Season of Mists and Mellow Forgetfulness. Part 1: Ghastly Beasties

Last Autumn's Teachings now seem like they took place a geological age ago. So ahead of this Saturday's Actual Bee Encounter, LandofSpike has been retracing his steps back into the mists of time... well, as far back as last October at least.

LandofSpike has divided this account of Apiary Central's Autumn module into two separate Posts, theory and practical. 

Theory first, so stand by for LandofSpike's flimsy and lightweight rememberings of BeeGuru1's introduction to Parasites, Predators and their Treatments.

BeeGuru1 waded straight in with tales so grisly that if bees had ears to hear, and could understand the Queen's English, then their blood, or more precisely their haemolymph, would have frozen instantly in their little veins, if they had veins, rendering them stone cold dead from terror in the time it takes to say "Chalkbrood Mummies".

Poor old Mister Honey Bee, there are things that'll eat yer from the outside inwards and things that'll eat yer from the inside outwards. Dismemberment, Infestation and a Ghastly Death lurk round every dark, hexagonal corner.

The current most popular unpopular menace is the Varroa Destructor Mite, a nasty little spod which puts itself about a bit. The clue is in the name, the Destructor bit. It'll destroy your colony if you aren't on the ball with your beekeepery skills and potions.

The Varroa Destructor Mite is a nasty little spod

Among the other dangers, Wax Moth and Chalkbrood look pretty horrible, European Foul Brood isn't as bad as the American variety and Braula Coeca looks like it'll be under control if you get your Varroa treatment right. 

The ever-lovable Wasp will raid the hive for honey and will also dismember and drag off live bees to feed their own brood.

A dishonourable mention goes out to the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder, and Mice aren't above a bit of hive destruction when they fancy a free feed or a warm and dry larder in which to spend the winter.

Also beware the hungry Woodpecker who can make a devilish mess of a hive in short order.

The ever-lovable Wasp prepares to raid the hive of the unsuspecting Honey Bee

Not all threats to the bee are deadly though and thankfully BeeGuru1 also detailed the many and varied treatments which the beekeeper can use to keep his hive happy and healthy.

However, the treatment for the horror that is American Foul Brood is pretty brutal in itself... Dig a big pit, chuck in yer bees, hive and bee gear, pour on the petrol and lob in a lighted match. You can stop short of burying the remains at a deserted crossroads and driving a stake through it but you get the picture. AFB is pretty nasty. 

Well, that's it for an extremely sketchy précis of last Autumn's introduction to Bee Botherers.

LandofSpike will be covering individual Predators, Parasites and How to Treat Them in greater detail and in glorious technicolour later on in the year when he gets some hands-on experience, and a bit more knowledge, of the little blighters.

The unhappy Apis mellifera mellifera infested with Varroa Mite

Didn't even mention pesticides... or destruction of habitats either.

Plenty of time for that later though.

Part 2 of last Autumn's Teachings, which will be along shortly, will cover what LandofSpike can remember about preparing the Bees for their winter break.

Countdown to some Hands-On Bee Action

The first 2012 module of LandofSpike's course is set for this Saturday.

The weather has been glorious all week. It's warm and sunny and spring seems to have got its feet firmly under the table. 

LandofSpike checked out Apiary Central this morning and bees are definitely out and about but they're still restricted to just the one bee-sized winter doorway. 

Saturday's itinerary includes expanding their entrance so LandofSpike suspects that he should soon know all about mouseguards.

We're also going to be giving the hive a springtime healthcheck and we'll be topping up the feeders.

Theory-wise we'll be learning how to identify bee castes, how to feed and what plants honey bees love to visit.

LandofSpike's Grandiose Vision for a Bee-Filled Future

Land of Bees will, hopefully, document LandofSpike's metamorphosis from Bee Ignoramus into Beemeister Extraordinaire.

That's the plan anyway.

Although it may well end up documenting LandofSpike's succession of failures as he flounders uselessly in an insecty mire of his own making.

Personally, I sorta hope it takes the first route.

LandofSpike intends to complete his Beekeeping course at Apiary Central in the local park, mentored by BeeGurus 1 & 2.

He aims to learn shedloads of useful and impressive bee-related information and, again hopefully, end up with a beehouse full of happily thriving Apis Mellifera in the gardens of Spike Towers.

LandofSpike aims to update regularly with diary notes, diagrams, photos and illustrations, as well as documenting all the sparkling new gems of wisdom that he learns.

He will try to clearly outline his methodology so that anyone else starting out on the same path can take heart that if a duffer like LandofSpike can do it, anyone can.

Sounds pretty simple really, what could possibly go wrong?