Dear Members,
I am surprised that no matter how often I attend beekeeping lectures, I always hear something new and feel enthused to learn more. Graham Royal, at our September meeting, stressed that beekeepers need to keep up to date with changes in the climate and environment as well as beekeeping research and adjust their practice accordingly to get maximal rewards from their beekeeping . Of course this is common sense, but sometimes it helps to bring it into the light.
Dear Members,
This always seems a difficult time in the beekeeping calendar. I feel as though it requires a major juggling act to accomplish honey extraction, treating for varroa and ensuring, if they need to be, bees are fed.
Dear Member
Well, for many this has been a good year for honey production and most of you who are getting a honey crop this year will no doubt have extracted your honey and be enjoying the fruits of your, and the bees, labour.
Dear Member
‘A swarm in May is worth a load of hay, a Swarm in June is worth a silver spoon, a swarm in July is not worth a fly’ goes the old adage. While the currency referred to is somewhat outdated, the principle that an early swarm will give you a good return, and a late one will mean that you need to put resources into preserving that swarm, is still relevant.
Dear Member
The swarming season always throws up an interesting array of phone calls about bees and this year has been no exception despite BBKA’s improved information about what constitutes a swarm. Most of the calls I have had this year have been from people with bees already lodged in the fabric of buildings, or bumble bees. Several swarms were reported, but by the time I was ready to collect they had also departed, hopefully not into someone else’s chimney.
