Saturday 21 September 2013

Newsletter September 2013



Dear Beekeeper

I am writing on September 13th, having collected my first [and only] small swarm of 2013, from Walmer.
An odd year!

The August meeting went well, thanks to members prepared to show what DDBKA members can use or borrow to make life easier and cheaper. Brian Marlow has offered to make the large solar wax extractor smaller and easier to transport for future members’ use.

The MAQS treatment was postponed as the mite levels were so low as to be negligible. The theory put forward was that colonies which have been broodless are not a fruitful area for varroa mites.

Wasps are still a real nuisance; reduce the hive entrances to a few centimetres, easier for the bees to defend, check your boxes are bee-tight. Make wasp traps baited with jam & water, NOT honey.

 Please look at www.ksrcbees.org.uk for 2nd level courses at KSRC Sittingbourne.

This is the season for Honey Shows, both local and national. They are fun to enter and you can develop a speciality – maybe cakes, honey, wax, artistic effort. Have a go!

Diary dates:
  • E Kent Ploughing Match, 25/9/13 Lower Hardres 
  • Give me any honey or hive products you have to sell before then, or at the match itself. Help welcome on the day.
  • Thanet BKA Show, Acol, 28/9/13 [same day as DDBKA September meeting]
  • London Honey Show 7/10/13
  • DDBKA Honey Show, Nonington 19/10/13
  • Thanet BKA Quiz, Cliffsend 22/10/2013
  • National Honey Show Weybridge 24-27/10/2013

The schedule for Thanet BKA Show can be downloaded HERE. They are our neighbouring association and would appreciate entries from our members. I am having a go at a cake and some wax.

I can give entries to Rowena at the Ploughing Match.

Len, our Treasurer for the last few years, wishes to inform you that this will be his final year in the post and that we shall need someone to replace him in January.
Please do speak to him to find what the job entails.
He also wants to tell you that BBKA are raising the capitation payment from £15 to £17 in 2014. So your membership will be £2 more than this year.

QUIZ

Thanet BKA are organising a quiz at The Sportsman Pub, Cliffsend on 22nd October at £6 per head, which includes refreshments. 50% beekeeping questions, the rest general knowledge. Raffle in aid of Bees Abroad.
Tables of 8 welcome. Steve & I are going, who else is willing? The honour of DDBKA is at stake!

SUGAR for feeding The cheapest sugar I have seen is from Farm Foods [near Morrisons in Dover] 75p a kg

Remember to keep records of all treatments used to assess their efficacy.

Maggie