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Field Day 6th March

Beeline Supplies will be back – if you’re needing any gear check out their website and get ready to pre-order.

As a club raffle fundraiser, drawn on the day, Maggie James has generously donated a caged mated laying queen. Good temperament, good brood pattern.

Available to members – Bayvarol strips in packs of four strips (enough to treat a two story hive) at $10.00 per pack. Available at club field day on a first come first served basis, Cash only on the day.


Dinner on Thursday 13th of May at Ara’s restaurant Visions a three course meal for $45.00 per person see Dave Spice for more details.

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Thanks to those who helped at the working bee 20th Feb 2021

Thanks to those who helped at the Working Bee on the 20th Feb 2021 on behalf of the rest of the membership who were unable to come along; we’d like to acknowledge their valuable work on our behalf. We’re aware that not everyone can help on a Saturday but know that they contribute where they can in other ways.

Thanks to Dave and Irene for organising on the day.

And the heavy work done by others, including: Murray Baxendale, Paul, Jim and Veronica Robinson, Allen Paterson, Trevor Ingham, Lindsay Moir, Tony Gallop, Jeff Gibson.

10.30amWelcome and Introductions –
Health and Safety –
Plan for the day
New beekeepers will work on the nuc.
11.00amOpening and cleaning up the hives, embedding wax for new frames.
12.00pmBreak for a light lunch and drink.
1.00pmMonthly To Do List for March and thanks to those who helped at the Club working bee.
2.00pm
2.30pmPack up

Thanks,
Jo

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Working bee 20th Feb

20TH FEB 2021 8.30AM OUR NEXT WORKING BEE

Yes, you can come and help your club.

Painting, love painting with a mission…bring a brush we’ve woodwork to paint.

Chipping the branches that have been cut down.  We have to move them to make way for our new floral hedge – we must provide more food for the bees.

Your committee has spent $ 200.00 on hiring a chipper so let’s get together and make it pay. Bring your safety gear, earplugs, glasses, gloves whatever you need.

Toilets:
Wanted.. Vinyl flooring 3*3meters

Let Gordon know, we’d love your help with this.

Just come along when you can. All help is gratefully received. One hours or two adds up to a great contribution when we all get together.  Please don’t let Gordon know that you can’t make it,

BUT if you want to know more about the working bee call Gordon 0275389568.

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Pre-xmas working bee

Big thanks goes out to WSP (formerly Opus) for helping out at the bee club.

About WSP:

We are a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy that works across the building, transport, water and environment sectors

Our employer provides us with the ability to take one work day per year as special leave where we can undertake an activity to support the local community.

I was thinking that undertaking some work at the bee club might be an option for a group of us, the only firm requirement is that we have to undertake the day before the end of the year.  I have had a chat with a couple of work colleagues today and have managed to muster up at least 5 of us so far (and can probably get a few more) who can provide some hard labour to complete a few jobs this side of Christmas – at this stage either Monday 21 or Tuesday 22nd December looks like the best option for us, just before we break up.

We could help by doing some builders work or painting on the toilets, digging the drain and/or plumbing and tiling, or whatever is needed. 

We can also lay our hands on most of the tools as required and happy to chip in and focus on whatever is priority for the club ready for the field days in the new year.

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Xmas Field Day

What a great day for our final Field Day of the year! There was a great turn out of members new and old to enjoy all the activities in action on Saturday.

If you wanted to try your hand at opening a hive, or check if you were testing for varroa to industry standards you had your chance to have a go, and ask questions.

Jeff R showed us how best to cut comb honey from our frames. Lindsay’s hoistable swarm collector was pretty amazing for it’s ingenuity and value as a tool to collect swarms from difficult places.

Topping it off was having our ‘LIfe-Members’ Kevin Gates and Jeff Chandler cutting our Xmas cakes donated by Dave Spice. Thanks again to all our members for making our Xmas Field Day so much fun.

Keep safe and have a wonderful Christmas, watch that your bees have enough water and food over the break, yours, Jo Winter Vice-President’

This Saturday the 5th of Dec is our Xmas Field Day

Start time 10.30am

Here’s the Saturday’s Programme:

  • spinning honey
  • cutting comb honey
  • creaming honey
  • swarm checks
  • varroa checks
  • AFB Checks
  • Nuc Raffle – bring a gold coin

Bring something to eat to go with a BBQ, or something sweet for afterwards.
Looking forward to seeing everyone this Sat.

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Thank you everyone who came along

Great morning at the working bee today. Thank you everyone who came along, from our awesome builders and painters to the dogged tenacious gardeners who’ve weeded planted and dug over our new plots. Can’t wait to show off our work at the Xmas Field Day next Sat.

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working bee

Working bee

Saturday 21st.. 8.30 start. 

Saturday 28th.. 8.30 start.

 Yes you can come and help your club be better. 
Continue the toilet block building. 
Painting. 
Planting plants and seeds.
Bee hive work. 

For more information. Gordon 0275 389 568 .

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November 7th Field Day

  • Starting at the usual time of 10.30am
  • All members and visitors welcome

There will be a practical demonstration showing what steps you take if your hive gets AFB. This will include how to wrap a hive for transport and how to burn your hive safely.

Also covered are other key aspects of early spring beekeeping such as;

  • the best type of hive inspection
  • swarm control
  • adding supers (for the honey flow)
  • treatments for varroa, pros and cons
  • plenty for everyone

If you want to be in for a chance to win a nuc. of bees. Bring a gold coin and take a ticket in our raffle.

Are you available to help on our stand?
Sunday 15th of November from 8.30am – 2.00pm.
We are looking for people who could come along from the club to talk about bees and beekeeping. The Club is taking part in a fun day at Riccarton Market.
Not having the A&P Show this is a great opportunity to showcase our skills and help others learn about bees and beekeeping. If you have just started beekeeping or you’re an old hand it doesn’t matter.
We’d love to hear from you. Please catch up with Jeff Gibson or Irene on Saturday if you can help even for an hour or so would be great.

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