It’s been a while since we have written an update for Warwickshire Beekeepers so we hope you don’t mind if we go back a few months.
We meet every 2nd Monday of the month in The George, Brailes. Our broad plan is to have ‘bees and beers’ discussions during the summer months, when we recognise that all of us, but especially newer beekeepers, have lots of questions as colonies build up. Over the Winter we plan a mix of talks and discussions, in person and online.
This year we also have plans to re-start visits to members’ apiaries. Last year we had the Shipston Beekeepers stand at 6 village shows and expect to attend a similar number this summer.
Back to what has been happening. Our April meeting was a Nosema clinic. David Blower MB was able to bring along two of WBKA’s microscopes and the rest of us ‘just’ needed to bring a sample of 30 bees. Information on how to do this was provided to members by pointing them to a couple of videos on the WBKA website on how to collect a sample of bees for Nosema testing.
Ideally the head, thorax, wings and legs of the bees are removed before they are crushed with some water so some members set about this
Other members went for the alternative ‘just crush the bees whole with some water’ approach. This produces more rubbish (ahem, bee debris) in the resultant drops but is quicker.
David and Ray Pearce, our chair, had between them arranged all the equipment necessary for the evening; slides, cover slips and pipettes. Apart from David’s experience of microscopy, three of us had attended the WBKA Introduction to Microscopy course on 28th January so, in theory, we knew how to prepare a slide and examine it under the microscope. After lots of slide making and examining we were pleased to find that none of the samples brought had Nosema.
Whilst all the preparation work was going on we did of course have time for some refreshments and catching up on how our colonies are developing.
At March’s meeting we discussed the importance of comb change and discussed some of the different ways to effect this including the Bailey comb change and a shook swarm.
February’s meeting is our AGM, and was in the ‘free school’ in Brailes as the pub was closed. Our new Chair, Ray Pearce took over from Paul Baines and we have a new Secretary, David Kelleher. He took over from Douglas Nethercleft who is standing down from Committee work after many years holding just about every role on the Shipston beekeepers Committee – although ‘standing down’ seems a bit if a stretch as Douglas remains Shipston’s Safeguarding officer, County Trustee and County Safeguarding Officer. At the AGM we also recognise the many members who are not necessarily on the Committee but have contributed to Shipston over the last year.
After the formalities of the AGM, and a rather good buffet, we had a fascinating talk by James Taylor on his and Mike Cherry’s trek in Nepal in aid of Bees Abroad.
We thank all the members who braved the February weather to attend the AGM; did I mention the excellent free buffet?
And going right back to January we had a very interesting talk by Margaret Murdin on ‘Keeping Healthy Colonies’, again at the Free School.
Gary Thomas
Treasurer and Membership Secretary
Shipston Beekeepers