USING ORGANIC ACIDS for the past four years and remember landmarks on their the apiary without fear they
have found it very effective. journeys to and from forage. will get lost. The other good practice is
If they are moved less than
to minimise the number of EDUCATION It is also possible to move a three miles it might be
varroa mites before the new hive temporarily for a fewpossible for bees to cross anWinter is a good time to get
brood is sealed in the hours when the weather isold forage route and divert to out your bee books and do
spring. This can be cold to do a bit ofwhere the hive used to be. some studying. Even better
achieved by killing the gardening underneath. Ifwould be to enrol for a They return to the approximate you use a concrete slab
mites whilst they are beekeeping course or sign position of the hive and when under your hive, now is a
exposed on the bees by up for the BBKA they are within about three feet good time to move it and
using oxalic or lactic acids. correspondence course they will use visual clues to re-settle the slab to be
I suggest that the dribbling (details are available on the find the entrance to the hive. If horizontal and stable.
method for oxalic acid is BBKA website: the hive is moved less than It is always encouraging to
effective and is safer than www.britishbee.org.uk). three feet they can find the think that next year will bring
other methods of Many local associations run hive entrance. better weather and an end
application. Follow the study groups through the In winter when the bees to the problems facing our
instructions carefully and winter months to share may be confined for a week bees. Even if it is not true it
use a prepared solution. information and prepare for or two in the hive the bees' is always worth dreaming!
Misapplication can be the season ahead. memories for visual clues
harmful to both bees and This is my last article in theare diminished. As they
beekeeper. Like most MOVING HIVES series and next monthleave the hive after this
organic acids, oxalic acid is another person will be writing Moving hives is possible in confinement the bees will
corrosive and can harm the beginners’ slot. I havewinter. The general advice is re-orientate themselves
your lungs if inhaled. enjoyed providing the articles that you either move hives before setting off and so
for Bee Craft and hope that II have now used oxalic acid, less than three feet or more learn the location of the hive
have helped you to becomealthough not a registered than three miles. The entrance. For this reason it is
a better beekeeper.miticide, as part of my reasoning behind this is that possible at this time to
programme for varroa control bees may be able to move the bees a few feet in Happy beekeeping! z
Page 8 Bee Craft digital December 2008
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