PBKA

Honey Show tomorrow!!

apiarymanager PBKA

Just to remind you that the annual PBKA Honey Show is on tomorrow, Saturday 16th September 2017 at the Visitors’ Centre, Scolton Manor.

The Visitors’ Centre will be open by 9am for the receipt of entries by 10am, to allow the judging to start at 11am. We hope to see as many of you as possible put in an entry or two this year.

Would all the winners of cups and trophies last year, please ensure they bring them to the Honey Show suitably cleaned!!

Please note that you don’t have to put in an entry to come along to the Honey Show and we would be delighted to see you if you just want to have a look at the entries, or fancy a cuppa and a chat!

The show will also be open for public viewing at 12 noon!

Directions: As you enter the main gate at Scolton, turn left and follow the road down to the Visitor’s Centre ‘pay and display’ car park.

Click on Schedule for the Honey Show 2017 for full details.

If you have any queries, please contact the Apiary Manager on pbkaapiarymanager@live.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday!!

Colony stores shortage warning

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

Nectar flows have ceased and reports are coming in of bee colonies which are short of stores. It is also apparent that Wasps have been very populous in many areas and they too are desperate for nutrition so Beekeepers should be mindful of the need to protect hives from Wasp invasion particularly where feeding is taking place in the apiary.

Colonies particularly at Risk are:

• Bee Colonies where supers of honey have been removed this season and no feeding has taken place.

• Splits / Artificial Swarms and Nucleus colonies made up this year.

• Swarms collected this year where little or no supplementary feeding has taken place.

Immediate action:

• Firstly – Check all colonies feed levels by ‘hefting the hive’ – Check the weight of the colony by lifting below the floor on both sides of the hive to see how much it weighs. Where the hive is light, liquid feed should be applied directly above the bees. Remove any supers from above the brood box which are empty or have few bees in them. This will help the bees get to the food quickly.

• Feed can be sugar and water mixed at 2:1 ratio or one of the proprietary ready mixed syrups available.

• Fondant can be used in an emergency if nothing else is available – but liquid feed will be more appropriate at this time of the season.

• Large starving colonies of bees will take 1 gallon (Approx 5 Litres) of syrup very quickly – smaller colonies ½ gallon (Approx 2.5 Litres) may be sufficient to keep them going, but after feeding heft hives again and check the weight – if in doubt feed some more in a few days time.

Further information and Guidance:

Further information on supplementary feeding can be found on Beebase – Best Practice Guideline Number 7 – ‘Emergency Feeding’

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

Annual PBKA Honey Show – Saturday 16th September 2017

apiarymanager PBKA, PBKA Honey Show

Just to advise all members that the annual PBKA Honey Show is on Saturday 16th September 2017 at the Visitor’s Centre, Scolton Manor.

The centre will be open shortly after 9am and your entries should be available for staging by 10am to allow the judging to start promptly at 11am. We hope to see as many of you as possible put in an entry or two this year.

NB. Would all the winners of cups and trophies last year, please ensure they bring them to the Honey Show suitably cleaned!!

The follow up Honey Lunch will be at Wolfscastle on Sunday 12th November, so pencil it into your diary if you would like to come…….further details to follow in due course!

Note that you don’t have to put in an entry to come along to the Honey Show and we would be delighted to see you if you just want to have a look at the entries, or fancy a cuppa and a chat!

Directions: As you enter the main gate at Scolton, turn left and follow the road down to the Visitor’s Centre pay and display car park.

Click on Schedule for the Honey Show 2017 for full details.

If you have any queries, please contact the Apiary Manager on pbkaapiarymanager@live.co.uk

‘Beekeeper Advice Surgery’ today!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Foul Brood Diseases, Nosema, PBKA, Pests, Training, Varroa

Just to remind all beekeepers that we will be hosting the National Bee Unit’s, ‘Beekeeper Advice Surgery’, on Saturday July 15th from 2pm until 5pm at the Picton Centre, Freemens Way, Haverfordwest, SA61 1TP, which will cover bee diseases etc. Details on this can be obtained NBU Advice Surgeries Flyer 2017.

We strongly recommend that you make every effort to attend for the sake of your bees!

All beekeepers and would be beekeepers are welcome!!

Refreshments available!!

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Urgent warning!

apiarymanager Foul Brood Diseases, PBKA

Would PBKA members please note that there have been outbreaks of AFB and EFB in the Tenby/Narberth area.

We have been advised to direct you to the National Bee Unit (NBU) factsheetApiary_Hygiene_and_Quarantine for your information and action. Also ‘Foulbrood Disease of Honey Bees and other common brood disorders’ has a lot of information on biosecurity and barrier management, including ‘10 rules for foulbrood control’. These are on Beebase at:

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

We strongly recommend that all PBKA members sign up to Beebase in order to ensure that they receive any warnings and to obtain advice etc in the event of a disease outbreak.

Beekeepers within 3km of the outbreak with a current email address on Beebase will have been emailed an alert from the NBU. All beekeepers within 5km of an outbreak should exercise vigilance as per the above factsheet, which also covers swarm collection.

Please also note that we will be holding a National Bee Unit Beekeeper Advice Surgery on July 15th at the Picton Centre, Haverfordwest which will cover bee diseases and details on this can be obtained NBU Advice Surgeries Flyer 2017. Specific details re times etc to follow in due course and we would urge you all to attend.