Monday 23 November 2015

Newsletter November 2015

Dear Beekeeper

The Honey Show is over, an excellent display of beautifully presented jars of honey, plus delicious confectionery & creative displays. Well done to all who contributed, especially the Bruderhof community who hosted the event at Beech Grove, Nonington.

Apiary
Your bees should now be tucked up & sleepy, except that the mild weather may have made them fly out, use energy & eat their stores. Keep watch on it. We need a cold snap – but protect them from mice & woodpeckers!

The year moves on & it’s time for the AGM.

Members will have  received the minutes of the 2014 AGM, draft accounts, plus an agenda.
Come along to make your ideas count for the next year.

ELECTIONS

All the association offices will be up for election at the AGM. It is important that we broaden the pool of members willing to take on responsibilities, so please do not be shy about standing, your contribution is needed, a chance to voice your views about any aspects of DDBKA.

  • Only Registered members can hold offices. 
  • Please check in advance whether your nominee is willing to stand. 
  • Each nominee needs a proposer and seconder. 
  • You are at liberty to nominate yourself if you wish to take a role, but still need a proposer and seconder.
  • Associate members may nominate and vote.

Please phone or email nominations to me before the AGM. I shall need to prepare ballot papers in the case of any contested elections.

Current Officers 

Chair : Aniela Smith - Resigning 

Vice Chair: Dick Bunting - willing to stand again

Secretary & Membership Secretary: Maggie Harrowell - willing to stand again

Treasurer: Philip Nicholson - willing to stand again

Show Secretary : Chris Holdstock - willing to stand again

Examinations Secretary : Jackie Thomas - willing to stand again

Training Secretary: Mary Hill - willing to stand again

Delegate: Dougal Hendry  - willing to stand again

A new committee will be elected & we shall need a new Chair. If this post is filled from the existing committee, then their previous post would also require filling.

Consider also if you might like to become a mentor to a beginner, host a summer meeting, loan a hive, go on the swarm collectors list.


OTHER NEWS

I hope you all saw the feature in November’s BBKA News written by Geoff Rouse, one of our newer members, regarding beekeeping with disabilities. DDBKA has always tried to be open & friendly; beekeepers can be an odd lot generally [myself included] so diversity is the norm and welcome!


TRAINING

Mary Hill Beginners’ course
The October course was oversubscribed so I am going to teach the two day beginners’ course again on 5th & 12th March. See me at the AGM. 7 people were on the waiting list so there are not many places left.

Basic exam/assessment
A reminder to those of you who have kept bees for at least two years and the winter in between that I am teaching a course to help you pass the Basic exam. All practical, no writing. 

Application forms and further INFO on training pages .


OTHER NEWS

I hope you all saw the feature in November’s BBKA News written by Geoff Rouse, one of our newer members, regarding beekeeping with disabilities. DDBKA has always tried to be open & friendly; beekeepers can be an odd lot generally [myself included] so diversity is the norm and welcome!Only available till 25th November.

There is a BBC film clip on iPlayer which features efforts to fund bee disease research by BDI [which we all pay into to insure our hives]. Have a look if you can, they want Associations to contribute, we may try to help. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06kjlsq/inside-out-south-west-26102015.
The relevant bit is about 9 mins in & lasts for 10 mins.


A paper from Swiss university researchers found statistically significant correlations between field-realistic low-level neonic exposure (total 5 parts per billion) in pollen fed to queen-rearing colonies, and abnormal anatomical and physiological development of those queens. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621
Food for thought for those who have witnessed odd queen behaviour.

Best wishes

Maggie