The Numbers Game : 39
Photograph B
I’ve put the answers at the end of this article, so don’t cheat.
Why Bother?
Of the three photographs, B is the number of bees that I like to see on my frames because it gives me the ability to see what is going on. I can see brood, pollen, nectar, a waggle dance, a young bee emerging and also have the ability to look for any of those nasty signs of disease and wax moth, not forgetting having a good chance of spotting the queen. I can’t sleep for the whole week between inspections if I haven’t seen queenie.
Seasoned beekeepers must, by
now, be falling off their stands and shouting: ‘Look for eggs, you idiot!’ That is easier said than done.
For me, my approach far outweighs the need for BIG numbers and BIG harvests. Photograph A leaves me shaking in my boots because I know if I make a sharp or sudden movement, 3000 bees are likely to take to the air and may take a shine to my flesh. Actually, by now you must have realised that I do exaggerate a tad, because most of my bees, most of the time, are quite calm, even when I do give them a little nudge by mistake.
September 2016 Vol 98 No 9
Not for Everyone I must stress that my particular
preference for smaller numbers of bees in the hive should not be taken as the right option. I feel very confident in this system because I use WBC (cavity wall) hives that give additional insulation over the winter months. This, in turn, means fewer bees are needed to maintain the cluster temperature.
All this starts to get very technical and over the years there are many factors that determine whether the bees do or do not survive the winter. I have never lost a colony because of cold, so perhaps I have been very lucky.
The Outcome
This year I brought two nucleus colonies through the winter successfully, both of which have gone on to be full size and productive with no sign of swarming this year. Both these nucleus colonies came as a result of artificial swarms from the previous year from a colony that has all the traits that I like. They are not perfect by any means, and I say that after helping another beekeeper with bees even more placid than mine, but I do feel confident with them. Two years ago, one of my colonies was
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Photograph C
showing signs of aggression, but it was extremely productive. It was this experience that led me to consider my options. I was able to let that queen go! Her offspring were used very successfully to make up numbers in other colonies that needed a few more helping hands, but their manners were soon knocked into shape by the pleasant bees. This has proved
to me that this beekeeping lark has a lot to offer, particularly if you are good with numbers.
Answers
Photograph A has 737 bees, B has 432 bees and C has 148 bees. How did you get on?
Final Count: 211 lb of honey from five colonies!
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