A member organisation representing beekeepers in the
County of Northamptonshire

BEE-LINES (A SELECTION FROM OUR QUARTERLY MAGAZINE)

May 2008

PRESIDENT'S MUSINGS

Dear friends and fellow beekeepers,

First I must thank you for choosing me to be your President. For those that do not know me well I started beekeeping in 1971 having seen an advert in the local paper for beginners courses in beekeeping at Moulton College run by George Summerville, George being the good teacher that he was soon had us going through the bees in the home apiary at the college and I have not looked back since.

The 1970's were a good time to start beekeeping as there was no varroa and oilseed rape was starting to be grown widely, there were arguments as to how good rape honey was and that you must have honey from lime trees in your show exhibit or the judges would reject it. Our meetings in the summer months were held at different members' apiaries, the speaker for the afternoon would then open a hive or two and then it was back to the local village hall for a cup of tea and the lecture. The availability of good quality locally made hives was a useful factor and the demise of Woodland Apiaries was a blow.

It was early on in my beekeeping that I started going to Midland and Southwestern Counties Conventions*, I know that the first one I attended was at Leicester as I have a photo of all the delegates and as I have been to 3 more run by Leicester Beekeepers I must have started in my second or third year. I can recommend going to these weekends as you meet a wide variety of other beekeepers, hear lectures on all aspects of beekeeping and have a good time.

IN 2009 NBKA ARE HOSTING THE MIDLAND AND SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES CONVENTION AND YOUR COMMITTEE IS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANISING AN EXCITING PROGRAM I HEARTILY RECOMMEND THAT YOU SHOULD ALL ATTEND EVEN IF ONLY FOR ONE DAY IT WILL BE WELL WORTH IT.

Well enough about me, I hear that a lot of people have lost bees this spring also that there were a lot of unmated queens over wintered if you have been lucky enough to get your bees through ok then make sure you check that they have adequate stores. For further help and the latest information please come to our monthly meetings.

I must now sign off so good luck with your beekeeping and I will see you at the next meeting.

Paul Ash.

*The Midland & South Western Counties Convention of Beekeepers is undoubtedly the longest-running annual gathering of beekeepers in Britain. It has its origins in the principles for organised beekeeping set out in 1873 that led to the formation of the British Bee Keepers' Association. There is evidence of cooperation between neighbouring County activists as early as 1879, when representatives of Warwickshire and Gloucestershire met at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham, and resolved 'that a bee-keepers' association be formed with the two-fold object of advocating a more humane and intelligent treatment of the honey-bee, and of bettering the condition of the cottagers of the United Kingdom by the encouragement, improvement, and advancement of bee-culture, and that the association be called "The Midland Counties' Bee-keepers' Association"'

Resistant Varroa

Wilson Queen Rearing

Testing for Pyrethroid Resistant Varroa

Articles from Previous Editions

Hothorpe Hall

Venue for the 2009 Midland & Southwestern Counties Convention

Additional Articles

Honey Bee Health Consultation

Use of Oxalic Acid in Varroa Control

A member organisation representing beekeepers in the County of Northamptonshire

BEE-LINES (A SELECTION FROM OUR QUARTERLY MAGAZINE)

A member organisation representing beekeepers in the
County of Northamptonshire