Beekeeping in the Western Isles

[kennycreed]

Kenny and All

When I read this with my coffee this morning - and please, nobody take offence - there was a small explosion as I thought that this was the most entertaining thing I'd seen for a long while! You paint such a vivid picture Kenny, with such humour. A private correspondent has likened it to the writing of the great Flann O'Brien. If I knew how to put five gold stars up there I would.

So - I am sorry that the meeting ended that way (couldn't you adjourn to the pub?!) and hope that you can try again soon (after you track down the man with the key!).

G.

Aye, the pub was the first place we went to look for him, and after a while nobody could remember what we went there in the first place for, so we left it like that hoping somebody would remember in the morning

[gavin]

Kenny - do let me know if you ever decide to write a book. I'll be first in the queue at the bookshop. Perhaps in the meantime you'd like to start your own Blog?

I'm now off to Camserney in remote (well it seems like that to me) Highland Perthshire to give them pretty much the same talk they had last year. Let's hope that their memories are short and that they think I have new things to say. As far as I recall it is a woman who comes with the key for this particular hut, so I have no fear that she will forget.

[jennelaine7]

Hello all,

I moved to Lewis a year ago and am expecting some family from the States to come for a visit this coming week. My aunt is a new beekeeper living in North Carolina and is interested in meeting up with a Lewis beekeeper. Thought I'd check here to see if anyone would be interested in giving her some time in the next 5 days or so?
Thanks!

Jenn

[kennycreed]

HAY!! Jennelaine, What's she like?? Will she take a dram??

[Alvearium]

Very sorry to hear that the meeting didn't come off. You have been given a lot of sensible advice about the bees to get. They will be a fairly dark colour (of course) and if anyone does some wing morphometry they will show certain characteristics already posted on other parts of the forum. An old friend of mine is retiring from teaching and leaving the Western Isles. He has complained that over the past 25 years the weather has become windier and wetter so you need a local bee more than ever! These bees will fly in poor conditions.......wing morphometry is basically measuring those larger wings. They will have a smaller brood nest area and will gather pollen at every opportunity and place it close to the brood nest and even under and in the brood nest area. They will readily stop and start brood rearing depending on weather and forage available and so conserve their stores. They are likely to have drones flying in cooler conditions and mate close to the apiaries. If you can source bees like that they will be worth their weight in gold. They may not produce massive crops of honey but will get honey even in the bad years and will be able to look after themselves. I have seen just how unsuitable some bees can be in the Highlands. Many years ago I saw a stock of Italian bees eat themselves out of stores and die of starvation in November. Looking into a single brood box of wintering local bees alongside, there was no sign of any bees. They were tightly clustered hidden under a canopy of honey.
Alvearium

[Neonach]

Alvearium's observations about Amm and characteristics that are well suited to Outer Hebrides correspond with my own experience. I should say that I have no experience of other types of honey bee, but I have certainly noticed how Amm are very good at starting and stopping brood-raising (I've learnt not to panick that I must have lost the Queen!) when a storm sets in for more than a few days, and survive the winter by compacting down to a very tight ball; yet on a still sunny winter day they will be out and about doing some house-cleaning - a really cheering sight!