Dear Kennet BeeKeeper.
May I start by wishing you all a Better, Healthier and Happy New Year for 2021. Let us hope that this vaccine will be the answer to our wishes and that by Easter we will be able to resume a more normal life by meeting and enjoying our bees together. I have missed showing bees to members and opening hives together as well as our Association meetings in Bishop Canning village hall. Lets hope that we can resume “normal service as soon as possible” as the BBC used to say in the days of steam radio!
Because of the pandemic we have been having all our talks on Zoom – I hope to start lecturers using real people as soon as we are allowed. Zoom talks has allowed us to have talks by people far away and to start off the year on Wednesday 6 January at 7.30 pm we have the apiary team of Martin and Clare from the famous Buckfast Abbey. We get two people for the price of one and they will be talking about Chronic bee paralysis Virus. ‘A look at CBPV and how it can manifest in your colony. How to recognise the signs and what you can do about it!’ CBPV seem to be an ever growing problem for beekeepers over the last few years, so your KBKA committee decided this was a subject we all wished to know more about. The Buckfast apiary team will be coming back to us with another talk on 1st September.
Our following Zoom talk will take place on Wednesday 3 February at 7.30 will be given by Richard Rickett, one of our members and the Co-Editor of BeeCraft. His talk is entitled Rolls-Royce to Rajasthan when we will join Richard on a jaunt around the UK – and even further afield – as he talks about more of the fascinating places he has been and the people he has met while working as co-editor of BeeCraft magazine. Travelling in style from the jungles and deserts of India to the birthplace of the theory of evolution, stopping off at the site of some illegal beekeeping skulduggery and taking a peek at a little local royalty along the way, this is a follow-up to the talk From Buckfast to Buckingham Palace which Richard gave to Kennet last year. There are no complicated beekeeping theories to remember or ghastly bee diseases to depress you; just sit down with a glass of wine and be intrigued, amazed, and entertained.
So to join the first meeting of 2021:-
KBKA is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting – you can join about 15 minutes early.
Martin & Clare of Buckfast Bees on “Chronic bee paralysis Virus”
Jan 6, 2021 07:15 pm
(See Email for details)
Education is still going on so do contact Richard Oliver (email:- raoliver.64@gmail.com) who is arranging classes in BBKA Module 2 which is for Honey Bee Products and Forage. Beekeepers are encouraged to pursue further study through a series of modules in preparation for the the BBKA Intermediate and Advanced Certificates. Training sessions take place from November and any beekeeper is welcome to attend. Exams take place in March and November, although some beekeepers choose not take the exams.
Last, but not least, let me thank Sophie for running a fun Christmas KBKA Quiz that was not too short or too long in fact – perfect and great fun. We are getting better at this Zoom stuff so do join in the next meeting.
A Happy New Year to everyone, you and your families. Don’t forget to heft your bees over the weekend just to check that they have enough winter stores – and thats the last bit of advice for 2020!
All best
Robert Carpenter Turner
Chairman Kennet Beekeepers
Tel: – 01672 852265 email:- chairman@kennet-beekeepers.co.uk