Dear Kennet Beekeeper,
I hope you have all had an enjoyable Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year and successful beekeeping for 2020.
We had a great evening of Skittles and food on 6 December and the Beekeeping Skittles cup is now held by our past secretary John Barber. We landed up at The Black Horse pub under keen new management who really made up for the total mess-up The Crown had made of our original booking. No wonder so many pubs are failing as we have been let down, with our pub skittles evening several times over the last two years. Big thanks to Elaine, our secretary, for arranging this and sorting out the pub problem.
I know those who went to the apiary on 28 Dec to see the oxalic treatment found it helpful. I hear it was very festive – sadly I could not get there.
As you know I have been trying to find an apiary manager for Horton Road leaving David Brown to manage Caen Hill. Well, I have I hope come up with a ‘cunning plan’ and we will now have joint managers at Horton Road. I am delighted to report to members that Patrick Randel patrick@patrickrandall.com and Mark Fife mfife@aviagen.com have offered to take over and be jointly in charge. They will arrange which apiary open days each will attend – so hopefully there will always be a manager in charge when club members are there to see the bees and hives. Please remember that the apiary managers are in charge and they have the final decision in all matters on the apiary. Please note that washed and clean bee suits are always the rule and do use the rubber gloves provided – no leather gloves or your old marigolds! A revised form of apiary rules are in preparation as I write. If you want to join the ‘A Team’ (Apiary Team) to gain experience, do contact Mark or Patrick.
We have been offered two Apiary sites for members – are you interested?
See emailed newsletter for further details:-
- Green Lane Allotments in Devizes
- Winterbourne Monkton (Near Avebury)
Your membership of KBKA starts with our first Association event of 2020, almost always on the first WEDNESDAY of the month. We start this on Wednesday 8 January (not quite the first Wednesday of the month – but all the rest are) with a Beekeepers’ discussion evening, at Bishops Cannings Village Hall SN10 2LA at 7.30. Do think about some questions to make it an interesting evening. Just some suggestions:- Have I mice in my hive? Have my bees enough food? My bees are flying in the warm weather – should I shut them in? Why are there leaves and grass falling out of my hive entrance? There is a woodpecker on my hives – what should I do? I am a newbee where and when should I get a colony? etc, etc.
With best wishes,
Robert Carpenter Turner
Chairman Kennet Beekeepers
Tel: – 01672 852265 email:- chairman@kennet-beekeepers.co.uk