Combings Magazine   
Issue No 21 ~ March 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

First Words from the Editor ...

 “Combings” is now five years old. Twenty issues have been sent to you.  If you have enjoyed reading it, learned something or it has made you chuckle, then my time has not been wasted. Putting material together is the easy part – getting the material in the first place is the difficult bit.  I now read all I can looking for material. My depth of beekeeping knowledge has improved a lot since I started doing your newsletter. The best articles come from you – the Membership – recounting your experiences – good or bad.   They all make for a good magazine.  Please do not hesitate to send me them – or tell me of them and I will write them down.

I have taken “Combings” as far as I can.  Although I would like to alter its layout, other commitments do not allow me time to sit down and experiment.  Not being computer literate makes it hard work making alterations.  So if any of you would like to take over the running of “Combings”, then I would be happy to hand over the reins.  Failing that I could do with some help researching particular subjects. These would be on an irregular basis and not being date sensitive, could be done at your leisure.

Annual Auction

Our annual auction is to be held at Murton on Saturday 19 May. Full details of which are attached. You are reminded that if you wish to sell bees then they must be inspected in your own apiary by the Seasonal Bee Inspector Ivor Flatman before being brought to Murton. Bees not so inspected will be rejected.

Please give Ivor at least a week’s notice in case of inclement weather and for him to arrange his diary.

As ever, we will want assistants on the day.  Any time you can spare will be most welcome.  Let me know if you are interested and I will invite you to the final meeting of the Auction Sub Committee in the week before the auction for briefing.

Colin Hattee has agreed to be our auctioneer again this year.

Alan Johnston has given me these notes enlarging on matters discussed at a Committee Meeting held at Murton on Monday 7 January.

2007 Queen Rearing Course

Expert queen breeder Rob Coleman has agreed to organise a repeat of last years queen rearing programme during the summer months.

The first session will be held at Rob’s home apiary at Wiggington on Sunday 15 April at 1400 hrs and on Sundays thereafter.   If you are interested then contact Rob as soon as possible.

Rob is hoping to attract a largely new group of interested beekeepers.

Trial “Bulk Purchase” of beekeeping equipment

Chairman Tom Robinson has agreed to organise a bulk purchase of the more basic pieces of beekeeping equipment, such as floors, roofs, brood boxes and frames.   (The full list has yet to be finalised).

As a large scale bee farmer, Tom is able to purchase quantities of equipment at a discount from the suppliers and is prepared to pass this on to members who wish to order via him.

Tom will be producing an order form and price list shortly, and getting it out to members.

It should be noted that this is being “trialled” this year.  If there is little demand for the scheme, or it proves excessively difficult to administer, it may not be repeated in 2008.

Thanks to Tom for agreeing to organise it for at least this year.

What do members want?

Each season York BKA organises a series winter lectures, summer apiary visits, a BBQ, an annual dinner and so on for members, but the question was raised at the meeting “What exactly do members want from the Association?”  Whether you’re happy with what’s provided, or if you’ve got specific suggestions for programme changes, please let me know and give me some feedback.  After all, we’re trying to do it for you rather than to you.

Alan can be contacted by email: sec_ydbka@hotmail.co.uk or if you wish, you can write to me and I will pass your comments on anonymously to the Committee.

BBKA Basic Assessment Qualification

Also to do with that meeting, David Aston sent me this message:

At the recent YDBKA Committee meeting it was agreed that members be encouraged to take the BBKA Basic Assessment qualification.  The entry qualification is to have kept bees for one year. The assessment takes about 1.5 hours.  To help you decide whether you might be interested in taking the Basic David Aston and John Fuller will be willing to host a meeting (February/March time) to discuss what is involved, how to prepare and how the assessment is conducted. Then a bit later in the season (May) they will hold a practical demonstration of what happens on the day.  If you are interested in taking the Basic Assessment please let David or John know.

Secretary Johnston also sent me these two messages for inclusion in “Combings”.

Northern Bee Books Offer

Last year a few members took advantage of Northern Bee Books offer that allowed Association members to receive their quarterly magazine “Beekeepers Quarterly” at a significantly reduced price - £15 for four issues rather than the full subscription rate of £25.  They are making the same offer again this year. Any member who wishes to take advantage of this offer should send a cheque for £15 made payable to YDBKA (not Northern Bee Books) to Alan Johnston, Secretary, York BKA by Monday 12 March 2007.  These individual cheques will be paid into YDBKA’s account and Treasurer Chris Robinson will provide one cheque to Northern Bee Books on behalf of all subscribers.

Yorkshire BKA Meeting

This is to inform you that the next Yorkshire BKA/Buckles Inn (on the A64 between York and Tadcaster) meeting is scheduled for Saturday 10 March at 1000 hrs.  The guest lecturer is Ian Craig.  A top speaker and President of the Scottish BKA.   His topic “Practical beekeeping to avoid queen failure”.  For those who have not attended a “Buckles Inn” meeting let me encourage you to do so.  You are missing out on a first class event with quality speakers – and it is free!!  Give it a try.   For further information contact Alan Johnston.

Spring Field Day

Enclosed with “Combings” is a leaflet from Colin Hattee detailing the programme for the forthcoming Spring Field Day to be held in the centre of York on Sunday 10 June.  It promises to be a good day – and you get a free lunch!

The Yorkshire BKA’s Annual Foundation Offer was taken up by eighteen members spending just over £900.

Annual Honey Show

Our Annual Honey Show was held at Murton on the evening of Wednesday 22 November last year (too late to be reported in your December “Combings”).  This year was good with 19 competitors entering 111 exhibits. It makes the organisers’ job worthwhile when such interest is shown.Sue Hesp continued her winning form.  She took both the Honey Show Cup and the “John Fuller” trophy for class 12, “A block of beeswax more than 1lb”.  The classes that give scope to ones imagination, are 14 a “Honey cake to your own recipe” and 16 a “Beeswax candle, any shape or size”.   Both classes produced some interesting exhibits.  The most striking of which was a cake made by Sue Hesp, with a big “Wow” factor.  It was a fruit cake made in a pudding bowl which is the shape of a skep. It was piped all round with yellow icing to represent straw, It won first prize in its class.  Sue amassed 29 points, second was John Bowes with 12 points, closely followed by Jenny Smith with 11points. One point behind Jenny was Alan Johnston.  I spent all Wednesday afternoon preparing for the Honey Show, all evening (with others) presenting it and all night dreaming of it!

There is much talk these days of global warming.  Most years birds stop twittering from about the end of October ‘till February.  This year they have not stopped at all. On the day of the solstice they where singing their hearts out, on Boxing Day I heard a great tit singing – they have a most distinctive call and on the 2 January there was a hedgehog in my garden  - no doubt brought out of hibernation by the relatively warm winter we have so far.

Not being well up on hedgehogs I do not know whether they can go back into hibernation or not.  Other beekeepers tell me they have seen wasps and bumblebees flying in early January.

During the winter Steve Hudson had two cedar hives of bees with supers and feeders including the stand (This is one he got from Bob Hirst. They are good substantial pieces of kit) stolen from his apiary at Copmanthorpe. There were eight hives on the same site.

Unfortunately the hives are not marked in any way.  If you are approached to purchase any beekeeping equipment- then give Steve a ring first.

I think the moral of the story is – have your hives and equipment indelibly marked – for wood work, branding is best on the out side, inside, on the ends and on the frames also. It may not stop hives being stolen but it will make it much more difficult for the thief to sell them on.

Thorne’s did sell branding irons at one time, but having looked through their catalogue, cannot find them. Nor are they in the National Bee Supplies catalogue.  If any of you know where they can be got from, then let me know and I will spread the word round.

On the same theme, Tom Robinson told me of thieves in Shropshire who went into an apiary of fifteen colonies and took a five frame nuc out of each one.   The owner would know nothing until opening up his hives to find the best part of each colony missing.

We are now coming to the start of the beekeeping season when we start going to out apiaries. Tell your nearest and dearest where you are going and what time you anticipate returning home.  If you have a mobile ‘phone, have it on your person, fully charged and switched on ready for use in an emergency.  Accidents by definition cannot be predicted.

Still on out apiaries, make a note of grid references of each of your sites, for they are often remote and possibly difficult to give any one directions to get there.

Also take your nearest and dearest to your sites occasionally so they are familiar with there locations.

If you wish to take your bees to borage and have not yet got a site, ring Philip Clayton.  Philip is a partner in a firm called Glafield that deals in borage in the East Riding  and North Lincs as far  as Market Rasen.  He will put you in touch with a farmer and you then contact the farmer direct.

March 2007 Healthcheck

Beekeepers are now classed as keepers of food-producing animals and because of this from now on (actually it was from 1 October 2006) we will have to keep records of the medicines we buy and give to our bees.

There are only three treatments approved by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in the UK for the control of varroa. They are Bayvoral®, Apistan® and Apiguard®.

I believe it would also be advisable to keep similar records for any chemical substance you use in your beekeeping activities.

The records can be kept electronically or when in writing in a durable and permanent format.  We have to be able to make them available to a person authorised to ask to see them.

The purpose of the records is to:

-     provide a mechanism for the effective recall of a batch  or batches of a product should this become necessary, and
-    provide traceability in the use of medicines in food producing animals.

I have drawn up a table which you might like to use or adapt.

Name of product	Batch Number	Date of Purchase*	Supplier	Quantity purchased	Date given to bees	Withdrawal period	Quantity given	Colony Number	Disposal details**

*Note: Records and proof of purchase must be kept for at least 5 years following using or disposing of the product even if the colony dies out.

**Note: This note refers to disposal of the product, other than by treating the bees and should detail the date of disposal, the quantity of product involved and how and where it was disposed.

Please note this information is given in good faith. Further guidance can be found on the VMD website www.vmd.gov.uk  follow the link to ‘Publications’ and navigate from there.

I have mentioned in the past that I have been visited by East Riding Trading Standards Officers. I also get sent a news letter from them from time to time. I received one in early December. With the following article in it.  Honey extraction and bottling is classed as a low risk food activity.

Alternative Enforcement Low Risk Premises

Premises that are classified as low risk for food safety and/or food standards and trading standards issues can be subject to 'alternative enforcement' rather than be subject to an inspection by a Food Services Team officer. Officers would previously have inspected low risk premises once every three years.

The team has developed a strategy for dealing with low risk food businesses and this year we have developed business information packs for low risk food businesses. These packs may be issued over the next two months to food businesses that have an overall low risk in respect of food safety and standards. Later the packs will also be issued on inspection where the risk for food standards is low but it is a requirement to inspect the premises for food safety purposes and vice versa. As we are an integrated team we are able to send only one officer who will cover the high-risk activities through inspection and the low risk activities through issue of the business advice pack. In previous years such a business would have received two separate inspections in the same year.

These business advice packs will also be available on CD.

For further information please contact: Julie Benson, Senior Trading Standards Officer, email: julie.benson@eastriding.gov.uk

For some years now we have been urged to change three or four of the oldest combs in the brood box every year. This ensures there are no old combs in use year in, year out. Nowadays the shook swarm is becoming increasingly popular. This is where all bees are shaken onto foundation in clean frames and a clean brood box.

Kate Wallace found this article in the Devon BKA magazine “Beekeeping”

New Combs for Old by Roy Cropley

A friend rang me. "My bees look very unhealthy", he said. "Would you have a look?" We found the bees in a poor state. The brood was patchy and there was not much of it. It was a colony going nowhere. What was the cause? Perhaps it was because the queen was getting old.

Was there any evidence of a brood disease such as AFB, EFB, chalk brood or sac brood? No, the brood was scattered about but it looked healthy enough. The bees may have been storing pollen in a haphazard way instead of in an arc above the brood. This would cause the queen to wander about looking for an empty, pol­ished cell to lay in. We decided to carry out the shook swarm procedure to rectify the situation.

The queen was found and put in a cage. This was put into my pocket to keep her warm. The hive was moved aside and an empty hive was put in its place. The floor was set on the stand and a wire queen excluder was placed between the floor and the brood chamber. Foundation and frames were added.

The bees were shaken into a card­board box and then on to the frames and the queen was released. The crown board was put in place with a feeder of syrup covering the feedhole. We put on an empty super to take care of the feeder and then the roof.

A week later the queen excluder was removed. This had been used to hold in the queen so that the bees did not ab­scond. They had made new comb and the queen had laid systematically. What a dif­ference! Gone were the thoughts of dis­ease. This was a revitalised colony with hard-working bees whose hard work was being put to good use instead of being wasted on cleaning up old combs. There was now a comb of brood in a good pat­tern with an arc of pollen above and on top a store of honey.

What about old combs? It seems such a shame to discard old combs and some beekeepers proudly boast the age of theirs. One aged gentleman used the ex­pression 'stock in trade' and was pleased to use the frames and wax of a retired man. And some say that we should make up nucs for queen rearing using the oldest stuff. What nonsense! Bees will usually go on these old combs because they are covered with queen substance but they produce healthier brood on new ones. We do not burn or bury the old combs. We recover the wax and it is usually a good colour and has a pleasant smell. We exchange it for foundation knowing that this never car­ries disease. We carry out the comb change in spring when there is little brood - but this must go too since it may carry brood disease. Years ago Bailey recommended comb change where we put new combs above the old and waited until all the brood had hatched. Nowadays we discard all the brood in early spring and with it most of the varroa.

All the equipment we use is clean. The queen cage is washed in warm water with soda. The cardboard box is used once only. The frames are new; used ones are put in boiling water or baked in the oven (the solar wax extractor maybe used). A blowtorch from a DIY shop lightly scorches the hive parts.

We have been wary of using the shook swarm process. It is usually only used when EFB is found. We are now con­vinced it is a good method of replacing combs and giving the bees an excellent start in the spring. They will soon catch up with and overtake the others.

Roy Cropley is a member of Essex Beekeepers' Association.

Editors note:

1. Old black combs produce very little wax, and in my opinion is not worth the effort to recover.  Using a solar extractor to sterilise frames will only work on the hottest of days. Any other time it may not get hot enough to be effective.

2. Wax from solar extractors is always a funny khaki colour – partly due to over heating and partly due to the debris that melts with it.  Some of the debris can be filtered out.

Marked Queens

It is obviously helpful in queen-finding if a queen is marked. The mark she carries on her thorax not only makes her conspicuous but may serve as an indication of her age. Its presence or absence indicates whether her stock has swarmed or superseded its queen during a given season.  The device described below will also help.

Tomes' queen detector

During the past two or three years G A R Tomes of West Wickham, Kent, has devised and perfected an apparatus by means of which the presence and location of a queen may be quickly determined.

Early in her life a double disc of metallic foil, enclosing within it a minute quantity (0.5 µg. to 5 µg.) of a radium salt, is attached by an adhesive to the thorax of the queen. She carries this throughout her life, and so constantly functions as a miniature transmitting set.

A special form of ionisation discharge tube, which is held in the hand, and which is sensitive to the radio­active emanations from the radium, is connected with a loud speaker which derives its power from a simple vibration unit coupled to a two-volt accumulator.

The discharge tube serves as a detecting-rod and when passed over the combs, or if necessary between them, causes a crackling sound to be emitted from the loud speaker when it comes within about 8 in. of the queen, the sound increasing in intensity as the rod comes nearer to the queen.

The device was originally intended by the inventor to give warning of the emergence of a swarm, the alarm being given as the queen reached the hive entrance across which was placed the detector tube. It was modified to serve as a queen finder for which purpose it has proved to be efficient and a great time-saver.

It may be used:

-  to locate a queen;
-  to ascertain that a queen is present, eg at the end of the season, when brood-rearing has ceased. In this case all that is necessary is to place the tube above the quilts and to listen to the response;
-  to detect the emergence and return of virgin queens when taking mating flights.

In a recent communication with the writer, the inventor states that after extensive use of the apparatus no harmful effects have been observed. The device is likely to appear on the market at an early date.

This piece was written in 1946 in his book “Queen Rearing”, by none other than L E Snelgrove, MA, MSc.  Probably best remembered for the Snelgrove Board used in swarm prevention.

I received a letter from Val Francis – Val is BBKA Examination Secretary.   In it was this table showing the numbers of candidates that took the various BBKA examinations, the number of passes and the percentages of passes.

The one that you all could aspire to with out any difficulty is the Basic exam.   With a pass rate of 96% you should have no difficulty in passing. The Basic exam is usually held at a suitable apiary with a small group of candidates, with one months notice.  The cost is £10.00.

You should have kept at least one colony of bees for a minimum of twelve months.

If you are interested, then contact David Aston – or even myself – for more information.

I can only think of six members of York BKA with any qualifications.  Considering that we have approximately 100 members, this is a very low percentage.

Summary of all Examination Results 2006

	Candidates	Passed	Pass Rate
Basic Certificate	280	270	96%
General Husbandry	9	8	89%
Advanced Husbandry	2	2	100%
Microscopy	9	9	100%
Junior Certificate Basic Certificate in African	6 7	6 7	100% 100%
Beekeeping
Module 1	34	30	88%
Module 2	27	25	93%
Module 3	30	23	77%
Module 4	3	2	67%
Module 5	13	8	67%
Module 6	17	12	71%
Module 7	8	7	88%
Module 8	10	8	80%
Intermediate Theory Certificate		6
Advanced Theory Certificate		8
Master Beekeeper		2

In June 2005 “Combings” I first mentioned the Patterson and Reynolds hives.  In December 2005 “Combings” I spoke of a letter I had received from Bob Hawker of Ponteland near Newcastle with a photocopy of the Reynolds Hive brochure. I have since had another letter from Bob (and a long telephone conversation with him). This time he sent me a photocopy of a page out of Beecraft dated March 1947 where mention is made in the postbag section of the “Cardiff University” pattern hive.

The relevant sentence reads “There is, of course, the other single walled hive called the Cardiff University pattern, just like the brood box of obsolescent WBC kind, which needs no shortened lugs and has a most efficient grip for lifting”. (The writer had been discussing other hive in a previous sentence).

Has anybody any information on the “Cardiff University” hive?

I told you of the spiked uncapping roller that I had bought last year.  My thoughts on it where mixed.  It mashes up the surface of the comb to such a degree that honey does not always spin out readily, making my extractor run out of balance.  Knowing that none of the frames in the extractor had set honey in them, I went looking for the heavy frames. I found a couple where there was a lot of honey behind improperly uncapped cells. I ran a kitchen fork over the surface of the comb and heard air popping into these cells.

After extracting earlier in the year, I put my wet supers back on my bees for them to clean out.  Where cells had a lot of wax capping still left on, the bees simply recapped the empty cells.

Using it again makes me think its cons outweigh its pros.

Something to laugh at if it wasn’t so serious. On the “Letters to the Editor” page in December 2006 edition of Beecraft, a lady was listing the hoops she had to jump through to satisfy Trading Standards Officers to be able to make and sell cosmetics. Her final paragraph read : - “We also had problems with selling candles. Those in a box (like the boxing materials you get from Thorne’s) had to have 'remove from box before lighting' added. You can imagine the comments we've been getting from customers!  Nanny state and all that”.

You must be very dim not to realise that.  It’s the same as the warning on a packet of peanuts “contains nuts”.  You must have come across many such obvious warnings your self.

More honey recipes ...

Here are two recipes sent to me by Debbie Hattee. They are made from readily available natural products.

Kitchen shelf skin lotions

Milk & Honey Cleanser (for Normal/Combination Skins)

1/3 cup honey
½ cup buttermilk3 tsp rosewater

Method: Place all ingredients in a closed container and shake well. Apply a small amount to your face, then rinse off or remove with cotton wool

Honey & Apple Toner

1 tablsp honey
1 apple – peeled and cored

Method: Puree the two ingredients in a blender and smooth on to the face.
Leave for 15 minutes before rinsing off.

Queen Marking Colour for 2007

The queen marking colour for 2007 is YELLOW.

What you all wanted to know

Hoffman frames were invented in the late 1890’s in America by a Polish migrant called Julius Hoffman.

Past Events

Monday 7 January

A Committee meeting was held at the Farming Museum. Matters discussed were:

-     York BKA’s attendance at Tockwith Show on Saturday 4 August
-    Late subscription payments
-    2006 Honey Show feedback
-    BBKA Basic Exam – course to be organised
-    What do members want from their Association?
-    2007 queen rearing course
-    Trial run of bulk purchase of beekeeping equipment

These last four items have been enlarged upon earlier in “Combings”.

Wednesday 17 January

There was a poor turnout for the first of this year’s regular monthly meeting at Murton.  Secretary Alan Johnston announced to the meeting that Les Thorne of Thorne’s Beekeeping Supplies has died.

David Gray was welcomed to the meeting and to York BKA.  David has moved to York from Richmond where he has kept bees since 1994. He also runs a two day beginners course at Catterick Garrison.  (See Forthcoming events)

This evening’s guest speaker was Richard Leaming - Senior Trading Standards Officer for York City Council.  He spoke at length on labelling, best before dates (the packer to determine this, as nothing is written down about it), and lot marking. There is a voluntary label warning not to feed honey to infants under 12 months old.

Richard went on to speak of weights and measures.  He mentioned two methods. First, the minimum weight system, where the minimum weight is declared and each jar must not be less than the declared weight. Second – the average system where the weight of a batch should equal the declared weight. (Some jars can be under while others are over weight to make up).

One point he stressed on more than one occasion was that Trading Standards are there to help. If you want advice on any aspect of selling honey or to have your weighing machine tested they are only a ‘phone call away. Call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit the website: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.

Thursday 25 January

Messrs Coleman, Fuller and Johnston (the Auction Sub Committee) met to talk over our forthcoming auction on the 19 May, so that details can be included with your “Combings”.

For Sale ...

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. Enquiries to Bob Hirst.

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.

The hives are presently in use over wintering colonies, but will be cleaned, sterilised and available for sale in time for the start of the season.

Brand new from Thorne’s, these hives retail at £300+.  Second hand – this offer £100.  Order early to avoid disappointment.   Contact Alan Johnston for further details.

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.

Easybee uncapping tray.  In good order with thermostat.  £200. Contact Tom Robinson email mautomrobee@btopenworld.com.

Steve Hudson has new 30lb honey buckets with sealed lids for sale.  £2.00 each.

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.  If you are interested, then contact Bill.  He is a member of the “Black Bee Brigade”.

HRBKA - CLARO BEES Shop
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 0900 hrs to 1230 hrs 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.

Forthcoming Events

Saturday 10 March 2007

Buckles Inn on the A64.

Yorkshire BKA Spring Conference will be held at the Buckles Inn on the A64 to the west of York.  The speaker will be Ian Craig and his topic -“Practical beekeeping to prevent queen failure”

Wednesday 21 March (Murton @ 1930 hrs)

Wild bees and hover flies is the title of the talk to be given by Koos Biesmeijer of York University.   Being a beekeeper you are automatically an expert on all things flying. Come along and let Mr Biesmeijer help in maintaining your expertise.

Saturday 31 March

Lincoln + DBKA Auction

Their annual sale of bees and equipment will be held Lincolnshire County Showground, Scampton. This is on the A15 just north of Lincoln – you do not have to go into or through Lincoln. Auction to commence at midday.  For more information contact Alan Campion or Bill and Jenny Williams.

Saturday 14 April

Yorkshire BKA Bishop Burton Conference.

Speakers this year are Dr David Aston, Professor Thomas Seeley and Paul Metcalf.  0915 hrs start of a full day.  Cost £20.00 with lunch and £15.00 without lunch.

More information from Dudley Gue.

Bishop Burton is on the A1079 York to Hull Road, to the west of Beverley.

Wednesday 18 April (Murton @ 1930 hrs)

Ivor Flatman is the Seasonal Bee Inspector for this area.  This is your opportunity to come and meet him in an unofficial manner.  He will talk on the roll of the bee inspector and preparing for spring (or how to keep the bee inspector away!)

Saturday 21 April

BBKA Spring Convention. National Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh

Thursday 26 April – Sunday 29 April

The North of England Horticultural Society will be holding their Spring Flower Show at   the Great Yorkshire showground, Harrogate.

Sunday 29 April

The Beverley BKA annual auction will take place on at Woodmansey Village Hall, Long Lane just off the A1174 in Woodmansey Village near to Beverley. This is a new venue for our auction.

The auction will be indoors in the hall and will start at 1300 hrs with viewing from 1100 hrs.

There is good car parking on the site, toilets and refreshments will be available all day in the hall. East Riding Bee Supplies will have a stall selling a range of new equipment, jars etc.

If we have bees for sale they will be sold at the nearby Beverley BKA apiary site half a mile away.

Sellers and buyers welcome. All items for the sale must be delivered to the sale venue by 0900 hrs on the day. For further details contact secretary Lester Quayle.

Saturday 5 May and Sunday 6 May

South Riding BKA are holding a beginners course at Thryburg Country Park. There are only twelve places available.  The cost £35.00

Tuesday 8 May (Murton @ 1930 hrs)

The first lesson of this year’s “Introduction to Beekeeping” course.  If you know of any potential beekeepers have them contact Sue Hesp, email: suehesp13@aol.com.

The cost of the course is to be £35.00

Saturday 19 May (Murton @ 1930 hrs)

York BKA’s  auction will be held at Murton. Full details are enclosed.

Saturday 2 June and Sunday 3 June (1000 hrs to1500 hrs)

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

Sunday 10 June

York BKA will bee hosts for Yorkshire BKA Field Day.  The event will be held at All Saints Roman Catholic School, Nunnery Lane, York.   The car park is to remain open until 19.30 to allow visitors some time to look round York.

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 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. Tutor and contact is David Gray

Thursday 12 July – Saturday 14 July

Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate

Wednesday 18 July – Sunday 22 July

Royal Horticultural Society’s Tatton Park Flower Show

Saturday 4 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 25 August to Monday 27 August (Bank Holiday weekend)

Cawood Craft Fair

Sunday 9 September – Friday 14 September

Apimondia 2007 will be held in Melbourne, Australia. For more information: www.apimondia2007melbourne.com

Thursday 18 October – Saturday 20 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.

Last minute ...

Rob Coleman and I are trying to get a bus trip together to go to the BBKA Spring Lecture, Convention and Exhibition at Stoneleigh on Saturday 21^st April.  The bus will depart Murton at 0700 hrs and leave Stoneleigh at 1530 hrs.  The cost will be £20.00 per head plus the cost of entering the show.

If you wish to join us, please contact Rob or John Fuller by 15 March.  The venture rests with you. If we cannot cover the cost of the bus, then we will call it off.

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