First of all you have to pack the smoker with paper and get it lit. This is all fine and relatively easy as long as the match stays alight. The fire can get going pretty quickly and is soon burning outside of the small stainless steel smoker. Then you have the skill of adding a fuel to the smoker to keep it burning for a period of time. The trick, however, was not putting in too much in order to keep the fire alight, but enough to emit this beautiful smoke which would be important for the hive inspection. Several people put in too much which extinguished the fire immediately despite desperate attempts to get the fire going. Others would only put in a small amount and never get it smoking. It was a fine balance getting it right and a real pleasure when you had done so.
It is a wonderful contraption with bellows doubling up as handles which, when squeezed, force air into the chambers and puff smoke out of the funnel at the top. Whoever came up with the design deserves a medal. To get the small fire going we used cola nut shells, which smelled amazing and apparently when burned emit a 'cool smoke'. I never knew there was a difference personally – I thought smoke was smoke! Apparently a great variety of substances can be burned to make the smoke. These include cardboard and dry twigs, but these emit a hotter smoke and can even send out sparks as you squeeze the bellows. Not great I would think for the bees' well-being or temperament!
My turn came and despite keen eyes analysing every move I made I was fortunate to get it lit first time and the smoke quickly followed with a few rather too enthusiastic puffs. A couple of burning embers did fly out but no damage was done. It feels so stupid to write, but I felt both proud and also strangely masculine. Man must have fire, and all that! I have to say though, it wasn't as easy as it looks and I would say only about 50 per cent of us got the smokers lit first time but it was great fun trying.
Sadly after a couple of hours I had to leave as they were all still there honing their new-found skills with enthusiasm. There is one thing that I really took away from the day: it is absolutely crucial to join an association. The fee I paid Reigate Beekeepers' on an annual basis was worth it just for that session. There were about thirty new beekeepers there and I would guess about seven more that were experienced beekeepers on hand to help out, answer questions and make tea and coffee (how fantastic that it was made over a Calor gas makeshift stove with a giant, almost witch-like, kettle – always makes it taste better!). There cannot be too many hobbies or pastimes which you can learn with that degree of help from more experienced practitioners.
In summary, I learned a lot about bees. I learned that despite thirty years of running away from them, I could actually stand in an area surrounded by them. Ultimately, I learned that beekeeping really is a way of life, that people are truly passionate about the little things and are so keen to help others realise this same feeling. What a truly unique morning.
MARCH 7
This weekend was about Dad and I building a beehive from scratch, which sadly in the end was never to materialise. When Dad and I looked over the plans the bodge was never going to work. We were both very concerned at the level of detail and the fact that your measurements had to be exact and angles perfect. This is not something we are particularly good at.
Instead of building a hive I decided to pop next door with Dad and see Anne, my parents' neighbour, and her bees. Fortunately Anne was outside and she recognised me immediately.
She was as lovely as I remembered and we had a great talk about her bees. She is currently running five hives, a mixture of the beautiful WBC hives and Nationals, which I could see in the distance in the same elevated position I remembered from childhood.
Anne insisted we go on a tour and I gladly followed, with a newly brewed mug of tea in hand. We approached her hives with none of the protection of yesterday's association experience. It was therefore rather nerve-wracking, and I felt my heart thumping as we walked within 3 feet of the hives. Positioning ourselves behind them, we had a lovely view of the garden but also a stunning view of the bees flying in and out of the little entrances at the front of the hive. With the fine weather it was obviously warm enough to start foraging and it was fun to see them starting their journeys or coming in loaded up with pollen.
Anne was so confident in her movements, even lifting off a roof at one point to peer inside; I didn't dare look and kept back. She invited me to approach the side of a hive and I tentatively agreed. Moving as slowly and carefully as I could, I crouched down to watch the bees landing before entering the hive. I was not even a couple of metres from the bees and without a suit but it was amazing seeing these bees with pollen loaded on their back legs landing on the landing board and walking up into the hive. I got to fully appreciate why people enjoy sitting by the hives just watching the bees coming and going. It was incredibly relaxing to watch.