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. 

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.

Greetings Everyone from prison Tuahiwi!,

Well we are well through the lockdown stage 1, it would appear!  How are you all shaping up to your compulsory holiday? Me? I’m loving it!

By now you would have hopefully cleaned out your hive(s) completed much needed maintenance like a replacement box or a repaint.

Got your hive up off the ground a bit? Winter is nearly here (I think), so those with vented bottoms shut them off with a bit of corflute (no, I meant the hive bottom box!)

If you are feeling lonely, go sit down near your girls and watch them.  You now have time to actually spend  because the garage is clean, gardening nearly done, minor maintenance completed (well soon anyway!)

You probably have your partner screaming in the house anyway! So take your Bee book and read the sections on bees ejecting stuff: bodies or apparently live young bees out of the hive.

Observe what these bees are doing with the youngsters and cross reference with your book or use the net (if your kids will let you on).

Watch what the wasps are doing, are they attacking bees on the ground, cutting them up and flying body parts out? If so, try and follow the direction they are going!

Study what product the bees are taking into the hive, watch for the actions of bees, how they communicate with each other.

Study where your hive is, in the open to the cold southerly?  Now that the sun is going into winter mode, will your hive get the full effects of the sun?

Finally and most important,  have you wintered down properly and are you feeding sugar both dry and liquid (2 to 1) mix? Remember our hive master Gordon has a power of knowledge he is only too happy to answer any questions: 0275389568.

THE ATTACHMENT: this is from a friend of mine who operates a First Aid supply business. The hand sanitiser is of top quality so just ring or send an email. The prices include delivery by local mail.

Keep on Keeping on (KoKo).

Paul O’Donnell

President.

Here are some of the rules concerning the transfer and selling of hives:

1. When a hive is transferred from one beekeeper to another it is a requirement upon the seller to guarantee that the hive is free of any diseases and other pathogens as well as unwelcome insects such as varroa, etc.

This requirement is written into law.

2. The seller must ensure that the buyer has registered the site upon which the hive will be placed and that the site meets any local requirements and by-laws.

3. If the buyer is a new beekeeper then the seller must furnish the buyer with a form so that the site can be registered with the authorities. Very often the seller will assist the buyer to fill out the form. This is because a requirement on the form is that the coordinate map reference using the NZ 260 maps must be given and it is most likely that the new beekeeper will be totally unfamiliar with this.

Registration is free but it is nonetheless a lawful requirement.

4. When a seller transfers a hive to a new beekeeper then the seller will also give support for a minimum period of (usually) six months so that the health and well being of the hive can be periodically checked and maintained in the new condition. Working with the buyer, many skills can be transferred to the buyer so he/she can maintain the hive without further assistance. Telephone and email support is also usually offered.

5. Normally, the seller will advise upon the best place to site a new hive. This is typically in a position so that morning rising sun will be on to the front of the hive. The placement should also be free of cold wind, dampness and other livestock and threats to the hive. A hive strap is often needed, particularly if the area suffers from seismic activity such as is the case in most of Christchurch.

6. The new beekeeper must be educated with some of the facts concerning bee colonies to ensure that the novice is not placed in any danger. Bees can be aggressive and can inject a toxin via a stinger at the bees rear end. Some people react badly to this toxin to the point that breathing becomes impossible and in some cases death may ensue. Some others suffer huge swelling that can be dangerous to health.

It is therefore imperative to wear a protective suit with a veil and suitable gloves.

7. Members of the new beekeepers family and friends must be told of any dangers that may occur when working around bees. This particularly applies to children and family pets. Bee venom is highly toxic to dogs

Derek T Skinner

used by permission, 2 July 2014

The cost of buying new woodwork for a basic 4 box hive would be about $160, this does not include nails and paint. However buying a second hand hive together with all the bees and food stores, you would generally expect to pay between $80 to $140 depending on the condition of the woodware, bee population and food stores. The Club would endeavour to have an experienced member check the hive with you, to see that it is disease free. You could expect to pay more if there is a honey crop on the hive. A box full of honey would contain about 20 kg of honey, which is considerable value in itself and would offset the initial cost. Other items required are overalls, hat, veil, gloves, smoker and hive tool; again these items are cheaper if bought second hand.

A properly run hive in the town are should yield between 50-60 kg (some will produce 100 kg) of honey per season. Hives in the rural areas are generally more dependant on the seasonal variations.

It would pay to do a little research by accessing the books available at the public library or the Club library, but remember that most books are written with respect to the Northern Hemisphere.

More information on beekeeping available www.nba.org.nz

Here are links to organizations in Christchurch and New Zealand who can help you with beekeeping.

• National Bee Association
• Federated Farmers
• Information: Wikipedia page about NZ beekeeping – this site needs work – feel free to contribute!
• Other bee clubs in New Zealand
• Auckland Beekeepers Club
• David Alexander – photographer ( pictures are used on our web site)
• Kiwi Mana’s beekeeping blog – A blog about the adventures of some new bee keepers based in the hills of West Auckland in New Zealand
• Information: Wikipedia page about NZ beekeeping – this site needs work – feel free to contribute!
• Bee keeping in New Zealand ( this site is currently broken, perhaps they will fix it someday, click on the ppt file to see a powerpoint presentation – Ian Dec 2010)
• Ecroyd’s beekeeping supplies
• Alpine bee supplies