winter meeting- ideas please

[Heather]

want to do a practical eve for beekeepers with 3+ years experience - they are becoming complacent- some a bit 'knowitall' -would like to challenge them 'practically'.... any ideas please?

 

[itma]

"How we each use a Snelgrove board." Discuss.

 

[Red Bee]

Queen Rearing.

Increasing honey production.

Different methods of swarm control and thier benifits.

Hows that?

 

[Chris B]

In small teams - write an outline business plan for a bee farmer.

 

[Pete D]

I would get them to have a frame building competition, prize for 10 frames done the neatest in 30 minutes. I would supply the frames and wax etc and get all my summer frames made up in one go !

Pete D

 

[simoncav]

We at Fleet Beekeepers run three courses at this time of the year for our members that are always popular. They cover:

Disease identification and prevention and treatment - Go through the major diseases and pests - focus on IPM. Interesting how few people focus on active prevention programs rather than waiting until something happens. We quite often bring in the SBI to run this and provide samples of disease within a controlled environment.

Swarm Management - Go through reasons why bees swarm and the signs in advance. We then go through the Demaree method in detail as it's simple, effective and does not require much space or additional kit.

Simple Queen rearing - Every beekeeper should be able to raise their own Queens. We again teach a simple method to raise the few extra Queens that most beekeepers need (not grafting). Instead we simply develop on from the Demaree process outlined previously and use a Snelgrove type board to encourage the inevitable Queen cells to become the nucleus of a new colony.

If you like I can make the presentations and supporting material available to you via PM.

 

[Easy Beesy]

We at Fleet Beekeepers run three courses at this time of the year for our members that are always popular. They cover:

Simple Queen rearing - Every beekeeper should be able to raise their own Queens. We again teach a simple method to raise the few extra Queens that most beekeepers need (not grafting). Instead we simply develop on from the Demaree process outlined previously and use a Snelgrove type board to encourage the inevitable Queen cells to become the nucleus of a new colony.

If you like I can make the presentations and supporting material available to you via PM.

Sorry to butt in but I'd be grateful for a look at the queen rearing one if you would be so kind? I have to put something together for our branch for April.

 

[enrico]

Simoncav just sent you a pm......

 

[BeeJayBee]

Sorry to butt in but I'd be grateful for a look at the queen rearing one if you would be so kind?

Ditto.

Maybe you could share the information on the forum?

 

[bees4u]

want to do a practical eve for beekeepers with 3+ years experience - they are becoming complacent- some a bit 'knowitall' -would like to challenge them 'practically'.... any ideas please?

How about polish & soft cream polish making, I can give you a recipe

 

[ellypatt]

Take them to the pub and let them talk amongst themselves? I'm sure they'll have plenty to say!

 

[BobsBees]

want to do a practical eve for beekeepers with 3+ years experience - they are becoming complacent- some a bit 'knowitall' -would like to challenge them 'practically'.... any ideas please?

Just advertise it as an open meeting. Then discuss the merits of OMF. See how many of the group use and carry out mite drop management in the winter to see how good they are at Varroa control.

Try and ascertain how much Honey is produced from solid/OMF floors.

Get them to bring their Record cards to compare who writes what down. Not from 2012 though cos it was not the best of years. Discuss what the bee inspector (when he comes) would prefer to see on the records.
Just a couple of hints, could turn it into an interesting meeting. Maybe still all be friends afterwards. BUT don't mention matchsticks.......
Bob.

 

[Heather]

some great idea- love to see their record cards...
have pm'd some- and yes, would love the polish recipe

 

[MuswellMetro]

Ask them to discuss their bio mechancical Varroa control, recently ian homer the BBKA trustee for the south east lectured for us and we did his disease quiz...most photos has two diseases on the frame picture...stretches the mind///you spot chalk brood and the answer is EFB in the top corner

 

[enrico]

Take them to the pub and let them talk amongst themselves? I'm sure they'll have plenty to say!

I agree, we do that every quarter, lasts a good two hours, everyone just talks bees!!!

 

[Easy Beesy]

In light of the Defra Consultation - what about a discussion on that - or a particular point?

 

[Easy Beesy]

Simoncav just sent you a pm......

Errrr either he hasn't or its gone astray?

 

[Skyhook]

Ditto.

Maybe you could share the information on the forum?

sounds interesting!

 

[MuswellMetro]

In light of the Defra Consultation - what about a discussion on that - or a particular point?

espescially Q11, what are your their views on compulsory registration of beekeepers

quite a few of our meembers might want to leave either the BKA or the EU

 

[simoncav]

As per several requests, as I can't seem to put the files here, I have placed them on to Slideshare. The two sessions go together as we talk about the Demaree method of swarm management which usually leads to a number of Queen cells being developed that can then be used to breed new Queens.

This is the link to Swarm management

And this is the link to Simple Queen Breeding