Last Mondays speaker was Rotarian Charles Thrower who was accompanied by Campbell Brunton to demonstrate the art of Beekeeping and Husbandry, with an actual bee hive being dismantled (without bees) at the Craws Nest Hotel. The complex nature of the cedarwood frame sections from a Steele and Brodie hive were explained and the precautions now being taken to monitor the veroa parasitic mite, which is decimating hives worldwide, especially North America and UK. Infected Queen bees were imported from abroad and beekeepers were unaware of the dangers resulting in a bubonic plague-type wiping out of colonies of hives, which fortunately has not spread as yet to Australia or New Zealand, from where new strains will hopefully evolve.

There is now urgency amongst research organisations to eliminate this mite, as so many plants and crops rely on pollination by bees, otherwise crop failures will have far reaching effects for the world’s population .

Charles explained that he, like many others, is checking his hives using a yellow tray in the hive to count any mites caught on adhesive strips – oxalic acid is also used to kill mites (it is not harmful to the bees).

Symptoms found in bees cause disorientation and becoming lost and unable to return to the hive. 

Research at Ninewells Dundee is ongoing to monitor effects using live tv sensors in hives set up by Scottish  beekeepers. This reveals the cumulative effects of this parasite and other possible causes such as pesticides and atmospheric waves from phone networks. Hopefully a more resistant strain can be bred to eliminate these threats and one way to advance this is for more hives to be set up by increased numbers of beekeepers. Charles explained that  bees need to be good foragers , easy to handle and resistant to disease so it is vital that healthy colonies become established once more.     

The beekeepers suits and headgear was also demonstrated by Campbell Brunton and explained how easy it for bees to enter where there are any gaps. Fortunately for Campbell the suit was taken off rapidly as it was a very warm evening!

Charles also explained the procedure for transporting bees in the hive to summer locations near Blairgowrie, where the heather produces ample pollen for the bees to collect enough honey to produce 40lbs of heather honey from one hive.

Thorns of Newburgh supply all the equipment required, including the wax combs for bees to store their honey. Charles can't usually wait to visit, as the wax aroma is very addictive.

 A hive will cost about £175 for a beginner and there is a 12-week winter course to learn the basics and get started.

Charles and Campbell are very keen to see more beekeepers set up hives as it is a very rewarding pastime with  hopefully many jars of honey being produced as the end result and also to counter the real threat to their survival worldwide.