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 No: Association President – Bob Shaw Ph: 62540018
Our last meeting for 2003 will be a Christmas get together at Jan and Dick Johnston's home, 16 James Street, Curtin .on Wednesday 10th December at 6.30-8.00pm. Please bring your drinks and a plate of eats to share. Our thanks to Jan and Dick for inviting us once again. All members and friends are most welcome.
I hope that everyone is enjoying the recent good weather and that your bees are gathering vast quantities of nectar and pollen, particularly from the otherwise dreaded Paterson's Curse. Major changes have occurred within the executive of the Association with the resignation of our Secretary, Mark, and Treasurer, Dominic, who have both found themselves swamped with work and unable to continue in their positions. Fortunately the committee has been able to co-opt the services of Brigitte Ballard as Acting Secretary and Derek Butler as Acting Treasurer. I would like to thank Mark and Dominic for their services to the Association and welcome Brigitte and Derek to their new responsibilities I hope to see you all at Dick and Jan's place for our Christmas get together but if I don't I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Bob Shaw
Welcome to Tim Pearce of Kambah, Richard Elliot of Major's Creek and Trevor and Pam Crouch of Curtin. Also welcome to any other new members that we have failed to acknowledge in the past months when a breakdown in communications may have caused your omission
A small group of members and friends went to the Research School of Biological Sciences at ANU on Saturday 15th November and were treated to a wonderful tour of some of the experiments that are being conducted into bee behaviour and learning. We were fortunate that a team of German scientists were also visiting the school and showed us some of their research. The sumptuous afternoon tea which Srini and his team provided was an unexpected but most welcome bonus. Our heartfelt thanks go the Professor Mandyam Srinivasan and Professor Chao Wu and their team and also to the German visitors for giving up some precious Saturday afternoon time to show us their work. Everyone came away impressed with the brain power of our small insect friends and with the ingenuity of the scientists designing experiments to find out how bees learn and function.
We have published only one or two stories that would be eligible for the Empty Super Award at our Annual Dinner in July next year. Surely with the new season well underway there are some funny or strange things happening which would qualify for this coveted award. So please put pen to paper and get your stories in before our next newsletter goes out early in February.
The course operated over four weeks and took the form of a two hour evening theory session each week and four Saturday morning sessions at the hives. These gave the ten participants a chance to gain hands on experience with handling bees. Most of the participants were considering taking up bees as a hobby. Two people already had a hive and at least two have already purchased a hive and have started on the adventure that is hobby beekeeping. The committee will meet in the New Year to discuss the course and possibly make a few changes to the content and organisation of sessions. Dick Johnston as organiser and all presenters gave their time voluntarily and earned $640 for the Association coffers. Thank you to everyone involved
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These photographs were taken during a Saturday morning practical session by Paul Hooper: |
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Next year's show will be held on Friday 27th, Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th February, 2004. Exhibitors from last year should receive a copy of the schedule in the mail. If not or if you are a new exhibitor you can obtain a schedule by phoning RNCAS on (02) 62412478. Entry forms will need to reach RNCAS by early February. This is before our next newsletter so make a note of the dates. The actual entries do not need to be in until the week of the show, details in the schedule or next newsletter. The classes will be the same as last year with the addition of creamed honey. The Most Successful Exhibitor ribbon is awarded to the person who gains the most overall points so the more classes you can enter the better your chances. Bob Shaw has won the ribbon two years running and we don't want him to think he owns it. Don't forget the cookery, wax and candle classes.
Lyn Shiels, Show Co-ordinator
Melt the wax in a solar melter. Scrape off any sediment from the block of wax, wash off any honey and re-melt to remove any impurities.
Place blocks of wax into a bowl with smooth sides and rounded bottom and place over a pan of hot water on the stove. Do not heat wax over 85ºC to avoid discolouration.
Pour melted wax into a suitable mould avoiding any settled impurities.
Preheat oven to 90ºC and place mould with molten wax in oven and turn off the heat. Allow to cool slowly for two hours or more.
The cooled wax should have no cracks and the surface should be smooth. Present the wax wrapped in soft cloth to be removed by the judge.
Taken from a Canadian web site at www.honeycouncil.ca
Some members are using plastic wax moulds or chocolate moulds for their set of moulds and candles and of course these can't be placed in the oven. If you use these then the wax needs to be heated just past melting point and poured carefully into the moulds. Slow cooling seems to produce the best results for a smooth surface.
Ed.
Hot summer weather brings a few problems for beekeepers. It is unpleasant to work with bees in the heat of the day and dehydration becomes a very real danger for the beekeeper. Make sure you keep up your fluid intake if you are at the hives for lengthy periods. If possible the hottest days should be avoided. I find the early morning before the worst heat is best. Bees are often very cranky in the evening after a long hot day just like humans.
High fire danger periods occur on days of extreme temperatures and high winds. It is illegal to light a smoker during periods of total fire bans.
If you absolutely must work your bees on a total fire ban day it may help to have a spray bottle of light sugar syrup and lightly spray the frames as you work. The bees are kept busy gathering up the free food and hopefully lose interest in the beekeeper. Some beekeepers do the same with water and it has the advantage that you can give yourself a cooling spray as well.
In a high fire danger period precautions need to be taken to make sure that you don't start a bushfire.
The area around the hives should be clear of flammable material. The smoker should be lit in a safe area and kept in a fireproof container, such as a metal drum, between uses and while refilling. We keep a large jerry can of water tucked under a log near our apiary and that saves us taking it out with us each visit. Empty the smoker into a water-filled hole in the ground and cover it with earth once you are sure it is out.
Bees need a lot of water in hot weather for drinking and hive cooling. If you are keeping bees in your backyard and don't provide water they may find it in the neighbour's swimming pool or dog bowl. A tub of damp sand or a dish with a Chux draped over it will allow the bees to drink without drowning. A pond with floating plants looks attractive and provides a safe drinking place as does a cement or pottery bird bath.
Lyn Shiels
The
diagram shows the size of ant to $1 coin. Fire ants were first detected in
Brisbane in February 2001. They are small aggressive red ants up to 7mm in
length. In the USA these ants have spread by being moved in beehives. Beekeepers
are asked to keep watch for any unusual ant in or near the hives. Samples
of suspect ants may be sent to Taxonomy Unit, Orange Agricultural Institute,
Forest road, Orange NSW 2800. Kill a number of worker ants (they are the larger
ones) with household insecticide. Do this away from your bees. Place them
in a sturdy plastic container and seal it and place the container in a tough
envelope for posting. A NSW Agriculture pamphlet about fire ants is available
from the Association or from Bindaree.
Wax
is difficult to remove from old black brood combs. Here is a method which
will help you to get the greatest yield of wax from your old combs. Break
up the comb and soak it in soft water for at least 24 hours before attempting
to melt the wax out of them. Place the combs into a hessian bag in a clean
drum with soft water. Some wax will float to the surface and more can be made
to do so by pressing hard on the bag (while still boiling) with a strong stick
having a square of wood about 7-8cm screwed to the end. Left overnight to
cool, there will be a cake of solidified wax at the top, which can easily
be cut round and removed. Why the emphasis on soft water (rain, distilled
or Canberra household)? Beeswax contains 14-16% ceric acids. Hard water contains
bicarbonates of calcium or magnesium which are weak alkalis. When heated together,
calcium or magnesium cerate (technically a soap) is formed and the nature
of the beeswax is changed as its composition is altered by the partial removal
of the ceric acid. Saponification also occurs when making cold cream and other
cosmetics but in that case this is a desirable outcome.
Rob Gardiner
It is proposed to send another load of hives to Steritech on either 14th or 21st January. If anyone has a hive or hives to send would they please contact Lyn or Pat Shiels on 62862421 or Bob Shaw on 62540018. The current cost of irradiation is $22 for a triple and $15.80 for a double. Remember that the total weight of each unit must be less than 25 kilograms and Steritech may refuse to handle anything above this and they DO weigh them. We were in trouble for being over with our last load and lucky that they treated them. If unsure about packaging contact Lyn, Pat, Bob or Dick at Bindaree for detailed instructions. The cost for transport depends on the number of units sent. The cost for our last load was $7.50 per unit return.
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Richard Johnston Phone: 02 6281 2111 Email: bindaree.bee@bigpond.com Website: www.bindaree.com.au Shop open: Wed, Thur, Fri 4 pm to 6 pm, Sat 9.30 am to 4pm Closed: Sun, Mon, Tue. |
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