Westerham Branch Newsletter April 2019

Dear Fellow Beekeepers,

Here are details of our last spring meeting at Westerham Hall – an important one which will tie in with a ‘Natural Beekeeping afternoon’ in June. A big thank you to Steve Riley for presenting and
organising both events – and also to Diana Pickard, our secretary, for co- ordinating the March meeting at which a record number of beekeepers made Asian Hornet Monitoring Traps. And thanks too
to Carol Taylor who provided refreshments in March and Mark Edwards who will do the same this month. I also list below this year’s three apiary meetings – please note the dates and directions
and come if you can.

Good beekeeping!

Spring 2019 Meeting

Westerham Hall, Wednesday, April 24th, 7.30pm for 8pm

‘Varroa – should you treat the bees or let them adapt to survive’ – a presentation by Steve Riley, the Westerham Beekeepers’ education officer.

Steve writes: ‘A group of Westerham beekeepers decided to take a “chemical free” approach to varroa management. Based on scientific evidence and using brood breaks as a natural means of controlling the mite population, we don’t use any chemicals. We will share the basis of the techniques, the results so far, and our thoughts for the year ahead. We hope to be joined by Mike Cox, who has been a treatment-free beekeeper in Kent for over five years, having started keeping bees in 1995.

Spring and Summer 2019 Apiary Visits

Saturday, May 18th, from 2.30pm. Hosts Maciej (Mac) Matysiak with Lorri Woods; demonstrators Celia and David Rudland.

Mac keeps his bees in Apimaye, Turkish-designed Langstroth hives constructed from insulated double-skinned food-grade plastic. The meeting will be followed by a tea and discussion. If you are attending, please bring a contribution to the tea – cake, savoury, sandwiches, biscuits, and also a light folding chair.

For directions to Mac’s Oxted apiary please email our Secretary, Di Pickard, at westerhambeekeepers@gmail.com

Saturday, June 15th, from 2.30pm. ‘A Natural Beekeeping Afternoon’ – including treatment-free techniques, videos and the opportunity to talk to treatment-free beekeepers. Host Steve Riley.

For directions to Steve’s Oxted apiary please email our Secretary, Di Pickard, at westerhambeekeepers@gmail.com

Saturday, July 20th, from 2.30pm. Host Peter Cobley;

demonstrator TBA.

For directions to Peter’s Hever apiary please email our Secretary, Di Pickard, at westerhambeekeepers@gmail.com

Following the apiary meeting on May 18th, our demonstrators, Celia and David Rudland, are holding a Queen-Rearing Day, on Sunday, May 19th, 10.30am to 4pm

Celia writes: ‘Experience a variety of queen-rearing methods; primarily designed for the small scale/back-garden beekeeper, we look at simple methods of rearing good-quality queens. An expanded version of the queen rearing delivered at the Spring Convention in the last few years. Lunch and
refreshments provided.’ Location Whyteleafe teaching apiary.

Further details from www.eastsurreybees.co.uk; or 01883 622788 (office), 07798 915480 (mobile).

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