Dear Kennet Beekeeper,
This coming Friday 3 March, we have one of those interesting but not solely for beekeepers talks – so you might want to bring your better half or even a friend and all they have to be interested in is Mead, Medicine and Magic. This is the popular talk we have this week and to quote Chris Parks our speaker on Friday “The making and partaking of mead and other traditional honey drinks is an age old custom. The drink of the gods has many epithets and if one delves deeper, all sorts of mythology, medicine and magic is to be found. These beverages and their stories are part of the ancient heritage and history of British beekeeping and bee-lore. There may also be some interesting drinks to sample…. ” I cannot resist being there – can you?
Over the past months I have been asked if I can get any more bee packages later this year. The answer is probably ‘yes’ so in this letter I would like to find how many members would be interested. If you are interested in package bees this year would you send me an email stating how many packages you require? This just to give me a idea of how many I may need – and no commitment for you or me at the moment. I will send those interested an email when I know the price and ask them to confirm or not. For those who don’t know – a package is a box of about 3lb bees plus a caged last years’ mated Queen.
Brigit Strawbridge, who gave our talk last month on The Life of Bumblebees, was just so keen and enthusiastic that I came away with a real feeling of excitement and dare I say a real buzz in my head. The book she mentioned was Ted Benton’s ‘Bumblebees’ from the Collins New Naturalists Library. It is currently out of stock and ridiculously expensive even second hand…. but so worth looking out for a copy as it really is extremely comprehensive. I have invited her back next year to talk about her other great love – solitary bees.
Suddenly spring will be here and you will find that your bees are ahead of you and that there is just so much to do as a beekeeper. The hive to repair, the foundation to be purchased, and then it’s time to spring clean the beehive. So keep a cheery smile during this long, wet, damp and cold February and know that very soon at the end of March you could be out and checking your colonies for the first time. And this Saturday there is Bee Tradex http://www.beetradex.co.uk where you can spend all your money on beekeeping – but well worth a visit – I may be there!
All best wishes to all members
Robert
Robert Carpenter Turner
Chairman Kennet Beekeepers
Tel: – 01672 852265
chairman@kennet-beekeepers.co.uk
Go to Kennet Beekeepers website for all you need to know.
https://www.kennet-beekeepers.co.uk