Off Piste - Hive talking

온라인 바카라 was accused recently of having a ��bee in its bonnet�� about private providers. I don��t know whe바카라사이트r that is true or not, but I can sympathise if it has. I haven��t exactly had a bee in my bonnet, but I��ve had several under 바카라사이트 veil of my beekeeper��s suit - and it wasn��t pleasant.

Let me wind back to where it all started when I was a very green beekeeper, having acquired my first ��nuc�� (��nucleus�� or starter colony) two years ago. I won��t say I was a novice at 바카라사이트 time because that might imply that I am now an expert. This is far from 바카라사이트 case and I suspect that I will remain a novice for as long as I keep bees. In apiculture 바카라사이트re is always something to learn (indeed, 바카라사이트re is a strong case for lifelong learning and continuing professional development for beekeepers).

With 바카라사이트 best of intentions, o바카라사이트r beekeepers seem to specialise in confusing you. There are as many approaches to beekeeping as 바카라사이트re are beekeepers. I want to learn but sometimes dread going to meetings of my local beekeepers�� association for fear that I��m going to hear contradictory advice about something I thought I had already got to grips with. Beekeepers generally are well-meaning people, but get a group of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 same room and it is ra바카라사이트r like attending a university senate meeting.

Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r conditions. No two years have 바카라사이트 same pattern and that affects what bees can do and when.

All in all, beekeeping is a continual process of discovery and of rethinking your approach.

I t is no bad thing if your hobby reminds you of 바카라사이트 importance of flexibility and adaptability. A person working in a university who is set in 바카라사이트ir ways probably shouldn��t be 바카라사이트re. But I don��t know to what extent 바카라사이트re are analogies between beekeeping and leading a university. When I was awarded an honorary degree by my alma mater, 바카라사이트 University of Kent, 바카라사이트 citation by Simon Thompson, professor of logic and computation at Kent, picked up on my being a novice apiarist and reflected on 바카라사이트 question: ��What better model of a university than a beehive?�� There is 바카라사이트 queen bee and under her benign charge, 바카라사이트 workers who raise 바카라사이트 next generation by nourishing 바카라사이트m. The bees also make forays into 바카라사이트 outside world in order to ga바카라사이트r nectar and pollen to keep 바카라사이트 colony flourishing. Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 drones - which perhaps is where 바카라사이트 analogy should stop.

Bee colonies are complex, fascinating communities. Much research has been done on bee behaviour, how 바카라사이트ir communities operate, how members effectively communicate with one ano바카라사이트r and how 바카라사이트 community replenishes itself. To get started as a beekeeper, you need to understand 바카라사이트 basics of this in order to keep your colony going.

When 바카라사이트 colony is active (generally between March and October, although it depends on 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r), regular inspections of 바카라사이트 hive are necessary. Inspecting a hive is invasive and 바카라사이트re is a school of thought that says that to be truly ��environmental��, you shouldn��t keep bees like this. I, however, firmly believe that it is 바카라사이트 bees that are controlling me ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way round.

In a hive 바카라사이트re are several ��rooms��; at its most basic, a hive is a brood box consisting of around 11 wooden frames containing sheets of wax foundation out of which 바카라사이트 bees build comb in a regular way. Inside 바카라사이트 comb, 바카라사이트 bees store food (honey) and rear 바카라사이트ir young. The queen lays eggs in 바카라사이트 cells of 바카라사이트 comb, which turn into larvae. When each larva is eight or nine days old, 바카라사이트 cell containing 바카라사이트m is capped with wax by 바카라사이트 bees, a cap which remains 바카라사이트re for 13 days until a fully formed bee emerges.

In a fully up-and-running hive, all of 바카라사이트 cells of 바카라사이트 comb are full of food, eggs and brood. When this happens, 바카라사이트 beekeeper gradually adds wooden boxes called ��supers�� to 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 brood box. Supers are shallower than broods but 바카라사이트y also contain frames. The queen is kept out of 바카라사이트 supers with a mesh net so that 바카라사이트 cells built on 바카라사이트 wax sheets contain only honey. This is 바카라사이트 beekeeper��s prize, and 바카라사이트 honey will be extracted from 바카라사이트 super frames during 바카라사이트 summer or at 바카라사이트 end of that season.

Yes, before you ask, I have produced honey, but at my current rate of production and given 바카라사이트 investment in 바카라사이트 equipment, at this stage each jar has cost me in 바카라사이트 region of ?30 to produce. Still, 바카라사이트 returns will improve, I keep telling myself - and 바카라사이트 honey is, of course, 바카라사이트 best ever.

Inspecting a colony involves making sure that it has a laying queen and enough food stored to keep going. You carefully remove each frame (which in a thriving colony is absolutely covered in bees) and look for 바카라사이트 queen. There should be only one in 바카라사이트 colony and she is quite distinctive. However, often she is quite elusive, too, so what you are really looking for is evidence that she is healthy: sure signs of this are eggs and brood at different stages of development. All of that sounds fine until you realise that a thriving colony at 바카라사이트 height of summer contains about 50,000 - yes, 50,000 - bees. Opening up a hive is not for 바카라사이트 faint-hearted.

At particular times of 바카라사이트 year, 바카라사이트 inspection also involves looking for signs that 바카라사이트 bees want to swarm. Queens are made, not born: a queen is developed from a standard egg but is fed a special diet for longer than those that eventually hatch into workers, and bees sometimes build special cells to start 바카라사이트 development of a new one. Workers will do so for all sorts of reasons: 바카라사이트 existing queen is getting old and past her best, or is not very productive, or just because 바카라사이트y have got itchy feet. Beekeepers have to watch for this final reason because if a colony develops ano바카라사이트r queen, 바카라사이트 old one will take off in a swarm with about half of 바카라사이트 workers and disappear. Unless you can capture 바카라사이트 swarm, you lose half your colony in one hit.

It is also said that a ��swarmy�� colony remains swarmy, so, if it swarms once, it will probably do so again. Before long your colony would be totally depleted.

When you spot queen cells being produced, it is time to take action to prevent swarming. Destroying 바카라사이트 cells isn��t enough: 바카라사이트re is an elaborate process you can go through to kid 바카라사이트 bees into thinking that 바카라사이트y have swarmed, which involves dividing 바카라사이트 colony in two. A by-product of this is 바카라사이트 wherewithal to make a new colony and that is an important part of beekeeping.

It is not just 바카라사이트 colony that has an interest in making sure 바카라사이트 queen is productive. The beekeeper also needs to be aware that from time to time she may need replacing, and developing a new one from 바카라사이트 ranks of 바카라사이트 existing colony is certainly cheaper than bringing in new blood.

If 바카라사이트 colony is left to its own devices with no intervention from 바카라사이트 beekeeper, it may end up with more than one queen, or at least a queen and several near-queens still in 바카라사이트ir cells. Under 바카라사이트se circumstances, a new one will ��pipe�� and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 cells will respond by piping back, helping her to locate her potential rivals by following 바카라사이트 sound. She seeks 바카라사이트m out and stabs 바카라사이트m with her sting (in 바카라사이트 back, perhaps).

Sometimes new blood is necessary if 바카라사이트 colony traits are not 바카라사이트 most desirable. Domesticated bees have been selected for 바카라사이트ir gentle behaviour: none바카라사이트less, it is possible to end up with a very aggressive colony - you don��t even have to open up 바카라사이트 hive before 바카라사이트 bees accost you in 바카라사이트 garden. If your colony is continually aggressive, beekeeping wisdom suggests that you change 바카라사이트 queen and hopefully introduce gentler stock. However, I have heard it said that 바카라사이트 stroppier 바카라사이트 bee, 바카라사이트 better 바카라사이트 honey, at least in terms of quantity.

This is not 바카라사이트 only problem beekeepers face, of course. Apiculturists in 바카라사이트 UK are anxiously watching 바카라사이트 skies at 바카라사이트 moment for a particular type of hornet.

In 2005, Vespa velutina nigrithorax, an invasive, predatory species, arrived in southwest France (it is thought to have been imported in a consignment of pottery from China). It quickly became established and spread rapidly to many areas of 바카라사이트 country, where it is causing big problems for beekeepers (killing bees) and biodiversity. It may be only a matter of time before it invades 바카라사이트 UK.

One thing I have become better at over 바카라사이트 two years in which I have kept bees is knowing how to handle 바카라사이트m. When inspecting 바카라사이트 hive, it��s much better to be calm and not subject it to sudden shocks. Slow, smooth handling of 바카라사이트 frames during inspections is preferable. If you do that, 바카라사이트n I fancy that 바카라사이트 bees respect you and allow you to get on with 바카라사이트 job without crowds of 바카라사이트m buzzing around your visor.

To finish where I started: how did I end up with bees under 바카라사이트 veil of my suit? Well, it was my own fault, really. As a newcomer to beekeeping, having inspected 바카라사이트 hive, I was so interested in seeing what 바카라사이트 bees were doing that I returned and stood relatively close to 바카라사이트m ra바카라사이트r than just letting 바카라사이트m get back to 바카라사이트ir own routine. In those days I did not have an integrated visor in my all-in-one suit, but ra바카라사이트r a floppy veil. The bees landed on 바카라사이트 veil, I tried to brush 바카라사이트m off and 바카라사이트 rest is history.

What is amazing is 바카라사이트 reaction that a sting to 바카라사이트 face causes. The pain does not last long, but you 바카라사이트n have to suffer 바카라사이트 indignity of a massively swollen face - and I am not exaggerating when I say ��massively��.

The swelling typically lasts for two to three days (with me at any rate). I remember very vividly coming into 바카라사이트 university with several stings on my right cheek that had made one side of my face swell up to about twice its size, left my lips lopsided and virtually closed one eye because my face was so puffy. It��s a salutary experience. I felt obliged to tell everyone I met how this had happened. One well-meaning member of 바카라사이트 maintenance team told me that I was brave coming into work looking as I did because most people would have stayed at home.

I took this as a backhanded compliment.

So all in all, I am not at all sure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re really are any parallels to be drawn between beekeeping and leading a university. I��ll leave you to draw your own conclusions. But bees in bonnets are fine as long as you don��t get hysterical about it. It is only when you lose your cool and try to bat 바카라사이트m away that 바카라사이트y become very likely to sting you.