Category: Membership Form 2018-19

Dear Fellow Beekeepers,

Greetings to all – and first my apologies that January’s meeting had to be cancelled because of the weather. Kay Wreford, our speaker on bee diseases, tells me she would be very happy to come at a later date which we shall certainly try to arrange.

Meanwhile our next meeting is at Westerham Hall, on Wednesday, February 27th, 7.30pm for 8pm. 

Georgia Hennessy, a PhD student in Bee Conservation at Sussex Universiity, will speak to us about her work on Solitary Bees (a few species) – and also about her study of wind and how it impacts on bee foraging behaviour. This promises to be a most lively gathering and I hope we can provide Gigi with a good-sized audience. Light refreshments (50p) will be served at the end of the evening.

Ou speaker writes: ‘I completed my undergraduate degree in Zoology at Leeds University and then went straight into a Masters in Behavioural Ecology at the University of Exeter. After that I took a break from academia and ended up working in the reptile/invertebrate section of Chessington World of Adventures Zoo for about a year. This made me realise my passion for all things bees and I started doing my current PhD back in 2017, studying bee conservation focusing on solitary bees and how weather influences bee foraging. 

Then, on

Wednesday, March 27th, Westerham Hall, 7.30pm for 8pm

Our secretary, Diana Pickard, will lead a practical hands-on session making Asian hornet traps… (This is a new departure for the branch. A sort of ‘Knit and Natter’ for beekeepers with wire and plastic bottle instead of wool and knitting needles.)

And on

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

Steve Riley will be hosting a presentation on the progress of treatment-free beekeeping in the UK and an update on the Westerham Beekeepers’ project. This will be followed-up with a visit to Steve’s treatment-free apiary on June 15th. 

Directions for Westerham Hall: From the A25 in the centre of Westerham (by the Green), take the London Road towards Biggin Hill; turn first right into Quebec Avenue; the car park and Westerham Hall is on the right-hand side. OS Ref: 447542.

And finally, a renewed appeal…

Please let me know (01959 565188) if you would be able to host an apiary meeting at you own home or out apiary on either May 18th or July 20th.