On a very miserable and rainy Monday evening (21/11/22), a few intrepid Coventry Branch members made it to All Saints’ Church Hall for the November meeting. It was a disappointing turn-out, but perhaps not too surprising, given the weather. Those who did come were treated to some delicious home bakes, kindly donated by Lesley Bachelor, as well as the usual tea and coffee.
The theme for the evening was a question-and-answer session on any topic of beekeeping, and several of our more experienced members were on hand to offer opinions and advice. The topics covered included:
·The need, or otherwise, of insulating hives over winter in the UK,
·Whether colonies should be left with a super of honey on over
winter,
- The pros and cons of under- or over-supering,
- How to assess your colonies to ensure that they have enough stores, and some tips on hefting and weighing hives to monitor stores,
- Protecting hives from the weather, mice and woodpecker attack,
- The best method for giving fondant if required to top up stores,
- When to begin inspections in the spring, and advice on spring feeding and comb changes.
As with all bee-keeping discussions, there was a variety of opinions put forward on some of the topics but all were backed up with sound logic. The general consensus is, of course, that there is no single right answer! Beekeepers need to consider the options and try to work out what works best for their colonies and apiaries. Sometimes you make what proves to be the wrong call, which can be disappointing, but we can all learn from our mistakes.
The meeting was rounded off by Chairman, John Fell, who gave a brief report of the last WBKA Trustee meeting, including information about the imminent change in the Association’s charitable status, as it becomes a CIO in December, and the reasons behind the changes. John also called for members to come forward to join the Branch committee or offer their assistance in any aspect of the running of the branch – we need your help and input, and many hands make light work as the saying goes. The committee is very grateful that although they are unable to join the committee formally at present, Ian Batchelor has agreed to help organise the Branch Beginners’ Courses and Taster Days, and Lesley Batchelor has volunteered to help organise the refreshments at the Branch Meetings. Many thanks to both.
The next Branch Meeting takes place on Monday, 19th December, at 7.30pm and will be our Christmas Quiz and social gathering. As usual, our quiz master will be Dave
Bonner and if you’ve never experienced one of his quizzes, you’re in for a treat – they’re sometimes fiendish but very good fun (no beekeeping knowledge required). We invite all members, friends and family to come along – the more the merrier, and the more teams we have, the more competitive it becomes. Wear your best (or worst?) Christmas jumper and bring along a bit
of food for the buffet. Tea, coffee and juice will be provided. We hope to see you there!
The committee is in the process of arranging the meetings in the New Year; January will be a talk by one of our members, Dr Ulya Lalo, on how she manages her style of beekeeping, February will be the Branch AGM and presentation afterwards (TBC). Keep an eye on your inbox for message from Covbee with more information in due course.
Honey presented at the Coventry Show
Picture credit: CBKA
Julia Barclay
DIARY DATES – COVENTRY
19/12/2022 – Branch Meeting – Christmas Quiz and Buffet
16/01/2023 – Branch Meeting – Dr Ulya Lalo (Subject TBC)