Beds BKA members will be manning a stall in the marquee on both days of the Blooming Gardens/Father’s Day event at the magnificent Wrest Park. We look forward to meeting members of the public to talk about bees and beekeeping. Beekeepers and non-beekeepers, young and old are welcome to come and chat and browse on the stall. There will be jarred honey, honey based cookery, beeswax food wraps, information on bees and beekeeping, live bees, beeswax candle rolling, activity and colouring-in sheets for children and more. Two of our members are giving talks about bees and gardening. See you there.
John Rhodes has kindly agreed to run a nosema clinic on Saturday morning 10th March in Broom (near Biggleswade). All details of the event are shown in the document that you will find here.
If you would like to attend please complete the attached form and send it to John as per the attachment.
Please note that John will stop accepting applications when he has received sufficient numbers. This is to allow him to process the samples in a timely manner on the day.
A training day to discuss the all-important Queen Bee:
– The role of the queen in the colony.
– Practical tips on how to deal with queen failure.
– How to select your best colony to raise new queens.
– Principles and practice of queen rearing and queen introduction.
Saturday 3rd February 2018
10am till 4pm
Flitwick Village Hall
Drinks provided. Bring your own lunch.
Cost: £10 payable on the day.
Wintering
Feeding, hefting hives, and storage of equipment. Robbing, Wasps, Mice, and Woodpeckers. Practical – hefting, and netting a hive.
Brood Diseases
Recognising healthy and diseased brood. Getting help. The National Bee Unit (NBU), NBU Inspectors, BeeBase. Disease Quiz.
Flower to Honey
Pollination. The waggle dance. The collection and use of nectar, pollen, water, and propolis by bees.
Honey Harvest
Checking whether honey is ‘ripe’. Clearing bees, extracting honey, licking out. Storing, bottling, and labelling honey. Reclaiming wax. Hoeny tasting.
Swarming
Why bees swarm. Swarm prevention and control including a demonstration of an artificial swarm. When it goes wrong! – catching and hiving a swarm. The nucleus hive and it’s uses. Uniting colonies – how, when, and why.
Spring Awakening
Five things to look for when opening a hive. Reading the combs. Looking at scenarios – group exercise.
Varroa and Adult Bee Diseases
An overview of adult bee diseases including Varroa, Nosema, and Viruses. Managing Varroa including a practical session on Varroa mite counting.
Beekeeping Equipment
The Hive, different hive types, hive parts, bee space, frame spacing, and hive stands. Apiary sites, where to site and orientate your hive, avoiding drifting, moving bees. Practical session in making a frame and ading foundation.
Handling Bees
Protective clothing including demonstration. Stings and First Aid, Tools including Smoker, Hive Tool, and kit box. Record Keeping. Opening and Closing hives.
Life-cycle of Honey Bees
The development of honey bees through all stages from egg through to hatched bee. The division of labour and the roles of bees within the colony.
The Beekeeping Year – month by month
An overview of beekeeping activities throughout the year. Reference materials for the beekeeper.
Wintering
Feeding, hefting hives, and storage of equipment. Robbing, Wasps, Mice, and Woodpeckers. Practical – hefting, and netting a hive.
Brood Diseases
Recognising healthy and diseased brood. Getting help. The National Bee Unit (NBU), NBU Inspectors, BeeBase. Disease Quiz.