Saturday 17 January 2015

Newsletter January 2015

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