Programme of Events 2019
Sat 12th – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for damage & weather quick check for amount of stores in colonies. If required colonies fed with bee fondant or with dry sugar. Equipment maintenance.
Sat 19th – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for damage & weather quick check for amount of stores in colonies. If required colonies fed with bee fondant or with dry sugar. Equipment maintenance.
Sat 26th – Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Annex to Mulberry Tree Restaurant
2pm 2nd Winter Lecture: Bob Smith NDB – Comb change techniques
4pm Teas by Ruxley Manor
February
Sat 2nd – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for damage & weather quick check for amount of stores in colonies.
If required colonies fed with bee fondant or with dry sugar. Equipment maintenance.
Sat 9th – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for damage & weather quick check for amount of stores in colonies.
If required colonies fed with bee fondant or with dry sugar. Equipment maintenance.
Sat 16th – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for damage & weather quick check for amount of stores in colonies.
If required colonies fed with bee fondant or with dry sugar. Equipment maintenance.
Sat 23rd – Canada Water, City Business Centre, SE16 2XB
9am Introduction to Beekeeping Course, parts 1-4.
Sat 23rd – Orpington Village Hall, 311 High St, Orpington BR6 0NN
2:30pm 3rd Winter Lecture: Dr Seirian Sumner – Wasps – why nobody loves them ?
4:00pm 4th Winter Lecture: Dr Nick Isaac – State of Pollinators and other wildlife in the UK.
March
Sat 2nd – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Unless done two weeks previously, colonies checked for stores. In poor weather old frames cleaned, then fitting them with new foundation.
Making up new frames..
Sat 9th – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for stores, health, viability, a note taken if stocks need equalizing.
In poor weather making up new frames and fitting them with foundation sheets.
Sat 16th – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Colonies checked for stores, health, viability, a note taken if stocks need equalizing.
Colonies in nucleus hives transferred into full hives.
Sat 23rd – Canada Water, City Business Centre, SE16 2XB
9am Introduction to Beekeeping Course, parts 5-8.
Sat 23rd – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Weather permitting, routine inspections commenced; 2nd brood box or 1st super put on, but only if the season progressed well thus far. Suitable colonies for the queen and drone rearing selected.
Sat 30th – Baldwyns Apirary
2pm – Weather permitting, routine inspections commenced; 2nd brood box or 1st super put on, but only if the season progressed well thus far. Suitable colonies for the queen and drone rearing selected.
April
Sat 6 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am – 12:00 Basic Beekeeping Course: 1st Practical – Basics, 5 good reasons for inspecting a colony
1pm – 3pm Basic Beekeeping Course: 2nd Practical – Swarm prevention.
Sat 6 – Ruxley Apiary
3pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention measures undertaken. Supers added to the colonies if needed. 2nd best colony prepared for raising drones for the queen rearing programme and fed with proteins rich pollen substitutes.
Sat 13 Baldwyns Apiary – Spring Convention
2pm Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention measures undertaken. Supers added to the colonies if needed. 2nd best colony prepared for raising drones for the queen rearing programme and fed with proteins rich pollen substitutes..
Sat 20 – Ruxley Apiary – Easter Saturday
2pm Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention measures. Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa entrapment frames check. Old frames rendered down.
Sat 27 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am – 12:00 Basic Beekeeping Course: 3rd Practical – Dealing with difficult colonies. Uniting of colonies and re-queening.
1pm – 3pm Basic Beekeeping Course: 4th Practical – Making up frames, feeding, etc., if time allows, practical demonstration how to assemble a brood box (National). Conclusion.
Sat 27 – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check. Old frames rendered down.
Tue 30 – Sophie’s Choice Restaurant, 149 Station Road, Sidcup, DA15 7AA
7:30pm Annual Dinner with a Talk: “Bees in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula”
May
Sat 4 – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check. A colony selected for the queen rearing programme prepared.
Sat 11 – Ruxley Apiary
1pm – 3pm Queen rearing course Part 1: Grafting young larvae into queen cell cups
Sat 12 – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check.
Sat 18 – Ruxley Apiary
1pm – 2pm Queen rearing course Part 2: Check on grafting success. Preparation of the mating nucs.
Sat 18 – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check.
Mon 20 – Ruxley Apiary
Time: TBA – Queen rearing course Part 3: Distribution of ripe queen cells into mating nucs.
Sat 25 – Ruxley Apiary
1pm – 2pm Queen rearing course Part 4: Check on virgin queens emergence from queen cells.
Sat 26 – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check. Supers added.
June
Sat 1 – Ruxley Apiary
1pm – 2pm Queen rearing course Part 5: Check if the new queens are starting to lay.
Sat 2 – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check. Due to cold weather and June gap, colonies fed if required.
Sat 8 – Ruxley Apiary
1pm – 2pm Queen rearing course Part 6: Final session, marking and clipping the new queens. Conclusion.
Sat 8 – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check. Supers added
Sat 15 – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check.
Sat 22 – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check
Sat 29 – Ruxley Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, Varroa entrapment frames check.
July
Sat 6 – Baldwyns Apiary
2pm – Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention, last Varroa entrapment frames check.