Bromley
Bee News Monthly Update
Published by the Bromley Beekeepers |
||||||
|
Welcome
to the May 2003 issue of Bromley News.
As I'm writing this newsletter the sun is shining between the showers and I feel guilty I haven't check my bees in fourteen days, by the time I do I will probably find sealed queen cells. I shall have a nuc box and some blank frames ready in case I need to make a split. Splits are a useful method of increasing stocks and/or raising new queens and hopefully prevent the lost of a swarm at the same time. Honey production would suffer but it would anyway if you lose the swarm. When I looked at my bees before going on holiday, I noticed the new combs of foundation were not getting drawn properly. I ended up scraping some of the new combs back down to the midriff in the hope the bees will get it right next time, we shall see. Swarms are now coming in fast and furious, Clive and John will be contacting those on the swarm list on a first come first served basis (the first one at home to receive the phone call), your name will come up so please be patient. The Kent County Bees and Honey Show schedule is now available to download on kentbee.com. Schools are encouraged to enter the inter schools competition for the School Challenge Shield won last year by St.Mary of Charity Infants. Entries close 4th July. If you fancy volunteering to do some stewarding contact Sally Hardy 020-8699-7065.
Improved
web version of this newsletter with pictures Apis-UK-The
free Beekeeping web magazine and newsletter Steven Turner Apiary News April saw the start of the swarming season and every warm period phones started ringing. I had a call from Peckham but on route my phone rang only to be told the swarm had gone. Another up a tree in a street in Sydenham was gathered nicely into my skep that I turned over to collect the dozens of flying bees only to have the cluster drop out and spread over the footpath. A little judicious smoke saw them running in again, but before all had entered the swarm having other ideas came out and disappeared over the roof tops, that being the last I saw of them. If you
have applied for a swarm please be ready with a new home for them
and save all that running around when they arrive. Several members have lost colonies last winter for no apparent reason. Plenty of stores but only a handful of dead bees in the hive. In most instances queen failure has been blamed but don't forget that when a stock of bees gets heavily infested with Varroa they will abscond and join a nearby hive leaving just a few bees behind. We have been very unlucky with the weather for our apiary meetings this year, in fact the April afternoon meeting saw us just sitting around drinking tea accompanied by lively chat but of course that's not really the idea. Ten of us set off in two cars for the annual event at Stoneleigh and at least another five made their own way there, so as usual with events away from home, Bromley was well represented. Our next meeting will be at 3:00pm on the 18th May that coincides with the allotments Open Day when our bees will be in demand entertaining members of the public and us of course. On the same day there will be an Open Day at the farm where Dave Harris keeps his bees, which you may well want to visit before coming along to the Apiary. Clive and Tom plan to be there with any others who may turn up manning the display and honey sales. Don't forget! Saturday June 7th when we take our display tent to Blackheath Village Fair which must be the biggest show of the year for us. We need all the honey we can get for that event as we always sell out before the close of the day. Not only honey, but we need all the help we can get as well. Peter Springall Diary Dates Sunday
4th May 2003 11:45am Advertisements
David
Harris Bees
for Sale |
||||||
|
Back |
