Bee happy

Last Sunday I had my first taste of what beekeeping was all about. I joined a group of people at the West Norfolk and Kings Lynn Beekeeping Association's apiary at Blackborough End to " get a really good look at bees." It was a coolish day so not ideal for bees as they do not like the cold. We donned our bee suits and made sure that every bit of bare flesh was covered, particularly hands and feet. Barry, the apiary manager showed us three hives. The first hive looked healthy and the bees were busy working away on the foundation frames. There was a pest control tray at the very bottom to spot the dreaded varroa mite which destroyed half our bee population in the last few years. Then we were shown the brooding chamber where the queen hatches her larvae and on top were placed the supers or honey making chambers. Each of these chambers contained thousands of busy honey bees making honey with the pollen which they collected, brought back to the hive to convert into honey and to then store in sealed beeswax combs on the foundation frames. We were shown the queen bee in the second hive by her distinct striped tail and larger size, compared to the smaller worker bees. Then there were the drones which were larger than the worker bees and darker in colour. I saw some brown cells on one frame where larvae were hatched. Judy, our tutor explained that each hive could only have one queen bee and she would mate with the drones to produce worker bees. If another queen was hatched, then the beekeeper would have to be vigilant to remove the second queen by splitting the hive. The hive centres on the queen and if she dies or is killed by the another queen then the hive is de-stabilised and the bees could swarm and leave the hive. Not good news for any bee keeper! I was fascinated by the way bees worked and the dynamics of their community. Lastly, Barry showed us a top bar hive where bees are kept in as natural a habitat as possible - without man-made foundation frames, sugar feeders and pest tray. These bees made their own foundation and the shape of their honey comb would be as found in nature; several small cells together hanging down in the shape of a triangle. Amazing! I thought I might be frightened of the bees in their large numbers but seeing how they worked, smelling the beeswax and feeling the warmth of their activity has whetted my appetite to learn more about bees and beekeeping. They are such clever little insects with a capacity to produce the most natural food that has been known never to perish given the right conditions. Apparently honey has been found in the tombs of the Pharoahs in Egypt, in good condition and even edible! So if I can partake in the making of honey and promote the well being of bees and their ecosystem, I will certainly try, the next step is to go a bee keeping course and talk to my friend Brian, the beekeeper. Can't wait!