Himmerlandske Bier v. Ivan B. Nielsen

27/04/2025

Setting up package bee colonies for the production of bees for the mating nucs.
2 colonies of 6 to 8 frames are united on top of each other.
It gives, so to say a colony with 2 engines, who can produce an awesome amount of bees, without running dead.
The system takes a little time to learn to handle, so that it doesn't end up with bees hanging in the trees. But when you have clicked it, it's a straight forward system, who runs the whole season.

24/04/2025

02/04/2025

Out taking notes on colony sizes on the breeding stock and a quick brood check on the colonies who in some way look suspicious.
Most are obviously healthy and at good speed.
A few ones are too small or sitting more scattered on the frames. These will get a check, to make sure if they are just small, but ok, or if there is something wrong.
The smaller, and scattered, one here, was actually a dronelayer, so will be replaced by a spare colony and the failed colony shook out in front of the new one.
No future in failed colonies

18/03/2025

Milder weather seems to be on the way, so time to remove the mouse guards, and check if the colonies have sufficient storage to early-May.
Just a quick heft for the weight and a sneak peak if they are alive and the size of the cluster.

In general they look good and strong, and the direct winter losses are very low - but who knows what the next some weeks will bring us...
The strong colonies can stand up to almost everything, but a cold spring can do bad things on the smaller ones.

Let's hope for the best, and do our best to bring them through to the honey flow 🌞 🍯

24/02/2025

Rainy day job.
Top bars for the mating nucs (kieler type) needs a strip of wax foundation for the bees to start the comb building on.
Quite a few to make - but don't want that many rainy days...

31/12/2024

Another year has passed. Not a good one but we survived it, and even in the worst years there a bright moments where the sun shines both on body and soul.
We are ready to face a new year with an operation in a trimmed setup, with less colonies and a smaller team.
The focus will now be back on all queen breeding, as this is what is closest to the heart of the beekeeper and at the same time brings us both income and joy.

Happy new year to all of you.

13/12/2024

The days are at their shortest in the coming week, and with the earliest sunset (15.43) in these days. So not much light to work in.
I took the afternoon ferry to the island Tunø today, to do the very last work in the bees for this year, the oxalic acid trickling. Managed to do the trickling in the fading light.
Perfect weather conditions, +3⁰ and no wind and the bees were sitting nice and tight.

The starting point for the coming season looks good. Have treated 600 production colonies and 400 6-frame nucs, without finding one suspicious colony or empty hive. Of course the odd queenless or drone laying colony, but no indications of varroa problems.

Nice feeling to go into the winter with 😊

09/12/2024

Et nyt år er så småt igang.
Halvdelen af besætningen er dryppet med oxalsyre, og resten bliver dryppet de kommende to dage. Jeg sigter efter dage med 0-3⁰ varme. Så sidder bierne tæt og holder godt på opløsningen, og så er bierne også hurtigere at arbejde med.

Det voks der jeg smeltede for en måned siden, er nu kommet tilbage som nyprægede vokstavler.
Sikke en dejlig duft i værkstedet 😊

Den afsluttede sæson var ganske ussel i forhold til honningudbytte, så det forventede antal tønder fyldt med kom vi langtfra i nærheden af.
Man kan så konkludere at det gode ved en dårlig sæson er, at tønderne til halvdelen af næste sæson allerede er vasket og klar 😉

God jul 🌲

21/11/2024

Nu e det vist på tide at få spærret musene ude. Det er i hvert fald så koldt i dag, at nogle af 6 rammers kasserne skulle brækkes løs fra pallerne med stadekniven, for at få gitteret på 🥶❄️❄️

Men hold op hvor var vejret skønt 😎

15/11/2024

'Tørreskabet' er fyldt op, og om nogle få dage er rammerne knastørre.
1400 kg voks er nu klar til valsning af nye tavler, så bierne kan få rent sengetøj igen næste år.
Når vokset er smeltet og rammerne vasket er det som om året er kommet til en ende, og vi kan starte på et nyt.
Næste år bliver med nogle større forandringer i driften, så tingene bliver mere håndterbare, og fokusset nu igen bliver 100% på dronningeavlen.
Det er jo her hjertet er ♥️🙂

15/10/2024

From the chairman of the COPA-COGEGA Honeygroup

Opinion Piece
If no action is taken, beekeeping could become little more than a hobby in Europe!
As a professional beekeeper in northern France, managing 300 beehives and 800 colonies, I’ve been enduring a difficult period, much like many of my fellow beekeepers across Europe. The European honey market has been in crisis for several years, and the challenges we face are now reaching a critical point. A combination of factors, such as the influx of cheap imports, a market flooded with adulterated honey, the impact of climate change as well as invasive species and pests, has brought the beekeeping sector to its knees, threatening our livelihoods.
My colleagues and I at Copa-Cogeca have been consistently raising the alarm about the scandal of honey adulteration, and today, I feel compelled to speak out again because the situation has become catastrophic.
In response to growing concerns about honey adulteration, the EU - following requests from my colleagues and me - has begun to take important steps to tackle the issue. Strengthening border controls and revising the Honey Directive have been significant moves in safeguarding European beekeepers and promoting a fairer, more transparent market. However, we're still far from achieving the goal we proposed of 0% adulteration by 2030.

For full text, go the the COPA-COGEGA website here: https://copa-cogeca.eu/press-releases (No. 3 from the top)