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.

• 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.

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.