32 : A Year on a Honey Farm: May A MONTHLY INSIGHT INTO COMMERCIAL BEEKEEPING
A Year on a Honey Farm
Duncan Simmons I
have to say that May is one of my favourite beekeeping months, as this is the time when I usually start to rear my new season’s queens. I have always been fascinated with queen rearing, ever since I was a young man. I can remember in those early years reading about Brother Adam who did not live very far from me in Buckfastleigh, Devon. For many years he had specialised in queen breeding, in search of a super bee no less. I read many books about the subject and remember hoping that one day I could rear my own queens and maybe, if I was lucky enough, be able to breed Buckfasts similar
to those of Brother Adam. After a few years and some unsuccessful attempts to breed my own super bee, I decided to call on Buckfast Abbey for some help and advice. I was introduced to Peter Donovan, who worked closely with Brother Adam, and I asked him if there was any possibility that I could buy a queen from them to breed from. He said, ‘I’m sorry I can’t sell you one, but leave it with me’. So I got back onto my small motorbike and made the 40 mile journey home. A few days later I had a phone call from Peter to tell me he had some old breeders I could use if I wanted them. I said, ‘Absolutely’, jumped
A good frame of queen cells ready for the incubator
straight on my bike and headed to Buckfastleigh to collect my important cargo. I will never forget that day and Peter’s kindness and generosity in giving me those queens. He could see I was in love with beekeeping and I like to think he knew he was planting a seed – a seed that would grow over the coming years.
Many years have come and gone since those early days and I am pleased to say my queen- rearing skills have also improved greatly during this time. Although I learnt a lot from the many books that I have read on this subject, nothing can beat actual hands-on experience. The bees themselves are great
teachers. I have been taught many things by bees that you will not find in any of the books. Things like how to tell if a queen is out of the hive on a mating flight just by the way the bees are behaving at the entrance; something that only experience with the bees has taught me. Being around these impressive insects every day, you become attuned to the subtle variations in their behaviour and character as you work with them and, by learning these signs, I have become a better bee breeder.
Queen Rearing Begins
During March and April we selected the colonies that we will use for our drone rearing
May is a favourite beekeeping month as this is the time new season’s queens can be raised
www.bee-craft.com May 2015 Vol 97 No 5
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