Dear Kennet Beekeeper,
I start with details of our next talk this coming Friday 4 May at Bishops Cannings Village Hall SN10 2LA at 7.30, when Ivor Davis will be speaking on Pheromones. A physicist by training, Ivor Davis runs an IT consultancy company, the major client of which is the British Medical Association. A beekeeper for over 20 years, he runs about 18 colonies of bees and has held various positions in his local Avon Beekeepers Association, but has also been Chairman and President of the British Beekeepers Association. He is a member of the BBKA Examinations Board and is currently project manager of the BBKA education programme, including the “Course in a Case” and short course modules in conjunction with the Fera Healthy Bees Plan and the National Diploma in Beekeeping Board. Do come to this – it is a not to be missed evening for all members.
As I write plans are well under way for a Wiltshire Bee Health Day on Saturday 1 September at Bromham Community Hall SN15 2JB. We will have members and inspectors from the National Bee Unit (NBU) there who will give lectures and show diseased combs. This is a really important day for all who take their beekeeping seriously. Please get it in your diary NOW!
There has been a lot of talk about making hornet traps to check if we have Asian hornets in our area. However, there has also be a lot of upset about killing other insects in these traps. The NBU has provided plans for a Simple Monitoring Trap for the Asian Hornet. May I suggest that you make one of these and keep it near your house, somewhere you go past every day, so you can release all the insets you have trapped – unless it is an Asian hornet.
You can find all details on:- https://bee- craft.us15.list-manage.com/track/click? u=9e5d75f82e5fb22f2f36ef838&id=3eb36aea8c&e=0c92190ed5
On Bank Holiday Monday, the Association will be promoting beekeeping at the Bushton Garden Fair. We need two or three volunteers to help. You do not have to be an expert bee keeper, just knowing a bit more than the average member of the public means you are enough of an expert! Please contact Sarah Benson (rooiboost@yahoo.co.uk).
Finally, one of our past members, Zoe, who has now stopped beekeeping, has asked me to let you know of this Equipment Sale she is having. There is a nice lot of useful stuff from hives to extractor. Full details attached as a pdf file.
Hope most of you can make Ivor’s talk this Friday. All best wishes to all members.
Robert Carpenter Turner
Chairman Kennet Beekeepers
Tel: – 01672 852265 email:- chairman@kennet-beekeepers.co.uk