Welcome to Farnham Beekeepers
A Division of the Surrey Beekeepers' Association
In the Apiary
Mouse guards should be on by now, if not, a tip for doing this if you are on your own is to fix them with a bit of masking tape along the top, then you can get the drawing pins in. Also, do make sure your frames are well stored in mouse proof boxes - I shall begin looking through mine very soon, cutting out any old wax and scrapping frames to use next year - and scorching the boxes. Empty frames will be steam cleaned when it is cold enough for the bees not to come and join in. All wax will be put into bags, ready for the solar extractor next year. Mouse bait and traps are down in the bee shed and hopefully all frames well protected.
Varroa counts. What matters is the daily drop at the END of the second tray of Apiguard. Once the second tray is out check the drop over several days - say a week. You should not see more than a dozen or so; if you do then you will definitely need to use oxalic acid in the winter, but they will be fine until then.
Forage
Any late flowering hebes will still be flowering, at least 3 different hebes are flowering well in my garden at the moment, their second flowering this year. Common ivy (Hedera helix) may still be flowering in warmer spots but up here in Hindhead it seems to be over. My Mahonia japonica is beginning flowering now as are Mahonia J. Bealii and Mahonia Lomarifolia, these will flower from late Autumn into winter. Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Taurus' is still flowering well and looks set to do so for a while yet and prunus subhirtella autumnalis, commonly known as the Higan or Rosebud cherry will produce blossom during mild periods from Autumn through to Spring.
My rosemary bushes, both the upright and trailing varieties are producing the odd bloom as are late flowering Michaelmas daisies or asters such as Aster amellus and A.novi-belgii. Some late sedums or stonecrops may flower into November but mine are finished and Viburnum bodnatense 'Dawn' is starting to flower now.
Finally Laurustimus varieties, including Viburnum tinus and V.farreri are beginning to provide some forage as well. I should mention though that my big Bay tree (Laurus nobilis) has been covered in bud for some time.
Watch Out! Thieves about!
Beekeeping equipment has been stolen from a secure garden in Alton. The message from thepolice is that it was probably the stainless steel extractor that attracted the thief. Alternatively that solar wax extractor may now be for sale on e-bay! (from Petersfield Newsletter)
Local Weather
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