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| Peter Springall |
Welcome
to the September 2002 issue of Bromley News.
News has reached me that Dave Harris (affectionately known as the
Blind Man) is in hospital recovering after a major operation. We all
wish Dave a speedy recovery and hope to see him attending branch meetings
in his usual greenish bee suit in the near future.
I
had a very pleasant time at the Ashford branch barbeque where I was
invited to demonstrate in early August. I was pre warned before we
moved up to the bees that temper was a problem in the apiary, I wasn’t
worried as I was wearing my new ‘BB wear’ full bee suit which gave
me confidence to deal with any situation. 
The honey had already been taken off and the wets put back on for
cleaning. Ashford’s branch apiary has National hives on single and
double broods. Inspections were very relaxed in fairly windy but sunny
conditions. I was asked to mark a queen which I did in a botched way,
as well as a spot of paint on her thorax she gained a go faster stripe.
The bees were surprisingly pleasant to handle. I treated all hives
with Apistan (early in August as recommended by experts) before closing
the hives. When you are so engrossed in what you are doing time can
fly by, I had spent 2.5 hours looking, talking and answering questions
about the bees to some of the five newest members, we had forgotten
about the food being cooked on the barbeque and were being beckoned
down, it was time to eat.
Some members may be aware of the Internet and how useful it can be
for finding information and contacting specialists in different fields!
Well I get a number of e-mails each year relating to bees in walls,
lofts, swarms in gardens etc, this is because my details are published
on kentbee.com as a swarm coordinator in the Catford area. I recently
received an e-mail from Simon Wilks who had a bee problem over in
Forest Hill. This was an established colony of honeybees which had
been left undisturbed for many years. The bees were coming from a
ventilator air brick on the third floor at the top of a block of flats.
I
knew that removing such a large colony of bees in August was going
to be difficult. I hadn’t attempted anything like it before but rose
to the challenge for the experience.
I contacted Peter Hutton who was able to give me some good advice.
The main tips were take plenty of honey buckets and cover the floors,
remove the comb from the back, consider taking a second beekeeper
to help.
The combs were in the ceiling in the bathroom between two joists which
were conveniently above the bath. I was aware when you start a job
like this you never know exactly how the job will pan out. Firstly
I cut down the plaster board between the joists exposing all the combs.
I then installed a one way bee valve in front of the air vent so any
bees leaving wouldn’t be able to return, and would cluster on the
outside wall. I had set-up a empty hive on the roof as close to the
air vent as possible, this was the lure hive to attract the bees.
I
had a spare veil which Simon wore with his anorak so he was the second
pair of hands, all the combs where removed which was a very sticky
experience, my bee suit was completely soaked in honey covering my
glasses, hair and body, there were bees everywhere.
I estimated that I was stung 150 times, pain or no pain, when you
start a job it has to be finished.
The original plan was to find the queen and cage her putting her in
bait hive, unfortunately the queen was never found during the dismantling
of the nest, probably because of my impaired vision.
To cut a long story short Simon is now completely free of his bees
and can now have builders erect scaffolding to replace his windows.
Simon should be relieved he can use his bathroom again after two weeks
of camping out in his own flat.
A number of photographs have been taken and will be available to view
at the Bromley and Orpington branch honey show.
You
should receive a show schedule with this newsletter; if not copies
can be downloaded from the address: http://www.kentbee.com/bromley/programme.htm
. If you have any queries about the schedule contact Peter Bashford
020-8656-7990. I hope all members and spouses will take the trouble
to enter something in this years show. A lot of effort is involved
in organising this event, so please support it!
Internet
News
Improved
web version of this newsletter with photographs
http://www.kentbee.com/bromley/newsletters/septbbk02.htm
Beedata Members Beekeeping News
Subscribe to this news service and receive bee news directly to your
inbox: http://www.beedata.com/membersnews.shtml
Steven
Turner
Apiary
News
Robbing is the next hazard we have to look out for. Now that the flow
is over idle hands have nothing better to do than look for trouble.
Make sure all your entrances are as small as possible. A half an inch
is all that is necessary which will give the residents a chance to
guard their precious stores. If you have to feed, do it in the evening
and be careful not to spill honey when taking off your harvest, apart
from that there is little else you can do.
Show
time is here. Make sure you have at least two jars to put in the show
and don't forget, if you have never won a prize before you can enter
in the novices class, a class which is far less demanding. Don't forget
there are classes which would suit your spouse where beekeeping expertise
is not necessary. Towards the end of next month it will be time to
get your entries in for the National Honey Show. Don't let the time
go by and leave it too late.
The
queen rearing is now over, not because it is too late, but because
it is difficult to open small stocks which are the ones most susceptible
to being robbed out. There are still a couple of queens available
from those bred I the Apiary this year. Contact me if you have need
to replace any queens that could be suspect. Wishing you all a bumper
harvest.
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Photographs
from the Bromley Beekeepers tent at the Cudham Show in August
by Steven Turner
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| Looking
at the bees |
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| Tony
showing this bees |
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| Roll
your own candles |
Peter
Springall
Diary
Dates
Sunday 1st September 11.45am
The branch apiary meeting. Beekeeping demonstrations and hive management.
Tea and biscuits provided.
Saturday 14th September - The Bromley and Orpington Honey
Show and Beekeeping exhibition. Opens to the public at 2.30pm
FREE ENTRY.
Emmanuel Church, The Grove, West Wichham, Kent.
See quality products of the hive; buy pure English honey; things for
kids to do; watch the bees at work safely behind glass in the demonstration
hive; beekeeping exhibits and more. Park Beekeeping Supplies
has been invited to demonstrate his cheaper range of honey extractors.
Refreshments available.
Sunday 6th October 11.45am
The branch apiary meeting. Beekeeping demonstrations and hive
management. Tea and biscuits provided.
14th-16th
November - The National Honey Show at Kensington Town Hall, Hornton
Street, Kensington High Street, London. http://www.honeyshow.co.uk/
For
more information
Peter Springall 020-8690-3906 Mobile: 07779970104 E-Mail
Tom Winks Chairman 020-8777-3144
Clive Watson 020-8658-3786
Steven Turner (editor) 020-8698-0313 E-Mail
Visit our website www.kentbee.com/bromley
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