All abuzz for beekeeping day

Some attendees only had one hive, whereas others were seasoned professionals, owning more than 100 hives.

One concern the whole group had in common was the effect the floods had on their hives’ structure, bee health and honey production and the struggle they’ve had trying to restore their hives to their original state.

After a question and answer style chat, the group was taken out to the parking lot to observe a demonstration of winter pack down.

Winter pack down consists of culling the amount of frames used in each hive. The main goal is to have minimal space and maximum bees, so they can heat up their space efficiently.

Mr Happy and Mr Ford also discussed honey production, almond tree pollination and chalkbrood disease.

While discussing the honey side of beekeeping, Mr Ford brought up the importance of only feeding honey back to the hive it came from, to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.

Keeping on top of diseases is a big part of beekeeping and the pair focused on chalkbrood.

Chalkbrood is caused by the fungus Ascosphaera apis and affects the larvae in the brood (the eggs, larvae and pupae of the bee).

It rarely kills infected colonies but can weaken them, leaving the bees more susceptible to other bee pests and diseases.

The pair also said almond trees could not wind pollinate, so bees were needed.

They recommended introducing bees to almond trees after about 10 per cent of the buds had flowered.

Elders has plans for further beekeeping days and demonstrations later in the year.