North Dorset BKA Activities
Presence at Shows
One of the ways in which the BKAs encourage beekeeping is to present beekeeping to the general public and to introduce bees and the process of beekeeping to those who are interested.
BSBKA (now the North Dorset BKA) had a stall at the 2019 Shaftesbury and Gillingham Agricultural show. People were fascinated by the different types of honey on display and, as usual, the observation hive was a source of fascination for many. Beeswax candle making was perennially popular with young children. Although limited by Covid considerations we were also present in 2021.
From the show:
Apiary Visits
Steve Toop's Apiary
Steve's apiary is on a 4,000 acre farm in the Tarrant Valley. He has about 20 hives with a choice of crops to forage on. There are some areas of the farm dedicated to wild flowers. Places where
farm machinery cannot easily manoeuvre and the land fertility is poor have been turned into wild flower meadows.
From the visit:
Chris Harwood's Apiary
Chris's apiary is in a field in Semley, overlooking the Donheads. The apiary houses four hives and there is a fifth colony in the walls of the house on the same land. This was a visit to a smaller
apiary. The main feature was the use of 14"x12" brood boxes which hold enough honey to last the winter and which do not need a second brood box for a large colony. The use of Wasp-away entrance
reducers was also of interest. There was lots of discussion of methodology and , oops, is that queen excluder upside down for bottom bee space Chris?
From the visit:
Other Visits
Vita
Visit to Vita honeybee health treatment producer in Basingstoke. We discussed their research and saw the Vita Apiaries. A number of us picked up useful tips. On the way back a number of us visited the bee window at Wootton St. Lawrence church honouring Charles Butler.
Bee Health Day
BSBKA with others from the Dorset BKA attended a Bee Health Day held in Shilllingstone. There were four bee inspectors present, from as far afield as Norfolk and Oxfordshire as well as our own SBI
Kevin Pope, reminded all of the need for hygiene in the apiary, gave a lot of useful practical advice, showed how to inspect a hive for disease and updated us on the Asian Hornet and Small Hive
Beetle threats. We were reminded of the need for vigilance and to set traps baited with protein (such as fish, prawns or chicken) near our hives and to monitor them daily.
See the link to Bee Health
Talks
Bees and the Law : Terry Payne, Master Beekeeper
Bees and Water : Lesley Gasson, Master Beekeeper
Demonstrations
Oxalic Acid sublimation
Practical Sessions:
Making an Asian Hornet trap - see our YouTube video
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