hen Plan ‘A’ works!

when hed ions to n an at we p t beekeeping However, last month, on a sunny morning, we received a call from a couple who had noticed a large group of bees in one of their plum trees We asked them to send a photo so we could assess it and yes, they were right, a swarm cluster had formed on a branch It was almost text-book in its size, shape, and position, perfect for collecting and rehoming in a hive

Off we went with our ‘swarm kit’ consisting of a collecting box, a hive, a large white sheet, a queen clip, a smoker, and some lure (lemon balm), to meet the property owners who were fascinated by the bees and asked if they could observe the capture (from a safe distance, of course!) The bees were immediately identified as Buckfast bees, a hybrid strain made up of bees from Italy, France, and Eastern Europe i e a desirable mix of productive, calm, hardworking, and hardy characteristics This cluster was calmly waiting on the tree branch, ready to move to its new home once the scouts had agreed and communicated its location Our job was to get them into our hive before they took off again We still couldn’t quite believe that this job was going to be that easy but, for the first time in a long time, we didn’t need ladders or a scaffold tower to reach the cluster as the branch was only a couple of metres from the ground We set up the hive on a small stand, with a ramp up to the entrance, and spread the white sheet out in front of it Then we took our cardboard box, positioned it under and around the cluster, gave the branch a sharp shake, and listened to the satisfying thump as the majority of the bees fell into the box This is what is supposed to happen and almost never does as most of the bees usually fly up and out We quickly closed the box flaps, carried it over to the white sheet, and gently tipped the bees out, and again, surprisingly, they stayed with only a few flying around

The next stage was to play the beekeeping version of “Where’s Wally?”, trying to find the queen bee in amongst 30,000 other similarly-striped insects We had our queen clips ready, small cages in which to hold the queen safely, and started to look for her In our experience she is frequently at the back of the crowd, so we scrutinised that area, prepared for it to take several minutes However, within seconds she was spotted and carefully captured We placed her inside the hive and almost immediately the bees picked up her pheromone and moved towards her, walking quickly up the ramp and into the hive It is an incredible sight and one we never tire of witnessing; it’s almost something of a party-piece, seeing winged insects walking rather than flying! Within an hour all the bees from the cluster were inside the hive, with a few foragers still in the air As it was only mid-afternoon at this stage we left the hive open to allow the bees to fan pheromones to communicate the position of their new home, and when we returned after dark, all the bees that had originally swarmed were inside the hive We closed it up and took it to our quarantine apiary

A few days later we inspected the new colony to assess its health and to ensure it had settled in to its new home Continuing the theme of doing exactly what is expected, the bees had already built new comb and the queen had begun laying, with eggs and small larvae easily visible Pollen and nectar was also being stored, proving that the foragers had found a good source of nutrition Every now and again bees DO read the same books as beekeepers!

If you’d like to try your hand at beekeeping, or want to find out more about how you can help pollinating insects, please contact us via our website www 13bees co uk, email (info@13bees co uk) or phone us (05 45 71 22 90) Amanda and Kevin Baughen, 13 Bees, Confolens

by Peter Lowth

Fishing can be a wonderful and relaxing hobby and this article is intended to encourage people, regardless of age, fitness or ability, to consider giving it a go!

Personally, I have loved fishing since I was 5 years old, when my Uncle Billy took me to fish on the River Trent and the Bristol Avon Having fished for over 40 years, I find fishing a great activity for your mental and physical health It gives you the opportunity to have fun and relax as well as connecting with nature My favourite part of fishing is that you live in the moment, and you get to disconnect from life for a short period of time

The BBC’s exceptionally popular programme - Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing - about two friends, beautiful places and trying to land a catch - has brought the positive benefits that fishing has to offer for both mental and physical wellbeing to a far wider audience With this increased awareness of the myriad of benefits fishing has to offer, it seemed an ideal time to promote my favourite sport

My wife, as a fishing widow, simply doesn’t understand why fishing is so addictive, even if I catch nothing However, it is one of the very few activities where, even if you don't catch all day, you are still satisfied You can be an absolutely terrible angler but, somehow it doesn't matter!

We are truly fortunate in the beautiful Deux-Sèvres department to have a diverse range of lakes and rivers with a wide range of fishing venues to enjoy Pescalis, is a renowned fishing & nature reserve just outside Moncoutant that caters for fly, coarse, match fishing and predator fishing with extensive equipment hire and tuition If the size of the lakes at Pescalis is a little offputting for a beginner, then there are many excellent, smaller venues with a range of species to catch such as; La Germondière near Secondigny, my own Les Forges Fishing near Moncoutant, as well as specialized venues for larger, specimen-sized fish at: Old Mill Fisheries, over the border in the Vendée

Often getting started in fishing can seem intimidating, particularly with the myriad of tackle and bait options available Courtesy of The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, I plan to demystify fishing month by month, and take you step by step through the basics of what you need to get started So till next month, tight lines!