East Lothian Beekeepers Association

(www.eastlothianbeekeepers.org.uk)

 

Newsletter 135                                     September 2005

 

The autumn continues mild and my bees are still active, syruped up to their crownboards, jostling out the wasps. It’s a bit late for this year, but there is a very good design for a wasp trap on our website, courtesy of Graham White (follow link to Dartington Long Deep Hive). Unfortunately, the weather was a bit wild on the date of our heather picnic so it had to be cancelled. Maybe we will try an earlier date next year.

 

Revival of the Association Dinner

The Association’s dinner will be held at 8 pm on Friday 4th November at Bonar’s Restaurant in Haddington, next to the Poldrate Mill. To make the occasion extra-special, the meal will have a honey theme, the honey coming from the Association apiary. The evening will be a social event rather than a beekeeper’s convention, so family and friends are most welcome. The cost, which includes three courses, coffee and half a bottle of house wine, will be £21.50 per head. I will need to know numbers in advance, so please could you send me a cheque for the appropriate amount by the 15th October.

 

This dinner will see the revival of a tradition which began in

1953 with a social evening held in Haddington. In 1954 the event moved to the Goblin Ha’ in Gifford with invited guests including Mr W. Smith of Innerleithen and two members each from the Edinburgh and Midlothian and Berwickshire Associations. This set the pattern which continued until the early 1980s. Would you like to revive this practice of inviting (non-speaking) guests – a way of thanking friends of the Association? If so, who would you like to see invited? As extra inducements, I hope that it will be possible to present Basic Beemaster certificates to the five worthy members (Maureen and Alan Cameron, Margaret Dunning, Jane Will and myself) who all obtained distinctions this summer!

 

Varroa

My hive floor scrapings got the all-clear this spring, and my Varroa floors were clear all summer. But when I put test strips in at the end of August after taking my supers off, every hive in my apiary was infected with Varroa. I took the precaution of not taking my bees to the heather this year and last, so the infection has come in from one of the swarms that arrived at my apiary, or by drifting / robbing. There are now reports of Varroa from Dunglass, Dirleton, Gifford, Haddington Whittinghame and Jerusalem, as well as several sites on the Eastern edge of the county. Susan Irvine tells me that she has not had very many samples from East Lothian so far this year. It is still not too late to check your hives – Apistan strips for testing are available free (thanks to the Coop) from me.

 

SBA Touring Lecturer 3rd October

A reminder that Glyn Davies will be speaking to the Caddonfoot BKA on “Beekeeping in Revolution” at 7.30 pm in St Margaret’s Primary School Hall, Galashiels. Further information from Paul Gibson, 01896 750110 or alisongibson@onetel.com. Any offers or requests for lifts to me.

 

Beginners classes

Anyone who would like to take part in a beginners’beekeping class, or who is interesting in completing the Basic Beemaster Certificate, please get in touch with Mike Bain (01875 341226)

 

Gifford Show

The number of entries were significantly up this year, and seven different people won first prizes! The Gifford Horticultural Society Trophy for most points was won by Sandy Boggon, and the George Turnball Trophy for the best exhibit was won by John De Pree.

 

216 (1lb jar clear)

            W. Fife M. Cameron     J. De Pree

217 (1lb jar granulated)

            J. Sheldon       

218 (1lb jar soft set)    

J. De Pree        J. Sheldon       M. Hedderwick

219 (1lb jar heather)    

G. Barton         S. Boggon       

220 (8oz cut comb blossom)    

M. Cameron     S. Boggon

221 (8oz cut comb heather)

            -

222 (section Blossom)

            S. Boggon        D. Smith

223 (section heather)

            -

224 (shallow frame blossom)

            J. De Pree        M. Hedderwick            D. Smith

225 (shallow frame heather)

            -          

226 (bottle Mead)

            -

227 (beeswax 8 – 12 oz)

            J. De Pree        M. Hedderwick            S. Boggon

228 (honey cake)

            D. Smith           M. Cameron

Anyone who goes for heather honey could do well next year! For next year I will try to arrange for someone to collect entries after the show so as to make it easier to enter.

 

SBA Convention, Broxburn, 24th September

Mike Bain, Sandy Boggon and myself heard Professor Pickard talk about everything from viruses to the universe, taking in human sociality and why you shouldn’t crush bees along the way. A speaker from Vita mentioned a trial of Apiguard treatment over the autumn/winter which sounds promising. Hamish Robertson spoke about Struan apiaries, with excellent marketing ideas.

 

Disease leaflets

I have obtained an extra 10 copies of two new leaflets from DEFRA entitled “Managing Varroa” and “Tropilaelaps: parasitic mites of honey bees” – both very good and available from me.

 

Library and Magazines

Our library is so successful that almost everything is out on loan! However, please can we keep the stock circulating by returning books at our meetings so that other members can have the chance to read them. We also have back issues of the Scottish Beekeeper, BeeCraft and The Beekeepers Quarterly.

 

New member

We welcome Brian Ferguson of North Berwick who has just started up with three hives from Colin McIntosh.

 

Donald  Smith (Secretary)

Garden Cottage

Clerkington

Haddington       EH41 4NJ       

01620 822441             gardencottage@ntlworld.com