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field day

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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Thanks to all the helpers at the Working Bee on Saturday

Thanks to all who helped yesterday at the working bee. Great weather, long hours but boy what a difference it makes – even if you can only do an hour it all helps. Big ups to all of you! Check out the photos to see what’s been happening.

  • It was an early start for the builders working our new toilet block. Evan had a great team of guys putting up walls and completing the framing.
  • Another team had plants to go in and that meant using the rotary hoe to create a garden first. Who knew clay pans can make spades bounce back in your hands! No wonder the rotary hoe operator had a big workout. As did the diligent gardeners.
  • Gerard and helpers got the long box hive moved and that was no mean feat.
  • Lawns were moved and plants watered.
  • Last working bee the painting preparation had been, in the most part done. Just wait till you see the container with it’s new coat of paint, it looks magnificent!
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working bee

Working Bee Saturday 31st October

Yes it on again help our club to grow to bee the best. 
 It’s Your  Club. 

1..Toilet block. building. 
2..Gardening. Planting shrubs that have been  donated. 
3. Has anyone got a rotary hoe and operator for the  wildflower  garden. 
4. Chainsaw.  
5. Shift the longbox hive. 
6. Shadesail over the food table. 
7.  If you can help in anyway thanks. 

Gordon ..Hivemaster for the Club and Projects Coordinator. Ph 0275389568.
Starting at 8.30am..

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field day

Field Day Sat 3rd Oct 11.30am

Starting with opening the hives (weather permitting) followed by a talk about what to do this month in your hive and an opportunity for our new beekeepers to learn some skills and connect with our most valuable resource – our experienced beekeepers.

There will be a BBQ and we would love to have you bring along a little something to eat with tea and coffee.

The library will be out for members to use and there will be a nuc raffle so bring along a $2.00 coin to be in to win. (the plan is to draw this next Field Day – giving you time to set yourself up to receive your new nuc).

Just a quick reminder to new beekeepers or those interested in bees and coming along for the first time – bring your bee suit but not your gloves. We have some bee suits and hats but it’s on a first in first served basis. Make sure you are covered from head to toe with thick socks and strong shoes or boots, bees are attracted to both dark colours and scent like deodorant and perfumes. Last but not least, If you have allergies to bees please carry medication or your epipy pen at all times and let a committee member know.

Looking forward to our first outdoor get together, see you Saturday.

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Presidents Report

Presidents report

Please find attached the Presidents report and AGM information which is being held this Saturday at the Jefferies Road Catholic Hall.

Start time is 1P.M. and please bring a plate.

Beeline will be in attendance with goodies and the latest information

The AGM will be short and a Field Day will promptly follow.

ADVERT: Our secretary wants a break can someone please step forward to take up this exciting position!

Presidents-Report-2020Download
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Working as a team

Hi Members,

Working as a Team!

What is a team? One explanation is group of people working together for a common cause. One might say a CLUB! And that is what the Christchurch Hobbyist Beekeepers Club Inc, is!

Because of this Covit thing our club has suffered.  Some members have been on the grounds planting, gardening, and lawn mowing: these people have my heartfelt thanks.

In October we will be having an working bee and this is what the cartoons should remind you of, we will need lots of members and gear,  so keep an eye out for a date and list of work to be done.

To the few people that have given me stick for moving the AGM dates and field days, well you can elect someone else at the coming AGM 26th of September.

The buck stops with me and I will not shirk my duty.

Members are the most important people and it is up to the management to ensure total safety:  risk taking is not an option.  We are nearly returning to normal and hopefully  all will be normal by October the 3rd which will be our first club grounds field days.

The AGM will also have some field day input plus Ecrotec presentation.  DO bring a mask if you want to, I am guessing we will be back to normal, but we have gone through a rough time so if you feel comfortable wearing a face covering do so.

FINALLY: A committee meeting is scheduled for 12th September, if you have a question or a remit for the AGM, this will be your last opportunity to notify the committee in writing, before the 12th,  either in writing or by appearance. Remits will not be accepted on the day of the AGM. For example: a remit might read: “Drop the word Hobbyist from our official title”.

Reason: Our title is too long for logos and why should we be different than any other beekeepers?

Somebody might like to put that thought forward for discussion at the AGM.

Regards

Paul O’Donnell

President.

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agm

Annual General Meeting

We have postponed the 2020 AGM because of being at Covid 19 alert level 2 – which requires us to socially distance and hold no gathering of over 100 people.

Saturday Sept 26th 2020 is the tentative, rescheduled date for the AGM and first Field Day of the season.

Thanks everyone for your understanding. Please reach out to any new beekeepers who may need your support at this time. I will suggest that interested newbees get in touch with committee members if they need help. Wishing you and your loved ones well. Take care.

Please consider standing for re-election to the committee in the coming year. You will need to declare your intention by completing a nomination form and returning it to me as soon as possible.

AGM start time is 1pm to 2pm, Club day to follow after in the  hall.

Talk and display by Ecrotek.Start of a new season talk of what is happening to your club  grounds.

Program of club days. See you at Holy Trinty Church Hall at 108 Jeffrey’s Road Bryndwr.

Afternoon tea     ….bring a plate of food to  share.
More chitchat than home.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks..
Committee. 

Nomination-Form-2Download
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Queen thinks winter is coming

Well I’m pretty pleased with how my queen thinks winter is coming along and has started to get laying again. She has over a month off so  no brood capped NO varroa also. 
She started to lay two days ago with about 20 eggs. I will check in a week or so to see if all is well.
Feeding your bees has become the norm this year and we have added pollen patties food to keep them fit so when the spring comes it’s all go. We have all tasks completed over the lock down cleaning boxes, frames rewired so waiting for spring. Even cleaned my bee suits. 
If you want to get more gear don’t leave it to the last minute thinking that the retailer will have plenty of stock. Hopefully I will see you soon at the club grounds when we get back to normal. 

Gordon. Club Hivemaster. 

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May News Brief

Greetings Members,

Well we are nearly through the most trying time for some and perhaps the best paid holidays for others.

Hope you got much done over the prison period with your bees, even down to a lick of paint after the maintenance required for wintering down!

The weather of course has been quite balmy and we are all so fortunate to have had this lockdown during such an forgiving weather pattern, the temperatures have kept the bees active and flying and there appears to be a surprising amount of nectar still being generated by flowers!

However, do NOT stop feeding, in fact, keep that liquid sugar up and make sure you do not take too much honey off. The weather is bound to turn nasty sooner rather than later!

Bees are still breeding and they will need food for the newbees as well as themselves, likewise if the weather turns hellish much food will be consumed keeping the hive warm

Remember: bees to NOT hibernate. They cluster together in the brood box, mainly, creating heat, and they will rotate from the outside cluster perimeter to the comb face as the outer bee gets colder. So much energy is used: Energy= Heat!

Now at this stage there will be NO committee meeting tomorrow night (Monday) .

Our next field day, our last for the season, will probably be mid-May.

We will post immediately as soon as a safe period can be determined.

Regards to all

Paul O’Donnell

President.

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