Combings Magazine   
Issue No 22 ~ June 2007

The Combings is the Quarterly Newsletter of the York & District Beekeepers Association offering a good source of information for our local Association. 

We welcome contributions.  Please submit your ideas to the Editor, John Fuller, e-mail: japlusja@btinternet.com

Should you require any further information about any events shown in this Newsletter, please contact sec_ydbka@hotmail.co.uk

Association news ... from the Editor

This spring was the best for many a long year with out any rain or wind. Consequently we had a wonderful display of blossom that was long lasting. My two favourites are Magnolia soulangea with its large white flowers tinged with pink that are susceptible to frost and Daphne mezereum that has strongly perfumed lilac coloured flowers on almost bare branches. With the calm conditions I could smell it for some distance.  Unfortunately neither is of any value to bees.

While on the subject of the mild spring. I came across my first swarm on the 16th April – this is the earliest I have encountered one. I usually reckon on the first week in May for the first swarm.

I was driving in to the village and drove through it, so I stopped.  It was an odd swarm. It was flying low across both sides of the road for some distance and was reluctant to settle- it did eventually three feet off the ground in the bottom of a hawthorne bush.

I don’t have any bees in the village. The nearest ones I am aware of are probably three miles away so it was probably a feral colony.  A beekeeper in the next village wanted swarms so I called him.  While showing him where they where they showed bad temper and I got a couple of stings.  Flying low a lot of bees had been killed by passing cars.  Had the queen been one of them?

Losses this winter are variable I only lost one through not being able to move to the food that was surrounding them.  I know of a beekeeper that lost seven out of eight due to this problem.  My problem this year was queens – queenlessness, drone layers or laying workers.

On one of my early visits to my bees this spring a gas gun went off close by that made me jump.  I had no sooner settled down, when it went off a second time, which I thought was a bit unfair!

With it being a mild spring you would expect our summer birds to arrive early, but my first sighting of he swallow was six days later than last year.

Secretary Alan Johnston has asked me to bring this to your attention.

Are you registered with the BBKA?

A month or so ago, one of our members reported that he had cause to contact BBKA, only to be informed  by them that he was not registered with them, and that they therefore could not assist him with his query.

The system for full members is that, after you have paid your annual subscription to York, part of it is forwarded to Yorkshire Beekeepers for your membership with the County Association and they forward a further part of it to British Beekeepers for your membership/ registration at national level.

Yorkshire BKA confirmed that the particular individual’s subscription had been received by them so that they had, in turn forwarded the appropriate amount to BBKA.

We requested a full YDBKA roll check with BKA and Yorkshire BKA undertook this task on our behalf. It resulted in a significant number of properly paid up YDBKA members being identified as not being recorded on the national BBKA data base, when they certainly ought to have been.

These members have been contacted and informed of the situation.  We need to be satisfied, however, that no one else has been omitted from or incorrectly recorded on the nation BBKA data base.

If you are properly recorded with the BBKA, then you ought to be receiving a quarterly BBKA magazine and a yearly BBKA membership card. (Credit card size, flimsy plastic).   If you’re not one of the group of people initially contacted by me as being incorrectly recorded or omitted from the BBKA, and have not received your membership card and / or BBKA magazine, then contact either Kate Wallace or I, and we’ll follow it up.

Election of Committee Members

The election of the new committee at the AGM last October was a shambles. We finished up with same Committee as the previous year, with out any one else being given a chance.

At my instigation, a new system for electing the Committee is to be introduced at this years AGM in October.  I believe it will give all members of York BKA an equal chance of joining the Committee.

When “Combings” comes out in September a form will be included, inviting those of you interested in joining the Committee to put your name forward with a proposer and seconder.  This form is to be returned to the Secretary.  A list will be drawn up and on the evening of the AGM will be handed to members as they arrive.

During the course of the meeting, these forms will be collected and the votes counted.  Those with the most votes will form the new Committee.

New Auction Sub-Committee Required

Rob Coleman, Alan Johnston and my self have been the Auction Sub committee for the last six years. The auction almost runs itself now, but we feel that it requires new blood with new thinking to keep it going without stagnating

I have asked for some of you to come forward to take over from the present Sub Committee and run the auction. So far there have been no takers.

As we all have other things we do for the Association we have decided to stand down en bloc.

In mid May, David Aston told me that nine of you had shown an interest in taking your basic exam.  This is a good response.  You will all benefit from it. A preliminary meeting is to be held at Murton on Thursday 17th May.

This Year's Beginners Class

Ten prospective beekeepers have joined Sue Hesp’s class, and are now members of York BKA.

It has been reported to me (mid May) that another outbreak of EFB has been found in our area. Please be vigilant as the disease is becoming more common.

Over the years I have tried all sorts of things to arrive at the way I do things now.  One of which was to use Hoffman frames.  These come in two widths 1½" and 1?".  For some reason, when purchasing Hoffman frames you are always given 1?”.  This means you need twelve to fit a National BB (or eleven and a dummy board – which adds to the cost of your frames).  Twelve frames are a snug fit, and by the time your bees have propolised the mating surfaces of the frames (and they always do) you have a difficult job prizing the first frame out – some times with a broken lug.

The problem of bees propolising frames together also occurs when using Manley frames in supers.

It is for those reasons that I no longer use Hoffman frames except when I use plastic spacers on those I have – which really defeats the use of self spacing frames – but it would be a big waste to throw them out!

The use of Hoffman frames in the supers gives you no flexibility – you have twelve frames.  If you want wider spacing you will use castellated spacers or wide ends– this is again defeating the object of buying the more expensive Hoffman frames.

Ted Hooper in his book “Guide to Bees and Honey” pages 72 and 73 talks about frames.  He states quite categorically that Hoffman frames in supers “are a waste of money”.

My system is to use castellated spacers in supers.  You start with eleven until foundation has been drawn out, then change to nines for fatter combs to make less work when extracting.  If you use plastic spacers, they have to be removed before the frame is put into your extractor and put on again afterwards.  You don’t have this problem with castellated spacers – or Hoffman frames for that matter.

If you buy your supers from Thorne’s (I cannot speak for other suppliers) they come with a saw cut to facilitate the use of castellated spacers.

Some time ago I was on the panel of a “Question and Answer” session held by York BKA as part of our winter programme.  I commented that honey stored in old dark combs leeched some of the colour out of the comb and honey became darker.  There where a couple of dissenters to my comments.

If you look on page 21 of September 2006 “Beekeepers Quarterly”, the Editor John Phipps, says just that. “Honey which is obtained from old combs generally becomes darker.

This one reason why I use a single brood box.  Supers are then used exclusively for honey storage. Not using supers for brood rearing allows me to use drone base foundation.  Using drone base foundation makes extracting honey somewhat easier, there being less surface area for honey to stick to.

Every year new comers to beekeeping get their first super of honey and are faced with the problem of getting it into jars.  Reading through beekeeping catalogues will frighten them to death at the price of an uncapping knife, an extractor, a settling tank.I have pondered this while my mind is in neutral doing my own extracting.  The Association has extractors for use of Members- that’s one problem solved.  Uncapping can be done by tying a strong back with a shallow hole drilled in it to stop the frame moving, over a bucket (the bigger, the better).  A knife hot or cold is not required as a table fork can be used to scratch the capped honey.   Little will come off on the fork.

After spinning run the honey and flakes of wax straight into tins.  These can be left to settle before skimming or left until the honey is to be bottled.

All that leaves is what to do with any cappings.  The books always say wash them and make mead – if you are a wine maker and have the gear, then go ahead.  The non mead maker still has a problem.

One solution I heard of recently (and was assured that it works) is to tie your cappings into a piece of old net curtain and tie that into a strong polythene bag and hang it in a green house on a sunny day. The polythene bag will have clean wax and a small amount of honey in it and the rubbish will be in the net curtain.

Lincoln Auction

The first of this years auctions was held on Saturday 31st March by Lincolnshire BKA on the Lincolnshire Showground, a few miles north of Lincoln on the A15.

It was a fine sunny day and was well attended.  There were 450 lots plus 35 full colonies of bees that sold for between £75 and £180, plus 10 × 5 frame nucs which for between £85 and £115.

There was all the usual stuff from the very good to the tatty. A couple of other items – a jumbo smoker went for £26, a complete WBC for £68, lots of 3× 28lbs tubs honey for £65.

The auction started at 12.00 and did not finish until 18.00 a marathon session.

Rob Coleman was there and told me of it. He said it was well organised and ran smoothly.

Organic Honey in the UK

I found this article on organic honey on the beedata.com website.  It ran to six pages, but below is the nub of the article as far as it affects us as beekeepers.  We are often asked if our honey is organic – this answers that question unequivocally – no.

Probably the only source of organic honey would be from “undeveloped” countries with large tracts of virgin forests, where nature is left to its own devices.

Organic Honey is regulated by strict set of guidelines, which covers not only the origin of bees, but also the siting of the apiaries. The standards indicate that the apiaries must be on land that is certified as organic and be such that within a radius of 4 miles from the apiary site, nectar and pollen sources consist essentially of organic crops or uncultivated areas.

Also enough distance must be maintained from non agricultural production sources that may lead to contamination, for example from urban centres, motorways, industrial areas, waste dumps, and waste incinerators. The 4 miles guideline originates from research done by The National Pollen Research Institute, which is the maximum distance bee's travel from their hives.

These strict guidelines mean that is almost impossible for any UK producer to be certified as organic. Therefore most organic honey is unfortunately imported.

John Bowes gave me a cutting out of the national Daily Mail of 28th February. Allowing for inaccuracies and journalistic licence, this is quite a problem.

Riddle of the billions of bees that buzzed off ... from Barry Wigmore in Los Angeles

It is the mystery that has America abuzz.

Bees are apparently vanishing by the bil­lion - right at the height of the pollination process.

Without them, US crops such as almonds, avocados, oranges and kiwi fruit could soon be in short supply.

British shoppers would also feel the pinch, with the price of imported fruit, vegetables and nuts rising rapidly.

'Every third bite we consume is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food,' said owner Zac Browning, vice president of the American Beekeeping Federation. 'Without adequate pollination there will be crop shortages and that will affect prices in the US, Britain and many other major markets. Pollination is a £7billion-a-year business in the US. Many beekeepers, who have lost interest in supplying honey thanks to cheap Chinese imports, now concentrate on portable hives.

They load them into the back of l8-wheel articulated lorries and travel around the country. Then they hire out the bees to crop growers keen for their plants to be pollinated.

This month many are converging on central California where1,000 square miles of   almond trees need pollinating.

The travelling beekeepers own about 2.4 million hives, each containing about 30, 000 bees.

But once released, up to 70% of their bees are not making it back to their hives. They simply go missing in action.

Worried researchers call it “colony collapse disorder”.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that insecticides somehow affect the   bees' homing instincts so they can't find their way back to the hives.

Another worrying theory is that the bees have been too highly bred as super pollinators and are dropping dead, exhausted because of the work load.

Recently a Florida beekeepers' convention    was told experts are no closer to solving the problem. They are exploring the possibility that viruses, a fungus or poor nutrition could be behind the mass disappearance.

In the past, crop growers trying not to rely on bees have used everything from giant blowers to helicopters and mortar shells to spread pollen across crops. But they always end up admitting Mother   Nature does it best. Especially when given the extra help that these giant visiting swarms can bring.

Now desperate US. beekeepers are having to look overseas to replenish their vanishing stocks.  Lance Sundberg, from Columbus, Mon­ has just spent £75,000 on l4 million Australian bees. “I just hope they have some sort of immunity that the American bees don't have”, he said. “If not they'll keep vanishing and then we really have a problem”.

When John gave me that cutting, it was the first I had heard of the phenomenon. Since then every beekeeping journal has something to say on this subject. It has also been given the grand title of “Colony Collapse Disorder”

Queen's poor mating - another slant on the subject

Much has been written lately in the bee press regarding the poor mating of queens.  A lot of it being put down to lack of or poor quality drones due to varroa.

The next item comes under the heading “Insect Repellent” from a most unlikely source “The Big Issue”.  It puts another credible aspect on the subject altogether. See what you think.  It is a long article. I have condensed it a little, trying not to miss out the salient points.

Ian Ockendon has been researching the decline of insects for 20-years years now and is adamant that dwindling numbers of butter­flies, ladybirds, moths and other common garden insects can be linked to a growth in the number of mobile phone masts being erected around Britain. "The disappearance of insects recently is unprecedented," he says. "Moths and butterflies are down by as much as 70 per cent. There is no reason to believe that insect populations have ever declined in such numbers in the past thou­sand years. And the only major change in the environment over the past four to five years has been the proliferation of cell net phone networks supplying phone services plus special networks for government."

The microwave radiation created by phone masts, he says, is preventing insects from being able to communicate properly because they use the same band to commu­nicate to each other. "They use microwaves to feel with their antennae and if they can't find their mate they're not going to be able to recreate," he argues. Add to this con­cerns about how microwave radiation impacts on fertility as well as the fact that microwaves have been used as pest control and he believes a cause that's driving cer­tain species to extinction can be identified. "There are genuine fears about fertility rates among insects," he says. "The British Beekeepers Association is experiencing a drastic reduction in fertility rates among queen bees and mobile phone masts have been identified as a possible cause."

"We're looking to get more scientists on board to expand on this research but our studies so far suggest that phone masts are damaging the whole eco system," he stresses. "We've monitored areas that were really rich five years ago in insect diversity and since the introduction of mobile phone masts have seen a reduction of up to 70 per cent of insects such as butterflies, bees, moths, glow worms, ladybirds, lace wing, beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, crickets and woodlice."

"It affects the whole chain," he emphasises. "The plants that have a symbiotic relationship with certain insect species for pollination have also disappeared and birds that feed on insects are becoming rare. Ladybirds feed on greenfly and then they secrete honeydew on trees for butterflies. But if you take the greenfly out of the equation then what will the ladybirds feed on? And the knock-on effect is that some butterflies are facing extinction. The insects interact with every­thing. We need insects for pollination and to keep everything in balance. If the orchards don't get pollinated then there's no fruit. All insect dependant species of flora and fauna are set to decline or disappear."

One major knock-on effect, he sadly acknowledges, would be the effect that plant pollination would have on the food chain, particularly on the livelihoods of organic growers.

Ian is not alone in recognising a general decline in biodiversity in the UK but he is one of few voices to speak so openly against the mobile phone industry as being the cause behind it. The Soil Association has also warned that wildlife is under threat as never before but attributes much of this to intensive farming and the use of pesticides and herbicides. They do not, however, discount the impact of phone masts. Similarly, conservationists at the government’s agricultural institute, Rothamsted Research, recently warned of an impending crisis in British biodiversity after recording huge countrywide declines in some of the most common moth species. Ockenden dismisses these reasons saying climate change cannot account for the drastic decline in species over a very short period. The fact that countries such as France and Spain have not been affected give credence to this.

He also argues that an increase in intensive agriculture or use of pesticides has not worsened significantly over the past 20-25 years so some other cause must exist.

That unknown cause, he stresses, is microwave radiation. "The decline in insect species has coincided with the massive increase in the number of mobile phone masts installed throughout the country," he says. "There are now four commercial net­works and the Government's powerful Tetra system is being installed by the police. Microwaves adversely affect the reproductive capacity of insects and their communica­tions; they may also literally 'cook' insects. One or more of these factors probably accounts for the decline of insects."

In contrast to England, which has cell net phone systems blanketing every part of the land, he is quick to point out that France, Spain and Ireland have large tracts of land devoid of people or are sparsely populated. There are many areas of Ireland where it is actually impossible to obtain a phone signal. "London," he says, perhaps explaining why moths in the south east have suffered such a decline in numbers, "must have the high­est concentration of radiation in the country."

Meanwhile, as Ockenden's studies contin­ue to spark interest among science writers and research on the effects of microwaves grows, many governing bodies, he argues, are still turning a blind eye to this.

Take the Health Protection Agency, for example.

When asked if they were aware of the concerns over mobile phone masts and a disappearance of insects, a radiation expert said: "Although the biological and health effects of RF fields have been explored for many years, at first using frequencies associated with radio, television and radars, and more recently at frequencies associated with mobile telephony, to my knowledge' very little work has been done using insects. This is possibly because they are not an obvious model for health effects in humans which has been the driving force behind this research."

Kitchen shelf Skin Lotions

Here we have two more of Debbie Hattee’s easy to make skin care recipes.

Honey Face Mask (Sensitive Skin)

Ingredients: 4 – 5 tabs honey

Method: Simply warm the honey then apply generously over your face.  Leave for 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Avocado & Honey Face Mask (For Dry Skin)

Ingredients: 1/2 avocado(or 2 tsp avocado oil), ¼ cup honey

Method: Mash the two ingredients together.  Apply to the skin and leave for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove with cotton wool drenched in cool water.  (Avocado is a naturally rich moisturiser. Combined with the honey, this mask should nourish the skin as well as provide it with essential vitamins A,B1,B2 & 4)

What you all wanted to know

Porter bee escapes were first marketed in 1891.  Possibly in America.  They where invented by Mr R. Porter.

Past Events

Friday 23rd February

This evening saw York beekeepers meet at the Ship Inn at Acaster Malbis on a dirty night for our Annual Dinner. Thirty members, their spouses and friends had a most convivial evening.

Wednesday 21st March

Our regular monthly meeting was well attended to hear a talk on “Wild bees and hover flies”. It would have been an interesting talk – we see many around and get asked questions about them, yet know little of them. Unfortunately our speaker was unable to attend.

David Aston turned up trumps at short notice offering to host the meeting.

He started in a casual manner, and within a few minutes he touched on the problem of vanishing bees in America (see the newspaper cutting on page 6) Is it a fungus? Or down to varroa.  This lead to pyrethroid resistance of varroa and the use of oxalic acid as a treatment. David recommends buying it in solution rather than neat and mixing it up your self – it is nasty stuff.  Rob Coleman feeds ground up varroa mites as a homeopathic remedy for varroa. The topic then changed to wax moth. Lesser wax moth is not seen so much nowadays since the greater variety arrived. They enter the hive by night.  Bees do not like the smell of wax moth and will not use old infested comb.

After fitting a frame with foundation, Alan Johnston sprays it with Certan.  He claims it gives long term protection against the moth.  The topic changed to spring management. What to do if you have a drone laying queen or laying worker on your first inspection - do not unite. Doing so also unites varroa – knock the bees off the frames in front of a weaker colony and destroy any brood.   When putting the first super on in spring, use drawn comb, it could be too cold for a small colony to move up onto foundation.  EFB is still notifiable and is becoming endemic.  Bees will remove dead larvae giving the impression all is will in the hive.  The shook swarm is a good way of reducing EFB- but you must sacrifice any brood - this will get rid of EFB and varroa as well.

I may have given the impression that David did all the talking.  Once he introduced a topic it was quickly taken up by those present. I think it turned out to be one of our better meetings.

Tuesday 27th March

The Yorkshire Field Day Committee met at All Saints School to discuss progress.

Sunday 15th April

Rob Coleman held the first of this year’s queen rearing classes at his home apiary at Wiggington on a fine sunny afternoon. Six Members attended.

Wednesday 18th April

The speaker at the last of our winter meetings was Seasonal Bee Inspector Ivor Flatman – who incidentally has judged our Honey Show for the past few years.  I was unable to attend the meeting, but have been told that one of his topics was varroa mite’s resistance to pyrethroids Bayvarol and Apistan.

For the last two years I have treated colonies in the autumn only to find high mite counts in the spring and having to treat again.

If you read the CSL book PB 10859 titled “Managing Varroa”, it tells you how to test for pyrethroid resistance.

I think it is something we all should be doing a couple of times a year as part of routine apiary management.

Saturday 21st April

This was our bus trip to Stoneleigh.  Twenty three seats where occupied. Of that number only fourteen where from York.  The rest where from Barkston Ash, Easingwold and Scarborough.  Without there support the trip would have been a non starter!

Tuesday 8th May

The first of this years beginners classes organised by Sue Hesp was held at Murton.

Monday 14th May

A Committee Meeting was held this evening. As yet I have no information of what was discussed.

Tuesday 15th May

Messrs Coleman, Fuller and Johnston –the Auction Sub Committee met at Murton to discuss the final details of Saturday’s auction.

We are still seeking members to join the sub committee with a view to taking over from the present incumbents in the near future.  Please contact any one of us if you wish to help.

Wednesday 16th May

Our half yearly general meeting was held this evening at Murton.  Two new members were welcomed to the meeting.

Treasurer Chris Robinson told the meeting that we have 103 members that we are debt free and in a good financial situation.

Electing a Committee was discussed.

Sue Hesp reported that EFB had been found among her bees. So the topic of EFB was discussed at length. Using a shook swarm is one way of reducing the chances of EFB by putting your bees onto clean comb and leaving the infection behind on the old combs. It was stressed that a shook swarm should be fed if there is no honey flow on.

Saturday 19th May

Our 8th Annual Auction was held at Murton. It went without a hitch.  The only thing that marred the day was a downpour soon after Auctioneer Colin Hattee had started proceedings that delayed us for ten minutes.

There where two colonies of bees sold on the day.  One fetched £90 and the other £105.  Just before I left for home, Treasurer Chris Robinson told me that he had taken £1635.  I will give you more details in Septembers “Combings”.

My thanks to those of you that came and assisted on the day.

Monday 21st May

The Yorkshire Field Day organisers met at Murton.

Forthcoming Events

Saturday and Sunday the 2nd and 3rd June 2007 10am to 3pm.

Introduction to Beekeeping contact Rob Andrew by email: robandrews@tesco.net. Cleveland area.

Sunday 10th June.09.30 ‘till 16.30

York BKA will bee hosts for Yorkshire BKA Field Day.  The event will be held at All Saints Roman Catholic School, Nunnery Lane, York. Information and tickets from Colin and Debbie Hattee on 01 430 860 972. The cost is £12.00 per head. This includes  parking and lunch. .   The car park is to remain open until 19.30 to allow visitors some time to look round York.

Wednesday 13th June.  18.30

Visit Steve Hudson’s bees and new extraction facility. Steve says “it will be useful for beginners”.

Saturday 16th + Sunday 17th June

Beekeeping for beginners.  A practical weekend course at Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve in Catterick Garrison.   Cost £40.00 each or £55.00 for a couple.  

Saturday 23rd June.  14.00

An Apiary visit to Ken Barran and Sue Hesps’ bees and extraction facility.

Saturday 7th July. 17.30

Our annual Summer Barbeque will be at Jenny Smith’s. Bring your own meat/ sweets and drinks.  Salads, plates and cutlery will be provided. Please confirm your attendance to Jenny by Saturday 30th June. 

Wednesday 11th July.  18.30

Visit Colin and Debbie Hattee’s apiary.

Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th July

Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate.

Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22nd July

Royal Horticultural Society’s Tatton Park Flower Show.

Wednesday 25th July. 18.30

Apiary visit to Tom Robinson’s and see a demonstration of the “Shook Swarm” (weather permitting). Again- more details nearer the time. Contact Tom on 01 904 626 170.

Saturday 4th August

Tockwith Show.   In the past York BKA has had a presence at this show. David Aston has been the organiser.  We have been in the “charity” tent talking to people about bees and honey. We gave people a taste of different honeys, but are not allowed to sell honey.

Saturday 25th August to Monday 27th August. (Bank Holiday weekend)

Cawood Craft Fair

Sunday 9th to Friday 14th September

Apimondia 2007 will be held in Melbourne, Australia. For more information :- www.apimondia 2007melbourne.com

Wednesday 12th September . Murton.  19.30

The first of our winter meetings. Speaker to be announced.

Wednesday 17th October.  Murton

York BKA Annual General Meeting. Election of a new Committee.

Thursday 18 to Saturday 20th October

The National Honey Show at the RAF Museum, Hendon. Ample free parking.

www.honeyshow.co.uk or write to the Hon General Secretary, the Rev H.F.Capener, 1 Baldric Road, Folkestone, CT20  2NR.

Wednesday 21st November.  Murton

York BKA Annual Honey Show.  Your chance to show your produce to the rest of the Association.  Exhibits for show will be accepted from 18.45 and judging to commence at 19.30 prompt

For Sale

A limited number of good quality, second hand WBC hives.Each hive consists of a stand, brood box, queen excluder, two supers, a crown board, outer lifts and pitched roof in galvanised zinc.

Brand new from Thorne’s, these hives retail at £300+.   Second hand- this offer -£100.  Order early to avoid disappointment.  

Do you wish to have a go at making mead? I have some 1 gallon demijons surplus to requirements.  £1.00 each. Collect or I will bring to meetings.

Colin Hattee has 1lb squat honey jars for sale. Priced at £28.00 per gross including lids.  Lids on there own are £4.50 per half gross.  Colin will bring your order to meetings or you can collect them from Colin’s home by prior arrangement.

Tired of always ending up with backache every time you go through your hives , do you have to do your beekeeping on your knees ? Then no more, for I have the solution. Purchase one of our purpose made hive stands capable of carrying two or three hives, made of light weigh metal fully galvanised, strong and robust, will last you a life time and find out the pleasures of easy hive manipulation all for the modest cost of £45.

CLARO BEES for all your beekeeping supplies

Large stock and very keen prices on all items.

Cedar National hive parts, frames ( all in first and second quality), clothing, gloves, foundation, jars, spacers ,tools, smokers, medicines, straps etc. etc. all normally in stock and at below list prices.  Advice on the selection and use of beekeeping equipment always available. Open every Saturday morning 09.00 to 12.30 April to October inclusive.

Beside the Harrogate Arms, past the RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, Crag Lane, Harrogate, HG3  1QA, or by arrangement: 01423 567315.  A map showing our location is available at www.hrbka.org.uk.

Bill Spence of South Riding BKA will have queens that are quiet, tried and tested and four frame nuc’s in good quality boxes available for sale from early June.  Queens are £15.00 each and nuc’s £55.00 each

Wanted

Rob Coleman is looking for an incubator for use with his queen rearing.  

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