Asian Hornet

Tues 28th March—Asian hornet, it’s arrived, now what?

Craig y Don Community Centre, Queens Road, Llandudno LL30 1TE
Welcome and refreshments from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm

Conwy Beekeepers talk by Graham Royle NDB Seasonal Bee Inspector and Chairman of Cheshire BKA. Graham Royle was one of the team which dealt with the Asian hornets in Tetbury, Gloucs in 2016.

Now is the time to get serious about this new (to the UK) exotic pest. Graham Royle will give a brief review of the biology of the Asian hornet, and its arrival and spread in Europe. Details of the hunt for the nest in Tetbury from the first sighting of a foraging hornet in an apiary, to the successful discovery and destruction of the nest will also be presented.

  • Was the National Bee Unit successful in eradicating it, and will it reappear?
  • What are the NBU’s plans re the Asian hornet in 2017?
  • What can we do to protect our bees from this voracious predator?
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February 2017 – News

Tues 28th Feb—Bee Research at Bangor University

Craig y Don Community Centre
A talk by Dr. Paul Cross including a current project to develop miniature no-battery bee tracking devices. We hope you will attend. There will be plenty to amaze you.Visitors welcome.

Welcome and refreshments from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm

Mon 27th March—Conwy Seed Fair

Plants and seeds, including 50 varieties of seed potatoes, honey, crafts and home produce.

Space available for more stalls. Please spread the word.

Click here for info.

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Winter 2017 Apiary Meeting

Sat 7th Jan—Apiary Meeting

Tal y Cafn at 2pm, NOT at 2.30pm.
Demonstration: Varroa control using oxalic acid vaporizing. You can bring your membership renewal form and payment, if you prefer not to renew online. Download membership form here.

Apifonda Winter Feed for sale from 1.30pm @ £21.50 per 12.5kg or £4.50 per 2.5kg.

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November 2016 – News

Tues 29th November—Locally Adapted Bees

Craig y Don Community Centre LL30 1TE
A talk by Wally Shaw, Anglesey BKA and WBKA Technical Officer. Welcome tea/coffee and cakes from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm.

  • Why should we be raising local bees?
  • Are the best bees your own bees?
  • How to select your best colony… the easy way.

Wally Shaw’s talks are always good value, and full of original insights. Attendance at our last two (very good) talks was disappointing. Why not make an effort and come to this talk? It’s your Conwy Beekeepers. You can be sure of a warm welcome.

We have added a new website page: Apiary sites offered or wanted.

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October 2016 – News

Sat 15th October—Apple Day

Fferm Moelyci Farm near Tregarth, 11am to 3pm.
with Ian Sturrock Welsh Fruit Trees

Fri 21st Oct—ITV Wales Coast and Country

ITV Wales at 8pm. Featuring Conwy Beekeepers and the National Beekeeping Centre Wales

Sat/Sun 22nd and 23rd Oct—Gwledd Conwy Feast

Conwy Quay and in the town
North Wales’ biggest food festival. We’d welcome more helpers on the Conwy BK’s stall. Talking about bees, it’s what we like doing. Let us know if you’d like to help, Sat or Sun, morning or afternoon. We will be in the Apple Feast tent in the town centre car park.

Tues 25th Oct—A talk by Pete Sutcliffe on Other Types of Bees

Craig y Don Community Centre, Llandudno.
Tea, coffee and cake from 7.20pm, meeting starts at 7.40pm. All you need to know about the 250 species of bees in the UK. Hope you will attend. Why be a go to bed early beekeeper? You can be sure of a warm welcome. Broaden your knowledge, meet other beekeepers, enjoy some cake.

All of us, as beekeepers, encounter other kinds of bees sooner or later, mainly because most members of the public can’t tell the difference. This can be an irritation, but it is also source of great interest, since the bumble bees and solitary bees have fascinating lifestyles. There are over 250 species of bee in the UK, including 25 species of bumblebees, and one species of honeybee. Worldwide, there are 20,000 known species of bees. Some can be recognized as bees, some are pretty weird, and the variety is amazing. Knowing a little about these different bees puts our own honeybees in a different context, and adds to the interest of beekeeping.

Great weather for the bees, ivy pollen still pouring in.

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Change of speaker for Tuesday 27 September 2016

Tues 27th September—Bees and the Weather

Craig y Don Community Centre LL30 1TE. Welcome and refreshments from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm.
Graham Royle, our original speaker for Tuesday, has been drafted in to help find Asian hornets’ nests in Gloucester. Instead we have a new talk by Geoff Critchley.

  • Why has 2016 been a poor honey year?
  • Is good weather more important than good beekeeping?
  • Do the bees prefer a cold dry winter or a warm wet winter?
  • Why are bumper honey years so rare?

Geoff Critchley in North Wales’ leading beekeeping trainer. There’s always more to learn in beekeeping. Why be a stay at home / stay in bed beekeeper?

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Conwy Honey Fair

Thanks to all who supported the Conwy Honey Fair. About 26 beekeepers were selling honey. Conwy was packed with visitors all day.

Our collection in aid of Bees for Development raised £715.

Tues 27th September—Bees and the Weather

Craig y Don Community Centre LL30 1TE. Welcome and refreshments from 7.20pm. Meeting starts at 7.40pm.
Graham Royle, our speaker for this Tuesday, has been drafted in to help find Asian hornets’ nests in Gloucester. Instead we have a new talk by Geoff Critchley.

  • Why has 2016 been a poor honey year?
  • Is good weather more important than good beekeeping?
  • Do the bees prefer a cold dry winter or a warm wet winter?
  • Why are bumper honey years so rare?

National Beekeeping Centre Wales

The National Beekeeping Centre Wales near Tal y Cafn provides many useful services for beekeepers, including:

  • Volunteering opportunities: shop sales, managing the apiary, admin, training.
  • Sales of beekeeping equipment, varroa treatments, bee feeds.
  • Hire of Conwy BK extractor kits.
  • Selling your honey, any amount from 10 jars, well-presented, tamper-evident labels.

See beeswales.co.uk for opening hours, directions etc.

Preparing the bees for winter

See our webpage under Beekeeping.

Best wishes.
peter mcfadden

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September 2016 – News

Hello bee people,

Honey extracting

We have three Honey Extracting kits for hire to Conwy BK members.

Hire charge is £8 per kit per week or part of a week, plus £20 deposit. Kits 1 and 2 belong to Conwy BK. They are now kept at the National Beekeeping Centre Wales, and can be collected and returned during opening hours. Look out for the new brown Bees Wales signs on the A470, just north of Tal y Cafn. See www.beeswales.co.uk for opening hours etc.

Kit 3 belongs to me and can be collected from my house. See our honey extracting page. We do not currently hold honey jars in stock.

Tuesday 13th September—Conwy Honey Fair

Stall space is still available for honey sellers. See Stallholder Info on our website, under Conwy Fairs. We suggest a minimum price of £6 for a 454g jar of flower honey. Feel free to charge more, especially if you have prize cards from honey shows, or speciality honey.

WBKA Basic Assessment

Congratulations to the five Conwy BK members who passed the WBKA Basic, all with flying colours. We are encouraging up to six members to take the assessment in 2017, two already booked. See our exams page.

Best wishes.
peter mcfadden

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August 2016 – News

Dear beekeepers,

Thanks to all who supported Saturday’s Eglwysbach Show. Good weather, large crowds, much improved car parking, and a fair amount of honey on show, with room for more. A great day out.

We regret there are no honey classes at Llanrwst Show. The Show secretary says they couldn’t find a honey judge.

Sat 27th August—Apiary meeting

Tal y Cafn at 2.30pm.
Removing the honey crop and winter preparations.

Tues 13th September—Conwy Honey Fair

Stall space rapidly filling up. Contact Peter McFadden to book a space. See website page Conwy Fairs / Information for stallholders.

Tues 27th September—Graham Royle NDB

Indoor meetings restart at Craig y Don Community Centre (aka CyD Centre) at 7.40pm.
A talk by Graham Royle NDB on Karl von Frisch and the Bee Dances. Non beekeepers welcome. Please spread the word.

Happy beekeeping.
peter mcfadden

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October 2015 News

Sat / Sun 24th October—Gwledd Conwy Feast

The second biggest food festival in Wales
Visit the Conwy Beekeepers’ stall and the Bees Wales stall in the Farming and Food marquee in Vicarage Gardens car park. We will be in amongst the animals, near the dinosaur’s lair. See pictures.

We suggest you walk across from Llandudno Junction, or use the Park and Ride from The Beacons car park, signposted from the A55.

Tuesday 27th October—Solitary Bees

Craig y Don Community Centre at 19:20
A talk on Solitary Bees by George Pilkington.

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