Dear Member,
Our next branch meeting at Friends Meeting House is on Wednesday December the 16th at 7.30pm.
Traditionally we have had a ‘bring and share’ supper with everyone contributing something tasty to be shared. This means we usually have a wonderful spread to be enjoyed together.
This year, when everyone is replete, Dave Bonner our seasonal bee inspector, has agreed to do a fun quiz to round off the evening. His fee will be supporting the charity ‘Bees Abroad’ which aims to encourage and train beekeepers in East Africa.
Please come along to enjoy the company of your fellow beekeepers in some festive fun and food and bring along a guest if you would like to.
If you have not yet renewed your membership of Rugby Branch, please get your subscriptions to Sam Peckett by the end of December - bring them along to the December meeting!
You may be aware that our AGM takes place in February. If any member wants to make a proposal or raise a matter for discussion at the meeting, you are required by the constitution to give written notice to the secretary - Cathy Moore - by the 10th December. If you would like to join the committee, arrange for someone to nominate you, and if possible let a member of the committee know.
Keep checking on your hives every few weeks to make sure all is well - eg roofs have not blown away, and heft hives to check on stores.
Review your hive records to see what worked and what did not - thinking about which hives you want to increase from, which hives need comb changes - by doing a Bailey comb change or shook swarm.
Plan what to do next year. What equipment do you need. Is there something you could ask Santa to put in your stocking.
Consider doing some study to increase your beekeeping skills. The BBKA website will give you an idea of courses available, but also consider reading books - the Branch Library is available to all - just ask at the branch meeting to see the books.
While the bees are clustered and broodless in the middle of winter, some beekeepers treat their hives with oxalic acid to deal with any phoretic (on the bees) varroa mites. Api-bioxal a veterinary medicinal based on oxalic acid, has been approved by the VMD, and is now the recommended way to apply oxalic treatments. We have explored the option of bulk buying Api-bioxal, so anyone interested please contact us
Margaret Holdsworth