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Summer Meetings

For many of us summer is a long way off, but as we all know the bees are already starting to prepare and build up as you read this newsletter. In the spirit of preparing for what is ahead, just like the bees, WBK has been busy planning the summer meetings again for 2022 – Covid and of course any other factor apart. To that end please put a date in your diary for the first two summer meetings of 2022 in April and May. Also if there are any volunteers to host the June/September meetings please email me and we can arrange to chat. Availability of 2 – 3 hives is required, but other WBK members are happy to support the actual content of the meeting. Looking forward to seeing all of you at these.

Local queen rearing initiative

If you would be interested in joining a new group for rearing local queens, please contact Michael Main (michaelfmain@hotmail.com)

Host	Date	Topic	Details
	June	Preparing for the flow and taking honey off	Types of super. How many? Types of clearers and clearing methods Calibrating a refractometer
Teaching Apiary	July 9th	An inspector calls	Stewart Westsmith, Seasonal Bee Inspector, takes us through an inspection.
Paul and Helen Bunclark	August 14th	Summer Social	Paul and Helen’s Row Town apiary site
	September	Preparing for winter	A detailed look at preparing and feeding bees for winter.

Our summer meeting schedule is almost full and we have some exciting and amazing venues on the list. Please put the date in your diary for the Summer Social event on August 14th; partners welcome and a fun time for all.

Please do come, beginners and all as it is great to catch up and swap experiences. For summer meetings please bring a mug and something savoury or sweet to share with the coffee and tea after.

PS: If you would like to host the June or September meeting please do drop me an email at davidparker@polymathconsulting.com

The NBU has issued a warning that colony losses through starvation have already occurred this winter as a result of the unusually high temperatures that we have had for the time of year, encouraging the bees to be active. Several local beekeepers have reported the same, e.g. Peter Webb, who wrote: ‘Terrible weather for bees, lots flying and nothing to feed on.’ Another of our members, David Parker, has reported that one of his hives consumed roughly 400g of fondant in about 7-8 days. Do check your own bees for the state of their stores. Going into the hive has to be done very carefully indeed in January, but gentle hefting should give enough indication and will cause no problems. If in doubt, put a bag of fondant on the crown board.

Just like modern humans, honeybees avoid each other amid plagues

Bees segregate behaviours in different parts of their hives to prevent parasites from spreading, in other words thay use social distancing. Humans, as we all very well know, have used social distancing to fight infectious disease, both currently, and for past centuries. This article from The Economist explains, with the aid of some remarkable photgraphs, how the bees practice social distancing to combat varroa and other diseases: 

Use the link:

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/11/27/just-like-modern-humans-honeybees-avoid-each-other-amid-plagues

Thanks to David Parker and Peter Webb for this item.

“Thousands of rare forest honeybees that appear to be the last wild descendants of Britain’s native honeybees have been discovered in the ancient woodlands of Blenheim Palace. These bees appear to be resistant to the varroa mite. “The bees are very relaxed, and he (the beekeeper) does not need to wear any protective equipment” …“I can put my hand in the nest. They are very calm”… This finding is being taken very seriously, with DNA and cubital index (wing vein patterns) investigations proceeding.  You can read this very interesting article, published in The Guardian, in full using the link; 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/07/no-one-knew-they-existed-wild-heirs-of-lost-british-honeybee-found-at-blenheim?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Let us hope that there will be some very sensitive and unobtrusive  management of these wild bees and that they are not ruthlesly exploited in the interest of commercially motivated beekeepers. It does not auger well that they have already been exposed in the national media. I imagine that BIBBA will have a great interest in this article as it seems to be in the same area as their much discussed British Black bee. 

Thanks to Peter Webb and Claire Balla for making us aware of this.

Roger Patterson who wrote Beekeeping A Practical Guide and BIBBA fame brings us his new You Tube how to videos. Login to the members area to find a link to the videos.

Exhibitors listed in alphabetical order. Please let me know of any errors or omissions.

Geoff Cooper

1st One unusual container of liquid honey

Note – the container was a gift from Arran Taylor, so credit to him as well!

Marion Cooper

2nd Six small honey biscuits

2nd Limerick about bees or beekeeping (see below)

Andrew Halstead

1st Two jars naturally set or soft set honey (National class)

2nd Two jars naturally set or soft set honey (Surrey class)

2nd One jar naturally crystallised honey (Surrey gift class)

VHC Two jars liquid honey (Surrey class)

Dr Mark Hamilton

1st Two jars medium honey (Surrey class)

2nd One jar light / medium honey (Surrey gift class)

HC Two jars liquid honey (Surrey class)

David Parker

1st Two jars dark honey (Surrey class)

1st Frame suitable for extraction (Surrey class)

3rd Two jars naturally set or soft set honey (Surrey class)

HC Six small honey biscuits

Marion’s limerick Class: 106 Entry no: 10.

2nd prize

A beekeeper bottled his honey
Which he hoped would raise him some money But the yeasts did their worst
So the jars they all burst
And the poor man did not think it funny

The ‘fermentation’ was achieved by stirring bicarbonate of soda into honey and Geoff smashed the jar with a log-splitting wedge. All good fun.

Other successes achieved by our Chairman

It should be reported that our Chairman, Andrew Halstead, achieved successes – again – at two other local Shows in September. Here is his reply to my enquiry:

‘At the Chobham Agricultural and Horticultural Show I repeated my ”success” by having a first in the classes for two jars of set honey and two jars of medium or dark runny honey. The quote marks around success are because my honey was the only entry in those classes at the West End and Windlesham show.

Surrey Beekeepers Association AGM, Saturday 4th December 2021, 2.00 pm

This year the AGM will be hosted by the Kingston Division of Surrey Beekeepers Association. It will be held at The Richard Mayo Centre, Kingston United Reformed Church, Eden Street, Kingston KT1 1HZ. The AGM will be followed by light refreshments, after which there will be a talk at 3.00pm by Jack Siberrad, a Rural & Urban Beefarmer. His talk will be ‘Hygienic Bees – Varroa Resistance in your Hives’. The meeting will close at 4.30 pm.

There are plenty of buses and several large car parks in Kingston; the Eden Walk car park is next to the venue. Kingston Rail Station is 10 minutes walk away and there is secure bicycle parking there.

The Surrey Agricultural Show, which always includes the Bees and Honey Tent where the Honey Show is staged, was obviously not held last year or this year, but the SBKA Show Committee decided to run the event at the Reigate Division’s spacious and attractive apiary, way out in the Surrey countryside. Apart from the Show, this tree-lined site with its extensive area for hives, excellent wooden building with all facilities and large car park is always worth visiting – how envious we are!

There was a very friendly atmosphere, a good display of exhibits and tea and cake were available thoughout the afternoon. Special thanks go to the organisers, especially Mike Axford, Daphne Thomas and Julie Hogarth, as well as the many helpers on the day.

Now for the Weybridge contribution to the Show. We did VERY WELL, with a total of 82 points, second only to Reigate, with 87, BUT, 51 of Reigate’s points were won by one exhibitor, without whose points Reigate would have been fifth – and – Weybridge first! Now, NEXT year… how about it?

Marion Cooper Here are the details of the 18 Weybridge achievements, with the exhibitors given in alphabetical order:

(VHC = Very Highly Commended, HC = Highly Commended, C = Commended)

Leona Cobham

VHC – Single Jar of Honey, Novice Class

Geoff and Marion Cooper

1st – Two jars medium honey

1st – Honey cake

2nd – Interesting or Instructive Exhibit (heated tank for cleaning frames)

2nd – Honey biscuits

3rd – Lemon honey cake

Lisa Davis

1st – Honey and Beeswax Products

2nd – Single jar of honey, Novice Class

Vanessa Inwood

3rd – Colour Photo

David Parker

1st – Composite display of four items

1st – Two cut comb in containers, ColmanCup

2nd – Two jars light honey

2nd – Frame suitable for extraction

3rd – Two jars set honey

3rd – Two beeswax candles

VHC – Two jars dark honey

Alan Wells

3rd – Single jar of honey, Novice Class

C – Honey cake