Hon. Newsletter Editor:
Peter Edwards
E-mail: beekeepers@stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

The year 2007 will be remembered - certainly by those who had colonies washed away - for the floods in July that followed weeks of dismal beekeeping weather.  Most of us will have had disappointing honey yields, and problems in getting new queens produced and mated were frustrating, especially for our Bee Improvement Group.  We can only hope that 2008 will be better, particularly as far as support for our annual honey show is concerned.  On behalf of all the members, I thank the officers and committee for their hard work.  Our association treasurers have a reputation for long and conscientious service, and certainly Will Spencer, recently retired after 15 years in the job, deserves our sincere thanks.  I hope you will all have an enjoyable Christmas.  May you and your bees winter well and be prepared for a bumper honey crop in 2008.
Denis Keyte

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscriptions were due on 1 October, but a number of members have still not yet paid up.  If you are one of them, please note that your membership will lapse on 31 December if you do not pay by then.  We have to be very strict on this because most of your subscription is handed over to BBKA and BDI and insurance is affected if payments are not made on time.  If you have lost your renewal form please contact me immediately.
Peter Edwards

JARS - URGENT

I will be ordering jars on 5 December.  If you need any, you will have to contact me now!
Peter Edwards

SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR 2006-2007

Our beekeeping this last year has been somewhat dominated by the weather.  After a fine early spring, with the bees bringing in forage from crops such as the oilseed rape, the weather turned wet from May onwards.  This resulted in little or no honey being stored, and it was only some field beans and later the borage, that saved the day for many of us.  This year for the first time members received a form to help assess winter losses in the area, the results being published in the Newsletter.  These appeared to show that with a few exceptions losses were in general as expected.  However, during the year wet weather in general resulted in many virgin queens failing to mate, with members reporting an increasing number of queenless colonies.  Honey crops were everywhere down on last year, the apiary providing about 200lbs. compared with 480 lbs. last year, but still making a useful contribution to the Association’s healthy finances.  Thanks must again go to David Titcomb for his efforts at the apiary, where we still have six active hives, including his extraction of the honey and help in raising nuclei as part of our Bee Improvement Group’s attempts to improve the stock.  As a result of the latter the manipulations at apiary meetings proved at times to be rather confusing for some of us, and next year we hope to keep at least one hive for beginners only, and perhaps encourage more members to take the BBKA Basic Examination.  This year John Beaumont is to be congratulated as our only successful candidate.  To encourage others and potential members it is intended to run an introduction to beekeeping course in the spring.

The Committee, consisting of five members plus four Officers, met six times over the year, with much time being taken up in discussing the changes to the Association’s Rules.  These came about mainly due to the decision to vote a Chairman into office at the A.G.M., rather than by the Committee, and to bring our membership categories into line with those of the BBKA.  The opportunity was taken to include in the rules our adoption of the BBKA policy on Child Protection and on Health and Safety, and also to make a few minor cosmetic changes.  Thanks must go to Peter Edwards for the considerable time and effort he spent on this.  Thanks are also due to Denis Keyte for finalising and printing out the 32 page brochure about the Association’s activities over the last 70 years, and his efforts as Publicity Officer by ensuring that regular write-ups of our events appeared in the Stratford Herald.  Similarly, our presence at summer fetes in Snitterfield and at the Shakespeare Hospice provided useful opportunities for contact with the general public.

Social events organised by the Committee included our three usual annual activities: the Skittles match with the Shipston branch in November, the dinner in January and the summer walk in August.  An extra event was a skittles evening at the Snitterfield Sports Club in March.  All of these were reasonably well attended, with Denis Keyte receiving a BBKA certificate at the Annual Dinner to commemorate his 50 years as a beekeeper.  The subjects for talks were the activities of our Bee Improvement Group, ‘Wild Bees and Wasps’ and ‘Plastic versus Wood Hives’; all held at Stratford College and later written up in the Newsletter.  With an average attendance at these of 15, it is disappointing that so few of our 53 members attend, considering how interesting they can be.  Similarly, entries at the Honey Show were an all-time low at only 39, half of last year’s.  As Association Secretary, I am always glad to hear from any member with ideas for suitable talks or events.  It is only through the Newsletter, and possibly the web site, that most members have any connection with the Association, and Peter is to be congratulated on doing such a good job with these.

As the accounts show, Will Spencer has again kept the Association’s finances in good shape, with no increase in subscription for the coming year, and he is to be thanked for his efforts not just for this year, but for the last 15 years as Treasurer.
Mike Osborne

ANNUAL DINNER

The Annual Dinner will be held at the Arrow Mill on 25 January.  The format will be the same as last year and the cost will be held (yet again!) at £22.50.  Please send cheques to Will Spencer by 19 January together with a note of any vegetarian options required.
Peter Edwards

INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING COURSE

A short Introduction to Beekeeping Course has been organised for the beginning of next year.  Although aimed at potential beekeepers, some of our recent members may be interested in attending.  There will be 4 sessions, on 29th January, 26th February, 1st April and 27th April, covering:

1. Different hive types and their parts.  The siting of an apiary.  Equipment including tools, clothing etc.  The costs of beekeeping.

2. Honey bees including their life cycle.  The different castes, their development and behaviour.

3. The beekeeping year including what to look for outside and inside the hive, pests and diseases, swarm control and honey extraction.

4. Practical session at the Association's apiary to gain experience in handling bees and recognise what is happening within the hive.

The first three sessions will be at Stratford College on a Tuesday evening, 7.00-9.30pm., with the 4th session on a Sunday afternoon.  The cost to members will be £20.00 (£30.00 to non-members), and the sessions will be informal with time for discussion.  Anyone interested should contact Mike Osborne, 01789 731745 or mjrosborne@btinternet.com.
Mike Osborne

IT’S FREE!

Did you know that Bee Craft also issues a free one page email newsletter on an occasional basis?  If you have an email address and would like to receive ‘BeeMail’ then let me know.
Peter Edwards

HISTORY OF OUR ASSOCIATION

Denis Keyte is still able to supply copies of the 32 page booklet that he edited - and virtually wrote - about the history of our Association.  These are incredible value at just £2.50 each.  If you would like a copy, please contact Denis on 01564 792872.
Peter Edwards

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

I am pleased to be able to extend a very warm welcome to two new members: Carl Cunnane from Ettington, and Olivia Hatch from Newbold on Stour.  Fiona Dunn of Great Rollright and Laura Baxter have also joined in the new Partner Member category.  We wish you all ‘full supers’!
Peter Edwards

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

Have you ever wondered where your subscription goes?

The BBKA Capitation Fee of £13 per member is our greatest expense by far; it pays for us to be members of the BBKA, with all the benefits associated with membership, such as Public Liability insurance and BBKA News.  The BDI (Bee Diseases Insurance) premium accounts for a further £2 and this then leaves just £3 per member for us to run our local association.  Clearly, this would be impossible without funds generated by the production and sale of association honey.

We are all greatly indebted to those who manage the apiary, extract the honey and sell it; most of this work is undertaken by one person - David Titcomb - so if you are able to lend a hand with some of the work next year, I have no doubt you will be very welcome.
Peter Edwards

HONEY AND POLLEN FOR A LONG LIFE

Russian researcher Prof. Nicolai Vasilievich Tsitsin, a biologist and experimental botanist at the Longevity Institute, tried to discover why so many natives of Georgia, formerly of the Soviet Union, reportedly lived to upwards of 125 years old.  "Most of these modern Methuselahs who live in dry, desert-like climates, are beekeepers, who every day eat raw, unprocessed honey with bee pollen." All of the 200 or more people past 125 years of age in Georgia, without exception, state that their principal food is pollen and honey - mostly pollen," said Prof. Tsitsin.
Courtesy B.E.E.S