With two teams on the go tonight, bee club was busier than ever!
The Advanced and Junior Certificate group covered Varroa and it's effects on our bees and the colony... We looked at a very old frame from a colony that had succumbed to Parasitic Mite Syndrome, spotting the signs of Varroa, from poor dead bees in cells, bees with DWV (Deformed wing virus) and lots of white Varroa poo.... ugggghhh! We talked about how we are going to manage our hives in the coming season and how we are going to monitor Varroa to ensure it stays well below the level to cause problems to our bees. The children even spotted a wax moth larvae creeping about on the old frame... so lots of diseases and pests to talk about!
Our 'New Bees' group spent their time looking at where bees live, including investigating our National Hives. They also tried on suits to get used to looking through the mesh veils in preparation for the spring where they will be inspecting the hives.
The Advanced and Junior Certificate group covered Varroa and it's effects on our bees and the colony... We looked at a very old frame from a colony that had succumbed to Parasitic Mite Syndrome, spotting the signs of Varroa, from poor dead bees in cells, bees with DWV (Deformed wing virus) and lots of white Varroa poo.... ugggghhh! We talked about how we are going to manage our hives in the coming season and how we are going to monitor Varroa to ensure it stays well below the level to cause problems to our bees. The children even spotted a wax moth larvae creeping about on the old frame... so lots of diseases and pests to talk about!
Our 'New Bees' group spent their time looking at where bees live, including investigating our National Hives. They also tried on suits to get used to looking through the mesh veils in preparation for the spring where they will be inspecting the hives.