EASTER ROSS BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION
WEB SITE FOR APIARISTS
TAIN APIARY, SCOTSBURN ROAD, TAIN, ROSS-SHIRE, SCOTLAND
WELCOME TO THE WINTER PROGRAMME 2011
BLOG - LATEST NEWS
BEGINNERS BEEKEEPING COURSE IN INVERNESS Thursday 28 January 2012
Beginners' Beekeeping DayThursday 26th January 2012 InvernessThis course will be an introduction to the subject and is designed specifically for beginners. This course will be classroom based; it will follow some of the syllabus of the SBA’s basic beemaster certificate which may help candidates in their study and also conforms to the outcomes of the Scottish Honeybee Health Strategy. Programme: importance of honeybees, hive Parts, life cycle of the honey bee, selection of apiary sites, feeding, spring and summer Management, safety and much more!.
Course will run at the
SAC, Drummondhill, Inverness, IV2 4JZ |
This summer why not surf the web for the latest news on beekeeping best practice, varroa, CCD, etc. For National information on bees, beekeeping, etc. please visit the Beebase at the NBU, the National Bee Unit www.nationalbeeunit.com . Why not register with them as a beekeeper and keep up to date.
http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/news/2010/10/07/beekeepers/
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - The meeting on Thursday, 21 April was poorly attended. The Secretary tabled her resignation but there were no alternates. The position of President was not able to be proposed in the absence of the current President. Other business was concluded. The Secretary will continue during the search for a replacement. It was agreed that subscriptions should rise to £10 from 1 April, 2012.
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS:
Membership: Approx 36 beekeepers with from 1-10 hives
Subscriptions from 1 April 2011 £4.50
Notes from Clive de Bruyn
Clive de Bruyn gave a fascinating talk to beekeepers from around the Highlands, hosted by Nairn BKA. The subject was maintaining healthy bees. At least we now know from Clive that "life as we know it" is continuing! He gave us hope that if we look after bees they will thrive. Had he suffered from heavy losses and varroa? No! Tons of good tips and commonsense were liberally dispersed with anecdotes of personal experience. Here are a few quotes and tips:
Thank you Clive and Nairn BKA
The Co-operative Plan Bee
The Co-operative embarked on a major campaign in February to promote bee health following the disastrous collapse of the British honeybee population. Please follow the link to "Plan Bee" and engage in the support they are giving us. http://www.co-operative.coop/corporate/ethicsinaction/takeaction/planbee/
The Scottish Government's Bee Health Strategy
For the latest news this go to: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
ERBA ACTIVITIES
Please see above in the Blog the dates of the Association's summer programme, which are an opportunity for beekeepers to discuss their problems and needs for the new season and get advice. Members and non members are welcome and especially beginners, who might be thinking of taking up beekeeping. Here's a picture of the wild flowers at the apiary last June.
VARROA
Varroa is now endemic in our area and members and should take all necessary procedures to check and control the mite.
If you fail to detect varroa when it is present then you will almost certainly lose your colonies. The Association has been giving varroa advice at the Apiary and there is good reference material on the SBA web site, the Moray Bee Dinosaurs' web site and the bee unit of the CSL, see the links below.
Photos courtesy of John Whitelaw -Lensonscotland
On 26 July 2008 Ian Craig from the Scottish Beekeepers' Association gave northern beekeepers a talk on the lessons we need to learn from the experience of heavy losses. The top tips are:
On 4 December 2002 the New Opportunities Fund awarded the ERBA a grant of £3,000 under the Awards for All programme. This followed an application by the Association in September 2002. The Association has benefited greatly.
EQUIPMENT ORDERS
Locally, you can always contact Highland Bee Supplies at Farr on 01808 521311 and www.highlandbeesupplies.co.uk. Catalogues and price lists can be obtained from Thornes of Scotland by phoning them on 01337 842596 or on www.thorne.co.uk
SECOND HAND EQUIPMENT
New members are always asking for second hand equipment so if you have some spare which you want to get rid of please let us know so we can pass it on.
APIARY
The apiary is now managed by Colin Ridley. The Association's summer meetings are held there to enable members to contribute to the upkeep of the apiary and for beginners to gain hands-on experience from senior beekeepers. Members may also tend their own hives there with the permission of the Secretary.
The Association does not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss, damage or injury to members or visitors arising from their presence at the Apiary. Members and visitors are responsible for their own safety and they should ensure that they are suitably attired and are reminded that beekeeping has attendant risks of which they should be aware.
The Apiary near Tain on the west side of the bypass and is 500 yards along the Scotsburn Road on the left hand side at the Scottish Water Rosehill Reservoir.
GUIDANCE ON SALE OF HONEY
Members who sell their own honey must consult and practise the guidance issued by the Scottish Beekeepers' Association. Failure to observe this may open them to prosecution or legal action from a consumer or from the Council Trading Standards officers.
The guidance covers the Food Safety Regulations, rules of hygiene, labelling, composition, weights and measures, hazards analysis etc.
Follow this link to the British Beekeepers' Association's web site for information: www.britishbeekeepers.com
SWARMS
The Association offers a service to the public to collect swarms of honey bees from the local area particularly during the months of June and July. Any member of the public who is troubled by a swarm should contact Tom Tew on 01862 811310 or Robert Wylie on 01862 821325 who may be able to make arrangements to remove the swarm safely. Because of the risks, skills and equipment required we normally make a charge of £20 per hour plus the cost of any consumables. This is considerably less than the charges from pest control firms and also ensures the survival of the colony of bees. The charges are negotiable and will take into consideration ability to pay.
The Association is also pleased to manage or relocate abandoned feral hives and is particularly interested in the native Scottish black bees. Please note that the Association will not accept any liability for loss, damage or injury which might arise from the handling and management of any third party bees by any member of this Association.
VARROA/EFB
Should you detect varroa or EFB outbreak in your hives you should notify the SBA Northern Representative (see below) and Senior Agricultural Officer, Highland Area Office, Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Inverness IV1 1SF (Tel: 01463 234141). This ensures that the latest scientific and statistical information is held nationally.
Hive samples for testing to:
S.A.S.A. 1 Rodinglaw Road, Edinburgh, EH12 9FJ (packages marked "Bee diseases") Note the service is free.
For guidance to treat varroa we recommend the following web sources:
www.moraybeedinosaurs.co.uk/varroa.html
INSECTICIDE OR PESTICIDE DAMAGE
The spray liaison officer to whom all queries should be addressed regarding proposed spraying or spray damage to bee colonies is Mrs Prue Douglas Menzies (Tel: 01862 871572).
THE SCOTTISH BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION
The ERBA is affiliated to the SBA
See the SBA Websiteon: www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk
SBA Subscriptions from 1 January 2010 are £25 including magazine and insurance.
Our Northern Area representative is:
Stella Forth, Kirkland Lodge, Wardlaw Road, Kirkhill, Invernessshire, IV5 7NB Tel: 01463 831511 Email: gspceditor@live.co.uk
LINKS
To our local communities and local associations:
www.spanglefish.com/DingwallBeekeepers/
Last revised: September 24, 2011
Webmaster Robert Wylie, email: riwylie@gmail.com