Newsletter May 2023
Dear beekeeper,
A month of
drama! The first swarm appeared in Great Mongeham
on April 30th, later than usual, due to the coldest, wettest,
dullest spring for 30 years. We knew it & our bees did too. Luckily the
swarm settled only 12 feet from the parent hive. Things
are now moving rapidly, so please report to me any swarms or surplus bees you
come across, 10 members still hope to replenish lost bees or just get started. April’s meeting heard some very sad tales of
people who had lost all bees, some after 30+ successful years.
Claire surprised me with her decision to give up beekeeping,
as she felt it was quite a burden to be always on bee-alert. She has been a very
valuable member since 2014, the queen of refreshments! Very generously, she donated her 4 colonies
to long-standing members who had lost everything, helping to reduce the number
needing bees. Claire will still play a part in our Association thank goodness,
& will have some equipment to sell later.
Roger Knight &
his wife suffered an extremely serious fire at their home & bee shed in
Whitfield. He lost one hive;
one was badly charred & the third knocked about by the rescuing fire crew.
Amazingly the 2 were still full of bees, getting repeatedly drenched with water
helped. The damage to their property is truly
awful, a roof destroyed, 2 cars written off as well. It
will be a year before all is restored. A swarm took to the air a couple of days
later there too, now gone to a DDBKA member, as has the blackened hive including
its bees.
Then last week I had an unusual call from a “location finder” looking for somewhere to do some filming for a TV dating show where an American would meet her date in this country. Both were interested in beekeeping, could we help?
My first requests met with a
stony silence, but in Dover, Dave Grayling kindly offered his hives &
garden, plans were made, suits were got ready, but of course it all fell
through as they had over-estimated the logistics & time they had. Prospects
for fame disappeared rapidly!
Today’s news is of a credible
sighting of an Asian Hornet discovered in a workshop 15 miles from Ashford.
Doesn’t say in which direction from Ashford. It was caught & is being
analysed by scientists. Please keep up your vigilance, use the Asian Hornet Watch
app to report any sightings, a dead one or a clear photo are vital.
HONEY JARS For
MEMBERS
Now
at Unit 12, AB Crush panel beaters, opposite the Shepherdswell turning
on the A2 to Five Oaks, Geddinge
CT4 6RY. The
procedure remains the same, order to me, payment to Philip, collection on a Friday
from 11 to 12, it is a really busy site with vehicles, deliveries etc. PRICES: 1lb jars, including lids, in boxes of 72 £23.50 12oz jars SOLD OUT-
discontinued
8oz round jars
& lids are £34.50 for 128
10 boxes of
1lb jars left now, 4 boxes of half pound jars left. I
lb jars & half pound jars are still available at the above prices; once
that stock is sold, the new prices will be £30 for 1lb jars & £45 for half
pounds.
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Keep checking your hives at weekly intervals to look for any problems, you are likely to notice an increase in the hive population, and when you see drones appearing then it will be possible for a new queen to be developed quickly & for her individual cell to be sealed.
Once
that cell is sealed, the old queen will fly off taking a third or more of your
colony with her. The bees will have been choosing their preferred site and will
all know through colony communication where they will be heading.
Your task is
to make them go along with your plan, which is to allow a division of the
colony, not to lose them in a flight to who knows where. Prepare a nuc box to
receive the old queen on her frame, another frame of brood & one of food,
one or two of foundation, shake in some extra bees & close the box, move it
to a space within your apiary, open at dusk, they should be settled & the
main hive can peacefully wait for the virgin to emerge.
This month’s meeting: Saturday 27th May 2:30
pm
At the DDBKA Eythorne apiary at Eythorne Court CT15 4AD.
It is along Shepherdswell Road, near
Eythorne travelling towards Shepherdswell, on the left, near a black wooden
building. We park in the next field; you will see cars and a gate to enter. If
you are a new member or visitor, please make yourself known, we get busy!
Please remember your beesuit.
We shall have a
register for you to sign please. Signing will confirm that you have read the
Health & Safety policy sent out last month. Please pay regard to safety considerations.
·
If you haven’t picked up your emergency
contact card it will be a chance to do so.
·
Jackie will be demonstrating a shook swarm
procedure with the weaker colony
·
We will also have a discussion session on
swarm control methods & techniques, Mary Hill will show how to collect a
swarm in her own inimitable style.
·
Tea [£2] & raffle as usual Bring your own mugs!!!
·
Take the opportunity to change your
library books
Best wishes, hoping to see you,
Maggie
