What unbelievable weather! What a change from last year. The bees are loving it and the flowers are thriving on my property.
For all that I have still been feeding syrup and am popping down to Gordon’s to buy some bee patties to put in the bee burgers!
Why syrup at the moment? Because I simply do not trust our weather and the past experiences had in some districts, mine in particular!
I want to fatten them up for wintering over so they generate more heat at minus 6degC.
For the purists amongst you, I simply want to get the bee numbers up in each hive. I will be leaving a near full box of honey on each one with 4l of syrup to boot!
Come winter, they will have a Jeff Robinson insulating wrap around them. They are also perched on pedestals about
250 mm of the ground. The horses feed right up to, and under them, but never touch the hive. The bees don’t seem to mind!
They are in an open paddock and exposed to the frost and low cold mists, so, for the first time I got through last winter without problems.
WELL next Saturday is our field day, there is a full agenda and the changes are slowly taking take effect.
The committee is starting to see fruition of many hours of talking planning and arguing! They are all putting in amazing hours behind the scenes.
I shake my head in wonderment at their dedication to the club.
Beeline: Just confirmed they will be at our field day, so, get in your order as they will bring up stuff freight free on Saturday!
Working Bee: Was a great success and thank you so much to those who turned up. The hedge is gone, put through the chipper, a tedious, dusty operation. Followed by an equally backbreaking task of the physical removal of the remaining root system.
The toilet linings and vinyl floor covering layed, much wall sheeting done and the sewer connected. Really just the water and cubicles (M&F) to be completed. What terrific effort by the 14 members who turned up! Which reminds me, the paid up membership is now 175!.
Sewer Pipe: Would some of you bring along a good shovel and spend 15mins collectively filling in the sewer trench. With a number of hands it will make the work lighter and quick.
Great Deal! Kerry, our esteemed treasurer, is offering 200 Bayvarol Strips for Varroa treatments in packs of four (enough to treat one hive) $10.00 per pak, that’s $2.50 per strip available on the field day. This is a great opportunity on a first in first served bases.
Dinner Deal! Ara has made a fabulous offer to the club. They are offering a full sumptuous meal to members in their Vision Restaurant Thursday 13th May 6.30 p.m. at $ 45.00 per head. Bring your family!
Tap on this link: Visions Restaurant for choices of food: Ring David Spice (027 360 1398 or spiced28@gmail.com) for details the link will take you straight to the website where you can check the menus and food choices etc. BUT, the great news is that all monies will be donated by ARA to our club. Thanks committee man David!.
Queen raffle: Maggie James is offering a queen to raffle, the proceeds are being donated to the club. Thank you so much Maggie, this is a great help to much needed funds. .
Club Day Programme:
Hive cleaning on how to remove detritus carefully and safely. This is hands on.
Replacing dirty frames, putting in foundation in frames, general information on MPI pollen sampling and sprays.
Plus general information and hive inspections and other stuff.