Venue: Community Centre (Drill Hall) Peebles 7.30pm
Luis Melora Lead Bee Inspector
Luis Melora is the newly appointed lead bee inspector for Scotland.
Our first lecture of the winter season and an opportunity to meet and welcome Luis. He will speak about his first 3 months in the job, the move from hobbyist to lead bee inspector and an update on the Foul brood situation in Scotland, Asian Hornet threat and overview of beekeeping in Scotland.
In June 2017 Peeblesshire Beekeepers Association (PBKA) purchased two nucleus colonies of native dark Amm bees from Colonsay and set up an isolated apiary outside Peebles. The aim was to increase the number of bees of this strain in the area and to eventually make nucs available to members.
Over 2018 it was found that the location, being remote, meant fewer members were involved than hoped and a previously unknown apiary had been identified 3km away. Then unfortunately, the two members who lived nearby and who were looking after these bees were to be moving away from Peeblesshire, so in November 2018 they were relocated to another member’s apiary, Linda’s, closer to Peebles for overwintering.
By Spring 2019, one of the colonies had died out and an isolated apiary site had not been found. Around this time we heard that Kate Atchley was setting up a native bee apiary in the Cheviots and with her help, three members, Wilma, Linda and David, set out to raise some queens from our remaining colony, to then go and be mated in the Cheviots.
Using the Nicot Cupkit system, a first batch of six queens were raised and introduced into apideas, with all the timings worked out on a spreadsheet version of “Tom’s Table” updated by Roger Patterson and available from Dave Cushman’s website. Our first batch were ready in May, but Kate advised there were insufficient drones available in her new apiary, so we raised a second batch of queens, and in June five apideas went off to the Cheviots where they all mated successfully. The first group of queens we raised were mated locally and will provide pure Amm drones in the area.
In July we collected three apideas, leaving two with Kate and she swapped one of her mated queens in a Lyson MiniPlus nuc, to help mix our bees’ genetics. Our four newly mated queens were spread out, one in each of Wilma and David’s apiaries, two to the PBKA apiary and Linda still had the original Amm colony in her apiary. Sadly two died out over the summer but two are now a good size in nuc boxes, well fed, treated for varroa and ready for winter, along with the original colony.
We have learnt that rearing pure Amm queens has its challenges, brain teasing timings and logistics, but that it is possible even for relative beginners like ourselves to do this, plus it was fun and the reward is that we end the year with three pure Amm colonies where we only started with one. We would certainly encourage others to try this too.
Next year we hope to raise some more native dark queens. We have had an approach from another Scottish Native Honey Bee Society member, who may have a suitable location not far from us for a mating apiary, so we might support that too in our aim to improve the native bee’s presence in Peeblesshire. To be continued . . .
David Ferguson
The local beekeepers will be meeting in the back bar of the Neidpath Inn Peebles on Wednesday 2nd October at 7.30pm.
Winter preparations are under way. Lucky beekeepers may have some honey crop. Find out the latest news at the regular pub meeting.
All welcome as usual for news, tips and general chat.
Venue: Community Centre (Drill Hall) Peebles 7.30pm
An introduction to the associations newest and most expensive acquisition – a Konigin 12 frame electric extractor.
We have recently bought a brand new electric extractor. Before lending it out for general use we would like to demonstrate the correct use of the machine. It has several programmable options and a few quirks that are worth knowing.
We will bring the machine along to the hall so we can see it in operation (no actual honey will be involved). There is an instruction video that we will show, as well as paper instructions.
Refreshments (contributions welcome) and chat afterwards as usual .
Elaine, Wilma and Peter visited the association apiary on Wednesday 18th.
The main job was to put Apivar strips in for varroa treatment.
For the records we used 500mg strips – Lot: 190344, Expiry: 02/2021
Minimum date for removal will be 30th October, Max date 27th November.
Report
Hive 2
Varroa count 4 (in 4 days) = rate 1 per day
Super was about half filled with stores – some uncapped. This was moved to below the brood box. Queen excluder was removed. 2 x apivar strips in brood box. Crown board and large feeder on top with syrup.
Hive 3
Varroa count approx 60 (in 4 days) = rate 15 per day
2 x apivar strips in brood box. Feeder refilled.
Hive 4
Varroa count 4 (in 4 days) = rate 1 per day
2 x apivar strips in brood box. Feeder refilled.
Hive 5
Varroa count 1 (in 4 days) = rate 0.25 per day
2 x apivar strips in brood box. Feeder refilled.
Nuc 3
1 x apivar strip applied. Feeder refilled
Black Queen Nuc
1 x apivar strip applied. Feeder refilled
Wed 18th Sept 2019 1.30pm
(Confirmed)
Leader: Peter
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
Sat 7th September
We had a good visit to the association apiary. A few regulars and some welcome guests turned up including some junior bee enthusiasts. Scroll down for the photos.
Thanks to Janet for the notes.
Inspection Notes from Apiary visit 7th September 2019
Hive 4
Action taken:
Next visit:
Hive 2
Queen, eggs and brood seen.
Actions taken:
Hive 3
Two supers, both partially filled. Third, empty super on top to accommodate fondant feed.
Actions taken:
Hive 5
No super. Queen seen. Some sealed brood – no eggs or unsealed brood. Frames very full of stores.
Nuc 3
Queen seen – still laying.
Actions taken:
Black Queen Nuc
Lots of sealed brood, larvae and eggs. Queen seen.
Action taken:
Update Sun 8th
Richard and Peter removed the cleared supers from Hives 3 and 4 and replaced with feeders in an empty super as eke. Feeders were filled with syrup.
7th Sept 2019 1.30pm
(Confirmed)
Leader: Wilma and Peter
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
Here are some photos from Wilma showing some the action from this seasons attempts at raising native dark queens from the associations native bee stock. The hard work here has mainly been done by Wilma, Linda and David.
These were taken when they were moving the black amm queen that was mated at Kate Atchleys apiary from an apidea into a nuc box.
The local beekeepers will be meeting in the back bar of the Neidpath Inn Peebles on Wednesday 4th September at 7.30pm.
September already and its time to think about honey harvest (if you’re lucky), winter preparations and varroa treatments.
Come along for the usual association news, tips, advice and gossip.