Peeblesshire Beekeepers Association

Monthly Archive: March 2017

PBKA AGM – March 27

Peeblesshire Beekeepers AGM

More details will follow.

All meetings start at 7.30pm, in the Community Centre (Drill Hall), Walkershaugh, Peebles, followed by a question and answer session. Then there’s time to chat and catch up afterwards, over refreshments.

Everyone’s welcome at our meetings – you don’t need to be a member. Further details on the website (https://www.peeblesbeekeepers.org.uk/) or contact the Secretary: 01721 720 563 / 07563 185 993.

Association Apiary Update 15th March

Yesterday David Ferguson and I, with a potential new beekeeper, checked the colonies to assess their stores. We didn’t carry out an inspection of the hives – it was very windy, only 8 degrees, and rain was threatening. Dead bees were removed from entrances, varroa mite drop recorded, and varroa boards cleaned.
 
All but one (8, closest to the gate/fur trees) were flying and bringing in pollen. 
 
4 colonies had almost run out of fondant, so these had one or 2 packs of fondant added. 2 further colonies had one more pack of fondant added as a precaution.
 
Colony 3 had the highest varroa count (though only averaging half a mite day since the last check): this one has consistently had the highest varroa count.
 
Colonies 5 and 8 (closest to the fir trees) had considerable amount of diarrhoea: colony 5 no longer smelled of fermented stores. 3 and 5 will need remedial action to take out the dirtied frames and put in new frames. I suggest that for this we try a variant of the Bailey comb exchange, on the first warm day. We’ll need 2 excluders, 2 brood boxes, 2 ekes with an entrance slot (or make up 2 C-shaped very shallow ekes), clean deep frames with foundation, feeders and syrup. Sugar will need to be purchased and syrup made up (I can see to that); we have everything else except for one more brood box and the ekes. There should be several more brood boxes at Venlaw that can be made up – I’ll ask Geoff to check. We’ll only need one at the moment. I’ll see if I can find any timber scraps that can be used to make ekes.
 
Mandy

PBKA Pub Meeting 8th March

An informal get together of the Peeblesshire beekeepers association.

Spring bulbs are flowering and the new season is getting underway.

If you want to get involved or have any questions about bees and beekeeping, just come along at 7.30pm in the back bar of the Neidpath Inn in Peebles.