(www.eastlothianbeekeepers.org.uk)
Newsletter 134 August
2005
We have had a busy
summer with successful and sunshine-blessed visits to the apiaries of Bill Fife,
George Barton (a visit from “Slow Food” which we combined with a trip to George
Hood’s honey processing facilities in Ormiston), Mark Hedderwick and Pat
McErlean (joint meeting with Peebles BKA).
Our stall at the
Haddington Show was never quiet – we took £165 in honey sales and for candle
rolling. We also enlightened some innocents about bees and honey, backed up by
our new Association leaflet, got lots of people mellow with Pat’s mead,
satisfied hordes of sweet teeth with our tasting pots, tempted kids to don veils
and open our “virtual hive” and made contact with some potential beekeepers.
Meanwhile the queen in the observation hive just got on with her laying. Despite all this there was no first prize – our tent
as a whole got a rosette for third place and a letter of thanks from the
Agricultural Society. Any ideas for improvements next year - without opening a hive!
Despite giving the
names of some members to East Lothian Council as swarm collection volunteers, I
have had very few swarm enquiries this year, though quite a few about
bumblebees!
Diary Dates
20th
and 21st August Gifford Show. Entries can be taken in on the Friday evening or Saturday before
28th
August - Heather picnic hosted by Ross Langlands. Take the B6355 Gifford – Duns road for about 4
miles. You will see a sign for a fishery and cross a cattle grid just before you
pass Darent House. Take the next turn off on the left. Bring your own picnic.
Meet 1 pm. Non-beekeepers welcome and safe!
24th
September SBA Autumn Convention – Oatridge Agricultural College, Broxburn,
3rd October
SBA Touring Lecturer – Glyn Davies will be speaking to the Caddonfoot BKA on
“Beekeeping in Revolution” at
November
– Beekeeping Social Evening.
Our Association had a long tradition of organising a winter dinner for
beekeepers and their families with one or two guests from neighbouring
Associations invited to join us for dinner (without having to give a talk). Is
there any interest in reviving this event or any suggestions for a suitable venue?
Let me know and we will revive the custom.
Extractor
The Association has
bought Colin McIntosh’s 9-frame stainless steel, radial, variable speed
extractor. George Barton will keep it on behalf of the Association, and it will
be available for borrowing to members at a modest fee (to be decided). Despite
this acquisition, our Treasurer, Rosemary Carthy, tells me that our funds are
healthy (several hundred pounds) and that we ought to think about how we want
to use our resources. Any ideas?
Disease leaflets
I have copies of two
new leaflets from DEFRA entitled “Managing Varroa” and “Tropilaelaps: parasitic
mites of honey bees”. Tropilaelaps is like a small and thin Varroa mite, but
the good news is that it requires the continuous presence of brood and is
“unlikely to survive where there is complete brood interruption during the
winter.” You can borrow these leaflets from me. I have written asking for more
copies of the Varroa leaflet, but they are scarce and if you want to try as
well write to Scott McDowell, Animal Health and Welfare, Pentland House, 47
Robb’s Loan, EH14 1TY (0131-244 6616, animal.health@scotland.gsi.gov.uk).
History of
Beekeeping in
A recent addition to
our website is a history section containing a collection of old articles and
letters about beekeeping from the Haddingtonshire Courier and dating from the
1860s – 80s. There are some superb descriptions of the production of queen
cells and the development of brood written by a Mr Shearer of
Apistan strips
I still have a number
of Apistan strips for testing hives for the presence of Varroa. These are
available free to members thanks to a donation from the Lothian, Borders and
Angus Cooperative Society. You can use the strips only once you have removed all
your supers. The strips are best used in conjunction with a Varroa floor or hive
insert.
Basic Beemaster
All five of our
members (Maureen and Alan Cameron, Margaret Dunning, Jane Will and myself) who sat for the Basic Beemaster Certificate in June
under Mike Bain’s tutelage have passed! Certificates to be handed out at some
suitably embarrassing public event!
Beekeeping Supplies
Braeside Bee Supplies
is a Thorne’s agent in Penicuik who attends the Haddington Farmer’s Market each
month and can bring orders there for collection. 01968 674947
New members
We welcome the
following new members: Graham Rankine, Alan Hamilton, Lesley MacGregor, Nigel
Souter, Charles Ingle, and John Young. Our membership now stands at 36.
Donald Smith (Secretary)
Garden Cottage
Clerkington
Haddington EH41 4NJ
01620 822441 gardencottage@ntlworld.com