Dear Beekeeper
Here’s hoping for a healthy & productive year for
us & the bees. Notice the 2015 colour on the queen!
The weather has been very wet, but not particularly
cold yet, so watch out for bees consuming their stores too fast, fondant can be
useful, Mary will have more Apifondant at
the January meeting.
Woodpeckers have made a hole in the
front of the polystyrene hive at Eythorne. Again.
Look out for a buildup of dead bees
at the entrance too.
If you haven’t already signed up for the BIFA Day [Bee Improvement for
All] on February 21st at Elham, do so asap, we will hold the cost of
the day at £5 for DDBKA members till the end of January, a great offer. The
details and forms are on our website, on the courses tab.
Pass the information to beekeepers you come across please.
Annual
Delegates Meeting: Dougal
was our representative at this meeting and got involved with financial &
governance details which I hope he will sum up briefly at the January meeting.
QUIZ!
The competition for the
Beekeeping cup will take place on the 28th February at Alkham at
2:30 pm; Dougal is very kindly setting the questions, which will be 50%
beekeeping & the remainder general knowledge. Tables of 8 [maximum] to take
part, partners welcome. We will add small groups together to make 8s, so don’t worry
if you are a pair or an individual. Thanet & Canterbury beekeepers will be
invited so please let me know asap if you want to have a go. Space is
limited.
All are welcome as
“audience”. Tea as usual, but you are welcome to bring some beer/wine if it
helps the competitive edge. A new venture for us, but hopefully some fun.
I have received the SE Annual Review from Julian
Parker the new Regional bee inspector, it is quite lengthy, but interesting reading,
it is on website HERE. It gives incidences of diseases, 0 AFB in Kent,
10 EFB; warnings of Asian Hornets & SH Beetles, and hopes that we are all
registered with Beebase.
The schedule of DDBKA events for 2015 can be found HERE, but open to change if needed. We have a gap for March, but are working on it!
Those of you who remember Graham Hartley, a popular wine judge at our
shows some years ago, will be sorry to learn of his death this week aged 92. A
lovely man who took the tasting aspect very seriously!
Best wishes
Maggie