Recent activity at the apiary

Work on the apiary continued over the Winter 2024-5 with sessions cutting back the vegetation, removing accumulated rubbish at the apiary and painting and numbering hive boxes ready for use this year. The big project for the Winter has been to insulate and renovate the back shed: Steve has co-ordinated the operation, which will make a great improvement to the storage and extraction facilities. The floor has also been stabilised ready for use and a new door made and fitted.

Steve Smith gave the lecture to our March meeting on swarm control - it was a pity that the attendance wasn't better considering how many members were having trouble with losing swarms during the following months!

In June we had a guest speaker, Steve Riley from Westerham, who gave a most interesting talk on breeding for Varroa resistance. Alan followed this in July with a talk on disease recognition.

On the 16th of August we had our apiary honey extraction - not such a big affair this year as the weather during the Summer led the bees to consume much of the stores they had built up in the early season. However there was a good turnout both of members and entries for the club honey show in September and it was good to see many of the prizes going to newer members. A barbecue made the whole afternoon one to enjoy, and the "Best in Show" prize went to Theo and Karen for their joint entry in the light honey category. Our thanks to members of Thurrock Beekeepers for being our show judges.

The education and training brief continued with eleven people attending one of the beginners' courses. Congratulations to Theo and Amy who passed their Basic Assessment, and to Alan who passed the Honeybee Health Assessment

As the beekeeping year wound down, we had a lecture by John on hive preparation for Winter and Winter treatments on the 18th of October, and then in November it was time for our AGM: John stepped down as Apiary manager and was replaced by Alan. John moved on tto the chairman's job, replacing James who is carrying on as one of our reps to the KBKA.

John & Richard laying wood chippings for the path
....and the finished path
Tim building a hurdle fence from hazel shoots
James, Steve & Alan with their work lining the back shed
Repairs down the side of the back shed
The honey extractor in use
Theo receives his Basic Assessment certificate
.....as does Amy
.. and Alan receives his for Honeybee Health
Cakes at the honey show
...and candles
.... and jams and chutneys
Debbie receives her certificate for best photo
Tim gets his for best dark honey
Our judges from Thurrock Beekeepers
Karen and Theo get "Best in Show"