Synopsis: Beekeepers put together honey, candles or mead for gifting at Christmas, however what ought to a non-beekeeper get for a beekeeper?

Introduction

“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fats”, to cite the normal nursery rhyme and Christmas music.

Skein of geese over Fife

Effectively, I can’t vouch for his or her corpulence, however my late season beekeeping visits to Fife are accompanied by skeins of pink-footed geese arrowing overhead as they arrive from Greenland for the winter. Their distinctive wink-winking flight calls may be heard nicely earlier than the straggly flying V formations may be seen. They’re an annual reminder that, nonetheless onerous the winter is in Scotland, it’s much more extreme additional north.

I checked the forecast for the appropriately named (for a beekeeping web site) Nuuk on the west coast of Greenland. It’s -3°C there in the meanwhile … barely hotter than it’s right here. Nuuk residents are having fun with the unseasonably heat late autumn climate and bracing themselves for the following 4 months when the temperature averages about -9°C.

No surprise the geese fly south.

There’s been just one customer to The Apiarist from Greenland in 2023, maybe this ‘namecheck’ will entice extra. I’ve additionally used a little bit of inventive licence. Greenland Beekeeper’s Affiliation seems to be positioned within the balmy south of the nation at Narsarsuaq, about 400 km south-east from Nuuk.

My bees at the moment are fed, handled with oxalic acid, strapped down securely and fully self-sufficient for the following couple of months. Brood rearing is prone to begin once more within the subsequent fortnight however I’m unlikely to do something – aside from periodically test the entrances are clear – till a minimum of mid/late February, and possibly later. I don’t often heft the bins till brood rearing has picked up a bit.

Within the meantime, there’s Christmas to consider.

Items

Whether or not spiritual or secular, the Christmas vacation is related to the alternate of items. As beekeepers we’re lucky that honey or candles (or mead … if it’s higher than mine) are presents welcomed by virtually everybody. You’ll be able to improve an already distinctive ‘handmade’ product with a customized made and personalised label. I produce these on my thermal printer, utilizing ‘hi-vis’ marker pens so as to add crimson, blue and inexperienced highlights for Santa and the sack of presents.

Nonetheless, a present for a beekeeper – from a non-beekeeper – may be problematic.

In any case, beekeeping can seem like a barely esoteric pastime.

Effectively, OK, very esoteric.

It’s a consequence of our enthusiastic willingness to deal with 1000’s of stinging bugs, the distinctive and specialised clothes, the smoke, the unusual terminology – making enhance, slatted racks, ekes and supers.

We would possibly know what we’re speaking about, however to the uninitiated it appears like gobbledegook .

So, pity the buddies or household who need – or have – to purchase a beekeeper a gift they are going to, a) be happy to obtain, b) use and, c) don’t already personal.

A present certificates for Thorne’s doesn’t depend.

If you happen to’re requested to supply a listing then life is simple. If not, drop some hefty hints.

Failing that right here’s a listing of issues that I’ve used over the past season or two which were notably noteworthy, a number of of which I initially acquired as items.

Among the objects can solely be sourced from a specialist beekeeping retailer, others can be found far more broadly.

Trickle 2 bottle

Let’s begin with a stocking-filler … not the whole lot must be chrome steel and hideously costly.

The Trickle 2 bottle makes trickling oxalic acid (OA) answer alongside a seam of bees a doddle. They modify a barely fiddly job the place you’re juggling a bowl of OA and a small syringe, while concurrently making an attempt to go away the crownboard off for the minimal interval, right into a easy, fast and environment friendly single-handed job.

Trickle 2 bottle

The bottle has a small higher reservoir that, when full, comprises 5 ml of liquid. The decrease ‘tank’ accommodates 100 ml. Each time you squeeze the physique of the bottle the higher tank fills. You then invert the bottle, emptying the OA alongside the seam after which repeat.

It takes much less time to do it than it takes to examine how to do it.

At £1.31 it is a no-brainer. For the small-scale beekeeper there isn’t a simpler technique to dispense liquid OA options. Industrial beekeepers will use a pressurised backpack/backyard spray setup calibrated to ship 5 ml per second … however I couldn’t afford the Api-Bioxal to fill a kind of within the first place.

In fact, receiving this bottle as a gift this yr means you received’t get to make use of it till subsequent November … as you need to have already accomplished your OA therapy this winter.

OK, no extra nagging!

These small bottles are additionally ideally suited for allotting concentrated glyphosate when utilizing the ‘drill and drop’ technique for clearing dense growths of Rhododendron ponticum.

However don’t use the identical bottle for each purposes.

Bandana

In excessive summer time girls glow, males perspire and horses beekeepers sweat like pigs .

The distinction between women and men is described extra scientifically as ‘intercourse variations in thermoeffector responses’ and has been extensively studied. Current work exhibits that females sweat much less as a result of, sometimes, they’re bodily smaller. Men and women with related physiques each perspire i.e. it’s morphological, not physiological.

I’ve no concept how feminine beekeepers reply when the solar is thrashing down and there are two dozen full supers to clear, shift and stack.

Nonetheless, I do know the way I reply.

Ewww!

The mix of 29°C, heavy lifting and a beesuit is hard. I often put on a peaked cap below my veil, however the sweat perspiration nonetheless pours off me. It will get in my eyes, runs down my nostril and fills my gloves.

I’ve not solved the final of those signs, however sporting a skinny bandana beneath my hat largely prevents the primary two.

Rock god … or faintly ridiculous

These can be found from Amazon and all kinds of different shops. They price about £11 for 5, a minimum of mine did. Pedantically those I take advantage of usually are not true bandanas. These are extra correctly a sq. or triangle of material tied in place across the neck or head. As a substitute, mine are created from a skinny patterned polyester/spandex materials with good ‘wicking’ properties, elasticated so it stays in place and I don’t must fumble retying it inside a closed veil with a billion bees making an attempt to get in.

You additionally get to seem like a rock god … or simply faintly ridiculous.

Kitchen blow torch

The primary of three objects related to the near-ubiquitous beekeeper’s smoker.

People who smoke are such an integral a part of beekeeping that they’re – along with the veil – recognised by virtually everybody.

Nonetheless, the trials and tribulations of lighting the smoker are one thing that solely a beekeeper is correctly conscious of. You don’t have to make use of a smoker, however in case you do use one it’s infuriating if it retains on going out … or takes perpetually to gentle within the first place.

An simply lit and reliable smoker entails a mixture of three issues; a big bodied smoker with good bellows and air circulate, appropriate gas (of which there are one million choices, the easiest being dry, rotten wooden, egg bins, dried grass, cardboard, larch shavings, lavender, hessian … no matter you might have obtainable ) and a lighter that may work within the depths of the smoker and on a windy day.

Kitchen blow torch

For years I used a standard DIY blow torch. These work nicely and they’re additionally helpful for flaming (sterilising) cedar brood bins. Nonetheless, they’re massive and cumbersome, taking on beneficial house within the (already overloaded) bee bag.

As a substitute I now use a kitchen blow torch designed to supply the right end on a crème brûlée. These run on lighter gas (butane) and often have a piezo ignition system. They’re small and lightweight and I carry mine along with a field of blended smoker gas. Extremely really helpful and a couple of tenner.

Cell punches

There are different makes use of for these little blow torches … the flame is adjustable and centered. I used mine to silver solder collectively the copper shaft and slicing ring on my cell punches.

In all probability one of the best smoker on the earth

I’ve used a number of people who smoke through the years, however for the final decade I’ve been utilizing Dadant chrome steel people who smoke. These are 4 inches in diameter and both 7 or 10 inches excessive. The massive quantity smoker physique makes lighting them simple and ensures – with the correct gas (see above for a listing of one of the best smoker fuels) – that they keep alight.

Small Dadant smoker nonetheless life

I began with the shorter smoker however was then generously given the taller mannequin after I left my last-but-one job. They now reside in numerous apiaries so I don’t have to hold a smelly smoker with me within the automotive on a regular basis. Both mannequin is great and may final you a lifetime.

Giant Dadant smoker

These people who smoke usually are not cheap … $55-58 within the USA, and as much as £80 (I’m confused) within the UK. I’ve not seemed exhaustively, however one of the best costs I’ve discovered is from Gwenyn Gruffydd.

You received’t remorse it … notably since we’re speaking a couple of present that another person pays for.

Smoker field

There’s no smoke with out hearth.

A smoker will get sizzling and smelly in use. It stays sizzling and continues to pong lengthy after you cease utilizing it. Due to this fact, if you wish to transport it, and even retailer it safely, you’ll want to put it in a fireproof field.

I do know some beekeepers who use ex-army ammo bins, or metal buckets (not ideally suited as open-topped), however in case you can’t discover one thing appropriate or desire a purpose-made field then take a look on the one offered by Abelo.

Abelo smoker field

That is simply sufficiently big for the big Dadant smoker, has a fairly hermetic seal across the within the lid and a safe catch. You’ll be able to put a lit smoker into the field and it’ll quickly exit. In follow you need to most likely extinguish the smoker first, however a minimum of this exhibits that the field seal is fairly good.

The mannequin I’ve has been up to date and the brand new one seems to have protruding hinges and a set (quite than fold flat) deal with. I’m unsure why the design has modified and I believe I choose the one with out stuff jutting out because it packs into the automotive a bit extra simply.

Abelo smoker field

The Abelo field is about £59 – greater than many people who smoke – however ought to final nicely. There are different designs; Thorne’s do one with an exterior ‘pocket’ for hive instruments however I’m certain the inevitable rattling would drive me fully bonkers.

OK, sufficient pyromania, what else?

Stainless-steel honey valve

I run my extractor with that valve open, letting the honey run instantly via coarse and high quality filters into 15 kg buckets. The valve is plastic and drips a bit until tightened down. Nonetheless, it’s barely used, so that is irrelevant.

In distinction, after I jar honey, the valve is used for each … single … jar.

Open, regulate quick circulate, gradual, slower, very gradual, cease.

Any subsequent drips earlier than I can take away the stuffed jar and substitute it with a brand new empty jar considerably gradual the bottling course of.

These drips are worse if the honey is just a little too heat. With tender set honey that is actually noticeable … the distinction between 31°C and 34°C can flip a pleasing 60 minute job into an infuriating 90 minutes of interruptions.

This doesn’t matter in case you’re simply making ready half a dozen jars, but when there are 120 to fill it begins to make an actual distinction. Any greater than that and I’d have to begin saving for a Swienty automated filling station .

Stainless-steel honey valve

On a whim I purchased a chrome steel honey valve to exchange one of many plastic valves. At £32 it’s over thrice the worth of a plastic valve, but it surely has a a lot cleaner ‘reduce off’ and drips – whereas not completely a factor of the previous – at the moment are barely an issue. I’m going to purchase a second one for my different bottling tank so I can jar batches of soppy set or clear honey with out irritating drips.

Maybe barely indulgent but it surely does make a tedious job rather less time-consuming.

What? Not very ‘Christmassy’?

Let’s transfer on.

Books

The books I’ve loved most this yr are about bees, not beekeeping.

Most beekeeping books are largely restricted to already well-covered subjects … I’m unsure I can face one other tortuous description of Pagden’s synthetic swarm. Like most introductory programs for beekeeping, the contents are a lot of a muchness, solely the presentation varies. Consequently my cabinets have many extra books on bees than on beekeeping.

Winter studying and discipline guides

I write about fairly a little bit of science in my posts. Usually the work I attempt to cowl is new. Typically it’s even authentic. I’m certain a few of the research mentioned will, in time, be thought of seminal … cited in coming a long time as ‘the primary examine that confirmed X’ or ‘a landmark in our understanding of Y’.

However, most will disappear with out hint or – at finest – be used as filler to help a newer examine of the identical subject that exhibits a lot the identical factor.

Science tends to maneuver forwards in incremental, faltering steps. My posts have a tendency to debate the steps, not the general journey.

For the latter you want a retrospective view and a few contextual info.

The dancing bees

Just like the veil and the smoker, even non-beekeepers are conscious of the waggle dance utilized by bees to speak the situation of pollen and nectar. It’s largely taken with no consideration now, although it stays the one type of invertebrate communication we perceive.

Karl von Frisch received the Nobel prize for decoding the waggle dance in 1973. Tania Munz, a historian of science, has written a complete biography of von Frisch, documenting each his scientific research, the context through which they had been undertaken – Nazi Germany – and the issues that this triggered. Advisable.

The Dancing Bees: Karl von Frisch and the Discovery of the Honeybee Language by Tania Munz, 2016, ISBN 9780226020860 College of Chicago Press £24

Honey bee biology

I discussed this e-book earlier within the yr. If you happen to don’t wish to sort out major scientific papers however are nonetheless fascinated by understanding the biology of the honey bee then it is a good place to begin. Brian Johnson covers just about the whole lot; genetics, physiology, neurobiology, behaviour and improvement.

It’s closely referenced and a dense learn, maybe higher for dipping out and in of, quite than studying it cowl to cowl. There’s a fairly complete index. If you happen to didn’t progress additional than ‘O’ degree biology then maybe look elsewhere, however you don’t want two PhD’s and a mind the dimensions of a planet for a lot of the e-book.

Honey bee biology by Brian R Johnson, 2023, ISBN 9780691204888 Princeton College Press £38

Subject guides

Honey bees are (wrongly) the poster-child for pollinating bugs. If you happen to consider the favored press, or any variety of business ‘sponsor a beehive’ ‘beewash’ firms, they’re the solely bee that does any pollination.

They’re not.

There are a whole bunch of different species within the UK, and 1000’s extra globally. Because it’s helpful to have the ability to recognise a few of the native bees that our bees share the surroundings with – and compete for sources in – I’d suggest two discipline guides.

Pocket Information to the Bumblebees of Nice Britain and Eire by Richard Lewington, 2023, ISBN 9781472993595 Bloomsbury Publishing £11 (paperback … and at present 30% off and ~£7.60!)

Subject Information to the Bees of Nice Britain and Eire by Steven Falk, 2015, ISBN 9781910389027 Bloomsbury Publishing £50

Something by Thomas Seeley

Thomas Seeley is a superb scientist and an important communicator. If Brian Johnson’s e-book (above) is simply too ‘sciency’ then I’d suggest any of the books by Seeley which might be at present in press. The breadth of protection is much less; Honeybee Democracy offers with nest website choice by swarms and The Lives of Bees discusses particulars of free residing honey bees. Each are excellent; nicely written, fantastically illustrated and really attention-grabbing. There’s simply as a lot science as Honey bee biology, albeit on a narrower vary of subjects, but it surely’s much more accessible.

Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley, 2010, ISBN 9780691147215 Princeton College Press £25

The Lives of Bees by Thomas Seeley, 2019, ISBN 9780691166766 Princeton College Press £25

Lastly, in case you’re fascinated by discovering ‘wild’ colonies then Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Searching is an gratifying learn . Printed in 2016, ISBN 9780691170268 Princeton College Press £19

bru journey mug

It was bitterly chilly within the apiary at this time, although eased just a little by the dazzling late morning solar hanging near the horizon. If I’m working open air within the winter I wish to take a sizzling drink with me and use a bru journey mug.

bru journey mugs … choose one, anyone

These have a ceramic lining, are fairly nicely insulated and have a craftily-designed leakproof lid operated with one finger … push-to-drink then push-to-seal. These mugs are perfect for automotive journeys. The medium (340 ml) is about the identical quantity as a latte in most espresso outlets and you need to get a reduction for not utilizing a disposable cardboard cup.

Final minute items for beekeepers

By ‘final minute’ I imply on-line and delivered digitally …

Beekeeping is a global pastime and it’s entertaining and informative to find out how beekeepers in different international locations handle their bees. The bees are the identical, however the surroundings and administration strategies are sometimes very totally different.

If you wish to see how they mismanage them there’s some nice stuff on YouTube.

American Bee Journal again points

I’ve subscribed to the American Bee Journal for a few years. They’ve received some nice common columnists and it offers an interesting perception into beekeeping ‘over the pond’. A digital subscription prices $16 (~£12.60) a yr.

Do not forget that even non-subscribers can view archived digital again problems with ABJ which might be a number of years outdated.

For US readers you may maybe strive BeeCraft to get an perception into our bizarre sq. Nationwide hives with no point out anyplace of slatted racks. A digital subscription prices £25 (~$31.60) a yr.

Pricey Santa
I’ve been a very good beekeeper and I’d like a DANA api MATIC1000 filling station with a 70 cm turntable from Swienty
Please 🙂