This was our first meeting for 2010 as the January meeting was
cancelled due to
snow, so Chris Cuthbert, our President wished everyone a Happy New
Year.
As a result, there was quite a full agenda.
Once again, we had a wonderful speaker, Sandra
Gray, who is a bee keeper and who told us
about bees and their survival.
She led us through a typical year from August – the start of the
beekeeper’s year when the veroa mite is treated as soon as the
honey crop is off.
She explained how she feeds the bees before October, sets up for
winter and how a number of creatures can cause a problem such as
the woodpecker which has attacked one hive leaving
a large hole in the wooden side, but she looks at this problem
positively as a time to renew the woodwork. By April it is time to
give the wooden hives a clean and to introduce new comb for the
bees to make the honeycomb.
We were able to taste a number of varieties of honey including
oil seed rape honey which is a very sweet, fruity flavour creamed
honey and which has to be removed quickly from the honeycomb before
it sets, and lime honey which ferments as it sets naturally.
Honey bees show just how efficient working together can
be. Three sorts of bee are found in a colony: the queen,
the workers and the drones. Beekeeping, although an expensive
hobby, can be very rewarding, relaxing and it is an environmentally
friendly hobby, she said.
The competition – a decorative candle, was won
by Chris Cuthbert, second was Margaret Walker and third was Hilary
Lock
Our next meeting is on Tuesday, 9th
March, when the speaker will be Matt Tanton Brown who will speak
about Gardening for Wildlife – Place for Plants.
It will take place in Polstead Village Hall at 7.30.
New members are most welcome!
Please contact Chris Cuthbert on 01787
210746 or
email
for more information
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