Winter Advice
As your bees overwinter it is normal to worry and wonder about how they are managing. Here are a few questions you may be asking yourself, and some reassuring advice.
What is Nosema?
Nosema is a parasitic organism that is similar in nature to a fungus (it is actually a microsporidia which produces spores but not the mycelium found with other fungi). Two types have been identified – Nosema apis (European) and Nosema ceranae (Asian). Both have been detected in the UK.
Winter varroa treatment
It is mid-October and the bees are tucked up for winter but out of sight is not out of mind. If you applied Apivar in mid-August, you will be looking for a weather window to remove these strips in the next week or two.
Healthy Bees for Winter –
A colony of bees needs to be strong and healthy to get through the winter. As the temperature drops the bees form a cluster – loose at first but getting tighter as it gets colder.
