Newsletter of the Beekeepers Association of the ACT Incorporated

Newsletter Web address: www.bindaree.com.au/newsletter.htm

Meetings of the Beekeepers Association of the ACT Inc are held on the second

Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm at the CIT, Heysen Street, Weston in Building A

Contact: Association President – David Lillis Ph: 62975202 (AH)

December 2001

Meeting

Our next meeting will be held at Richard and Jan’s place, 16 James Street, Curtin where we will enjoy Christmas drinks and nibbles from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. BYO drinks. All members, old and new are most welcome. As the year draws to an end it seems appropriate to say a thank you to CIT, Weston for allowing us to use their room for meetings all year.

President’s Report

Hi Members

If you weren’t at our Field Day on the 10^th you missed a fantastic day. The weather was great and the people just kept rolling in from as far away as Sydney and the South Coast. The final tally was just under 100. My thanks to the speakers; Doug Sommerville, Mick Rankmore, Michael Hornitski and Dick Johnston for such informative topics which drew some interesting questions from the floor. Because of its success the committee are planning a similar one next year. Thanks to all those who participated as visitors and volunteers. A great job by the organising committee, thanks again.

The swarm season is all but over except for the odd bird or possum box removal and also for nests in tree hollows on parkland. The number of feral colonies seems to be growing every year and this is something our association will be addressing with the appropriate Government department soon. I think it’s unfair to expect beekeepers to be on their best behaviour while the government doesn’t care.

By the way to whom it may concern. Recently I was called to a shopping centre to clean up some stray bees left behind from a swarm removal the day before. There were at least 200 bees hanging round a low branch in a courtyard next to one of the main entrances into the complex. It was luck that these bees were quiet and no one was stung for the situation may have been the opposite. In my view the beekeeper should have removed them late in the day to ensure all the bees have settled together. To collect most of them and not bother about strays in a public place is irresponsible and gives the association and beekeeping as a whole a bad name. As I’ve said before, public safety when working bees should be foremost in the beekeeper’s mind.

How about the weather lately; temperatures up one week and down the next? Reminds me of that Queensland slogan “Beautiful one day, damn cold the next”. I can’t imagine any honey harvested here until the New Year.

The December meeting will be at Bindaree Bee Supplies so I look forward to seeing everyone there for Christmas drinks. If not, I wish you a happy and safe festive season and catch up in the New Year.

David Lillis

Empty Super Award - What’s a Dill?

A Certain Beekeeper was once working in the paddock, using as smoker fuel a new batch of pine needles. They seemed dry, but obviously still had oil in them. The smoker kept oiling up, the needles stopped burning. Each time it was lit one more match was used and the box was getting empty. The Certain Beekeeper became more concerned (alright, desperate) and resorted to all kinds of tricks like leaving the smoker lid open, working faster(!), but still the smoke and the matches kept disappearing. Then it began to rain….

When clearing out the toolbox at home, out fell the new box of matches!

Rob Gardiner

Successful Field Day

Our Field Day was held on the 10^th November and concentrated on disease control and treatment.

Despite interference from Mr Howard who organised an unimportant event as competition our day was very well attended. Congratulations to the members of the committee for organising an excellent roster of speakers. Mick, Doug, Michael and Dick all covered different aspects of disease detection, prevention and treatment and most participants appreciated an opportunity to see first hand EFB and AFB in the demonstration hives.

A special thank you to our gourmet cooks who provided a lunch par excellence which was appreciated by all.

All went well as the day progressed but there were a few moments along the way beginning when we arrived to set up and found a team of tree surgeons felling trees in the entrance to the CIT. Fortunately they had finished the bulk of their work before most people arrived. A couple of members helping with the hives received little “love bites” from the bees and David made an emergency dash for name labels. It was a learning experience for committee and helpers and the experience gained will be invaluable for future occasions. Again thank you to all committee and helpers for a great day.

HONEY NEWS.

(By our “HONEY LADY”.)

Banana Pudding.

One tablespoon butter, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 bananas, squeeze lemon juice, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 egg, ½ cup milk, 1 cup s.r. flour.

Slice bananas, place in bottom of pie dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Cream butter and honey, add lemon rind, beat in egg, then milk, and stir in the sifted flour; place over bananas and bake in moderate oven 25 to 20 minutes.

Apricot and Honey Loaf.

2 ozs. butter or dripping and little lemon juice, 1 oz. Sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 cups s.r. flour, ½ cup milk, 2 tablespoons apricot jam.

Cream shortening, sugar and honey, beat in egg, add milk and sifted flour. The mixture must be of a soft drop consistency. Place half the mixture into a well greased loaf tin, cover with apricot jam, then remainder of mixture. Bake in moderate oven for 45 minutes. Use as a bread.

MRS. HAZEL EVANS

From ABK May 1946

Coming Soon - Canberra Show

This is our last newsletter before the closing of entries on 8^th February for the show which will be held on 22^nd to 24^th February. Included is the schedule of entries for the Apiculture Section. Entry forms will be available from Lyn and Pat at 57 Beasley Street, Torrens, from Bindaree Bee Shop, or on Wednesday at the Christmas drinks,.

There are some additional cookery categories this year including some children’s categories. Exhibitors are reminded that the ribbon for most successful exhibitor is awarded to the person with the highest aggregate number of points. The more categories you are able to enter, the greater your chance of taking out this highly regarded award.

A Request from the Judges

The judges and stewards are about to move into Canberra Show mode, and will be carrying out a number of Judging sessions in the near future.

Donations of small quantities of honey would be greatly appreciated. It is not necessary to be too concerned with the type of jar, or with how much honey. We are primarily concerned to work with a range of members’ honeys. Anonymity is assured, with our only other requirement being the floral source.

If you can assist, please bring supplies to the Christmas Swarming at Dick and Jan’s. Thank you.

Rob Gardiner

For judges and stewards.

Documenting Beekeeping Practices

The Honeybee Program of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) resulted in the publishing of Honeybee Research Reports on a whole range of aspects of beekeeping and honey production in Australia.

Among those reports is the Commercial Beekeeping Series of reports documenting commercial beekeeping practices in the six Australian states.

The following extract from the Preface to the third report in the series, “Commercial Beekeeping in New South Wales”, provides an insight into the objectives and methods of the report:

These reports are being prepared to document beekeeping practices, especially those that lead to profitable enterprise. They are not aimed at describing how commercial beekeeping should be carried out, but to highlight the best beekeeping practices in each State. With the retirement of some of the older beekeepers, there is considerable danger that much of this valuable information will be lost as it has not been documented.

The Honeybee Research & Development Council is collecting this information on a State by State basis. Tasmanian beekeeping practices were described in a report prepared as a result of information gathered during a visit by a team sent to that State in 1989. Western Australian beekeeping practices were described in a report prepared in 1990.

A similar approach in collecting data was adopted for this report as compared to the previous two reports. However, due to the size of the beekeeping industry in New South Wales the State was split into three areas for data collection. The third area also included the napunyah area of north-west New South Wales and south-west Queensland.

The team visited southern, northern and western New South Wales. Sources of information were discussions with 37 commercial beekeepers and observations of their operations, returned questionnaires from a further 45 beekeepers and discussions with NSW Agriculture staff. NSW Agriculture publications regarding different facets of beekeeping in New South Wales were also referred to in this report and are a valuable source of further information regarding beekeeping in New South Wales.

The report on commercial beekeeping in each state includes sections on:

- Industry size and structure.

- Bee Hive Management for Honey Production.

- Nutrition.

- Queen Bees.

- Diseases and Pests.

- Equipment.

- Harvesting Honey and Beeswax.

- Honey and Beeswax Marketing.

- Pollination.

- Discussion.

- Resource Base

- Package Bees (NSW only)

- Pesticides (Tasmania only)

Information, gleaned from a wide range of commercial beekeepers, honey processors and government regulatory and advisory professionals, provides a very enlightening record of the diverse beekeeping environments and honey producing practices throughout Australia.

These reports can be obtained individually from the RIRDC and they are all published in the RIRDC Honeybee Program Research Reports Compact Disk ($20 from the RIRDC). It is worthwhile reading through all the reports, not only those for any one state, as they each provide interesting and relevant insights and ideas for both commercial and amateur beekeepers.

H039

HOW TO FIND WILD BEES AND GET THEM.

2nd Prize C.A.A. Essay Competition May, 1946.

Finding and getting wild bees! To the established beekeeper a waste of time. To the beginner, a most fascinating and interesting job, and one that will teach him more about the habits of bees than anything else. And what self-made beekeeper has not started his apiary from wild bees?

Now there is a large number of methods of finding wild bees, many of them good in their way, others so fantastic as to make any beekeeper’s cat laugh. On account of space I will deal only with what I consider the three most practicable methods.

Firstly, keep a sharp look-out as you walk, ride or drive about the bush. Any bushman can tell at a glance what trees are likely to have hollow trunks or limbs that may house a swarm, and of course will not give a second glance at trees that could not possibly carry a swarm. I find that riding is the best as you have not the need to watch your step as the horse does this for you, and you can give your whole attention to the trees. But don’t get looking for bees if out mustering, or the boss will be wishing you and your bees somewhere else than in this mild climate.

You will find that the late afternoon is the best time to make a search as the young bees usually take their play flight at this time and can be easily seen flying around in a small swarm. The second method and one that will yield the best results when you are all out to find bees and have no other business on hand is to watch them at their watering places. Bees do not call for a drink when out after honey or pollen. When you see them at water they are not really drinking but are carrying water to the hive. They fill up with water and then go straight home. Often they circle around once or twice, and then off they go, with a rather slow heavy flight. You have heard of making a bee-line, and know what it means. Well that is just it, they make a bee-line for their hive. On a bright day, particularly in the afternoon, the sun shining on their wings makes a shiny blur that can be followed with the eye for some distance. By watching the bees on their homeward flight you can get an almost dead line to their nest. How far away it will be is another matter. Sometimes you can get another line from a different angle at another watering place. If you can the matter is easy, for where the two lines meet there will be your prey. This cannot often he done as bees usually use only one watering place. But usually a walk along the line of flight looking as you go over every likely looking tree will get results. If not try what is really my third method. Place a quantity of honey out in some open space* some distance along, but at the same time off the line of flight from the water. This of course works best when there is no honey flow. In a few hours or less the bees will find the honey; (sticky combs* are the best if you have them) and another line can be taken as they come and go. This method has the added advantage in that the excitement caused the bees by such a rich find will make them rush in and out of the hive in large numbers and the hive can be easily found.

The *honey method, as I call it, can of course be used without first getting a line from water. Choose a time when there is no honey flow, place the honey in the bush, preferably in some open space, get a line from it. then in the same way get a line from another angle and well - there you are - Quite simple! But wait; suppose there are more than one hive in the vicinity? You must look out for that. If there are more than one you will most likely get two or more lines from each lot of honey, and if so you still have to do a bit of hard thinking. Your job will not he so easy, but then you should get a number of swarms from the one bait.

Well so much for finding the bees; much more could be written but space will not allow.

Now for the getting. Once again I will have to leave out a lot of detail and only give some of the main points. Here is a list of the things you must take with you. Crosscut saw, axe, knife, a quart dipper, cup or mug, string, bucket, smoker, bee veil, matches and of course a single store hive complete with frames. If factory-made so much the better, but a home-made one will do. And don’t forget you must be able to take it, for believe me, bush bees can be savage, and the jar of the tree falling does not help matters. This, however, is not always the case, as bush bees can be as quiet as the best. The main thing to avoid stinging is to have the smoker ready and run up and lay on the smoke as soon as the tree hits the ground. Be rather liberal with the smoke at first as not only will this stop stinging but will cause the bees to cluster, and they will be the more easily scooped up later.

Well, the tree is down, the bees are subdued with smoke, now cut open the hollow, use the saw as much as possible, and the axe as little as possible, for the saw does not jar the bees so much as blows from the axe. Do not bother about the bees at first other than to avoid crushing them. First cut out all the honey, p1acing it in the bucket. Take all other combs from the hollow shaking and brushing off the bees. Keep a sharp look-out for the queen and if you see her place her in a cage in the new hive, but do not waste much time looking for her. Pick out the best of the brood combs and cut them to fit into the frames and tie it in with string. Only use such combs that are clean and not broken. On no account place honeycomb in the new hive, in fact the one thing you must try and avoid is messing up the hive with honey. You see when the tree falls a quantity of honeycomb gets broken and the bees at once try and clean up the mess by lapping up as much as they can, also the smoke makes them gorge on honey, and if on top of this they are placed in a sticky hive – well they just cannot handle it all because they would be sticky both inside and out.

Now you have the honey in a bucket, all other comb out of the tree, and a few pieces of brood comb tied in frames and placed in the hives, empty frames put in to fill the remainder of the hive so as to keep the frames of brood combs in place when carrying the hive home. By this time most of the bees will have clustered on the side of the log or perhaps a little further up the hollow. Now with the quart dipper scoop up as much of this cluster as you can and tip them in the hive, then put on the lid. Now get the cup and scoop up the smaller clusters of bees about the log and tip them out at the hive entrance; it will be found that these go in readily enough and join the others inside. Now place the hive so that the returning bees have easy access to the entrance and for the time being your job is done. Do not take the hive home till after dark, or better still leave it there for a few days till the bees settle down and the brood combs that you tied in are firmly built in by the bees. However do not leave it too long, for if the swarm was a large one they will need a few frames of foundation to work on; this of course could have been given the day you get the bees, but I prefer to leave it till I get the bees home, when one or two frames can be given at a time as the bees need them.

There is one other important point which must not be overlooked when getting bees from the bush. Cut them out at the beginning of a honey flow, not after it. The spring is mostly the best time, for then the hives will have little honey and the combs being light will not smash up as much when the tree falls. So wait for the start of the first spring flow, the bees will soon build up in the new hive if there is a plentiful supply of nectar and pollen to be had.

If you already have a few colonies of bees in frame hives a good idea is not to bother about tying combs from the tree in frames, but give a frame or two of brood from some hive that can spare them. The bees will take to the new hive much more readily if given good clean and unbroken combs of brood to start with. As I said before the bees gorged with honey and are in no mood to start cleaning and patching things up, but they if given good combs they will stay put and prosper.

O. C. BARNES

Tinara

Via Maryborough, QLD

· Note that in 2001 it is illegal in the ACT, NSW and other states, to expose honey to bees other than within a hive so the “honey method” may need modifying to the “sugar syrup method”!

· Thanks to Derek Butler for this article from a 1946 ABK. Ed.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2002 Royal Canberra Show

22, 23 & 24 February 2002

APICULTURE

(Honey, Wax, Honey Products)

Honey (liquid)	Pts	Granulated Honey	Pts	Comb Honey	Pts
Quality	60	Presentation	10	Frame	10
Clarity	30	Flavour	15	Container	15
Presentation	10	Texture	15	Appearance	25
Total	100	Uniformity	15	Completeness of fill	15
		Firmness of set	15	Flavour	20
		Absence of defects	15	Aroma	15
		Total	100	Total	100

Candles		Wax Moulds		Mead
Colour	25	Skill & Creativity	40	Clarity	10
Appearance / Feel	25	Aesthetic appeal	15	Absence of Defects	20
Wick	10	Definition	15	Cork / Bottle	10
Burning stability	25	Quality of Wax	30	Flavour	40
Aroma	15	Total	100	Bouquet	20
Total	100			Total	100

Chunk Honey	Pts	Cookery Products		Beeswax
Flavour	20	Appearance	30	Colour	30
Aroma	20	Flavour	40	Aroma	10
Clarity	30	Presentation	30	Tenacity	10
Presentation	10	Total	100	General Appearance	50
Neatness of cut	20