however, they are certainly being discussed everywhere I go. With all the talk and attention being paid to the plight of the bees, it should all start to come together for them, one way or another.

One conclusion we have come to in our own journey with our bees - is how they need hardy, native  plants in the local vicinity in order for them to thrive. It's always a great idea to plant anything bee friendly however - so if you are planning your garden this year, keep them in mind as well.

As for me, my passion lies with the herbs and I am thrilled when our bees arrive to sample the many flowers and blooms on the thyme, sage, marigold and various other favourites around the garden. This year I hope to expand it a little bit more to give them an even better foraging range.

Herbs strengthen us - and I am certain they do the same for the bees.

A Cold Rainy Day in West Cork...

While it's not exactly feeling like spring anymore, but....we know it's really on the way because there are signs of it everywhere. The daffodils in the shops, the crocus are coming through the soil and the days are at long last a little longer.

These signs of spring bring up some interesting points for us as humans - some of us pay attention while others go along their way without a side ways glance at what might be taking place around them. When we compare our own distractions to that of animals, critters and creatures of the earth - they seem to not have lost this important link to nature.

Indeed, they could not survive without it. And perhaps, that should be a lesson here for us on this rainy day...we are no different. 

Our life, well-being and health depends entirely on the ability of natural elements to provide for us. Making a little space in our minds to take this on board might be a great place to start for a shift in the art of appreciation.

A brand new bee hive....

Wishing for Spring....

The bees have been making little trips outside the hives on these warm days but not venturing too far yet as it is early in the season and not much around for them to eat. It is such a wonderful promise of spring though to see them come out and scout around.

Anyone who has bees or who has spent any time around them could appreciate the feeling that all is well with the world because the bees are out and about. Usually this time of year they are doing a little housekeeping and tidying up after the long winter weeks.

I am only hoping that a warm spring and a lovely summer is on the cards for us which will be a bonus for these beautiful creatures....

One of our hives set up with bees....

Speaking of Bees....

Bees are so important to our survival - even the greatest minds of our time have commented on their existence. As a family we have been taking their plight personally and over the years have been doing our little bit to help in any way we can.

We have had Top Bar Bee Hives now for a few years and are always conscious of their role in our gardens and our lives. Of course, like everything else we do, we have our own design and our own approach to handling the bees. 

With this in mind we hope to write about our adventures in Top Bar Beekeeping as often as we can and through this let you know about the things we have been finding out about the bees as well as ourselves. 

One of our own Top Bar Hives with viewing glass