Close encounters of the third kind

Druids huddle in a circle around a cauldron with smoke bellowing. The white hooded garb is emitting a luminescent glow… but something’s not quite right, it’s a bright sunny day. It’s not a midnight coven. This feels like a surreal dream, but I too am clad in a brand-new gleaming, white bee suit and join the huddle of trainee beekeepers just before the lid is taken off the hive. There are other huddles surrounding the commercial, British national, Langstroth, wooden and poly hives in the bee keeper’s association apiary.  My heart is pounding. What am I doing here? I don’t like creepy crawlies. I have an irrational fear of spiders. As a teenager, I wielded a T-square like a sabre and nearly took the hand off someone who waved a cockroach at me. He quickly retreated and seeing the terror in my eyes (or valuing his life) did not do anything like that again.

The demonstrator was the epitome of calm. “Don’t stand in front of the hive entrance.”. I looked down at the hive, I hadn’t even noticed where the entrance was, the hives in the apiary were of course facing different directions and this one had a different orientation to the one I had just passed. I could now see the reason for this basic instruction in bee keeping as my companion in this crime had a few hundred bees crawling quietly on his back and hood waiting patiently for this large white object on their flight path to the hive to get out of their way.

The smoker was billowing smoke and another beginner was given the job to smoke the bees. “Two gentle puffs at the entrance, that’s all you need.” Like children we all wanted a turn at the smoker. Explaining that we need to wait a few minutes before opening the lid he outlined that each hive inspection should have specific objectives. Our objectives for this hive inspection were to find the queen and to count the frames of brood. We were also to remember Hooper’s five questions. Actually, there are 5-and-a-bit questions.

1. Does the colony have enough space?
2. Is the queen present and laying properly?
3. Development
   • Is the colony building up in size as fast at the others?
   • Are there any queen cells?
4. Are there any signs of disease?
5. Have they got enough stores to carry them through to your next visit?

The hive we are examining is a wooden Commercial hive with a deep roof which was coated with a sheet of aluminum to weatherproof it. We hold our breaths as the instructor with his hive tool crooked between his thumb and forefinger gently lifts off the surprisingly heavy hive roof. Tah dah! No wait. There’s another layer, there’s the crown board. He places the roof upside down on the ground and inserts the flat edge of the hive tool under the corner of this inner lid. There’s a very satisfying crack as the propolis releases its sticky hold on the wood. Even as he is gently lifting up the corner, curious bees are emerging; They buzz irritably in unison “What the heck just happened?” This time without fanfare, the entire top of the 10 frames is revealed and is immediately overrun with bees scurrying about trying to make sense of the awful disruption to their busy lives. Yikes! It’s a box of bugs! A very full box of bugs. I am both appalled and fascinated. I lean in to get a better look. Peering at this box of special creatures, my emotions are confused. I’m not sure if I’m terrified or excited.

The first frame furthest from the demonstrator had been taken out and placed careful standing on its side leaning against the front of the hive and the second one was being examined before my attention drifted back. The frame was being twisted expertly to show front and back, we were shown pollen and honey stores before this frame was slotted gently back into the hive.

Then! The hive tool was handed to me! “Do you want to take a frame out?”  Fear was replaced with concentration as I tried to mimic the movements of the demonstrator. Magic happened as I levered my first frame out of the hive and held it like a new-born. Time stood still. I was fascinated, here was a frame full of bees, larvae, pollen and honey in my hands.

“Can you see the eggs?”

“Yes!” I almost shouted with excitement. “Look here and here.” As I moved the frame so that the sunlight shone directly into the cells and proudly showed the others the tiny white precious cylinders clinging to the bottom of each cell. The frame was handed gently around to the others in the group and I had to hand on the baton to the next in line. What an experience! All the books, videos, photos, websites and blogs in the world cannot touch the joy of learning from hands-on working with bees.  I was hooked and I knew it.

Frame after frame was thoroughly examined until at last an eagle-eyed trainee found the queen among the mob of bees. How on earth did they managed to spot her majesty? I looked and looked but she had to be pointed out to me and only then it was obvious. She had a longer body, an entourage of worker bees surrounded her all looking like they were bowing to her with their heads pointing to her touching like spokes of a wheel. The yellow spot on her back put there so that she could be easily found was another dead giveaway. She quickly scurried to the back of the frame and the demonstrator very gingerly put the frame with her majesty back in the hive. The demonstrator stepped back and let us count the brood frames, close up the hive and write up what we saw on the hive card which was slipped back under the roof. The hive would be left in peace until next week when we would be back for the 2nd of the 6 weekly visits to the apiary for demonstrations and hands-on practice. I could hardly wait. There’s so much to learn.

Ask the Biologist has a great piece on the Colony Life of a Honey Bee including some lovely photos. .