Building Hives…Saving Lives
Stacking up –Beekeeper’s Co-op, St Kitts
Excuse the pun – but there was a hive of activity during the Whitsun Bank Holiday Monday when the St Kitts Beekeeper’s Co-operative got together for a box-making workshop. The timing was essential too as we embarked on what promises to be another volatile hurricane season.
The hurricane season has its reputation of being destructive of plant life and crops and can also claim human lives [1]. Of course, the storms have both a direct and indirect impact on hives too. Trees can be blown over and crush the hive and kill the entire colony. In addition, hives that are not on level ground or that are not secured can be easily blown over by strong winds. Heavy rain can also do significant damage. The lower brood chamber can get sodden and destroy the combs. Many colonies escape of course, and pests can quickly move in [2]. All in all, it is of vital importance that there is a good supply of boxes to restore balance and rescue swarms.
Many novice beekeepers want to be involved in the total experience of beekeeping, but being on a tiny island makes the issue of supply very challenging indeed. Therefore, there are many advantages to working together as part of a co-operative to manage the inherent costs of importing the materials to keep up with our ambition to increase the stability of honey bee colonies on the island.
Ironically, despite the fact that honey bees can build their colonies in a range of structures – both ‘natural’ and unnatural, they are very sensitive about their man-made structures. Therefore, hive construction always needs careful planning with specific measurements to maximise honey production [3].
Working together to transfer a colony from a stove dumped in greenspace
The St Kitts Beekeeper’s Co-op has been able to hone the specific talents of its membership for this endeavour. Whilst the Honorary Secretary Mrs Ruth Seabrookes used her organisational skills to co-ordinate the supply of the materials, senior member Mr Kennedy “Natural” Hazel is experienced with carpentry, and was able to prepare the lumber so that the participants could hit the ground running with the box-making on the day.
Ruth Seabrookes (Honorary Secretary) and ‘Natural’
Ruth had been to a previous workshop to build Perone boxes but there has been a move away from these boxes and therefore the members wanted an opportunity to make Langstrophe boxes. She gave an account of the workshop:
“It worked really well. We organised ourselves as a production line. I mean I had already assembled boxes before, but this time was especially productive and successful”.
Ruth can now boast that she can assemble a box on her own!
Over the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the productivity of the Co-op. The broad base of membership has gradually transformed to a diverse group of experienced and novice; youth and senior; and male and female persons working together to increase the quality and quantity of colonies on the island.
Despite the restrictions of the pandemic, the St Kitts Beekeeper Co-op so far this year have facilitated two workshops – the first was on Hive Management. We continue to plan workshops to increase the skills and experience of all members. The next workshop will be on making nucleus hives for raising starter colonies.
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