The local beekeepers will be meeting in the back bar of the Neidpath Inn Peebles on Wednesday 1st May at 7.30pm.

The recent good weather means that the seasons beekeeping is well and truly underway

It looks like we will need extra help this year with the apiaries and events so if you think you can help out in any way please come along and find out more.

Of course there will be the usual friendly chat, help and advice on offer.

Peeblesshire Beekeepers Association AGM 2019

Date: Tue March 26th 2019

7.30pm Community Centre (Drill Hall), Walkershaugh, Peebles

DRAFT AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence

Apologies:

Present:.

2. Minutes of the 2018 AGM

3. Matters arising from minutes

4. Secretary’s Report

5. Treasurer’s Report

6. Subscriptions

7. Election of Office Bearers

All offices are open for election

8 AOCB

8.1 Bees for development

8.3 Centenary year events

8.4 Purchases

8.5 Projects

8.6 Dave Stokes: “That the Peeblesshire Beekeepers’ Association deplores the executive of the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association’s for taking no action to persuade the Scottish and British governments to ban the import of honeybees to the U.K. in order to reduce both the spread of honeybee diseases and the possibility of extinction of the native dark bee by hybridisation with alien sub-species.”

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2018_2019 Secretary’s report

Mandy Clydesdale

Weather and summary

We had a long cold winter, with heavy snow from the “Beast from the East” at the end of February leaving at least 2ft of snow for almost 3 weeks. Spring was late, with bees just starting to pick up in late April. Losses: 15-20%

The year was characterised by an odd mix of repeated swarming and fast increase in some colonies (despite anti-swarming measures), while other colonies and nucs remained broodless. In these a queen was produced but did not appear to lay, often for 8-12 weeks, despite frames of eggs being added on 2-3 occasions. Rainfall was very low throughout the summer, with July and August having continuous heatwave. Forage plants came into bloom swiftly, mostly early, and ended suddenly, instead of tailing off gradually. The lime harvest was very good; colonies near gardens seemed to fare best. The heather was much affected by the drought, flowering sparsely 1-2 weeks early, the heather hills were barely coloured and there was virtually no heather honey crop.

Wet weather at the end of summer left the bees scrambling to produce stores, with the result that much late-capped honey had a very high water content, and was only suitable for giving back to the bees. The honey crop, on average, was the best for many years.

Brood laying cease early (beginning of September) and beekeepers starting feeding bees from then onwards. This year we encouraged varroa treatments to take place simultaneously for members of PBKA and WLBKA.

Association apiary at Barns:

Changed from original location to another on the estate, (Many thanks to Richard Leman for providing transport). A rota was set up for work at Barns, and we had several apiary visits during the summer.

Events

Both the beginners’ day and the AGM were relatively late (5h May and 12^th June). Members spent a day at Peebles High School as part of the Royal Highland Educational Trust outreach, as well as outreach at Dawyck Botanic Gardens, St Ronans Wells and Peebles Agricultural Show.

The Association did well with its honey: Janet Dutch very kindly let us use her kitchen again for the beginners and PBKA honey extraction session, and we sold honey at Peebles Hugh Street Market during the Forest Festival.

Visits changed this year to visits to other apiaries, and a rota for work at the Association apiary at Barns, including beginners’ tuition.

Dark bee colonies: we started with 3 Colonsay colonies at Glenlude, cared for by Kel Dyer and Em Mackie. When Kel and Em moved away, the colonies were over-wintered with Linda Haldane. Two colonies will go to Kate Atchley’s Amm breeding site, the other 2 will provide queens and drones at another location.

Centenary

Our centenary exhibition is due to open at St Ronans Wells on 1^st April. Many thanks to those who wrote the texts for the display. We hope to provide forage for future bee generations by planting c. 400 trees along the Tweed in November.

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PEEBLESSHIRE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

TREASURERS REPORT MARCH 2019

Income this year was £1710.43. Expenditure totalled £1486.78. This gave a profit of £223.65, and a final cash balance of £2922.05.

Expenditure and income were both down from the previous year. Purchases were largely used for apiary consumables, frames, foundation, food and medicine. Income this year was boosted by honey sales (£435.80). Only 1 nucleus was sold but the association now has surplus stocks of bee colonies so it is likely to generate income from these in the coming year.

Fixed assets were deemed to have depreciated by 15%, except for bee colonies which retain market value. The current market value of bee colonies is deemed to be £200. The net number of colonies, after overwintering and other losses, is 9.

In total, the fixed assets have a net book value of £6222.232.

Overall the association holds assets worth £9144.28.

Paid up members for 2018-2019 totalled 52 (up from 48 in 2017-2018).

The figures show that the association is well able to cover running costs of the association, including its apiaries, with income derived from subscriptions, course fees and sales. There is a very healthy cash balance and it is planned to use some of this for purchases during our 2019 centenary year.

Peter Stevenson,

Treasurer, PBKA.

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PEEBLESSHIRE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Annual General Meeting 2018 Draft Minutes

Tuesday 12^th June 2018, in the

Community Centre/Drill Hall, Peebles.

AGENDA

Chair: Peter Stevenson, Treasurer.

1. Apologies for absence

Apologies: Geoff Goldstraw, Kenny Borthwick, Ranald Macgregor, Julia Clarke.

Present: Peter Stevenson, Amanda Clydesdale, David Ferguson, Emily Mackie, Bill Jack, Linda Haldane, Wilma Maclean, Helen Dewberry, Peter Jack, Sue Brodie, Richard Brodie, Kelly Dyer, Richard Leman.

2. Minutes of the 2017 AGM

The Minutes were read: a minor typo was corrected; the Minutes were proposed as a true record of the meeting by David Ferguson, and seconded by Peter Stevenson.

3. Matters arising from minutes

No matters arising

4. Secretary’s Report

The Secretary’s report was read, summarising the year’s events, courses, meetings, apiaries and the establishment of the Amm apiary with 2 Colonsay bee colonies. The meeting thanked the secretary for her year’s work.

5. Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer’s report detailed an end of year balance of £2698.40, with a profit of £577 on the year. Suggestions for Association purchases were invited and discussed under item 8. .

6. Subscriptions

Annual subscription to remain at £10.

7. Election of Office Bearers

President, Treasurer and Secretary have one more year to run; Vice President Kenny Borthwick stood down, as did Helen Dewberry from the Committee. It was decided to invite Kate Atchley to stand as Vice President, in view of her offer to advise on the Amm project. Action: AC

Two additional committee members were proposed: Richard Leman (prop AC, Sec DF) and Linda Haldane (Prop PS, Sec EM).

8. AOCB

8.1 Bees for development

8.2 Should we continue to support Bees For Development? Suggested donation £100. Unanimously approved.

8.3 Centenary year. What are the associations plans to mark its 100th year? Article on Peeblesshire Beekeepers’ first century; exhibition could be done, but costs could be high. Suggested a lasting memorial such as planting forage plants and trees within Peebles, and in selected spots in the countryside where forage was poor. Some of the lime tree avenues in Peebles are getting towards the end of their lives, replacements could be planted. Guidance/assistance to be sought from SBC, and local and national organisations such as Bonnie Peebles, Callants, Buglife, SNH??

Centenary talk and dinner should also be arranged, around the date of founding, Action: AC, committee.

8.4 Amendment to Article 8 (AGM) of the Constitution: change “notice of the meeting shall be given by advertisement or letter” to “notice of meetings and AGMs can be distributed to members by letter, electronic media or other means”. Approved unanimously.

8.5 John Muir Trust: JMT would like to publicise the collaboration with PBKA and its native honey bee project, at its summer apiary site at Glenlude. EM to draft article; JMT would also like to invite PBKA members to see their conservation/rewilding project at Genlude. Approved by the meeting: EM to liaise.

8.6 Purchases:

8.6.1 logo and banner – AC to action and provide images, and ensure the company complies with the committee’s requirements re logo, graphics.

8.6.2 Strimmer or similar to clear growth from around hives: needed for Barns and Glenlude. Bees don’t like strimmers, but EM and KD to assess need and provide costing for whatever seems most useful eg scythe or sickle. The spare storage shed can be moved from Venlaw to the Glen for Amm and Kailzie equipment.

8.6.3 Queen rearing equipment for Amm project: PS to identify any items already available (either his own or PBKA) and see what else might be required.

Committee 2018/2019:

President: Geoff Goldstraw. Vice President: Kate Atchley. Treasurer: Peter Stevenson. Secretary: Amanda Clydesdale.

Committee: Janet Dutch, Kelly Dyer, David Ferguson, Linda Haldane, Richard Leman, Emily MacKie, Wilma MacLean, Jock Thomson, Bruce Watson.