Read on blog or Reader The Apiarist Bigger queens, better queens – part 1 David February 16  Synopsis: Recent research on the maternal effect in honey bees suggests queen rearing using worker larvae may produce undersized and underperforming queens. Introduction The majority of books and articles I’ve read on queen rearing emphasise that bigger queens are better queens. The rationale is simple. Bigger queens are better because their larger abdomens contain more […] Read his thoughts here

Did you know about the For Sale & Wanted Page on the website?

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Crowning Glory: Elevating Your Apiary with High-Quality Queen Bees Walrus 13th February  I have written a fair few articles about raising queens, and, as time passes, my experience grows (or maybe my memory fades?). The only beekeeping I have been doing is feeding fondant to most of my nuclei, and a couple of hives that were a little light. So, here’s another queen rearing article that tries […] Read more of this post

March Webinar At 19:30 on Wednesday the 6thof March you can let the Scottish Beekeepers Association  take you on a journey to South Africa to find out more about the bees and honey there. Your hosts will be  Natasha Lyon and Mike Allsopp. Natasha Lyon is a South African honey expert, and Mike Allsopp is a bee scientist at the Agricultural Research Council and an expert in Apis M. Capensis.  They will discuss the bees of South Africa, including Apis M. Capensisand Apis M. Scutellata, the diverse flora of South Africa, their beekeeping year, and the honey varieties enjoyed.  If you would like to go on this journey please book your free place by clicking on the link below BOOK YOUR PLACE

The Scottish Beekeepers Association  AGM is set to be held at the Spectrum Centre, Farraline Park, Inverness, IV1 1LS on Saturday 27 April starting at 10.45 to 14.45. An afternoon of talks will follow the AGM and conclude at 16.00.

If you wish to propose a resolution for voting at the AGM the deadline is 1st April . Send your resolution(s) to the General Secretary along with the names of the proposer and seconder.

Click Here to send an email 

Read on blog or Reader The Apiarist Beekeeping backups David February 2  Synopsis: Should beginners get one or two colonies? The standard advice is 'get two', but I think three colonies by the end of year two gives better security, more opportunities to experiment, and a faster route to gaining valuable experience. I have previously commented that the beekeeping year can seem like a series of catastrophes, […] Read more of this post

Microscopy Exam Our Microscopy exam, module 9, is open for registration now. This exam will be held on Saturday 9th of March 2024 in Strathbrock Community Centre, Broxburn, EH52 5LH. To register please click here. Deadline for registration is Saturday the 10th of February. This examination lasts 3 hours and the candidate will need to provide suitable microscopes and equipment necessary to complete the examination.  The candidate’s knowledge and skill will be put to the test through a series of practical tasks along with an oral examination. Please study the Microscopy Syllabus (Issue April 2022) available here.  A pass in the Microscopy Certificate gives the candidate exemption from the Adult Bee Diseases section of the Scottish Apiarian Examination. Applicants must be members of the SBA and have passed their Basic Beekeeping or Junior Beekeeper exams. It is also advisable that you should have attended an SBA two-day microscopy workshop. We encourage as many as possible of those who attended the Microscopy workshop last year to apply for the exam. The exam fee is £55.

The latest post from the Walrus, aka Steve Donohoe

The walrus and the honey bee - imported-queens