Apiary
...where there is sweetness... May 13, 2013
Dear friends, here we are with a new short story of what happens in the small world of the bees of Nun t'adescià. Happy reading!
Start the flowering of locust tree (acacia)
In the valley, where the average temperature is higher and the nature is a bit ahead of the season, the acacias are entered in full bloom. If these days you walk along the valley Val Fontanabuona will be enchanted by these huge trees covered with clusters of white flowers, whose appearance is reminiscent of wisteria. Their sweet and heady scent fills the air and makes the happiness of bees. At Nun t'adescià acacias has just started to show the first flowers that will white the surrounding woods within a few days. The flowers of this plant are among the most appreciated by bees and the honey they made from it is one of the most pleasant for human. The single-flower honey of acacia is more fluid and has a light color shades from pale yellow to transparent white. The flavor is delicate and not very intense. It is usually used as a sweetener because it does not alter the taste. These qualities are greatly appreciated by the consumer. The high content of fructose is the basis of the low tendency to crystallize and the high sweetening power. From the point of view of the composition is characterized by a low content of mineral salts, of enzymes and acidity. At the microscopic level the acacia honey has a low content of pollen.
Demetra is orphan?
Last Sunday I made a visit to the bees and I spent a lot of time to “Demetra”, one of the most active and numerous bee family of our apiary. In fact, early, I have had the feeling that something was wrong. Apart from the presence of six or seven real cells (the cells from which will be born new queens) - that normally in a colony not yet fully formed like ours should not be there - I could not find the queen bee. Also I have not seen the recent brood or young larvae. I then had the suspicion (there is never absolute certainty because often the inexperienced not distinguish the queen from other bee) that, for some reason, the colony had been "orphaned" ... the queen bee is very important because she is the only bee in the hive that can lay eggs and reproduce. When the queen disappears accidentally from a colony, the family would be destined to die slowly. Fortunately, when this happens, the other bees realize it immediately, and shall be replaced in starting to feed with royal jelly some of the last eggs laid by the old queen, enlarging the little cell until it becomes a kind of "acorn" protruding from the honeycomb and downward sloping. It is thought that a family can become orphaned for various reasons: for a beekeeper error that has inadvertently killed or damaged the queen, by natural death, or because the workers bees should be taken as "unfit" and killed her, or because they suddenly do not "recognize" her... In any case the new "queen cells" are ready, and in just over a month, there should be a new queen ... In the meantime there may be a absence of brood and then a temporary decrease in the number of bees in the family. If the queen was still there and I had not seen, we will see the first of our swarming beehive, because two queens in the same hive can not coexist: the oldest will change house, bringing with herself much of the honey and bees.
Supers
Supers are "extensions" of nest which, used in the hives "Dadant-Blatt", have a vertical dimension of about half compared to the nest. Supers are added on top of the nest during periods of major gathering (corresponding to major blooms) to allow the bees to store all the honey that could not be contained in the nest. A 9 frames super (one less than the nest) contains from 15 to 18 kg of honey. When the supers is almost full, we add a new one, complete with frames, placing it among the already filled supers and the nest. The honey that is intended for human consumption comes exclusively from the supers because usually they do not contain brood that would alter the taste. On Wednesday, in anticipation of the flowering of acacia, we put the first supers on all hives.
The names of the houses
Just sent the last newsletter, many of you have written offering us the names to be given to the two houses remained anonymous. We chosen, in order of time of arrival, "Enrico" and "Demetra" that will complement those already chosen: "Angelicchia", "Titina", "Fiorella" and "2S2L." The names "Gasosa", "La Pecheronza" and "Brigitta" will be given to the first three hives that will be added, hopefully soon, to the six already existing.
Group membership and subscription to the newsletter
Some of the supporters of the project "API ...amoci e partiamo" joined as a group but left only the email address of the person making the booking. If other people too in the group like to receive this letter with periodic updates on our bees, tell and send us the list of e-mail addresses that you want to receive the newsletter. We will immediately to subscribe them.
Proverb of the month:
"A swarm of bees in May is worth a hay wagon
a swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon
a swarm of bees in July isn't worth a fly".
Quote of author:
"But, unworthy reproach, there is people who eat sheep meat and yet wear a wool tunic! As for the bees, I consider them divine beasts, because they vomit honey, even it want to say that they receive it from Jupiter. And if it is true that they sting, it is because where there is sweetness, bitterness you'll find together".(Petronio Arbitro)
A warm greeting to all, and a lot of sweetness ... Guido and Brunella
- Details
- Category: Newsletter
- Published on Monday, 13 May 2013 10:40
- Written by Guido
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