Dear Members

The weather is still so mixed isn’t it? When we set off on the coach last Sunday the sky was really black but we ended up with a lovely afternoon and a very pleasant ride back in sunshine in the evening. We did have one ‘hiccup’ when the driver suddenly turned up a very narrow lane and we realised we were not heading for Winchcombe after all. He took us straight to the castle and although he did offer to take us back none of us had the heart to make him drive up that lane twice more so we stayed and had our lunch there. There are several big events coming up later in the year so please mark your calendars and do your best to attend. We try to put on a varied programme and it is for you, the members’ benefit.

On Sunday 8^th June and Saturday 14^th June Ernest Morgan came and tested our new beekeepers on their knowledge gleaned from the course. They then had to open a hive under Dave’s scrutiny. Thank you Ernest for doing that for us- it is appreciated.

The winner with the highest score and therefore the winner of the Ralph Dover Novice Trophy was John Munday of Brilley. Well done John.

We will be showing you how to extract your honey, subject to us having any honey! More details next month.

It was a bright summer’s day when we set out for Sudeley Castle in an impressive super-sized coach. On the journey the main topics of conversation were the serious problems affecting our bees, with most members having lost hives, and toilets ancient and modern. As we approached the castle the roads became very narrow which was a bit scary, but after some delicate manoeuvres arrived in time for lunch without incident.

The first view of the castle was quite impressive with turrets and battlements in a mellow honey-coloured stone against a backdrop of the dark green ancient woodland. Before sightseeing, Andy and I shared a picnic lunch with a group of German ladies which was good fun and we even managed to give an international plug for WVBKA.

There were numerous gardens each with a different theme and "interesting artwork", the most relevant being the tudor-style knot garden and the beautiful Queen’s garden with water features, wonderful roses and other planting. Apparently several of Henry’s wives, such as Katherine Parr, Jane Seymour and his daughters Mary + Elizabeth enjoyed this garden.
Also within the grounds is St Mary’s Church where Katherine Parr, Henry’s last wife is entombed – she was the only wife of the six to outlive him.

Within the castle were various exhibitions, one of which included life-size models of Henry VIII and his six wives dressed in sumptuous tudor costumes. To round off the day we were given a demonstration on "How to inflate a hot air balloon" which was both informative and exciting.

It was good to meet up with friends from the association and to see Dave looking so fit + healthy. Many thanks to June for all the effort she puts into making the day run so smoothly.

After a dismal start weatherwise, we were welcomed by David and Prue in their lovely old farmhouse at Abbeydore. With very little prospect of opening hives we very quickly settled down to a lively discussion on various topics of beekeeping in their lovely kitchen, accompanied by tea and coffee and a selection of goodies. The discussion included finding Queens, artificial swarms, and numerous others. All enjoyed participating.

We then came up to Golden Valley Apiaries for our ‘indoor’ picnic lunch and further discussions. Thanks to those who generously contributed food items including a scrumptious chocolate cake.

We then went to Preston on Wye to Geoff’s apiary where we looked at a colony in a WBC hive. Again many thanks to Geoff for the refreshment afterwards.

In spite of the weather we all enjoyed our day.

There may be a lot of them about soon. If you are looking for a swarm then please let me know as obviously we are the first people who are contacted when swarms appear. Even if you do not really want a swarm would you be willing to help members of the public by removing one in your area. If so, again please let me know.

Deposit of £40 plus a hiring fee of £10 for the first hire, but only £5 for subsequent hire in the same season. The Extractor is usually kept at Golden Valley Apiaries and is available to members. Give us a ring if you would like to hire it, likewise if you would like to borrow any books from our Library.

It would seem not many had any honey in the spring. With luck all is not lost. It is possible to get a main crop in July. The bees seem to have made good progress in June, which should stand them in good stead for any flow which might occur. There are no hard and fast rules but if you can keep your bees up together and not allow them to get away from you there is a good chance of a crop of honey. What about raising a Queen or two? This may seem quite a daunting task but it is not as difficult as you may think, especially if you use the natural swarming impulse. Of course, there are many ways to raise Queens and I do not intend going in to any great detail. In reality if you simply divide a double brood box, in most cases that will provide you with an increase if your colony is preparing to swarm. So why not utilise this and increase your stocks? This is not a scientific queen rearing program but it will give you an increase probably and alleviate any swarming now. What about finding that elusive Queen? When I speak to most beekeepers There seems to be this overwhelming desire to find the Queen. This is not easy, even if you are an experienced beekeeper. Sometimes, they well, hide themselves making it impossible to find them quickly. When you ask beekeepers why they need to see the Queen quite often the reply will be ‘I just wanted to see if she was there’. If you have brood in all stages there is simply no need to find the Queen and it is a waste of time. The condition of the brood tells you she is there, providing there are no Queen cells of course. Sometimes it will be necessary to find her, that is quite a different scenario and requires a different approach. Generally speaking, if you need to find a Queen, use little smoke at the entrance and search for the Queen methodically. This approach will in most cases, be an advantage. You will need to examine each comb quietly and quickly. She quite often will be found nearest the open brood. Once you get your eye in and practice finding queens it will gradually become easier for you to find your Queen. If it is necessary?

Mrs Sue Crooke has a ¾ acre garden in Barton Rd Hereford and would like to know if any beekeeper would like to put a hive of bees in it. Telephone: 07970184032

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