Orkney Nucs

[Northerner]

Looking for a nuc in Orkney. Anyone know of any available?

-N

[Jon]

Do you know Doris Fischler, keeps bees near Stromness. You could try her.

[gavin]

Try a Private Message to Doris (Stromnessbees) or Lindsay (lindsay s) (he's a he to save any doubt!) on this site and the software will send them an email. They are part of the beekeeping group on Orkney who will do their very best to congratulate you staying local (Orkney is currently Varroa-free) and try to get you a colony somehow.

best wishes

Gavin

[lindsay s]

Hello Northerner
The chances of acquiring local bees in Orkney at the moment are pretty slim. I was at our AGM last Tuesday night and the shortage of local bees and varroa dominated the meeting. There’s a lot of people wanting to start/restart beekeeping and not enough bees to go around. More than half of Orkneys beekeepers have 1- 3 colonies and if they lose their bees it just adds to the problem. Something that is badly lacking up here at the moment are beekeepers with the time, experience and equipment to split hives and make nucs. Doris is trying her best to increase cooperation among Orkneys beekeepers and boost colony numbers. There will also be some training days for beginners once the weather gets better, check our website for details.
Lindsay
http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/forumdisplay.php?23-Orkney-Beekeepers-Association

[Trog]

Lindsay, could you put a link to the Orkney website in this thread, please, to make it easy to find. Northener, I think you may need to be patient for a while as the dreadful weather will not be helping folk trying to raise nucs. I'm further south than you but this is the worst May I've known and I've just put 2 litre feeds on all my colonies! Haven't been able to inspect them for a fortnight but could tell from outside they were struggling. I suppose there's one good thing in all of this; the local acclimatised bees will survive much better than imports used to less windy/wet areas so folk will learn that exotic imports are a waste of money!

[Jon]

folk will learn that exotic imports are a waste of money!

Well said. I know people who have lost nucs and even full colonies in the last week.
Mine are getting low on stores but have not needed any feed yet.
Most had a reasonable surplus at the end of April but that has all but gone now.
Native bees are well used to foraging at low temperatures and will venture out in a light mizzle.

The weather looks to be better toward the end of this week.
It would need to pick up. I have 11 unmated virgins in apideas and have another 4 to set out this week.

[Trog]

My native types (must get their wings checked one of these days!) are out in most weather, including gales, but I suspect the forage is poor quality and some just too soggy to work at all. Drone brood being chucked out last week was a warning to me to get some feed on, and they've been very grateful for it!

[Jon]

If you want wings checked just send me a sample. PM me for my address. It's in the bibba handbook if you are a member.

[Trog]

Can it be done with drones? I just don't fancy killing 30 workers from each hive (old softie, me!). Or maybe I can wait until dead winter bees get chucked out on a fine day mid-winter.

[gavin]

I think that I may still have some winter floor samples from Trog somewhere which I never got around to checking. Did the diseases checks though.

Morphometry is much better done on young bees as they will have not drifted. The Germans (you know what they are like for pedantry .. or caution .... ) grab freshly emerged workers with forceps.

[gavin]

Ah ... cross-posting! Drones are an entirely new specialism. Doris talked of doing it but there you are only learning about the mother, and not the sperm she is carrying. Doris - where is Doris??! Are you OK lassie???

[Trog]

What? Grab the cute little fluffy grey bees who wander around looking slightly dazed (know the feeling)? No, I couldn't! Yes, you did keep the wings I sent you. If you tell me the names on the labels, I'll let you know if that lot are still around!

[Trog]

Ah, that post appears to have popped up on the wrong thread ...

[gavin]

I'm happy to shift things if people have mis-posted but I think that this is the right thread. You could give a frame a light shake, then a heavier shake into a box, scoop the required sample of a mere 30 bees (in the name of science) into a bag and deliver to the freezer. That way you don't have to eyeball them individually and see their little sad faces.

[Jon]

Can it be done with drones? I just don't fancy killing 30 workers from each hive (old softie, me!). Or maybe I can wait until dead winter bees get chucked out on a fine day mid-winter.

Cruelty to drones!!
Drones are just about the most important element if you are interested in rearing good queens.

Anyway, drone wings are different. It has to be workers. Even a sample of dead bees collected from the floor can yield useful information and you could always do a follow up sample of young bees later if it is worth it.
If initial results show only 30% amm the colony is clearly hybridised as this could not be explained by drifting.