Far North Coast newsletter - September 2020
We have decided that it’s time to get back to the bees and have a meeting. Robert Stone has offered his queen rearing apiary, so we be out in the open. We will still have the responsibility to protect one another therefore, these COVID rules will apply,
Unfortunately, no handshakes hugs or kisses.
Record your name and contact details in the book to allow for contact tracing
Practice social distancing ,1.5 m away from others, feel free to wear mask if you like
Hand sanitizer will be provided please use it.
If you feel unwell or have or have visited a hot spot or been abroad stay at home. Think of others.
A limit on 20 people unless this changes.
Other wise come and enjoy. Get amongst the bees and catch up with old friends
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER 2020, start at 9am
Address 800 Ellangowan Road, Casino.
Spring is well and truly upon us and with that comes the desire of the bees to swarm. There is an old wives tale or should I say old beekeeper rule that if the red gums flowers early then the it will an early swarms’ season. The number of beekeepers needing boxes to put swarms in I think it must be true. So, if you have not checked your hives yet, it might be prudent to move it to the top of the list.
The meeting next month on10 October will be held at Robert Stones apiary ,just out of casino .We will run through what you need to check in the brood box if you do have a swarm and when its best to introduce a new Queen to try to stop the multi swarming that can happen in some hives.
We all hope to have honey soon so what to do with the capping’s from a small extraction? A low-cost way to make use of those capping’s and end up with clean wax will be demonstrated.
I have been trialling a web-based app for record keeping using a smart phone which some of you might like to use, looks easy will let all know if its Ok.
If there any topics that you would like covered at future meetings put it in a short email and we will see what we can do.
Since our last meeting which seems a long time ago, mainly due to my frequent trips to hospital, we have achieved a trip to Steritech, completed before the price rise came into effect, we have to thank John McKenzie for the use of his time and vehicle to make this possible. That’s another 140 plus boxes ready for spring at a price never to be repeated. Thanks John.
Thank you to Brad Lane and family for the use of his house and garden and for taking us though his hives. All of which proved to healthy and building up for spring. Robert Stone explaining to the newer beekeeper what was happing in the hives and why and what to look for in their own hives. He was helped by the more experience members of the club.
There was also a lot of catching up after with such a long period without a meeting. Later in the month we held the first part of our beginning in bees’ course. The constant rain stopping the first hive inspection. All left looking forward to the second part a week later when the weather was kinder allowing all to get into the hives and see what we had been talking about.
This month’s skills test is rather decadent and was borrowed from the professional Beekeepers’ newsletter. Hope they don’t mind. Still making good use of any honey you may have.
Mocha Honey Cheese cake:
Mocha honey pastry
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon of instant coffee
125g. of butter
½ cup honey
1 small egg
Filling
500g cream cheese
½ cup honey
3 large eggs separated
¼ cup custard powder
2 tablespoons coffee-flavoured liqueur (e.g. Kahlua) (optional)
300g sour cream, whipped
125g dark cooking chocolate melted
Freshly whipped cream and grated chocolate, for serving.
Method
make pastry by sifting dry ingredients into a bowl. Rubin the butter then work beaten honey and egg mixture to form a firm dough.
Wrap mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Roll pastry out and line the lightly buttered base and sides of a deep 25cm loose-bottom flan pan.
Bake pastry shell blind at 200deg C for ten minutes, remove blind weights, pierce the base with a skewer then continue baking at 190deg C for a further 10 minutes. Allow pastry to cool before filling.
To make the filling, beat cream cheese and honey together until smooth and creamy, then beat in the egg yolks, custard powder and liqueur.
Fold in whipped sour cream and stiffly beaten egg whites, then pour the mixture into cool pastry shell and swirl melted chocolate through.
Place cheesecake on a baking tray and bake at 170deg C for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool and set before removing from flan pan. Serve topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Another article sent in by our roving reporter Peter Dunn. Thank you, Peter.
If anyone has an article you think is interesting then PLEASE send it to me at farnorthcoast.secretary@beekeeper.asn.au
This article is about the importance of bee venom to cure cancer.
wonder if this works on all cancers?
Services and supplies.
David Fairhall Queens and Queen cells. 0444 513 771.
Robert Stone Queens and Queen cells, Five frame Nucs of bees 0432 277 317.
Merv McDonald Five frame Nucs of Bees. 0439 166 016.
Northern Rivers Beekeeping Supplies contact Stephen and Janet Fowler, all beekeeping supplies (not bees).
We will be taking another load to Steritech soon. To book a spot ring Stephen Fowler 0418 412 621 with the number and size of boxes. Steritech have increased there price but still hope to keep it down to $15 a box for the 15k dose.
Wanted Biosecurity officer.
News Letter Editor.
Committee members (3)
Training and help will be given for all positions. Talk to Peter Laughton at the meeting.
President. Peter Laughton farnorthcoast.president@beekeepers.asn.au
Secretary. Stephen Fowler farnorthcoast.secetary@beekeepers.asn.au
Treasurer. Robert Stone. farnothcoast.treasurer@beekeepers.asn.au
Membership. Robert Butler farnorthcoast.membership@beekeepers.asn.au