Bromley
Bee News Monthly Update
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Welcome to the October 2004 issue of Bromley News.
Mike Oliver has written a series of witty articles about his beekeeping experiences which we are please to publish here. Visit the branch website to view a much bigger newsletter with coverage of our honey show and more. Internet Resources Bromley and Orpington Honey Show 2004 report from Peter Bashford Trophy Results and Prizes
Apiary News It’s now three months since I sat at the keyboard typing these notes. I remember before I retired John Farrar saying to me that I would find tomorrow my biggest enemy and it’s quite true. It’s so easy to put things off but of course tomorrow never comes as they say. First I must say a great big thank you to all of you who took part in my birthday celebrations. I must say it was the best birthday I can ever remember and to see you all at Liz and Barry’s house was a wonderful surprise, something I will remember always. This month you will all be aware sees the National Honey Show. Due to the new venue we have been able to return to the customary date of October, let us hope this suits most of the visitors. Don’t forget we will need all the help we can get on Tuesday the 19th October. We plan to arrive with the equipment at about 3.30 pm as we will be allowed in from 4pm until 7pm. There will be a meeting of the Staging Committee at Dorset Road Allotments on Thursday the 14th October at 3.00pm in order to tie up all the loose ends. I trust you have all managed to get your honey off by now and that you have made at least one entry in the National which will ensure us taking home the coveted award based on the number of branch members making entries. Our branch AGM and prize giving will be as usual on the Tuesday the 16th of November at 7.30pm in the clubhouse. Those of you who have not paid your subs by then please bring your chequebook with you on the night as all subs must be in by the 30th. Last Saturday Clive and I visited Dave Harris at his home and you will be pleased to hear that he was in better spirits than we have seen him for at least a year. He came out of hospital after what is hoped to be his final operation early last week and is really looking forward to being up and about in time for next season’s beekeeping. If any of you feel like paying him a visit at his home he will be delighted to see you. Apiary meetings continue on the first Sunday of each month at 11.45am. I don’t know how long we will continue to open the hives, but as long as the bees are flying we can always have a quick look in any hive that seems on the quiet side. See you at the National. Peter Springall Member Article Some thoughts on the inevitable I think I have made most of them in my first year. For example, I left a frame with foundation in the back of my car in the very hot weather recently and forgot it until the next afternoon when, surprise, surprise, I found the molten wax seeping into the carpet in the boot and one empty frame. My smug friend, Mr Springall, said, “Well, at least you won’t do that again.” (I probably will.) I have learnt to check my colonies more regularly in April and May for signs of overcrowding, etc and they still swarmed – again, as somebody said, “they will do, even if you check them daily, give them 20 supers and feed them syrup all winter, the ungrateful swine!” Next year – shook swarms. I bet my bees will still swarm but at least I will be able to waste another fortune on new frames and foundation. I got stung to bits – to the great amusement of the club members – when I forgot to smoke supers before replacing them. I have left hive tools on brood boxes and closed them up, nearly suffocated myself by burning wax soaked cardboard in my smoker, put my bare fingers underneath mesh floors and wondered why I got stung and sat on honey covered cardboard – looking decidedly un-cool walking around with a square of cardboard stuck to the seat of my trousers. My grandson loved it! The other day I left a frame hanger on a brood box and closed up. (Has anybody else done this?) Luckily I spotted the bees sneaking in and out of the gap and had to take it all apart and put it together again. Of course, it had to be the colony where there were three well-filled supers and since I could not lift all three together without busting my large intestine, I separated them and, yes, you guessed it, there were frames stuck to the bottom of the super above, bees all over the place, honey flowing like Niagara, AND the smoker went out. Ten minutes later I reassembled a different hive and forgot replace the queen excluder! (propped out of sight on the other side of the hive, of course.) At least when I frantically put it back and then went through the supers to check for her, the queen had not ascended, or had she – no, don’t even think about it. At least I am not as unfortunate as poor Lane Miller of Montana who was moving bees from Idaho to North Dakota recently, crashed his truck in Bear Trap Canyon with 6 million bees aboard (who counted them by the way?) and got stung 20 times. Frankly, 20 out of 6 million is not bad when you think about it; in my case it would have been 5,999,999. I thought the strangest part of that story was that when the local bee expert Gary Clark arrived with his assistants to clear up the mess (Lane being in hospital with a damaged arm) he got stung 60 times. Has this man never heard of a bee-suit and gloves? There is something odd about a beekeeper blithely wandering about unprotected amongst 6 million distressed bees – not even Bromley beekeepers would do that... I think. It is a bit disconcerting to think I have years of daft mistakes ahead of me but at least it makes life interesting. (I don’t intend to drive truckloads of bees through canyons though.) I am still working towards my ambitious goal of 30 hives by Spring 2007, when I retire. I am fortunate enough to have found three good out-Apiary sites in my first year and I am currently managing or being managed by 8 colonies. If you are reading this and saying to yourself, what a twit, I would never do stupid things like that – stop, put your first and second fingers together in the form of a cross and wait until the next time you do exactly what I do. Mike Oliver Diary Dates 21st-23rd October 2004 - National Honey Show at Hendon. Opening times differ, consult website www.honeyshow.co.uk Sunday 7th November 11:45am -
The branch afternoon apiary meeting. Beekeeping demonstrations
and hive management if the weather permits. Tea and biscuits provided.
Sunday 5th December 11:45am - The branch afternoon
apiary meeting. Beekeeping demonstrations and hive management
if the weather permits. Tea and biscuits provided. FOR SALE BEST OFFERS - Langstroth brood bodies (3) including one with made up frames, Supers (8) of which many are still in their original Thorne's packs. Wax foundation for the above and some home made floors and roofs. Moving to France forces sale. Contact William Parker wlp@ntlworld.com FREE to person who will collect - One National Hive (stand, deep brood
box, two supers, roof) and one nucleus box. All a bit cobwebby! No
bees. Contact Cecilia weekends only 020-8778-7776 chilly@mmm.com |
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