The Amateur Beekeeper - December 2020/January 2021
In this issue:
President’s letter
News and campaigns
Contaminated beeswax, and what you can do about it
Catch boxes for swarms. Know the regulations
Producing perfect wax combs. Why heat matters
Catching the bug! Adventures of a new beekeeper
When poison strikes. How to spot and treat affected hives
Home learning resources.
Selling, gifting or disposing of bees
Planting guides.
Naming 1000 native bees.
Scholarships
National Honey Levy and what it does to help all beekeeers
Research projects into the future: electronic noses and superhoney
Temper, temper! Cranky bees and how to tell how agro they really are
How many bees it takes to . . .
Toad at the Hive project
Northern Rivers newsletter - Nov/Dec 2020
Mid North Coast newsletter - November 2020
Please find attached your last newsletter for 2020 (phew!).
It is packed with goodies:
Allan’s monthly report
Happy snaps from last month’s meeting - what a beautiful day & venue
Info re our upcoming Xmas Party
A Christmas recipe
Some interesting little news items (well…I hope they are!).
Looking forward to seeing you on the 13th December, but if you are unable to attend the party, I would like to wish you, your families and your bees a very happy, safe and festive season.
See you all in 2021 - the future’s looking bright!
Macarthur newsletter - November 2020
GCRB newsletter - November 2020
Manning Valley newsletter - November 2020
Gold Coast newsletter - November 2020
Parramatta newsletter - November 2020
In this issue:
November presentation – apiary management over the potential heat of summer
President’s report
9 December 2020 Christmas club event
2020 Virtual beekeepers field day
Executive report – 21 October 2020
October was breast cancer awareness month
Beginning in Bees (on-line) training update
What happens when a DPI Inspector turns up at your door!
Have questions about beekeeping?
An active and working hive waits for no-one!
Book review – Queen Spotting (Author: Hilary Kearney)
Are you swarm ready?
Meet my apiary
Club shop
Handy contact details
What’s on in 2020
Far North Coast newsletter - October 2020
October 2020 Newsletter
ABA FNC Beekeepers Presidents Report
Well the bees are certainly buzzing. Ive had reports of swarms from over on the coast. Ive carried out several inspections of the girls over the last few months and boy, have they been packing it away. Its coming in so fast they are not capping the honey, so every hive is bursting with honey.
Checking the brood boxes reveals that most boxes have 6 out of 8 frames, some all 8, are packed with brood. Ive been experimenting with a double brood box, with one super on the top (10 frame) and when I looked it had nearly 20 frames full of brood. I did 3 splits from that 1 hive, taking 9 frames and when I checked again a month later the foundation as fully drawn and had eggs in it.
Will we have a wet summer with all this activity?
Has anyone else noticed that equipment and bee supplies are getting harder to obtain including foundation, pine for supers. Even Bunnings had a shortage of screws. You must think at least 6 months ahead. A few spare boxes and foundation isn’t a waste as you will eventually need it.
A reminder to all new beekeepers, you must register your hives with DPI even if you have only 1 hive. You have a responsibility to inspect for pests and diseases at least 3 times a year and report any findings notifiable pest or disease.
Have you given thought to the keepers of the sentinel hives around our major ports? Thet play a vital role in protecting our industry from exotic pests such as verroa mite and African ‘killer bees’.
Peter Laughton
From the Secretary
Another full month that started with the field day at Robert Stone’s apiary. It was good to see a good roll up, just managed to keep the number down to the legal limit. The feed back was that most enjoyed looking at the bees in the company of other beekeepers.
The next meeting will be a’ Christmas’ morning with the bees at Shirley and Merv McDonald 536 Wardell Road Alstonville. Do not expect to see father Christmas, because he has not been invited. A comment from the grandkids, can I eat my peas with honey, why , it makes them taste funny
Yes but they don’t fall off the knife.
This month’s skills test is rather useful as we are coming into salad season.
Honey Salad Dressing
½ cup macadamia oil
¼ cup of fresh lime juice and some seeds from the finger limes
2 teaspoons of honey to taste
2 cloves crushed garlic
Season with salt and cracked pepper
Mix all ingredients. And pour over a fresh garden salad.
It’s even heathy.
Some useless facts:
in one day up to one thousand worker bees from one colony will die, only to be replaced by the eggs laid by the Queen on that day.
A good working hive will consume 125Kg of honey and 32kg of pollen for its own needs in a year.
Last one… For worker bees to build out full depth sheet of foundation into comb they will need 1.5 kilos of Honey.
If anyone has an article you think is interesting then PLEASE send it to me at farnorthcoast.secretary@beekeeper.asn.au
Next Field Day on 15 November 2020.will be our Christmas meeting.
At Shirley & Merv McDonald.
536 Wardell Road Alstonville. You will need your Bee gear please.
Tea Coffee and nibbles will be provided.
Handy Hints
Queen Rearing Calendar. Just to let you know when to graft and what should be happen after grafting.
| Day No | Week Day | Status/Task |
|---|---|---|
|
Saturday |
||
|
1 |
Sunday |
The egg is laid by the the old Queen |
|
2 |
Monday |
|
|
3 |
Tuesday |
|
|
4 |
Wednesday |
Graft the day-old larvae into cell cups and insert into queen colony |
|
5 |
Thursday |
|
|
6 |
Friday |
Check the grafts the bees should have started to draw out the cells and feed the larvae with royal jelly. If not re graft |
|
7 |
Saturday |
|
|
8 |
Sunday |
|
|
9 |
Monday |
Queen cells are capped |
|
10 |
Tuesday |
Sensitive development phase |
|
11 |
Wednesday |
do not move cells |
|
12 |
Thursday |
gentle when opening the hive |
|
13 |
Friday |
Move the capped queen cells into mating Nucs |
|
14 |
Saturday |
|
|
15 |
Sunday |
|
|
16 |
Monday |
Queens hatch |
|
17 |
Tuesday |
|
|
18 |
Wednesday |
Discard any unhatched cells |
|
19 |
Thursday |
|
|
20 |
Friday |
|
|
21 |
Saturday |
Mating flights |
|
22 |
Sunday |
|
|
23 |
Monday |
|
|
24 |
Tuesday |
|
|
25 |
Wednesday |
|
|
26 |
Thursday |
|
|
27 |
Friday |
|
|
28 |
Saturday |
|
|
29 |
Sunday |
|
|
30 |
Monday |
|
|
31 |
Tuesday |
|
|
32 |
Wednesday |
|
|
33 |
Thursday |
|
|
34 |
Friday |
Check Nuc for eggs |
|
35 |
Saturday |
|
|
36 |
Sunday |
|
|
37 |
Monday |
|
|
38 |
Tuesday |
|
|
39 |
Wednesday |
Check Nuc for Larvae |
|
40 |
Thursday |
Larvae found? If so, the queen is ready |
|
41 |
Friday |
If No Eggs Found Buy New Queen. |
Standard Hygiene Procedures
All Gear used for each inspection should be clean before you start that includes hive tool, smoker, bee brush or air blower, and your own protective gear including gloves.
Honey Supers are best placed on the lid or hive stand not on the ground where they will come into contact with the soil. A spare bucket to put the burr comb or wax removed from the hive, not left on the ground outside the hive for other bees to rob. What comes out of each hive should go back in the same hive, be it boxes frames or stickies do not feed honey back to the bees if they are starving use sugar water.
President. Peter Laughton farnorthcoast.president@beekeepers.asn.au
Secretary. Stephen Fowler farnorthcoast.secretary@beekeepers.asn.au
Treasurer. Robert Stone. farnothcoast.treasurer@beekeepers.asn.au
Membership. Robert Butler farnorthcoast.membership@beekeepers.asn.au