Swarm Co-ordinator

Message received from Steven Wall

I am taking on the role of 'swarm coordinator' from Angela Lovick.  

If you would like a swarm and feel able to collect it yourself, please email me your contact details and let me know when would be the best time for you to go out and collect the swarm.  If you would like a swarm but require me to assist you then also contact me and advise me of your availability.  To advise on days and times of availability email me in first instance,  esofs.stevenwall@gmail.com

Apiary meetings

AVONCROFT APIARY
Weekly meetings take place on Tuesdays at 11:00 am.  Those attending should meet in the Avoncroft Museum car park.  This apiary is managed by Alex Bignell and Bob Pargeter.

JINNEY RING APIARY
Weekly meetings are on Saturdays at 10:30 am, commencing 13th May.  These sessions are for new beekeepers to ask questions and gain experience, and for experienced beekeepers to pass on their knowledge and skills.  This apiary is managed by Rob Greenaway and Alan Woollhead.

More NEWBKA social events

Dear Member

On the social front I have in preparation a variety of events for us all to go along to and enjoy. It is my aim this year to offer you some different and exciting bee opportunities and activities and for them to take place across our association area.

Following a very successful and enjoyable evening on Monday 27^th March at The Hopwood House Inn I would like to let you know that there will be three more of this type of occasion (meet for a chat/ drink). The next is on Wed 26^th April at The Swan public house in Chaddesley Corbett and there will be further ones in July and September. If you have never been to a ‘Bee Social’ why don’t you come along?  You never know, you might quite enjoy the good company and support of the association.

I also have in preparation the following:

* A members, friends and family BBQ in June

* A ‘Bee Movie’ night at Bromsgrove Rugby Club on Wed 11^th October

* End of year meal and presentation night.

Details of each of the above will follow as they are finalised.

There is also another event on Saturday 27^th May for which I am looking for a little help. This is a

‘Bee Safari’

The day will consist of taking a group of members around our area to see different apiaries, beginning at 11am for coffee and finishing approx 5pm. This will give them the chance to see a variety bee keeping situations and the opportunity to chat to owners (please note this would not involve any hive inspections for a variety of reasons). Lunch and drinks will be provided and there will be a charge of £9pp to cover costs. There is also in planning a follow on evening event, which it is hoped will be open to all members.

I am though looking for the following help from you-

• Would you like to be on the Safari? (It may be most suitable for less experienced members)

• At present we have 3 very kind offers of different apiaries to visit (commercial, small out apiary and a large garden situation with several hives). It would be great to offer two more, where the owner is happy to have around a dozen visitors. If you have just one hive or several and think you would like to be involved then please contact me as soon as you can. There is a reward and inclusion in the Safari.

• An additional Jeep/Land Rover Defender owner who would like to drive on the Safari day and will be included in the visitor list.

Please, please, please if you think you would like to help and be involved in this day can you contact me by email at tommoman28@googlemail.com as soon as possible. You will find my other details in the membership list.

Can I also ask everyone who is a member to make a note of the above dates and try and support as many of these occasions as you are able. As an association we are committed to supporting you and every other member of NEWBKA in every way we are able with your beekeeping and it would be great to see you at some of the above events.

Best wishes

Chris Tomlin

(Social Secretary)

Social Evening on 27th March

Dear Member

I thought it would be a good idea if we held a relaxed social occasion for members to attend. On Monday 27th March at the  Hopwood House (pub and eatery), Redditch Rd, Alvechurch, Birmingham B48 7AB, which is close to junction 2 of the M42. I will be there from 8 o'clock onwards if anyone would like to join me and chat to others. It would be great to see as many members partners, friends etc. this pub is known for it's food and selection of real ales, so if you would like to eat then chat, chat and eat or just drink and chat come along!! 

Looking forward to seeing you there

Best wishes

Chris Tomlin (Social Sec) tommoman28@googlemail.com

Winter Talk: Bees Abroad

For the last of this season's Winter Talks, David Evans spoke about the work of Bees Abroad.  The organisation promotes community beekeeping in the Third World, particularly in Africa, by teaching communities how to maintain thriving colonies and to market hive products, thereby improving their standard of living.  David, who has worked on Bees Abroad projects in Kenya, described some of the problems facing Kenyan beekeepers, including safari ants and honey badgers.  At the end of the meeting, David was presented with a cheque, a donation to Bees Abroad from NEWBKA.

Social event on 14th February

The first social event of 2017 is to be on Tuesday 14th February. For those members who are not celebrating with a romantic candle lit dinner for two there is on offer a great alternative!! 

An evening at the 'Boat and Railway', Shaw Lane, Stoke Works from 8.00pm 

The upstairs function room is booked for the occasion, which is open to all NEWBKA members (partners are also welcome) as well as those who are attending the 2017 novices’ course.  It would be great to see a good turnout of members, who are happy to sit and chat to the 'newbees' and pass on ideas and experiences, in an informal situation.  There will be a small buffet provided.  I would also like to take the opportunity during the evening to chat to members about other social events we are planning to put on (details will be announced later).

Please come along and enjoy yourself.  It will be great if you do.  There will be no charge for the evening but could you either email myself or Ann Winspear to let us know, so we can order the buffet. Please try to do this before Friday 3rd Febuary. 

Chris Tomlin (NEWBKA social rep)

tommoman28@googlemail.com

Ed Payne's First Year of Beekeeping

My interest started 40 years ago when I took a two day course in beekeeping while at university.  Only in the last year have I been in a position to do anything about it.

On the news there are often horror stories, which may be exaggerated, about bee numbers rapidly decreasing.  Einstein thought if the bees became extinct mankind would rapidly run out of food; I thought that maybe I could do my bit to save the planet.  I did some research on the internet, checked that my immediate family were not allergic to bee venom, and decided to take the plunge. My wife is still convinced that the bees in true Tom and Jerry style will form into a perfect arrowhead formation and chase her around the farm before stinging her behind!  Fortunately for me this has yet to happen.

Having contacted several local suppliers, I went to the Beetradex.  Everyone that I spoke to recommended joining my local association, so I ordered a beginner’s set up and contacted NEWBKA via the website.  With wonderful timing this was just after the beginners’ course had finished. However, I was able to attend Chris Broad’s taster sessions at Webb’s.  Alex invited me to the Avoncroft apiary meetings and put me in touch with David Perks who sold me a hive with bees.  I was off and running.

At the apiary meetings in the spring it was obvious that the bee numbers were steadily increasing. I learnt about eggs, brood and stores and what a queen bee looked like.  Back home my bee numbers were not increasing and I couldn’t see any new eggs or find the queen on the brood box frames.  Discussing this at Avoncroft we reached the conclusion that the queen had either died or escaped, although there were no signs of any queen cells being made.  I bought a new queen and introduced her into the hive.  After two days I went to open the cage that she was supplied in and found that she had been killed.  The introduction of a pretender to the queen’s crown had clearly upset the resident queen and had the effect of jump starting her back into egg production.  The numbers in my colony then dramatically increased and I was back on the road again. Flushed with success, I set up my second hive as a trap hive for any local swarms.

With more bad timing this took place at the end of May just before the June dip and I had no honey from the oil seed rape crops.  In fact when I inspected the hive I only ever saw about 30 bees in the super which was odd.  In the summer the Avoncroft hives were producing lots of honey, while in my hive it looked as though the bees couldn’t find their way into the super.  Alex gave me two frames that he had recently extracted honey from, to try to remind my colony what they should be doing.  For the second time in the year this jump started the hive into action and I was able to add a second super to help store the honey that now magically appeared.  The trap hive was still unoccupied.

In September I extracted honey from one super leaving the other for the bees to use as stores, and carried out a varroa treatment.  The bees produced 13lbs of honey which I was delighted with for a first season.  The trap hive was still unoccupied and I have yet to find the queen in the brood box.  However, she has done what bees have been doing for millions of years and produced a viable colony, and honey for extraction despite my efforts to help.  I would like to thank everyone in the association who has given me friendship, help and advice over the year without which I am sure my efforts would have come to nothing.  I have learnt a huge amount in a short time; the most important thing being if it looks odd ask someone or if it’s going well let the bees get on with it.  This winter I am going to take the beginners’ course and next season I hope to be able to find my elusive queen. The trap hive is still empty.