PBKA members please remember that the final date for Apiguard orders is Friday 10th July. Therefore, if you would like to make an order, please ensure that you contact Geoff by this Friday at the latest!
Varroa
National Bee Unit’s Disease and Comb Workshop
Carmarthenshire Beekeepers’ Association (CBKA) is one of the associations hosting the National Bee Unit’s Disease and Comb workshops this season. We have received an invitation from the CBKA for PBKA members to come along to their venue and take part in the workshop.
The workshops will give detailed insights on the notifiable diseases, American Foul Brood and European Foul Brood, as well as looking at the overall disease situation in Wales and updated approaches to its control. Beekeepers will learn about other pests and diseases, in particular Varroa and its associated viruses, that can pose a risk to their colonies.
The Inspectors are licensed to bring with them examples of diseased comb. Participants will have the chance to examine these live examples of disease and put their learning into practice, on the day.
Date: Saturday 27th June
Venue: Newchurch Community Hall, SA33 6AF
Time: 2 to 5 pm
There is plenty of parking, no charge for the workshop and refreshments will be provided.
Please advise the PBKA secretary, Lesley Williams asap, if you wish to attend in order that we can advise the CBKA of numbers.
Varroa Alert and Group Purchase of MAQS
Please read to the bottom of this email to find out how you can get MAQS to treat your hive.
This email arrived in my inbox this morning from the NBU.
“We have received reports from our Appointed Bee Inspectors that many colonies are showing signs of high Varroa infestations and consequently bee deformities.
If you have not already done so, it may be worthwhile to treat your colony with a registered varroacide. When administering a treatment, please use a registered veterinary product and ensure that the label is followed and not deviated from. Beekeepers may find a list of registered products in our advisory leaflet, ‘Managing Varroa‘
After colonies have been treated, beekeepers should then reduce colony entrances and assess whether feeding needs to be carried out. Lift the roof off of the colony and heft the hive from each side of the brood box. If the colony has sufficient stores, then it should be difficult to lift. Each colony should have between 20-25 kg of stores for the winter.
If feeding needs to be carried out use either inverted sugar syrup or a 2:1 solution, i.e. 1 kg of granulated white sugar: 650 ml water, or 2 lb of sugar to 1 pint of water.
Please note that if any of your colonies are showing signs of both Varroa damage and lack of food, it may be useful to feed and treat simultaneously. This should not be done if there is a honey flow on, only in emergency cases.”
Pembrokeshire BKA members wishing to take prat in a group purchase of MAQS should follow this link. Password required, if you have forgotton the password you can find it on your 2014 printed programme, if you cannot find that then follow this link.
Pembrokeshire Beekeepers' Association 