THE FEDERATION OF BERKSHIRE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATIONS

Transcription

1 General Secretary: Martin Moore Tilehurst Reading THE FEDERATION OF BERKSHIRE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATIONS The Federation, its Council, and its Officers cannot be held responsible for the views expressed in the Newsletter or possible errors. September 2014 Number 692 Newsletter Editor: Sue Remenyi Curtis Farm Kidmore End RG4 9AY Editors Corner This time last year a major topic of conversation was around the damage wasps were doing to hives completely destroying one of mine. Now, I don t know whether it is the multi-faceted defences I have put in place, or whether it is true to say that there are not so many wasps around this year, but I have so far seen little troublesome activity around my hives. Given the baking hot weather we experienced in June and July, and the bumper fruit harvest we are seeing at the moment, one would have expected wasps to be enjoying a glorious year. According to a recent article in the Daily Mail, despite the bumper fruit crops, insect experts have noticed a distinct lack of wasps in our orchards and meadows. No one is entirely sure why the insects are having such a bad year - though all are agreed that it is something to do with the topsy-turvy weather we have seen over the last few years. Please do let me know if you have a different story to tell! There are as usual some interesting articles in the newsletter this month from film crews to well attended apiary visits. Our associations have been busy again at shows and local events lookout for the Monks at Dorchester Abbey! There are a number of events coming up over the next couple of months so check out the diary and information about some of these. Sue Remenyi C WYNNE JONES Ty Brith Pentrecelyn Ruthin Denbighshire LL 15 2SR Tel Fax wynnejones@btconnect.com SPECIAL PRICES ON APIGUARD - 30 HIVE TUBS A SPECIALITY VARROA TREATMENT - WAX FOUNDATION - AND MUCH MORE OUR PRICES WILL BENEFIT YOUR POCKET!! See Our Website for full Range of Products In My Apiary The day a film and production company arrived to shoot a video at our apiary for Uncle Ben s What does a company synonymous with boil in the bag rice have to do with an apiary in Berkshire? Our story began in mid-august and unfolds below. The Monday started out as usual but took an odd turn when we received a call from a production assistant about the possibility of filming our bees. Those of you familiar with our work will 1

2 know that we are far from celebrities, but an opportunity to help with a video that promoted the work of bees and Uncle Ben s products seemed like a good idea. of them attended the shoot. The idea behind the video was to promote the values of family cooking. With only 1 in 4 children cooking with their parents, Uncle Ben s launched a campaign on Youtube called Ben Beginners. The aim is to encourage children to cook and develop an interest in where their food comes from. The children from The Mini Band (a rock band aged 9 to 12 who have received worldwide media attention, including the BBC, ITV and Sky) were chosen as the ambassadors for the show and two No pressure, but they wanted to film the whole process, from examining the hive, frame removal, extraction to jarring, the next day. Tuesday arrived, as did the production team, the children and their parents. The production assistant had thought ahead and purchased suits for the children but had given no thought to the camera man or sound assistant luckily we had spares. The sun made an appearance and everything proceeded smoothly. A detailed explanation was offered, covering everything from how far bees forage to how much honey is extracted from a frame and why extraction is undertaken indoors. The children loved the whole experience (one even describing it as the most amazing experience ever) and both were in awe at the number of bees on the frames and in the hives. The camera man was not so enthusiastic and could best be described as petrified. In his own words I have filmed people hanging off a cliff face, but have never been so frightened as when filming bees. The production team were very complimentary of myself and Simon and found the entire experience rewarding and informative. The ladies behaved impeccably that day, no stings and everyone walked away with a free jar of honey and happy so, all in all a very successful day. Katie Holmes, WBKA 2

3 Airbus Honey To help analyze the environmental footprint of its operations at Finkenwerder Airport in Hamburg, Germany, Airbus produces more than 600 jars of honey per year from beehives on the site. This is part of the company s bio-monitoring efforts, and for the past five years honey from these bees which collect the pollen and nectar from hundreds of thousands of plants across an approximately 12-square-kilometre area have been providing key data on the quality of the surrounding soil, air and water. For example, metal or chemical deposits in the flowers from the surrounding areas can be detected in the honey. The honey is sent to an independent laboratory for analysis, and the results have indicated that pollution levels from Airbus facilities are even lower than in the Hamburg city centre, and no higher than other areas. We have tested three different parameters this year: wax, pollen and honey, from two different beehive locations, said Airbus fulltime beekeeper Eberhard Schädlich, who was previously an electronics technician with the company. We are very proud to say that every single result shows pollution levels are well under approved limits." The beehives are situated in two locations at the Airbus Hamburg facility: near the aircraft paint shop and close to the runway where new-build jetliners carry out flight tests. In total, the tens of thousands of bees in these hives produce more than 160 kg. of honey annually, which is jarred and also given away as presents to customers, suppliers and Airbus staff. Wokingham and District Beekeepers Association Wokingham 2014 AGM The AGM will take place on the 8th October at Wokingham Bowling Club followed by Question and Answer Time. Please do come along and get our experienced panel of bee keepers to answer those lingering questions you might have. Wokingham Club 2014 Honey Show Call To Action: A reminder to all members that the 2014 Honey Show will take place on the 12th November at Wokingham Bowling Club. The categories are: Best Honey in Show Best Granulated Honey in Show Best Honey Bake in Show (any bake as long as it contains honey) Best Wax in Show (any shape or form) Best Photo in Show (beekeeping theme, any size photo but must be printed, either b&w or colour) Best Mead in Show Best Comb fit for Extraction in Presentation Case (new category) Over the years, this has proved to be a fun evening for all and the more entries the better, get your entries ready now. South Chilterns Beekeepers Association Visit to Simon Cannings and Bev Woodford s Apiary at Rofford Farm It was on a partly cloudy Saturday in August that 30 people from SCBKA attended this farm based apiary and garden visit. Nestled in a field boundary under mature oaks and surrounded by more recently planted saplings, we skirted a field of clover with swallows swooping over us to make our way to the eight hives. Reg Hook placed wet grass into a large smoker and by way of 3

4 preamble hoped that all members had taken a good honey crop this season and warned us it would only be a quick inspection of each hive because of the danger of robbing at this time of year. Three new members Maureen, Mohammed and Brian were welcomed. We looked at four of the hives, all based on 14 x 12 nationals. In the first hive eggs were seen, as was the queen. Simon confirmed that she was this year s queen although she had a yellow spot, due to him only having a yellow pen. I naively asked what the queen s name was and was told that We don t give names on the farm! Some of the house bees were pulling out larvae they did not like the look of and there was bald brood in evidence. It was assumed that the brood were not fully sealed due to varroa so Reg trickled hive clean carefully between the frames. An eke and Apiguard were prepared ready for treatment later on. Reg suggested that when it is colder weather, the hive clean should be warmed before it is applied. The treatment suggested for this hive was to put the Apiguard on for two weeks, repeat this in a further two weeks until it has all gone and this would allow the queen to lay eggs relatively free of varroa, which will become the winter bees. Reg suggested that the queen would lay until the end of November. By contrast with summer bees the winter bees have a much more prolonged life because they do not fly far and therefore have a longer life span. In early January, oxalic acid can be trickled onto the bees when there is no brood inside the hive. The mesh floor would need to have a board inserted to allow the Apiguard fumes to infuse the frames thoroughly. The second hive also had a June mated queen, but she was unmarked. Simon was poised with a queen catcher (and the yellow pen!) but she could not be found. Reg hefted the hive quickly and noted how it was heavier at one end. He said that the Ivy flow was about to begin so an empty super could be added to this hive. Because ivy honey crystallises it can t easily be extracted. The strategy used to try to spot the queen was to look on the side of the frame that had been closest to another frame, rather than the gap as the queen will usually stay in the dark. The third hive contained a clipped and marked queen from last year who was still laying. The hive was hefted by members of the group and it was felt to be very light so Simon added two honey frames from a storage hive. It was also decided that syrup could be added to this hive later on in a large feeder as a hive needs about lbs of stores to see it through the winter. Simon had created a storage hive by totally sealing off a hive just containing honey frames and used it to supplement the other hives with honey if they needed it. He did this because he had repeated swarms as a result of not removing queen cells after doing an artificial swarm control earlier in the year. Although it wasn t intentional it has allowed him to build up the apiary quickly ready for next year and the storage hive has allowed him to supplement hives as needed. In the final hive that was opened we saw a June queen who was still laying. Hive clean was added on the brood and a clearing board above an eke will allow Simon and Bev to take a super of honey from this hive. After carefully cleaning tools and gloves we made our way back to the barn (decked out with tables and chairs and tablecloths battened down with pegs and weights due to the wind) where we were treated to a magnificent tea including cucumber sandwiches, honey flapjacks and chocolate courgette cake. Many members of the group then burned off the calories with a visit to the farm s formal gardens and grounds which included a glass house and bespoke chicken residence and stone dovecote, complete with moat. Reg has added the following reminder to everyone: It should be noted that this is the start of the year for beekeeping, and in the same way that farmers sow their crops for next year we must make sure our bees are queen-right, have 4

5 enough food, and are healthy, so feed if necessary and treat for varroa. Also make sure that hives have a good waterproof roof because bees can stand any amount of cold, but they really do not like the damp. Entrances should be closed to a small gap to prevent robbing and later on when the wasps have finished mouse guards can be put on and protection from woodpeckers applied, ie: wire or netting. Here's hoping for a good year next year. Reading and District Beekeepers Association 5 Helen Walkington On Sunday July 27 th. We were guests of Bob and Karen Challis at their home apiary where they have a substantial acreage and riding stables. We had an excellent turnout with warm weather and perhaps a slight thundery feel. We were treated to10 splendid hives with very active bees. One of the striking features is that Bob Challis designs and makes his own hives. They are tall almost pagoda like structures which you can see from the photo alongside the standard Nationals. With plenty to do and numerous newer members we split into two groups and set to work with a list of colonies Bob and Karen said they d like an opinion on. In our group we had a national hive with a colony suspected of having a drone layer or possibly laying worker. There were indeed erratic enlarged cells on the face of the comb, but few actually with larvae in and there were more worker cells with sealed brood and tiny larvae, as well as a patch of eggs noticed by the keen sighted. The population was perhaps down a bit, but enough bees arriving with forage and some stores capped and cells being filled with stores. We checked with Karen and she confirmed that she had introduced a queen here a couple weeks ago. We concluded that the queen had been accepted and was now laying. Two other colonies examined by our group showed queen activity and good populations of active workers. The fourth hive had apparently gone queenless and Karen had introduced a frame with eggs and tiny larvae a couple of weeks before. The population was down a bit and no queen activity visible but we saw an opened-up queen cell on the donor frame face. Obviously this colony remains a question, and the new queen, if she is there, will have to mate and start laying. There were a number of drones around in this and other colonies so Bob and Karen will monitor and keep abreast of results. This was not a good day to find queens with the bees very fast on the frames in bright light. The other groups reported overall big colonies, plenty of brood with good stores patterns at the tops of the brood frames as well as honey a plenty! Bob and Karen have been bottling but have 600 lbs to go and Karen is running out of honey buckets, by now it s likely that half a tonne has come off these 10 colonies. Bob carried a nuc over to a table where no queen activity had been seen for some time. The situation was unchanged today, but there were plenty of worker bees, and since they are supposed to have a life of less than 3 weeks in high summer with good forage, they are remarkably numerous, and will require monitoring. The Bob Challis Hives have proved this season to be the most prolific for honey. The dimensions of the super which take a standard longlug frame may not be quite right because in a big honey flow brace comb below the frames tend to stick them to the frames below ( although this can also happen in my WBC s & Nationals). The bees seem to be very fond of their tall homes and have large and vigorous populations. Bob wanted to show us that despite taking off frames a week before they were already refilled (and a bit stuck), and his reaching high up to remove the bees resulted in a squadron of guard bees emerging to see us off. By this time most of the beekeepers and families had retired to relax on the ranch-style veranda attracted by the delicious spread that Karen and helpers had laid-out. They viewed with some amusement our fanning ourselves with garlands from Bob and Karen s

6 shrubbery until we d dissuaded enough of our little followers to allow us to join them and tuckin!. This was a highly enjoyable bee-meeting and will provide a helpful contrast for our new members demonstrating quite high-intensity home beekeeping. Our final photo is of our host Bob Challis, garland in his hat and a keen-eye for that pesky guard-bee. What s that in the aerosol Bob? With very many thanks to the Challis s, members new and old all who brought along and prepared food and to all who attended. Our September meeting is on Sunday 21 st courtesy of Mr and Mrs. Giles McLoughlin at Goring on Thames. Be there promptly for an start. Giles will provide full details and directions shortly. Slough Windsor and Maidenhead Beekeepers Society In Our Apiary A pleasant Sunday afternoon towards the end of August saw a gathering at the society s apiary near Wexham where there are currently six colonies. A group of eight members assembled to debate and take action as needed. The plan was to treat all the colonies against Varroa so the first debate was about whether the colonies should be examined in detail. The last apiary meeting was cancelled due to the inclement weather brought in by the dying gasps of Hurricane Bertha so they had not been closely examined since the beginning of August. Arguments were put forward that some beekeepers did not open their colonies at all in August and so a consensus of opinion decided that it would be better not to disturb the bees too much they were going to have a shock with the Varroa treatment as it was! Purchases of MAQ strips had been made for the apiary, our prudent treasurer having arranged a bulk order and cut a deal with Thorne s. Another discussion showed mixed feelings about the various available varroa mite treatments with several members expressing their satisfaction with the MAQS whilst others were yet to be convinced. We debated the value of changing the treatments each year to try and reduce the risk of resistance to the treatment building up. The group split into two and everyone worked swiftly and efficiently to add the MAQS, removed entrance blocks to ensure maximum ventilation and update the records. Once we had finished and all the hives had been reassembled there was just one colony that was roaring its objection to the new strange odour percolating through their hive. More Show Activity On Saturday 16 th August SW&M BKS were invited to host a stall at the Windsor Allotments and Home Gardens Association Annual Allotment Show held at Gardeners Hall, St Leonards Road, Windsor. Once again the team turned out to answer questions, talk about getting started in beekeeping and sell honey. Our thanks go to all of the members who turn out for such events and provide excellent PR for the beekeepers cause especially relating to the keeping of bees on allotment sites which can be fraught with difficulty. 6

7 Winter Meetings 2014 Our schedule of winter meetings starts in September and is held at All Saints Parish Hall, Alexandra Road, Windsor. SL4 1HZ. The meetings are usually scheduled on the second Tuesday of the month beginning at 8 pm; refreshments are available. The first in our series of winter meetings is a talk titled 'If Heath Robinson had been a Beekeeper' given by Graham Ryle of Highfield Bees, Macclesfield, Cheshire. Graham covers hints and tips, widgets and thingymabobs (and possibly some gizmos) related to beekeeping. We expect a practical and humorous talk based on Graham s 25 years experience of seeing and trying out new beekeeping equipment ideas. Some of these are useful, some a little cranky: it is left to the audience to decide to which category each item belongs! Graham's talk is sure to will contain something for everyone from those new to beekeeping to those with more experience. General information and details of all our meetings and can be found on our excellent website: Skills Fair at Dorchester Abbey South Chilterns BKA were invited to take part in the 'Medieval Craft's August Bank holiday weekend at Dorchester Abbey, and this presented us with a challenge. It would be quite different to the usual promotions undertaken by SCBA. Ideas were considered, some discarded whilst others were implemented. Three 'good humoured' members each donned a monk s habit. One sat on a stool making a straw skep, whilst another made candles with visitors wishing to have a go and take one home. The third looked after the observation hive and explained about the bees. We were fortunate in that we were provided with a large gazebo, which made it possible to display the photographs and items we had gathered for the event. Despite a grey damp day on the Monday, we had many visitors showing interest and concern for the honey bee. Generally, the 7

8 most common question is 'where is the queen?' but this weekend it was 'which order of monks are you?'! Did you know... Kate Malenczuk, SCBKA.if you are a member of BBKA, you are eligible for a range of benefits including ticket discounts for a number of attractions such as Legoland, Warwick Castle, etc. More information can be found here. 'Café Scientifique Jason Lim, who is chair of the Radar Entomology Unit at Rothamsted Research, will be giving a talk entitled The high flyers and pollinators: Tracking the movements of bees and pollinating insects. The event is at 19:30 hrs on Monday, 13th of October 2014, at Monroe s Rib House, 61 St Mary s Butt s, Reading RG1 2LG. Admission is free: all are welcome. These public talks are run by the University of Reading and the Thames Valley branch of the British Science Association. For more information, see: For your Diary Date Topic Event Host Contact 6 October London Honey Show London Bees 13 October Café Scientific University of Reading 30 October - 1 November National Honey Show St Georges College, Weybridge 9 November Bee Improvement for All Bucks County Beekeepers Association 12 November Wokingham Honey Show Wokingham and district BKA Association websites (See end of newsletter for more details) All four Federation member association websites have a lot of information some of which may only be relevant to that association, but there is also quite a bit that is useful to us all. Here are the links for your reference: Reading & District Beekeepers Association: South Chilterns Beekeepers' Association: Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead Beekeepers' Society: Wokingham and District Beekeepers Association: Useful Links, Advice and Information This website is a mine of information from around the world. You can subscribe to their newsletter. This website has a lot of really useful information for the beekeeper. This is a portal for all things beekeeping. The British Beekeepers Association. 8

9 Beebase is a comprehensive data source for the bee research community. NBU Advice for Obtaining Bees: Join Beebase - By joining BeeBase you can access beekeeping information and ask for advice or help from the Bee Unit: Your Regional Bee Inspectors are: Southern Region: Nigel Semmence at: nigel.semmence@fera.gsi.gov.uk, The main website is: National Bee Unit, Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1 LZ, tel: , mailto:nbu@fera.gsi.gov.uk. South Eastern Region: Mr Alan Byham, fax/tel: Contributions to the Editor are always welcome as long as they are signed. Anonymous letters and letters not in English will not be published. The Editor reserves the right to withhold names. Contributions, including s, to arrive with the Editor by the 20th of the month for publication by the 7 th of the following month. Contributions received after this may be held over for a later month. Advertisement entries, to be received by the Advertisement Manager in advance of the 20th of every month. Rates: 2 Lines for 1.00; Commercial rates: 1.00 per line. Please make cheques payable to FBBKA. To be sent to the Advertisement Manager: Mr Jon Davey, 107 Northcourt Avenue, Reading RG2 7HG. Tel: National Honey Show: Latest News September 2014 Thursday 30th October to Saturday 1st November at St Georges College, Weybridge 1) Booking for workshops is now open Our on line booking system can be accessed at If you don t have access to the internet, ask at your local library, most libraries now have internet facilities. 2) The National Honey Show Schedule is also now available. Members should have received their copies in the post. It can also be accessed online at: 3) We ll be launching the revised series of National Honey Show Booklets in the Exhibition Hall at 2.30pm on Thursday. The revised booklets are: Preparation of Liquid Honey & Judging Honey in the Jar Mead and Meadmaking Wax for Show Granulated or Crystallised Honey Production and Exhibition of Comb Honey & Comb Honey for Show Management, Production and Exhibition of Heather Honey The study of Pollen Showing Honey Products Candles for Show History of The National Honey Show The booklets will be available all three days in the Trade Hall at 3.50 each. 4) National Honey Show Leaflets and Raffle Tickets If you have a local meeting, county show or other event before the end of October, please e- mail nationalhoneyshownews@gmail.com and let us know how many of our latest leaflets, and 9

10 raffle (in support of the lecture videos) ticket booklets you can display, and the address to send them to. Thanks. 5) Daily Programme for the Show Printed copies will be available each day, but can be accessed online now, and between now and the Show will be updated regularly with any new information: Look forward to seeing you there! 10