Dear Member,

As I write this we are experiencing a late warm Summer, but Autumn is just round the corner and we are starting to prepare our bees for the cold wet months of winter. Hopefully many of you are enjoying the fruits of the hive in the shape of your own freshly harvested honey.

Despite a rather cool June and July the bees seem to have done well this year and many beekeepers have had good results. It is important however to remember that the bees collect nectar and make honey for their own benefit and so ensure that you leave sufficient for them to successfully come through the dark days of winter. While bees can, and do, survive on sugar syrup, they do better if left with their own honey reserves that they have gathered from a variety of nectar sources.

A number of Rugby beekeepers enjoyed the Summer Social which fortunately also benefited from a patch of dry weather as it rained before lunch and then stayed dry until tea time when the rain again came down, much welcomed by gardeners who have had to spend a lot of time watering in the dry August. As usual the combined culinary efforts of different beekeepers ensured that a veritable feast was on offer. I discovered that Kim Spencer has been hiding his light as a master baker when he produced a tasty seeded bread which was a rival to the lovely cumin rolls that Francis and Tony French produced! Martin and Jackie Taylor also added inches to our waistlines with their Chocolate malteaser cake. Thank you all who came along and made such a success of the day.

You all will have seen the email announcing that the County Warwickshire Honey Show is taking place on the 24th September. Perhaps some of you will be interested in taking part and pitting yourselves against the rest of the county? In the past Bruce Roberts and Pauline Young from Rugby did very well in the County and National Honey shows and Maurice West was a trophy winner with his sealed frame of honey last year. So maybe it is time for someone else from Rugby to try their hand.

Of course on the 15th October we have our very own Honey Show here in Rugby and I hope those of you who harvested honey will enter, and those who did not harvest honey will also think of baking something for the show, or at least coming along to see the contributions of others and listen to Tim Foden talking about preparing honey for sale and show. You will find the Honey Show schedule enclosed with your WB. If you prefer to submit an electronic entry I will be sending those out in mid September when I return from my holiday. Come along and see what is possible if you can’t enter yourself and support your fellow beekeepers in their efforts.

2016/17 Dates for meetings and events for RBKA members;

September 21st Topic and speaker to be arranged Friends Meeting House, 7.30pm

October 15th Rugby Honey Show 2.00-5.00pm United Reformed Church Hall

November 16th Allergy to Stings Dr.A.Huissoon Friends Meeting House, 7.30pm

December 21st Quiz and festive bring and share food! Friends Meeting House, 7.30pm

January 18th Graham Royale ‘Apis through the Looking Glass’ Friends Meeting House, 7.30pm

February AGM and Chairman’s choice Friends Meeting House, 7.30pm

March Topic and speaker to be arranged Friends Meeting House, 7.30pm