Harry Goudie,
Lochluichart, Scotland.
Knitwear Page: http://freespace.virgin.net/luichart.woollens/
-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Roger Gurr <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 14 September 1998 12:24
Subject: Re: Reviewing this season in South-East England
 
 
 
>Here in the North of Scotland, we have had the second worst summer on
>record for weather and I, for one, won't be taking any honey at all
>this year - despite the fact that we are still Varroa free.
>
>The coldest place reported in June in Europe (and that included
>Spitzbergen, Finland and part of Siberia) was Achnasheen, just 20
>miles up the road from me!!!
>Surely next year can't be as bad.
>Phil.
>(Northern Highlands of Scotland)
>
I must be getting hardy in my old age as I did not notice it being so cold
in June ( I don't live very far from Achnasheen!)  I too  have no honey this
year although I think I must be partly to blame.  I use Snelgrove's swarm
control system on most of the hives and this year lost every top brood
chamber (Snelgrove says that you should always feed this chamber during lean
times - but I kept thinking .... surely it must be sunny tomorrow!!)  The
other hives produced one super of blossom honey but it was not sealed when I
had to change to heather supers.
As for varroa.  I don't think I have any mites yet but it may be too early
to say.  The bad weather may be a blessing in disguise.  A couple of bad
years like this and the amount of beekeepers and bees here will be
drastically reduced.  There used to be a number of beekeepers on Lewis but
after only two bad summers there were none.  I think this may keep varroa at
bay for a while.