Dear Member,

Well, this summer is certainly breaking all the records for hot dry weather. My bees suffered from the long cold winter and were much weaker than usual at the start of the season, but this long stretch of dry warm weather has meant they have been out foraging every day and the result is that they have all built up into strong colonies. However none of my colonies have swarmed, but two of them appear to have superceded and I wonder if this may have occurred more frequently this year because of the unusual weather pattern. Whatever the reason, it has meant that I will have a honey crop which I assumed I would not get this year because they were so weak in May!

If you have managed to extract honey this year please remember the Honey Show in October and keep some of the best aside to enter.

Most of you who are getting a honey crop this year will no doubt have extracted your honey and of course once the supers are off, this is the time to assess the varroa on your hives and The National Bee Unit gives excellent advice on how to measure your varroa drop and what to use for treatment if needed. Once you have done this it is time to start your preferred varroa treatment as the bees which will be produced over the next three months are the winter bees; as varroa feeds on the developing larvae, bees produced if there is a high varroa count will be weaker and more susceptible to viral infections. If they are strong and healthy, you are much less likely to lose your bees over the winter months.

Rowan, Martin and Sam represented our organisation at the Thurlaston Fete which we attended for the first time this year. The date clashed with the World Cup football where England was bravely taking on Sweden, so they need even more thanks for giving up their time on a hot Saturday to promote beekeeping while large parts of the country were glued to their TV screens. Despite the football there was a good turnout at the fete. I understand the cakes on sale were also excellent.

As I had family visiting I was not able to attend the social at the ‘The Bell’ pub in Hillmorton, but Gaynor bravely organised ordering of food and I understand it went off well. She also had a conflicting commitment, so thanks Gaynor for giving us priority!

Our August social event is a bring and share lunch (details in your paper copy of this newsletter). Please come along with something to share and your drink of preference, and hopefully the weather will be kind and we can enjoy a relaxed afternoon together swapping stories of how well our bees have done this year. Families and children are welcome.

Because we are holding the social on the third week of the month, this is also the day of the Apiary meeting - so please note the time change to the morning for the August meeting.

Regards

Margaret Holdsworth