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I've just heard the most awful news - The great Beemaster and queen breeder Ricky Wilson of Cych Valley Honey farm has passed away after a short illness, my thoughs go out to his widow and family. I honestly thought he would live forever!

Since noone else seems to have noticed, I might as well be the first person to wish a very happy birthday, and many more of them to our den mother Dani :party:Penblwydd hapus :party:

A hot topic amongs us all at the moment, this looks like an interesting webinat for next week HONEY FRAUD TALK Our next online talk takes place on Wednesday, 6th of January at 7.30pm and we'll be investigating Honey Fraud courtesy of Professor Norberto Garcia, from Argentina. To register please...

the next WBKA webinar is on Thursday 10th December at 7.30 pm. Everyone is welcome to join the talk. Joyce Nisbet will be talking about preparing both honey and wax for showing and for making Christmas presents. Please circulate this notification as widely as possible - the webinar is open...

Interesting programme on Radio 4 this morning - Apocalypse How - insectageddon. About modern presures on insects but particularly pollinators. Blew holes in the 'honeybees are in decline' nonsense and also a few uncomfortable (for the anti neonics handwringers) truths on neonics.

Just learnt that the Ulster beekeepers, due to Covid uncertainty have decided to cancel their 2021 convention, it's a pity because they do put on a quality, thoroughly enjoyable convention, However, following the success of this summer's Welsh Beekeepers webinar series they are putting on a...

Just thought I'd chuck this one in for you.

Just had an email from the BFA:

Just a heads up - Maisie's have a two month mail order sale starting on the first of October. And, unlike other years, they will not be having a separate poly only sale in February although it looks like they're all included in this lineup.

Never hang around the hives in the hope(?) of seeing the drones ejected as I'm busy doing other things, but today was day two of setting the hives up for winter and putting the feeders on (most were very light) All Queen excluders are now off and it's then we see in the most prolific hives...

for the few left who still believe bees like a gaping hole over their head, when in reality the only reason they don't do anything about it is the hole is two large - try putting a bit of mesh there. This is a clearer board I left on a hive for thirty odd hours - another 12 and I reckon they'd...

Just reading a study on beekeeping and a developmental roadmap for Tanzania and one paragraph caught my eye. And we think we have it hard! "Halfan Athuman Mezera is a member of JUHUDI beekeepers group at Ntanzansona village in Rufiji. Halfan is disabled"............... "as he lost the use...

Bit proud of my effort over the last few years to (against serious opposition) get a pollinator scheme going in the valley, went for a short stroll today (too bleedin' hot for much else) along our riverside walk which from a small piece of land donated by my fishing club has now grown to a cross...

Had this little beauty investigating the gone over lavender this morning, tiny - I had trouble finding it again once I had my ear camera ready

A new proposal for a beekeeping project has been put to us in deepest Tanzania, obviously because of Covid I cannot make the journey out there to do the assessment, and even if I could the in country journey would be a few days each way!! Luckily Innocent, our in country trainer and person I'm...

Just thought I would share a few thoughts. As you know I have always (and yes, I mean always) stores my used frames 'wet', Even when I had a lot less bees I never saw the sense in faffing around with giving the bees wet frames back for the bees 'to lick clean' (how I hate that phrase) then the...

After the mating swarm excitement at the range , dinner collected and consumed (a bit late, it was almost tea time when I got home) just waiting for my pork with all the trimmings to settle to settle and catching the end of 'The Big Country' on the tellybox when the phone rings. "Hello, are you...

Had a whatsapp phonecall yesterday from Tanzania, Innocent the person I'm mentoring as a trainer out there, just checking that we were OK as they've heard what a mess HMG are making of Covid (it tickles me, that a person in total lockdown in his two room mud brick hut in deepest darkest Tanzania...

Been leafing through my first edition (1904) copy of Digges' 'the Irish Bee Guide' - which then was subsequently changed to the Practical Bee Guide to allay the bile of the average beekeeping retired colonel; and happened upon the chapter on feeding fondant: And remembering that in those days...

Just had a message from Maisemores - obviously due to the covid Mallarkey they won't be holding their June on site Saturday morning sale - instead they will be having a three day online/telephone sale from Friday 26th June to Sunday 28th of June. A bonus for all I think - and a saving on fuel :D