buzz-201508

ILLAWARRA BEEKEEPERS ASSOC.

AUGUST 2015

Greetings members and friends of the Illawarra Beekeepers Assoc. Ltd. and welcome to another edition of “the Buzz”. Thank you for contributions but we are always looking
for more so if you have something to say, please contact us.

NIGHT MEETING 13.08.2015

Topic: Bee Swarming
Presented by: Duncan McLeod
Bee swarming time is upon us so an experienced beekeeper, swarm collector and branch member, Duncan McLeod, will cover swarming in general and will include a demonstration on collecting a swarm. This will be interesting especially for those who are new to this bee behavior. Look forward to this one!
READ MORE HERE

FIELD DAY: 30.08.2015
Bee Venom plus the NSW ABA Executive Meeting
A presentation on bee venom plus the NSW state executive meeting with representatives from all over the state. Free sausage sizzle at lunch time!!
READ MORE HERE

BRUCE WHITE ON ABC
Listen to Bruce's Story

Bruce has travelled the world to share his knowledge and the ABC’s Helen Fanning interviewed Bruce to share his experiences with her audience.

LISTEN HERE

TOCAL 2015
24 October 2015

We are arranging a bus charter to take and return a limited number of members to Tocal.

WHAT WE DID LAST MONTH

A big thank you goes to Dr Peter Brooks who presented his studies into testing honeys for biological activity. We witnessed the remarkable qualities found in leptospermum and the high biological activity in these honeys when the bees are amongst these trees. We were blessed yet again with a nice sunny afternoon on our field day. It gave us the opportunity to open hives and look at the bee and we can happily report the hives in the apiary are doing well.

We were honoured to have His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd) visit our apiary on Friday 7th August. Time was spent inspecting our beehives under the skillful guidance of Bruce White. The Sutherland Mayor, Cr Kent Johns, showed his support of council and also visited on the day.We believe His Excellency was so impressed with bees and their work that He has indicated Government House will host their own bee hives soon. A big thank you must go to Bruce for his work on the day and also to his wife Lynn who prepared a lovely assortment of delicious treats for our esteemed visitors. Keep your eye out for more news in future editions of the Buzz. You can see some photos taken from the day here by clicking below

NSW GOVERNOR VISIT

view the photos taken on the day

VIEW NOW

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are in need of members who are able to assist with the beekeeping course. THere are two courses already announced for this spring and if you can spare a few hours to assist, please speak to Lamorna or contact her via email.

AFB ALERT

Remember there has been an AFB alert from the DPI for Menai [2234]. It’s important to make sure your bees are healthy and free from this threat. One free AFB test kit is available to each member of our club (while stocks last). If you need another they are available at low cost. See the facts on AFB from the DPI here.

NOVEMBER COURSE ANNOUNCED

The date for another Beekeeping course has been announced for Saturday 7 November 2015. These courses are aimed at beekeeping for beginners and are always a big success. You will learn a bit of theory plus get your hands on bees guided by experienced beekeepers. We supply Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea plus you’ll get to sample some yummy raw honey from our apiary.We plan to have more but if you’d like to attend and to avoid disappointment it’s a good idea to reserve your place in the course now.

1/2 YEAR MEMBERSHIP ON SALE NOW

The middle of the year bring half price membership for new members. This means if you join up from now you’ll only be charged half the price to enjoy the benefits our members get until the new year comes along in January. READ MORE HERE

WHAT TO DO NOW IN THE APIARY

Spring is almost here and that means you should be getting ready for increased activity in your apiary. A good queen will begin laying more eggs, the numbers in a good colony will rise and that may mean swarming will begin. Good hive management includes preventing swarms and if it does occur be prepared to collect them.

William-Broughton-Carr-Double-Wall-Vintage-Beehive-Illawarra-Beekeepers-Association

BEE GARDEN AND MUSEUM VISITS

Are you part of a community group, school or organisation that wants to learn a little bit more about bees? Our association with the support of the Amateur Beekeepers Assoc. of NSW and the Sutherland Shire Council is privileged to have a fantastic bee museum and bee garden in Sutherland. It's open for visits by arrangement with our club.For more info, please click the link below and we'll get in touch with you.

UPDATE YOUR INFO FOR BEE SWARMS

By the time our next edition of the Buzz is released, there is sure to be many bee swarms occurring in Sydney and NSW so if you are a member of the ABA and you wish to be included to the list of beekeepers willing to collect bee swarms, you can add your name to the register at the ABA website. It’s also a good idea to make sure your information is correct and up to date. It’s a free service to ABA members so go visit the ABA page today.