www.wbka.com Rhif/No:186 Hydref/Autumn 2014 Gwenynwyr Cymru The Welsh Beekeeper Welsh Beekeepers’ Association Cymdeithas Gwenynwyr Cymru Llywydd/ David Culshaw : [email protected] President Tel: 01978 854593 Cadeirydd/ Chair- Jenny Shaw : [email protected] person Tel: 01248 430811 Is-gadeirydd/ Sue Townsend : [email protected] Vice-chairperson Tel: 01341 430262 Ysgrifennydd/ John Page : [email protected] Secretary The Old Tannery Pontsian, Llandysul SA44 4UD Tel: 01545 590515 Trysorydd/ Margaret Jones: [email protected] Treasurer Tel: 01267 231763 Golygyddion/ Sue Closs : [email protected] Editor Tel: 01792 429217 Is-olgydd/ Dewi Morris Jones Sub-editor Llwynderw, Bronant, (Erythglau Cymraeg) Aberystwyth SY23 4TG Tel: 01974 251264 Ysgrifennydd aelo- Ian Hubbuck : membership@wbka. daeth/Membership White Cottage, com Secretary Manafon Road, Berriew, SY21 8BB Tel:01686 640205 The Welsh Beekeeper #186 2 Autumn 2014 Contents/Cynnwys Editorial 4 Chairman’s Report 6 Message from the President 9 Preparing for the season ahead - winter - Frank Gellatly 10 Book Review: The Bee - A natural history 14 Some afterthoughts about swarming (and other matters) Wally Shaw 16 “Lliwiau” gan “Buzz” - Geraint Morse 21 Bees in the Wood - Adam Thorogood 23 Successful opening weekend of Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre - Paul Eades 24 Notes from a Grumpy Old Beekeeper 26 DigiBees - Barry Griffiths 29 BIBBA “ Improvement for All” Days 2014/15 36 WBKA Examination Report 2014 - Lynfa Davies 37 Book Review: Wisdom for Beekeepers ( 500 tips for successful beekeeping) 41 Letters 42 Obituary 44 List of Advertisers 45 Local Association Representatives 46 Pictures: All pictures are copyright to the author of the article to which they refer, unless otherwise stated. Front cover: Training a new bee keeper at PBK Centre Gwenynwyr Cymru #186 3 Hydref 2014 Editorial Sue Closs The seasons seem to rush past especially preparing the magazine for the season ahead. Everyone seems to be having a very productive and often frantic time with their bees – scrounging or borrowing equipment as the honey has kept flowing and from the number of alerts for local beekeepers to assist with swarms over the passed weeks, I think everyone must have more colonies than they started with in the spring. Apart from all the hands-on activity there has been an extraordinary amount of interest in making contributions to the magazine for which I am extremely grateful. You will see that we have a wide diversity of topics and I am glad to tell you that almost every offering has found a place in this busy edition even though it is a little cramped for space and we will all need to don reading spectacles. Frank Gellatly has written an article to remind us about preparing the hives for winter. Wally Shaw continues his theme on swarming and prepares the way for his next magazine articles on swarm control in time for next May. The booklet “Making Increase” provoked a letter to which Wally has responded (page 42). Letters “To the Editor” are very welcome. Paul Eades has updated us on the progress of the Pembrokeshire Beekeeping Centre which is going from strength to strength. An article on bee photography from Barry Griffith shows how to make use of the digital camera settings to get the best out of photographing bees. I hope this inspires more people to have a go and if possible send me photos as home-grown are always better and if I have to resort to photographic libraries, not only do I have to pay, but also most of the archives are American. Lynfa Davies has provided us with a comprehensive list of successful entrants to examinations and importantly changes to the examination system which have been accepted by WBKA Council and will affect examination entrants from March 2015. Working with other organisations is exemplified by the signing of the concordat with Natural Resources Wales to facilitate beekeepers using land managed by NRW. Adam Thorogood of Llais y Goedwig introduces the Startree Project in “Bees in the Wood” which outlines work being undertaken to explore honey and other bee products as non-wood forest products in a European project involving universities, small businesses and rural development organisations. Finally, due to pressure of multiple commitments, I am starting to look for a successor to the role of Editor of The Welsh Beekeeper so if you think you could have the time and skills and would like to explore the details of the post, please contact me. The Welsh Beekeeper #186 4 Autumn 2014 The Welsh Beekeeper No. 186 Autumn 2014 www.wbka.com All copy should reach the Editor on or before the last day of January, April, July and October. Views expressed in ‘The Welsh Beekeeper’ are not necessarily held by the Editor or the Publishers, but remain the opinion of the author of the article. Edited, and compiled by Sue Closs. Proof read by Dewi Morris Jones Published by Welsh Beekeeper Association Printed by Pensord, Pontllanfraith, South Wales Great care is taken to ensure advertisements are correct but no liability is taken for errors or omissions. Gwenynwyr Cymru #186 5 Hydref 2014 Chairman’s Report * Adroddiad y cadeirydd Jenny Shaw What a glorious summer we have had so far. I trust that your bees are in as good condition as ours and that all your supers are gainfully employed. The weather was great for the Royal Welsh Show and I enjoyed meeting so many of you in the Honey Show section in Glamorgan Hall. During the Show the WBKA signed a concordat with Natural Resources Wales to facilitate beekeepers wanting to keep bees on land that they manage. Over the next few months the details of the agree- ment will be finalised and posted on our website. The presence of hives on land encourages the creation of more flower rich areas to support the bees. The more wild flower rich areas we create in Wales the better the forage for not only honey bees but for all insect pollinators. We hope that this collaboration will be beneficial to beekeepers and their bees. In June the WBKA was asked to report on what it had done to support the Welsh Governments Action Plan for Pollinators since it was launched a year ago. Our re- sponse can be found on the WBKA website. However we are aware that the Bee- keeping Associations around Wales are involved in many and diverse projects that benefit pollinators. We would be interested to hear of these projects so that we can ensure that the Welsh Government is aware of just how active the beekeepers of Wales are. ******************************************** Mae wedi bod yn haf bendigedig hyd yma ac rwy’n mawr obeithio bod eich gwenyn chi mewn cystal cyflwr â’n rhai ni a bod eich supers yn gweithio’n galed. Roedd y tywydd yn wych ar gyfer y Sioe Frenhinol ac roedd yn bleser cwrdd â chy- maint ohonoch chi yn ardal y Sioe Fêl yn Neuadd Morgannwg. Arwyddwyd concordat yn ystod y Sioe gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru fydd yn hwyluso pethau i wenynwyr sydd am gadw gwenyn ar y tir maent yn ei reoli. Dros y misoedd nesa’ bydd manylion y cytundeb yn cael eu gwireddu cyn eu cyhoeddi ar ein gwefan. Mae cychod gwenyn ar dir yn hybu creu ardaloedd llawn blodau fydd, yn eu tro, yn cynnal a chadw’r gwenyn. Y mwyaf o ardaloedd llawn blodau byddwn yn creu yng Nghymru›r mwyaf o borthiant fydd, nid yn unig ar gyfer gwenyn mêl ond hefyd ar gyfer yr holl beillwyr eraill. Rydym yn gobeithio y bydd y cydweithio yma o fudd i wenynwyr a’u gwenyn. Ym mis Mehefin gofynnwyd i’r Gymdeithas adrodd ar y cyfraniad rydym wedi gwneud, ers ei lawns blwddyn yn ôl, i gefnogi Cynllun Gweithredu ar gyfer Pryfed Peillio Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae’n hymateb ar wefan Cymdeithas Gwenynwyr Cymru. Rydym yn ymwybodol fod llawer o’r cymdeithasau cadw gwenyn lleol ledled y wlad hefyd yn ymwneud â llawer o brosiectau gwahanol sy’n fuddiol i beillwyr. Byddai’n braf clywed am y prosiectau hyn fel y gallwn sicrhau fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymwybodol o ba mor weithgar mae gwenynwyr ein gwlad. The Welsh Beekeeper #186 6 Autumn 2014 Gwenynwyr Cymru #186 7 Hydref 2014 Signing the Concordat: Professor Peter Matthews, Chairman of Natural Resources Wales and Jenny Shaw, Chairman of WBKA The Welsh Beekeeper #186 8 Autumn 2014 Message from the President David Culshaw I am writing this on my return from a scorching hot week at the Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd, and I was delighted to see that there was a considerable increase in the entries for the Welsh National Honey Show. My congratula- tions to the winners, and my thanks to all who took part. I am loath to quote names as someone always gets left out, but many thanks to the members who erected the W.B.K.A. stand and those who manned it throughout the Show. There was considerable interest by the public in all things related to ‘Honeybees’ and brisk sales of Welsh Honey. Congratulations to Brecon and Radnor B.K.A., who were featured county, for their very eye catching and informative stand which attracted many visitors. On Wednesday we visited the Natural Resources Wales stand, when Jenny Shaw on behalf of W.B.K.A signed a concordat with N.R.W. who were eager to sign up the W.B.K.A in their plan for pollinators. Good to see that pollination is a hot topic, and honey bees are high on the list. I was proved wrong when I said in my last message that swarming was com- ing to an end this year, as most beekeepers I am sure are tired of phone calls requesting help with swarms.