plymouth branch newsletter july 2017btckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site2056/bee brief july... ·...
TRANSCRIPT
1
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Plymouth Branch Newsletter July 2017
Another ‘first’ for Plymouth Branch – a summer ‘social’ in the form of a Barbeque........
Date: Saturday 29th July, 2017
Venue: Plume of Feathers, Princetown
Time: Arrive 6 pm to eat at 7 pm.
Cost: £9.95
Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of £5 per person is required. This can be paid direct to Jean/Steve Russell or given to the person(s) heading up the Sunday apiary meetings.
Menu: 1 x 4 oz. burger / 1 x hotdog in a roll / 1x chicken leg Plus salad
Please come and support this event –
family members and friends are welcome. CONTACT: JEAN & STEVE RUSSELL EMAIL: [email protected]
2
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
JULY
Sunday 23rd Novice Meeting 10 am
Saturday 29th BBQ Plume of Feathers – 6pm to eat at 7pm
Sunday 30th Novice Meeting
10 am
AUGUST (Bank Holiday: Mon 28th)
Sunday 6th
Improvers Meeting
10 am
Sunday 13th Novice Meeting 10 am
Sunday 20th General Meeting 10 am
Sunday 27th No Meeting (Bank Holiday Weekend)
SEPTEMBER
Sunday 3rd
Improvers Meeting
10 am
Sunday 10th
Novice Meeting
10 am
Sunday 17th
CANCELLED General Meeting inc. Apiary Maintenance – all members
10 am
OCTOBER
Thursday 12th
Branch Honey Show – Elburton Village Hall – Judge: Jack Mummery
7 pm
NOVEMBER
Thursday 23rd
Branch AGM - Elburton Village Hall
7.30 pm
DECEMBER
Sunday 10th
Branch Christmas Lunch – Boringdon Golf Club (sit down 12.30 pm / £5 deposit) TBC
12.30 pm
PLYMOUTH BEEKEEPERS’ Apiary Programme 2017
3
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Directions to Branch Apiary at Lee Mill, Ivybridge:
Turn left off the A38 at Lee Mill and follow the signs for Tesco
Drive past the Tesco entrance, take next right for Central Avenue on the industrial estate
Drive down the hill of Central Avenue, looking for East Way on your right
Drive along East Way, looking for Cadleigh Close on your left
Drive into Cadleigh Close; the apiary site is behind the big iron gates of the tyre factory
Park inside the gates, walk up the concrete path & the portacabin is on your right
………………………………………………………………
Swarmflower
Photo from the Facebook page –
Beekeeping Photography
www.facebook.com/beekeeping.photo
Meetings will be held at the Branch Apiary Site unless advised otherwise
4
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
CHAIRMAN’S BLOG Hello again Plymouth (and district) beekeepers,
Well, it’s July and the high point of the beekeeping season. As long as it’s warm enough, the nectar should be flowing well as we seem to have had a reasonable
combination of rain and sunshine throughout the early summer this year. Let’s hope we all get a good crop.
Of course, the good crop depends not only on the weather but also on our having healthy colonies. One thing we’ve noticed about our colonies this year is that, apart
from a few workers with DWV, they seem to be generally healthy. However, since April our queens have been producing inordinate amounts of drone brood. I’ve never
seen so many drones in our colonies. The obvious thing to suspect would be DLQs - but for the fact that plentiful worker brood continues to appear unabated. We
mentioned this to one or two members at a Sunday apiary meeting and they said that they have noticed the same thing. I asked Valerie to put a post on the Beekeepers’ Forum to which she belongs. There was only one response; from a
beekeeper in Sussex who said that he also had noticed a very high drone count this year. If this phenomenon is more than anecdotal I can’t help wondering why it is
happening. If anyone can enlighten us, I’d be grateful.
I gave a short talk to the Improvers’ group last month on beekeeping and the law and I was surprised at how well it was received. I had wondered about the wisdom of tackling what might be viewed as a potentially dull subject, but my audience’s
reaction reassured me that my doubts were groundless. I think what surprised the group was that two of the main pieces of statute law that affect beekeepers; Bees
Act 1980 and the Honey (England) Regulations 2015 are part of criminal law. Another surprise was how wide ranging was the Common Law Duty of Care.
Understanding of the latter, and the extent of civil liability that we beekeepers carry with potential crippling costs, should make us all very glad indeed that we enjoy the
BBKA public liability insurance cover.
Now for two early reminders. Every December, Bernie, our treasurer, is at his wits
end trying to match credits that appear in the branch’s current account with whoever is renewing their subscription. The problem is that members are paying their subs by
BACS transfer but then they forget to fill out a BBKA membership renewal form, so this often leads to a guessing game or at least a lengthy paper search for poor
Bernie. I know it’s a pain having to carry out two processes when renewing, but BBKA has not yet developed the means to renew and pay on a single form. Maybe
one day……. Personally, I think it’s worth the effort for having the convenience of BACS transfer so please do try to remember the membership renewal form this year.
I will appeal to you all again before the year’s end, but I wanted to ‘plant the seed’ at an earlier stage. Please do complete your BBKA membership renewal form and send it to Bernie (email will be fine) at the same time as you make your BACS transfer.
Otherwise, technically you will not have renewed your membership. Thank you.
5
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
The other reminder is that the branch Honey Show will be on 12 October this year. I know this is a major change for regular exhibitors, but it is to be hoped that we
might have more exhibitors this year as there should be more honey around so close to the end of the season.
At the time of writing this, we’re looking forward to a week’s holiday in Northumberland, although by the time you read it we will already have returned to
see if our bees are likely to produce any honey this year!
Until next month,
All the best,
Terry
On offer to any members willing to collect and make small donation.
1 x office desk with two drawers, similar to those in the portacabin
Contact Claude Pool: 07413914053
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Swarm collected by Neil Downing-Waite, early July
6
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
£2 a bucket (food hygiene standard)
Collect from Branch Apiary at Sunday meetings
Payment to be put in the yellow bucket for the President’s Fund (see below)
7
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
These were taken in my garden (Plympton) on 30th May 2017
Thank you for the photos sent in so far – Keep them coming
Jean French
8
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Totnes & Kingsbridge Branch, Devon Beekeepers’ Association
Honey competition – Kingsbridge Show, Saturday 2nd Sept 2017
All Devon branch members are welcome to enter – categories for everyone!
Judge: Jack Mummery from North Devon (TBC)
We welcome all beekeepers from our branch and our branch neighbours at Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Torbay and the rest of Devon. It doesn't matter what level you are at - whether new to beekeeping or a seasoned pro - there are categories for everyone. We are keen to share everyone's love and interest in bees - whether it’s keeping bees, cooking with honey or making honey related products.
Entries are free to all branch members - we just ask you to register by the 20th August and if you have five entries or more, we can apply for a free entry for you to the Kingsbridge Show itself.
A Competition Schedule and Entry Form are attached. Winners will get BBKA Prize Certificates and we have lots of trophies to award. There are categories for novices, as well as experienced beekeepers, so please do join in. If you currently hold one of the trophies from last year, please can you bring it along to this year’s show.
Classes
All classes are open to all members of the Devon Beekeepers’ Association
1. Two 1 lb (454g) matching jars of light English honey
2. Two 1 lb (454g) matching jars of medium or dark English honey
3. Two 1 lb (454g) matching jars of naturally granulated English honey
4. One 1 lb (454g) jar of honey produced by a novice, ie anyone that has not won a prize at any
honey show
5. Two containers of cut comb honey of minimum gross weight 6 oz (175g)
6. One shallow comb of honey for extraction
7. Two jars of the same honey, with home produced label for sale
8. One cake of Beeswax, min weight 8oz (225g)
9. One candle made from beeswax – dipped or moulded. The item will be lit and so needs to be
in a candle holder if required
10. One bottle of mead, sweet or dry, in a clear glass bottle
11. One handicraft item with a beekeeping theme, eg needlework, patchwork, handmade card,
etc
12. One, or more, coloured or black and white photograph of interest to beekeepers, on
photographic paper, not less than postcard size
13. Four pieces of flapjack (using recipe provided)
14. Honey and orange cake (using recipe provided)
NB - Except class 7, exhibits should be without labels/information
apart from the entry label which is supplied at the event.
9
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Trophies
The Kitson cup - open to members of Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Torbay or Totnes & Kingsbridge beekeeping branches gaining the most points in Classes 1 & 2.
The DM Hobbs trophy - winner of Class1
The John Chalk cup – winner of Class 2
The Sandeman-Allen cup – winner of Class 3
The Tunkin cup – winner of Class 4
The Quarry cup – winner of Class 6
The Gift Honey trophy – winner of Class 7
The Jane Turner cup – for the most points in Classes 8 and 9
The Country Life cup – winner of the most points in Classes 13 and 14
The Beechno cup – winner of the most points in Classes 1 to 10
The Maderia Vale cup – winner of the most points in Classes 11 to 14
Certificates will also be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Highly Commended
Recipes for classes 13 & 14
Class 13 - Lemon and Honey Flapjack
6 oz demerara sugar 8 oz rolled oats 6 oz margarine 1 lemon rind - grated 2 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Method
Melt together margarine, sugar and honey. Add rolled oats, lemon rind and juice, mix well. Spread
into 7” sandwich tin. Bake 375 F, 190C, gas mark 5. Cool slightly mark into portions.
Points are awarded in each class on the basis of:
1st = 4 points, 2nd = 3 points, 3rd = 2 points, Highly Commended = 1 point
10
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Class 14 – Honey & Orange Cake
6 oz caster sugar 3oz soft margarine 3 oz butter 3 eggs 1 tablespoon honey 8oz plain flour
Grated rind of 1 orange 1 & a half teaspoons baking powder
Toppings/decorations of choice
Method
Line and grease 8” round tin, cream fats and sugar in bowl till lightly and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a
time, stir in rind and juice of orange, and fold in flour and baking powder. Stir in honey, turn into
cake tin. Bake at gas mark 3, 170° C, 325° F for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean when
pierced in centre of cake. Decorate.
Tips for the honey competition
What judges look for
Do the jars match? Are the jars and lids matching? (mould numbers are not important in
most cases) Is the honey the same colour?
Is the jar properly filled? eg there should NOT be any gap between the top of the honey and
bottom of the lid. This will be a sure indicator that the net content is 454g or not.
Is the honey clear and does it sparkle?
The judge will shine a bright torch light through the contents. This will reveal any sugar
granules and other foreign bodies.
Warming will usually dissolve any granules and filtering ensures that the honey is clear and
foreign body free. Alternatively, a 200 micron filter bag or cloth is suitable or a couple of
layers of fine muslin is good; don’t rely on the filter built into the settling tank.
Is the surface clean? Surface bubbles or scum is easily removed with a spoon from around
the edge and a little cling film will remove surface bubbles.
Set honey
Honey for set honey should be dealt with as above then left to granulate. Any propolis
particles will always show on the jar base against the white background of set honey, so
don’t bottle it straight from the settling tank but take some care to filter it then bottle it and
remove any bubbles
Comb Honey
Comb honey should not contain any cells of pollen or granulated honey, nor should there be
too many empty cells. There should not be any evidence of wax moth and cappings should
not have too much travel staining (Where bees walk over the surface). Frames should be well
drawn, easy to uncap and wooden frames should be scraped clean of any propolis.
Wax
The judge looks for pleasant colour, translucent wax which allows a light to be shone through
it and no particles of propolis in it.
11
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Entry Form
Totnes and Kingsbridge Show – Honey Competition Saturday 2nd Sept 2017
I wish to enter the following classes (if submitting more than one entry, please use a separate line for
each entry) - please type and email back to Grant Elliott: [email protected]
Deadline for free entries - 21st August (Enables us to apply for a free ticket for 5 entries+ and get it
to you on time)
Full name:
DBKA branch:
Email address:
Contact phone no:
Class no Description
Display materials, labels etc. will be provided prior to staging in the Homecraft Tent. Late entries on
the day will incur a small fee of 50p.
Items can be staged between 8.00am - 10.00am on the day by bringing your entries to the
Homecraft Tent. Judging will take place between 10.00am – 12.00 noon with prize giving at 3.00pm.
If you would like to enter but are unable to visit the show, there are four drop off points on Fri 1st
Sept. Please indicate so we can contact you about locations and times. Please indicate by ticking or
saying yes
I will bring my entries to the show
I will drop off my entry at Torbay
I will drop off my entry at Totnes
I will drop off my entry at Ivybridge
12
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Not good news that an Asian Hornet nest has been found on Jersey. This just reminds us all to keep a look out everywhere in the U.K. as the threat has not gone away. I was speaking with a bee inspector the other day and she advised that it was still a bit early to spot them, so now is the time to be vigilant.
A great book for this time of year is Pam Gregory's "Healthy Bees are Happy Bees" available from our online shop which details beekeeping problems, pests, parasites and diseases in depth and offers practical guidance rooted in beekeeping experience.
After this hangout we won't be back on air until Tuesday 19th September due to holidays and connectivity issues we have experienced in the past couple of years when we have had to cancel at the last minute.
We seem, so far, to have had good weather with a mix of heat and sufficient rain to keep our bees' forage flourishing. It still amazes me that in the same apiary you can have colonies that are doing really well and others that just don't seem to find the same quality forage and are just ticking over. Quality queens really do seem to be the answer.
It's also time to get your extractor, filters and honey buckets ready!
But don't forget to check out our book sale, sign up for our weekly Timely Reminders, and buy an Apiary Guide Multipack to record your varroa treatments. All the best
Wendy and the Bee Craft team
13
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
PLYMOUTH BEEKEEPERS LIBRARY
A complete list of the books is available on the website, so
please spare a few minutes to look at the available titles.
The library also has a small quantity of DVDs.
Books and DVDs can be borrowed for one calendar month,
after which they should be returned or renewed. Renewal can be by telephone or by email.
Failure to return or renew results in a small fine.
If you have a request on a particular topic and would like help to choose the right book
please contact me and I’ll be happy to help.
If you read one of the books and can recommend it (or otherwise) then please let me have
your feedback.
Liz Wallis, Windlestraw, Penquit, Ivybridge PL21 0LU
01752 698384
Link to PBKA Library
http://www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com/LibraryBooks
14
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
The Buzz – Honeybees & Beekeeping
What to plant in tiny spaces to help bees and butterflies thrive
The loss of flower-rich habitat since the 1930s has taken its toll on our pollinators, but thoughtful planting of a plot even the area of the page that you are reading can make a world of difference to a bee. That may seem a drop in the ocean, but every centimetre planted with the right flowers counts according to Richard Glassborow of the London Beekeepers’ Association.
Read more on the Guardian website:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jun/17/plant-tiny-spaces-bees-butterflies-pollinators?CMP=share_btn_fbMay 10, 2017
Pesticides damage survival of bee colonies, landmark study shows
Widely used insecticides damage the survival of honeybee colonies, the world’s largest ever field trial has shown for the first time, as well as harming wild bees.
The farm-based research, along with a second new study, also suggests widespread contamination of entire landscapes and a toxic “cocktail effect” from multiple pesticides.
Read more on the Guardian website:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/29/pesticides-damage-survival-of-bee-colonies-landmark-study-shows
Council pest controllers wiped out over 15,000 rare honeybees after mistaking them for wasps
Council pest controllers have been slammed after they wiped out more than 15,000 super-rare British honeybees. Workers from Anglesey County Council were called out to a swarm of insects inside a compost bin outside a home by a worried resident. But the pest killers failed to realise the insects were very rare Welsh black honeybees - the last survivor of the original British bee - and killed the entire colony.
Read more on the Daily Mail website:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4658770/Council-pest-controllers-wipe-15-000-rare-honeybees.html
15
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Contact Details – Plymouth Branch
Chairman
Terry McAuliffe
219573
Vice Chair Claude Pool 787212 [email protected]
Secretary Jean French 338279 [email protected]
Treasurer Bernie Talling 709470 [email protected]
Editor Dawn Clarke 309483 [email protected]
Branch Librarian
Liz Wallis 698384 [email protected]
Apiary Manager
Patrick Mansfield
07887 997764
DBKA Website - Members Area Password:
If you have forgotten the password, contact Terry McAuliffe or Jean French.
Member Advert
16
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
Roger Round. [email protected] Telephone 01752 701945
For Sale New (unused) National Brood box with 11 new frames and foundation
£45 New National Super with castellated spacers and 10 frames and foundation
£39 Roger Round Tel: (01752) 701945
Wanted
Unwanted live Queen To be used to make displays
willing to collect
Contact Claude 07413914053
17
www.plymouthbeekeepers.btik.com
HEMBURY BEE SUPPLIES
Agents for the main
manufacturers.
We can supply all your Beekeeping needs.
Foundation – Hives – Frames -
Jars And many, many more
We can be found at:
John Harler
Outer Finches Hembury Cock Hill,
Buckfast TQ11 0HN
Tel/Fax: 01364 642517 Mobile: 07769878476 Email: [email protected]
Please phone before you visit