Conwy Beekeepers' Association - Cymdeithas Gwenynwyr Conwy

April 2013 News

pn_admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:07:42 +0000

Welsh Beekeeper magazine

The new editor is Sue Closs. She would be delighted to receive articles or pictures for publication.

Sat 13th April—BBKA Spring Convention

Newport, Shropshire

Sun 14th April—Gardeners’ Market

Conwy RSPB Reserve
10am to 4pm. Ten specialist local nurseries with a wide variety of plants for sale. Free admission, free advice and information.

Sat 27th April—Beekeeping Taster Day

Rowen and Tal y Cafn
Still a few places available. See website under Courses.

Tues 30th April—Beekeeping in ancient Egypt

Craig y Don Community Centre
A talk by Pauline Norris, Montgomery BKA, starts at 7.40pm.

Cold Weather Starvation Risk

pn_admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:28:11 +0000

An important message from the National Bee Unit.

March 2013 Bee colony Starvation Risk. Important Information about Colony Food Levels.

With the continued poor weather looking to persist through to the end of March, colonies may be starting to run out of food (if they haven’t already). It would be advisable to check the food levels by opening the hive and making a very quick observation on their store levels. Key points to remember are:

The colony may still have stores available which are at the other end of the brood chamber to the cluster of bees. If there are ‘empty’ frames between the two then the bees could still starve, despite food being in the chamber. Move the frames of food directly next to the outer frame where the cluster resides, ensuring that you score each frame of food (not excessively, but enough to stimulate feeding). Be sure not to knock or roll the bees when doing this and to be as quick as possible.
If the colony has little or no frames of food then give them a block of candy or fondant. You want to aim for about 2.5 kg per hive and although this may seem to be a great expense, it is far less than the money you will have wasted should the bees die.
Mini plastic bags that are used to store loose fruit in from the supermarket are perfectly acceptable for holding the fondant and cost nothing. Pack the candy in the bag and then pierce holes in the appropriate place once you get to the hive. If the bag seems fragile then you can double bag it (just be sure to pierce both bags).
At this time of the year we would usually start feeding sugar syrup but with these temperatures it is still too cold. Place the fondant directly above the bees, turning the crownboard if necessary so that one of the porter bee escape holes is above the cluster.

Please be aware that this should be done as quickly and carefully as possible and although it may seem too cold to open the hive now, it is far better to do so knowing the bees are ok than not to and find later that they have died.
For more information, please refer to Best Practice Guideline Number 7 – ‘Emergency Feeding’. See pages 3 and 4

Kind regards,

National Bee Unit.

Conwy Seed Fair

pn_admin — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:48:38 +0000

Tuesday 26th March 2013

In Conwy High Street and Lancaster Square, 9am to 4pm, free admission.

Plant stalls, seeds, local crafts, honey, home produce. See Conwy Fairs page for information.

Plus…

Conwy Farmers’ Market on the Quay, all day.
Conwy Country Market at the British Legion, Rosehill Street, near the Vicarage Gardens (town centre) car park. Tea/coffee and crafts stalls, 9.45am to mid afternoon. St. John’s Methodist Church, opposite the Vicarage Gardens car park.
Coffee morning and Fair Trade stall in the morning. Church open in the afternoon. Royal Cambrian Academy, Crown Lane, off High Street.
Exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Diane Lawrenson and Louise Payne, 11am to 5pm, free admission. Click here for details.

March 2013 News

pn_admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:53:28 +0000

Tuesday 19th March—What we know (and don’t know) about Swarms

Craig y Don Community Centre
A talk by Wally Shaw, Anglesey BKA. Tea/coffee and cake from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm.

Saturday 23rd March—WBKA Spring Convention

Builth Wells
Contact Peter for tickets £6 each.

Tuesday 26th March—Conwy Seed Fair

Stall space still available.

February 2013 News

pn_admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:32:33 +0000

Wednesday 20th February—Beekeeping in the Conwy Valley

Maenan Abbey Hotel, Llanrwst LL26 0UL
7.30pm. A talk by Pete Barrar, Conwy BKA and NBCW with honey tasting. This is a Conwy Valley Civic Society meeting, and visitors are warmly welcome. Click here for more info. Maenan Abbey Hotel has a popular early evening restaurant menu.

Saturday 23rd February—How to make a Green wooden bench for the garden

Ty Hyll, Capel Curig. More details on the Snowdonia Society website.

Tuesday 26th February—Maximizing your honey crop

Craig y Don Community Centre
A talk by Joanna Schup, Master beekeeper, Shropshire BKA. Welcome coffee and cake from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm.

Why does my neighbour get more honey than me?
Why does my honey cost about £20 per jar to produce?
How do I plan for the honey flow?
What are my potential honey crops? Sycamore/OSR/blackberry/himalayan balsam/heather?
How do I prepare my bees to work these crops for honey?

This new talk will get you thinking about your beekeeping in a different way. Or maybe you’re happy with just half a super of honey per hive…

Beekeeping short courses

Sat 27th April Conwy BKA Taster Day at Rowen and Tal y Cafn, filling up nicely. See here for details.
NBCW courses at Henfaes. Click here or call in at Furnace Farm for details.
Sat 16th March Skin creams Workshop
Sat 20th April Candlemaking Workshop

January 2013 News

pn_admin — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:00:04 +0000

Tuesday 5th February—Conwy BKA AGM

We hope we’ll see you at the Conwy BKA AGM and Beekeepers’ Question Time with plenty of questions to ask our keen team.

Tuesday 26th March—Conwy Seed Fair

In the Easter school holidays. Stall space available. See our Conwy Fairs page.

National Beekeeping Centre Wales

Volunteer instructors are needed at the popular apiary sessions for the public, which restart at Easter. Could you be one? Why not call in the Visitor Centre at Furnace Farm near Tal y Cafn for a chat. Winter opening Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. See the Facebook page Bees Wales.

29th September to 4th October—Apimondia 2013

Kiev, Ukraine

The world’s biggest beekeeping event.
12,000 beekeepers expected to attend.
Ukraine is the largest honey producer in Europe and 5th in the world.
Nine beekeepers per 1000 population. That’s equivalent to 600 beekeepers in Anglesey.
Click here for flights from Manchester approx £230 rtn.
Early registration fee approx £165. Click here for info.

We’ll soon be back with the bees.

Best wishes.
Peter McFadden

Association Honey Show 2012

pn_admin — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:42:55 +0000

This is a montage of pictures by Barry Griffiths from last night’s very successful Honey Show, which was judged by about 30 members.

Many thanks to Ruth Bethell, Wesley Evans and Chris Clarke for devising and organizing the Show, and well done to Wesley Evans who won Best in Show with A Pair of Candles.

Peter McFadden

October 2012 News

pn_admin — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:37:19 +0000

Conwy Feast

The 9th Conwy Feast was another great success for Conwy town, with the streets thronged with visitors until late on Saturday evening, and still busy on the wet Sunday. Conwy BKA shared the Farming for Food tent with various livestock: cattle, sheep, geese, small pigs, chickens and a very large horse. We made contact with over 20 would-be beekeepers. Many thanks to everybody who supported the event.

Friday November 30th—Candlemaking Workshop

Henfaes Research Centre, Abergwyngregyn 10am until 3.30pm. Open to all.
Learn how to make a variety of beeswax candles for yourself or as Christmas presents for friends and family. Led by Paul and Pauline Aslin, Dolgellau. See their interesting website www.erwgoed.co.uk/.

Learn how to

prepare beeswax, including reclaiming clean wax from old brood combs;
make dipped, rolled and moulded candles;
make lip balm.

£45 per person including a tasty lunch, and one of each type of candle and some lip balm, all made by you, to take home. Limited to 16 people.

Organized by National Beekeeping Centre Wales.

To book your place and pay by card, please phone the Visitor Centre (open every day except Mondays) on 01492 651106 or call in at Furnace Farm.

Best wishes.
Peter McFadden

Association Honey Show 2012

pn_admin — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:06:15 +0000

Tuesday 30th October—Association Honey Show

Craig y Don Community Centre
We have devised a completely new format for this year’s Honey Show, with judging by the members. See the honey show schedule for details and times.

Please do support the Show.

Good luck!

Conwy Honey Fair

pn_admin — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:48:33 +0000

Hallo beekeepers,

Yesterday’s Conwy Honey Fair was another great success. Nearly 80 stalls, including about 18 honey sellers, lovely weather and crowds of visitors. Thanks to everybody who supported the Fair. Well done to Alan Morley, who collected £425 towards Bees for Development from stallholders and visitors. Add that to £368 collected at the Seed Fair, and we’ve raised £793 so far this year, with the Conwy Feast still to come.

The Henfaes beekeeping evening course started this week, with a full class of about 40 trainees.

Sunday 16th September—Harvest Festival

Moelyci Environmental Centre from 10.30am. Admission £3.
See www.moelyci.org

Wednesday 19th September—National Beekeeping Centre Wales drop-in session

Furnace Farm from 1pm.
Call in at the Visitor Centre, and see what is on offer from NBCW, and how you can be part of it. All welcome. See www.beeswales.co.uk.