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Almost season’s end…

On Monday 26th August we had our first visit to the Ilmington village show and Wednesday 28th was the final session of the Wednesday evening session for our new beekeepers.

Ilmington Show

Or to give it it’s full title, the Ilmington Village & Horticultural Society Annual Show. In the past on the late August Bank Holiday we have been at the Whichford Village fete but it’s a small affair and we’ve not been sure it has been worth the effort in attending. When the opportunity arose to have a stand at the Ilmington show we decided to take it up – and didn’t regret it at all. We had lots of interest in bees and beekeeping and indeed we had one person from Ilmington join Shipston beekeepers as a Local Member 2 days after the show. Total sales were almost £800 and we ran out of a number of products for the stand.

Lots of interest in the Asian Hornet
Caroline and Gary Thomas, Ray Pearce
As always, an amazing display
So many different shades of honey
Observation hive always a draw for children
Some strange creatures in Ilmington
‘Jar of Honey’ show winner – but at least it’s a Shipston member!
David Blower on essential beekeeping duties – it was 6 x 99’s
No wonder Julia is looking worried – look at the empty stands!

We now have a break of a couple of weeks until the Shipston Food Festival on Sunday 08 September.

Wednesday Group final sessions

The penultimate Beginners Wednesday session was on 21st August and the focus was on starting varroa treatments, the supers having been taken off (and the honey extracted, won prizes at Brailes and Tysoe and sold at Brailes, Tysoe and Ilmington). There was also a hopelessly queenless colony to shake out 🙁 and setting up a nuc for Kathy and Chris for the queen she had bought as their colony was queenless.

We also heard that Lucy Stevenson had passed her Basic Assessment – well done Lucy!

Placing Apivar strips around the brood
Mike Clarke, bee whisperer
Shaking out bees
Inspecting the Commercial

And to finish on a high from the final session on 28th August, earlier in the year we had a swarm move into a brood that was in the storage shed at the bee shed. They settled in and grew really quickly (and stung Dave Kelleher in the process). And so far, they seem to be reading and following the same bee keeping books as us as this is a text-book frame from that swarm colony:

(Photo Credit: Martin Sharp)

There will probably be another couple of sessions at the apiary on an ad hoc basis as and when some checks need to be made and perhaps for the winter oxalic acid treatment.

2nd Monday 09 September – Bring and Taste honey show

A reminder that September’s 2nd Monday meeting is our Bring and Taste honey show – full details to follow.