Blogs

Our own Honey Show is on 31st Aug at Headstone Manor. Format change from last year, HBKA Honey show is part of the the Harrow in Leaf Show and the whole event is now the Headstone Village Show and it is for one day only,  Monday 31st August. Show format is to enter one or more classes, 20p per class, £1 minimum. Everybody contributes to the occasion and everyone learns something, no matter how long they have been showing. Click "Read more" below for links and times.

After the honey extraction on Sunday it seemed opportune to show some of the equipment available when your beekeeping gets a little more volume orientated. Click on the image above to see how it's done beyond the hobby scale.

Stories were circulating on several bee sites about the passing of Clive, author of "Practical Beekeeping" and well known from talks at conferences. Happily, not true it turns out. Like Mark Twain before him, reports of Clive de Bruyn's passing were greatly exaggerated. Expect any talks he's giving in the near future to be well attended, reserve a place early.

Annual disease inspection is this Saturday 20th June. Meet at Yeading Avenue, Orchard Grove, and Village Way at 9:00 with a view to starting work at 9:30, then all on to Hatch End in the afternoon. Bill and Odette at Orchard Grove, Jo and Brian at Village Way, Judy and Moira at Yeading Avenue.  Hive owners should be there to hear about the health of their hives, other members to see the process and help in lifting would be appreciated.

Lots of calls at this time of year are about bumble bees. These bees are furry and make small nests every year then the queen hibernates over winter. Click on the picture for some frequently seen types.

Next education session is simple Queen Rearing with KC Sham . Rearing queens from your own hives, 11am Sunday 14th June.

The Spring 2015 edition of the Forager is out - unfortunately winter came and went without a Forager, and so nearly did spring. But seeing as it is only just starting to feel like summer here's the spring edition being delivered just in the nick of time and I hope you enjoy it. This is Anna's last one but she's handing the baton over to Rod Parker who will do a fantastic job of continuing this much loved magazine. 

LASI at Sussex ask for donations; Plants for Bees 27 July and Integrated Varroa Management 7-8 Aug, Cambridge have a fee paying weekend on pollination starting 26 June.