News
<strong>The RHS need to know if you have this type of tree in your garden or local area</strong>
31-Mar-21 – Country Living
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/gardens/a35986457/sweet-chestnut-tree-rhs-campaign/
How bees and drones team up to find landmines
30-Mar-21 – BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56344609
How is apivectoring innovating agricultural systems?
30-Mar-21 – Open Access Government
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/how-is-apivectoring-innovating-agricultural-systems/107527/embed/#?secret=ChqdMXW0MG
Developing Varroa Resistant Bees: Steve Riley’s Guest Blog
26-Mar-21 – The BeeListener
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.beelistener.co.uk/beekeeping/developing-varroa-resistant-bees-steve-rileys-guest-blog/embed/#?secret=amnnzH1BOR
Neonic authorisation ‘was against expert advice’
26-Mar-21 – Ends Report
https://www.endsreport.com/article/1711156/neonic-authorisation-was-against-expert-advice
Making honey without bees and milk without cows
23-Mar-21 – BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56154143
Beekeeper, 89, blasts CPS after it drops charges against three teenagers who were accused of destroying 30 hives
23-Mar-21 – Mail Online
Liquid gold: beekeepers defying Yemen war to produce the best honey
23-Mar-21 – The Guardian
After Almonds, The Beekeepers’ Enduring Race Begins
22-Mar-21 – BeeInformed
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://beeinformed.org/2021/03/22/after-almonds-the-beekeepers-enduring-race-begins/embed/#?secret=FrsJygvr88
Honeybees run vaccination programmes, too
20-Mar-21 – The Economist
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/03/18/honeybees-run-vaccination-programmes-too
The Syrian beekeeper helping fellow refugees in West Yorkshire
18-Mar-21 – ITV
Jersey islanders asked to report Asian hornet sightings
17-Mar-21 – ITV
https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2021-03-17/jersey-islanders-asked-to-report-asian-hornet-sightings
These biodegradable face masks turn into flowers when you plant them
12-Mar-21 – Country Living
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/news/a35804769/biodegradable-face-masks-flowers/
What Does The New Ruling On Oxalic Acid In Honey Mean?
10-Mar-21 – BeeInformed
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://beeinformed.org/2021/03/10/what-does-the-new-ruling-on-oxalic-acid-in-honey-mean/embed/#?secret=FRhZhcqK05
Angelina Jolie named ‘Godmother’ of bees in new humanitarian venture
08-Mar-21 - NME
Angelina Jolie named ‘Godmother’ of bees in new humanitarian venture
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.nme.com/news/film/angelina-jolie-named-godmother-of-bees-in-new-humanitarian-venture-2896112/embed#?secret=juTHPH3JL5
Has China messed with your honey? How the country's 'blending' factories are now producing MORE honey than the world's bees
05-Mar-21 – Mail Online
Tory government U-turns on bee-killing pesticide plan after threat of legal action
03-Mar-21 – The Canary
Tory government U-turns on bee-killing pesticide plan after threat of legal action
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.thecanary.co/discovery/analysis-discovery/2021/03/03/tory-government-u-turns-on-bee-killing-pesticide-plan-after-threat-of-legal-action/embed/#?secret=rVI2m5qAzj
Neonic seed treatment will not be used on 2021 beet crop
02-Mar-21 – FarmingUK
https://www.farminguk.com/news/neonic-seed-treatment-will-not-be-used-on-2021-beet-crop_57706.html
A common soil pesticide cut wild bee reproduction by 89% – here’s why scientists are worried
02-Mar-21 – The Conversation
Bee Farmer Turns Up the Heat with New Hot Fire Honey
02-Mar-21 – Business News Wales
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://businessnewswales.com/bee-farmer-turns-up-the-heat-with-new-hot-fire-honey/embed/#?secret=A83W22njmR
Bringing nature to life at the home of Rolls-Royce
28-Feb21 – ProLandscaperMagazine
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.prolandscapermagazine.com/bringing-nature-to-life-at-the-home-of-rolls-royce/embed/#?secret=qeK80w9EeA
A quiet conservation success story, the likes of which aren’t told enough
26-Feb-21 – Positive News
https://www.positive.news/environment/conservation/a-quiet-conservation-success-story-the-likes-of-which-arent-told-enough/
Chemical detection triggers honey bee defense against a destructive parasitic threat
25-Jan-21 – Nature Chemical Biology
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41589-020-00720-3Posted in 2021 Links on by Peter Halford.
Links and eMails etc. – End of February
Plantwatch: fungus creates fake fragrant flowers to fool bees
17-Feb-21 – The Guardian
Bee keeper stung by Brexit rules
16-Feb-21 – ITV News
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2021-02-15/bee-keeper-stung-by-brexit-rules
Scientists explain why plant diversity is crucial for bee conservation
10-Feb-21 – Open Access Government
Scientists explain why plant diversity is crucial for bee conservation
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/plant-diversity/103459/embed/#?secret=mpYxsTFesZ
A pair of skydivers play CATCH in freefall - with a jar of honey
09-Feb-21 – Yahoo News
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/pair-skydivers-play-catch-freefall-114300803.html
Canadian Solar gets the buzz about bees
09-Feb-21 – ReNews.biz
https://renews.biz/66329/canadian-solar-gets-the-buzz-about-bees/
Old drug is new weapon against tsetse flies
04-Feb-21 – The Naked Scientists
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/science-news/old-drug-new-weapon-against-tsetse-flies
Virtual beekeeping is buzzzing in 2021
04-Feb-21 – Country Living
https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a35414593/virtual-beekeeping/
The Wildlife Trust challenges ‘unlawful’ use of killer pesticide
03-Feb-21 – Environment Journal
Brexit: 15 million baby bees could be seized and burned over ‘monumentally stupid’ rules
02-Feb-21 – The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-bees-burned-uk-eu-rules-b1796201.html
Flowering inferno: Beekeeper says imported bees could be burned due to Brexit rules
02-Feb-21 – The Mailhttps://www.mailplus.co.uk/news/51184/flowering-inferno-beekeeper-says-imported-bees-could-be-burned-due-to-brexit-rulesPosted in 2021 Links on by Peter Halford.
Links and eMails etc. – End of January
Wildlife Trusts mulls legal action after neonic authorisation
28-Jan-21 – FarmingUK
The Wildlife Trusts explore legal challenge to Government decision to allow emergency use of neonicotinoid
27-Jan-21 – The Wildlife Trusts
UK needs “actions, not words”, argues Labour as environment bill delayed
26-Jan-21 – Labour List
https://labourlist.org/2021/01/uk-needs-actions-not-words-argues-labour-as-environment-bill-delayed/
The Bolivian couple saving honey bees from coca deforestation
25-Jan-21 – Reuters
Quarter of known bee species have not been recorded since 1990
22-Jan-21 – The Guardian
Plan Bee: How Labour is seeking to protect Britain’s pollinators
22-Jan-21 – Labour List
https://labourlist.org/2021/01/plan-bee-how-labour-is-seeking-to-protect-britains-pollinators/
EU lawmakers raise concerns about UK 'regression' on pesticides
19-Jan-21 – edie
https://www.edie.net/news/11/EU-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-UK--regression--on-pesticides/
Defra approves emergency authorisation of neonicotinoid
09-Jan-21 – FarmingUK
https://www.farminguk.com/news/defra-approves-emergency-authorisation-of-neonicotinoid_57325.html
The hidden symbols you may have missed in the Bridgerton costumes
08-Jan-21 – Cosmopolitan
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/a35137897/bridgerton-costume-hidden-symbol/
Buzzing with excitement! Israeli biologists discover new bee species
08-Jan-21 – Jewish News
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/new-bee-species-discovered-by-israeli-researchers/
Powys Honey Producer One of the Fastest Growing Businesses in Wales
07-Jan-21 – BusinessNewsWales
Powys Honey Producer One of the Fastest Growing Businesses in Wales
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://businessnewswales.com/powys-honey-producer-one-of-the-fastest-growing-businesses-in-wales/embed/#?secret=XY6JfY6RMo
Cellnutrition Health Introduces Promising New Vaccine and Immunotherapy
06-Jan-21 – Pharmiweb
Online beekeeping business buzzes towards £2m turnover
06-Jan-21 – The Business Desk
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2047509-online-beekeeping-business-buzzes-towards-2m-turnover/embed#?secret=0aWLiIoyiz
Honeybee venom as cure of cancer
05-Jan-21 – Kashmir Reader
https://web.archive.org/web/20210420141942if_/https://kashmirreader.com/2021/01/05/honeybee-venom-as-cure-of-cancer/embed/#?secret=Lx1SmlzGGJPosted in 2021 Links on by Peter Halford.
Foundationless Frame Construction
Johannes has kindly offered to do a workshop on
Foundationless Frame Construction.
16th October 7:30pm
Camphill Community College, Wadhurst.
Please bring a small hammer.
Limited places to 15 people. Members need to book for this
HWBK Summer BBQ
Come and have a fun, relaxing evening at the
HWBK Summer BBQ
Saturday July 22nd at 6.00pm
By very kind invitation from Rachael and Simon Bishop
Address:- Stillyans Farm, Maynards Green, HEATHFIELD. TN21 OBU
EVERYONE will need to bring their own chairs, cutlery, plates, glasses and whatever you choose to drink!!
Please choose something from the list that you will be able to supply;-
To accompany BBQ food | |||||||
Green salad | Potato salad | Cole slaw | Pasta salad | Salad of my choice. | |||
Desert | |||||||
Strawberries & cream | Flan/tart | Gateaux/cake | Desert of my choice | ||||
The cost will be £5.00 for HWBK members and £6.00 for partners and friends.
Name | Member | £ | |
Name | Non member | £ | |
Any dietary requirements. | |||
I will supply (enough for approx. 8 people) | |||
I am a ‘dab hand’ at the BBQ and willing to cook the food.. Yes/No | |||
I enclose a cheque made out to HWBK for £ |
Please send a cheque made out to HWBK for the full amount with the above slip.
To Rose Marie Riley
12 Buttsfield Lane
East Hoathly
BN8 6EF
Before the 12 July.
Chairman’s Chatter 2021
Chair’s AGM Report 2021
This is essentially an overview of 2021 for the HWBKA picking out some of the highlights … and lowlights. More detail can be found in each of the committee members reports which you also have received.
Starting with the ‘lowlights’ we are obviously still being impacted by COVID although not as severely as in 2020 when almost everything stopped.
On more positive notes the Association continues strongly with 247 members, only one down on last year.
Finances are still strong with a healthy balance of ≈£21k although this would have been even greater had we been able to run the course last year in 2020. It is still our hope and intention to be able to fund an Apiary with a permanent Club House and we are slowly building funds to accomplish that.
Despite the BBKA increasing their charges last year, when we had to absorb the cost as we could not do anything about it until the following AGM, we have decided again to maintain our current level of subscriptions and absorb that cost increase once more. Most of your dues do go to the BBKA and for BDI as can see in Peter Halford’s and Rob’s reports. It was for this reason that we changed our rules and constitution to enable us to increase dues by whatever the BBKA impose should we need to, without having to wait for the following years AGM to pass a resolution or hold an EGM.
At the beginning of 2021 it was not at all certain we would be able to run the Beginner’s Course. It represents a major revenue for the Association both financially and in terms of new members. In anticipation of future difficulties, we setup an education sub-committee, an objective for which would be the generation of a comprehensive course manual, and this was completed during the bleak mid-winter and early spring. Armed with this document we felt that in the worst case we might be able to run the course on a one-to-one basis or in much smaller groups depending on prevailing lockdown criteria at the time. This would of course require a greater number of tutors who may well need the manual for reference. In the event the first 2 classroom-based sessions were held on Zoom and the initial ‘in-the-field’ events one to one with the very much increased number of tutors in their own apiaries. Our tutors did sterling work, and we are very appreciative of their efforts on behalf of the beginners. This all worked well and then in July we recommenced group events. The manual will stand us in good stead for the future and all new beekeepers on the course get a copy to keep so they get our association’s view and are not too confused by all the sometimes-conflicting advice they might get in books and on-line
We held the Taster Day this year in June at my apiary and had a most enjoyable day with 11 participants, including Peter Halford and Talha Dinc who came long to help.
Following on from a laudable initiative from Malcolm 2 years earlier to encourage people through their Basic Assessment, we finally managed to hold the assessment, again in my apiary to better facilitate necessary teas, coffees, brandies etc. 5 people, 4 from HWBKA and one who came up from Hastings and Rother took part. Mike Cullen, a Master Beekeeper from Hastings took us through quite gently. My guilt at not doing it earlier in my beekeeping career finally got the better of me and I too took the test of ‘beekeeping manhood’.
In terms of other events held throughout year they have been quite severely curtailed. Committee Meetings have been held on Zoom as Peter Leswell has had to maintain a strict isolation regime. There were no country fayres we could attend. BeeBanter was off the menu until it re-commenced in the latter half of the year. Attendance at BeeBanters has been somewhat down compared to the past, no doubt because of people’s legitimate concerns over either getting infected or spreading infection. Last month Talha managed to organise a very successful wax workshop which Helen Hadley led, and Sandy Infield hosted in her spacious studio. On the 8th December he has organised our annual Christmas Dinner at the Middle House in Mayfield. We hope you will be able to attend.
Our Association Apiaries are in mostly good fettle, although it has been a tricky year for many beekeepers as indicated in Keith & Steve’s report about Slab Castle. We heard in Jonathan Coote’s Apiarist article about the winter losses. We had a warm February causing the colonies to build quickly and early, followed by a colder dry spell and then a colder wet spell and some colonies never really got up to speed. My own honey crop as with the Associations was less than half the usual.
Nonetheless Slab Castle is going into the winter with 10 colonies and much work has been done over the year maintaining it and the equipment.
Our lease from WDC for the Horsted Green Apiary was increased to 12 colonies in exchange for which they wanted our assistance with promotion, and you may have seen articles in Ashdown Living Sussex Country Living. I took over from Steve running the Apiary mid-way through the year as the combination of running Slab Castle and Horsted with all the travel that entailed was getting too much. Steve was very largely responsible for setting up the splendid facilities at Horsted for which we owe him a debt of gratitude. There was a very successful queen rearing activity held at Horsted and led by Helen Hadley and Malcolm. We used a particularly vigorous colony of nice gentle bees and produced some 30 or so queens which were given out to various members. We plan to hold something similar next year with more emphasis on teaching the craft. We will also be raising 10 nucs of bees with the very generous assistance of John Miller, to supply future new beekeepers on the course. A small part we can play in reducing the need to import bees from abroad along with whatever plague they might bring in with them.
As mentioned above, it is an awful lot of work running the association apiaries and we hope next year to be able to enlist some permanent or semi-permanent assisting teams to help share the burden and perhaps as a teaching experience too for those less experienced, to learn from the likes of Steve and Keith. There will be a form sent out and at the AGM for those who would like to express interest.
The Apiarist is going out quarterly ‘jam packed’ thanks to the sterling work of Paul with his expertise in DTP
AHAT - fortunately there has been very little activity on the Asian Hornet front, due in no small part to the continuing vigilance of beekeepers nationwide and of course FERA.
The website continues to support our activities and membership very well. The advent of booking forms for events and the eR2 system making life much easier for our Membership Secretary Peter …although it is still a great deal of work he does behind the scenes to keep our Association running smoothly.
SBKA has been quiet and similarly impacted by CV-19 and holding meetings on Zoom. There was no Bee Market this year but the Autumn Convention which was a hybrid live /Zoom meeting had some interesting talks particularly from the folks at Buckfast Abbey.
Having overstayed my statutory three term year as Chair by one year in extremis to get through the COVID crisis this has been my last year …honest!
It’s been fun, an honour and a
privilege. I will still be around, however, looking after the little darlings
at our Horsted Apiary.