Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale September 2017€¦ · Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale. September...
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Queen Colour of the Year 2017 is: YELLOW WVBKA Charity Registraon Number: 517008 Diary Dates • September 1 st Apiary meeng • September 6 th Commiee meeng • September 9 th Kington show • September 22 nd Apiary meeng • October 8 th Honey show • November 22 nd Planning meeng § Planning Meeng The Commiee will be meeng on 22 nd November to work on a plan for next year’s calendar of events. If you have any ideas or comments about what went well during the year or things that could be improved on then please contact one of the Commiee before the meeng. § image by Tim Dale Honey Show and Harvest Lunch October 8th the kitchen so let’s see what you can produce! Remember it is important to present your entry in the right containers and to read through the rules to avoid disappointment on the day. The Honey Show rules and entry form are aached to this newsleer. Please send entries to Sue Quigley by 22 nd September, however we do allow entries on the day. Anyone who is in possession of a cup or trophy from last year’s show, please return them to June Williams before this year’s event. Do make sure you give them a polish so they look good for the new holders. The Harvest Lunch form is also aached to the email version of this newsleer, please make sure you book in good me. Dave will be talking through some preparaon ideas for your exhibits in the show at the next apiary meeng on 1 st September. It’s easy to turn up with a jar of honey, but with a few ps from Dave you might have a beer chance of winning the prizes. § This year we are going back to Poston Mill restaurant at Poston Mill Caravan Park, just outside Peterchurch. The judging will be open this year so that we can learn about the judging process and pick up some ps on how to improve our entries. Jim and Val Vivian- Griffiths will be carrying out the judging. If your bees have been producve this year you only need to bring along two jars of honey to enter the show. We are also introducing a honey taste class called the Black Jar. The idea is that the judge cannot make any assumpons of the honey’s quality based on its appearance – the decision is based purely on taste. An entry for this class needs to be in a 1lb jar and you will need to obscure the surface with some material or tape. It doesn’t have to be just honey; ‘Bake Off’ enthusiasts can have a go at the honey cake and other recipes. This year copying the Bake Off system there is a list of ingredients with each class but no method. You are on your own in WVBKA September 2017 edion, page 1 September 2017 Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale
Transcript of Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale September 2017€¦ · Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale. September...
Queen Colour of the Year2017 is: YELLOW
WVBKA Charity Registration Number: 517008
Diary Dates• September1stApiarymeeting• September6th
Committeemeeting• September9thKingtonshow• September22ndApiarymeeting• October8thHoneyshow• November22nd
Planningmeeting
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Planning MeetingTheCommitteewillbemeetingon22ndNovembertoworkonaplanfornextyear’scalendarofevents.IfyouhaveanyideasorcommentsaboutwhatwentwellduringtheyearorthingsthatcouldbeimprovedonthenpleasecontactoneoftheCommitteebeforethemeeting.
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image by Tim Dale
Honey Show and Harvest Lunch October 8th
thekitchensolet’sseewhatyoucanproduce!
Rememberitisimportanttopresentyourentryintherightcontainersandtoreadthroughtherulestoavoiddisappointmentontheday.TheHoneyShowrulesandentryformareattachedtothisnewsletter.PleasesendentriestoSueQuigleyby22ndSeptember,
howeverwedoallowentriesontheday.
Anyonewhoisinpossessionofacuportrophyfromlastyear’sshow,pleasereturnthemtoJuneWilliamsbeforethisyear’sevent.Domakesureyougivethemapolishsotheylookgoodforthenewholders.TheHarvestLunch
formisalsoattachedtotheemailversion
ofthisnewsletter,pleasemakesureyoubookingoodtime.
Davewillbetalkingthroughsomepreparationideasforyourexhibitsintheshowatthenextapiarymeetingon1stSeptember.It’seasytoturnupwithajarofhoney,butwithafewtipsfromDaveyoumighthaveabetterchanceofwinningtheprizes.
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ThisyearwearegoingbacktoPostonMillrestaurantatPostonMillCaravanPark,justoutsidePeterchurch.Thejudgingwillbeopenthisyearsothatwecanlearnaboutthejudgingprocessandpickupsometipsonhowtoimproveourentries.JimandValVivian-Griffithswillbecarryingoutthejudging.
Ifyourbeeshavebeenproductivethisyearyouonlyneedtobringalongtwojarsofhoneytoentertheshow.WearealsointroducingahoneytasteclasscalledtheBlackJar.Theideaisthatthejudgecannotmakeanyassumptionsofthehoney’squalitybasedonitsappearance–thedecisionisbasedpurelyontaste.Anentryforthisclassneedstobeina1lbjarandyouwillneedtoobscurethesurfacewithsomematerialortape.
Itdoesn’thavetobejusthoney;‘BakeOff’enthusiastscanhaveagoatthehoneycakeandotherrecipes.ThisyearcopyingtheBakeOffsystemthereisalistofingredientswitheachclassbutnomethod.Youareonyourownin
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September 2017Honey bees on Borage by Tim Dale
Association Apiary ShenmoreAfteragoodstarttotheseasonandafewusefulmeetingswehaverunintoafewproblemswhicharemakingtheregularmeetingsmoredifficulttosustain.TheDuchyofCornwallhasbeenproposingreplacingtheshedatthesiteforthelast4-5seasons.Thisyeartheyacquiredplanningpermissionforthealterationsbutwithafewrestrictions.Thereisaclauseintheapprovalthatrequiresthemtousetimberfromtheirownwoodlandwhichhasmeantadelayincollectingthisup.However,inthemeantimetheydecidedtodemolishtheexistingshedtobeabletopreparethesitereadyforthenewbuilding.Thenextphaseofconstructionwillnotstartuntilnextyear,soatthemomentwearehomeless.WehadplannedabarbecueforJulysowhenthesheddisappearedwehadabackupofusingtheassociationawning.Unfortunately,theweatherturnedouttobewetandwindy–notidealforanawning.
Wehavetwomoremeetingsplannedforthisseasonandwearelookingforalocationtoholdthese,awayfromShenmore.Wehaveacoupleofoptions,oneistomeetataroominapub,butonFridaynightstheroomsinthepubswetriedarenotavailable.TheoptionsaretochangetoaThursdayorholdthemeetingsinthebackroomatMoccashall–ifyouhaveanypreferencesthenpleaseletmeknow.
Itisashametolosethemomentumwehadstartedwithourmeetings,howeverwewillgetbacktoprovidingthelevelofsupportwehadinplaceoncewecanestablishaplan.
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Kington ShowThisgreatone-dayagriculturalandcountryeventsshowisonSaturday,9thSeptember.WVBKAhasanoutsidetentstand,rightbesideoneofthemajormarqueessolotsofpeoplewillstoptochatandseewhatwe’redoing.Thereareafewfreepasses(carparkingandentrance)forvolunteerswillingtogivesometimetohelpingonourstand.Ifyouareabletocome,pleaseletRobDoranorDavidWilliamsknowandwewillsendyouapass.Itreallyisagooddayoutandthereisplentytosee.
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WVBKA ArticlesTHISISYOURNEWSLETTERSOPLEASECONTRIBUTETOMAKEITASUCCESS.
Weneedyourphotographs,articles,crosswordpuzzles,seasonaladvice,recipes-anythingrelevantwilldo.
Justonearticleayearfromeachmemberwillprovideenoughcontenttokeepthenewsletterinterestingandvaried.
YoucanemailarticlestotheChairman,PeterWoodwardat:[email protected]
Thedeadlineforarticlesisthe22ndofthemonth
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Wye Valley Beekeepers Association
September notes
IfyouhavenotalreadydonesoyoushouldhavecommencedfeedingandtreatinganycoloniesforVarroa.Inaddition,youshouldhaveunitedweakcoloniestoenablethemtopassthewinter–numbersarequiteimportantforgoodwinteringandthereshouldbeagoodfertilequeen.Experiencehastaughtmethatyouwillgenerallyloseoneortwocolonies,itisalmostimpossibletoavoidalllosses.Overtheyearstherehasalwaysbeensomelossforwhateverreasonbutitdoesn’tmeanyouhavedoneanythingwrong.Iwillattempttooutlineoneortwoofthereasonswhybeesgetlostinthewinter.
Numberoneisthatthebeesareunhealthyandaresufferingfromoneormorediseaserelatedproblems.Queenfailurei.e.thequeensbecomedronelayerswhichisusuallyevidentinthespring.Starvationisanotherreasonwhybeesgetlost,inotherwordstheysimplyrunoutoffood.Althoughnottrulyrelatedtowinter,waspdamagecanresultinbeesgettingrobbedout.Always,Irepeatalways,reduceyourentrancessothatyourhivehasasmallentrance.ThisshouldbedoneatthebeginningofAugustanditwillenablethebeestodefendthehivemucheasier.Ifthecolonyisqueen-righttheywillusuallybeabletorepelanywaspswhichmaytrytogainentry.
Providingwehavesufficientmaterial,wewillbedoingabitofqueenraisingattheassociationapiary.WewereluckylastyearattheShenmoreapiary,frommemoryIdon’tthinkwehadasingleloss.I’mnotsureofthenumbersatthemomentbutIthinkwewillhaveatleastsevenoreightcoloniestogointowinter.ProvidingthebeeswinterwellweshouldbeabletostartthequeenrearingsessionquiteearlyprovidingDavidandIarefitandwell.
Rob’s problemThisisaproblemwhichhappensquitefrequentlywhenweforgettoputafullcomplementofframesin,resulting
inwildcombbeingbuiltinthecavity.Actuallythereissomethingtobelearnedfromthis,usuallythewildcombisbuiltabsolutelyperfectlyalmostidenticaltotheframeoppositebutusuallyitisdronecells.Wehadoneinthe
associationapiarythisyear.Astowhatyoudotoredressthesituationdependswhetheritcontainsbroodornot.Ifitisjustwildcombandcontainsalittlehoney,thensimplyremoveitandputaframeinitsplace.Theresultinghoneycanbeusedonthe
breakfasttableascombhoney.Ifithasbroodinitwilldependonhowmuchandwhatkindofbrood.Ifitisdronebroodthensimplydiscard.Ifitisworkerbroodthencutthewaxtothesizeoftheframeandsecureusingwireoruseelasticbands,thebeeswilldotherest–jobdone.Thereisalwayssomethinginterestingtolearninbeekeeping.
Deep comb renewalAnybeekeeperworkingwithbeesmustkeepaneyeonthis.Inotherwords,keepingyourbroodnestingoodorderwithgoodserviceablecombisquiteimportantforgoodmanagement.Thisdoesn’tmeanyouhavetoreplaceeverysinglecombinthebroodnesteveryyear.Ittakesquitealotofenergytocreateabroodnestinthefirstplaceanditisoneofthemodernmistakesinbeekeepingtosuggestthatallcombsshouldberenewedannually.Therearemanybeneficialthingswithinthosecombswhichthebeeshavestrivedtobuild.Oneofthemainthingsispollen,whichiswhatthebeesneedforgoodhealthyprotein.Doyoureallywanttotakethatawayfromthemandmakethembuildfromscratch?Good,soundandserviceablecomb–yes,butnotattheexpenseofthebees.Replacingcombtoolateintheseasonisaverybadthing,especiallyifthebroodrearingisindeclineastheywillhavenotimetorebuildforwinter.
Swarm comb buildingManybeekeeperswillsay‘yes’butlookatwhatthebeeswilldoonanicesetofnewcomb?Truebutwhyaretheyabletobuildanicesetofcombinthefirstplace?Answer,theyhavenobroodtofeed,theyhavenopressure,alltheyhavetodoiscreateandbuildthewaxwhichisusuallywhenthereisanabundanceofeverythingavailabletodojustthat.Rememberwhatweactuallyseeattheendoftheyearisroughlyonethirdofwhatthebeeshavegathered,theresttheysimplyconsumetosurvive.Don’tputyourbeesunderunnecessarystress,theyhaveenoughtoputupwithintheenvironment–theyarewonderfulcreatures.
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Wye Valley Beekeepers Association
WVBKA Officers for 2017Chairman:• PeterWoodward:[email protected] [email protected]
Vice Chairman:• RobDoran:[email protected]
General & Honey Show Secretary:• SusanQuigley 01981510183 NewHouseFarm,Michaelchurch Escley,HR20PT [email protected]
Treasurer & Membership Secretary:• LeeHowarth 01981550733 47aCrossways,Peterchurch,HR20TQ [email protected]: • PeterWoodward
Association Apiary Management Team:• David&DaveWilliams
Newsletter Editor: • Tim&BelindaDale:[email protected]
Committee:• GeoffDutson• JulietParker-Smith• DuncanPenkey• AndyStrangeway• JuneWilliams• SuzanneWenczek
Catering Committee:• JaneMatthews• JuneWilliams
Mentoring Team:• GeoffDutson 01981500491• CliffRose 01981251844• DavidWilliams 07875426089• PeterWoodward 01981240280
Technical Advisers:• GarethBaker 01600714323• DaveWilliams 01981550320• JohnHowarth 01981550733
Website Editor:• PeterWoodward
Honorary Auditor:• MikePrice
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MiscellaneousWBC EquipmentOneofourmembersisdisposingofanumberofWBCequipment,supers,broodboxes,liftsetc.SeetheBringandBuysectionontheassociationwebsite:http://www.wyevalleybeekeepers.org/formoredetails.
SyrupDavidWilliamshasbulksuppliesofsyrupavailable;pleasecontacthimforfurtherdetails.
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Publishing noteInordertosaveonthecostofink,theimagescontainedintheprintedversionofthisnewsletterwillbeingreyscale
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WebsiteManyapologiesifyouhavenoticedthatIhaven’tupdatedthewebsiterecently.Wemovedhouseat theendof July andare stillwaiting forBT toprovide a broadband connection, so I haven’tbeenabletogetaccess.InthenextfewdaysthatmightberemediedbutI’mnotholdingmybreath–thisisBTwearetalkingabout.
Peter§
WVBKA September 2017 edition, page 4
Wye Valley Beekeepers Association
