Blog

So far, the season has been warm but also quite dry, we also haven’t had much honey flow in much of the region. Hopefully we can get a good fall of rain soon and this will help improve things.

The club apiary is going well with our Warre hive being recently installed with bees. I look forward to many more field days there giving members the chance to experience a good variety of hive types.

The ABAs AGM was held at Mittagong RSL. There were some great speakers on very interesting topics. Hawkesbury branch won the Col Pulling Competition and Nepean Branch won the Bruce White Shield. The event went well and was appreciated by the other clubs.

Varroa is slowly moving towards us. It is important to have your management plans ready, so you know what to do once it does get here. It is also important to continue check for other pests and diseases; they are still very much present.

We are well into Spring now and there does seem to be some honey flow so hopefully most of us are getting some sort of honey in. Swarms have also started. If you want a swarm, it is best to put your name on the ABA swarm page.

So far there are no reports of a varroa being found in the region so hopefully we can get another season free from varroa. We do all need to have our plans in place though, so that we can put them into action when the need arises.

Our AGM is later this month so if you are interested in taking on a committee role now is your chance to contribute to the running of your club.

In November we are hosting the ABA AGM. After the AGM there will be some interesting speakers and the Col Pulling Competition. I hope to see plenty of people there.

Good luck with your beekeeping and I hope all your hives are doing well.

Spring is well and truly here. As the weather gets warmer it will be good to be able to inspect and care for our hives. It is important to do your varroa checks and report them back to the DPI. Positive results must be reported to the DPI and negative results are encouraged to be submitted as well. This gives everyone an idea of the concentration and spread of varroa mite in the region.

I also look forward to recommencing field days. This is a great opportunity for all members to get together. For new beekeepers to get a bit of experience and for more experienced beekeeper to hone their skills and share their knowledge.

Good luck to all as you starts to get back into your hives and may you find happy healthy bees.

Spring is right in our doorstep. It is important to keep a careful eye on resource levels in your hives. This can be done by feeling the weight from the back of your hive or even better by having a look inside if conditions allow.

As the weather warms up it is equally important to start testing hives for varroa mite and checking for other pests and diseases. Once we know that there are varroa mite in the area we will all need to check our hives a little more regularly. Don’t be afraid to seek help if need.

Lastly it was very sad to lose one of our long-time members. Denis Garbutt was an active and willing member of the club, always willing to help people out. He will be very much missed.

Winter is well and truly here but we have passed the winter solstice so days will slowly start getting longer. As the days do lengthen, get warmer and the fairly mild winter, we have been having could result in hives building a bit earlier than normal. This could be especially true if warmer than usual weather brings about earlier than usual spring flowers. Things to be aware of are that you hive has plenty of resources and signs of swarming.

An alcohol wash as soon as the weather allows will also be important. The varroa heat maps shows new detections along the coast near Wollongong and Nowra as it is still warm enough to test there. Early testing will be important to confirm whether we are still varroa free in the region

The DPI have indicated that they are planning to hold a varroa management workshop in the Southern Tablelands at the end of July. This is likely to be held on a Saturday to make it easier for recreational beekeepers to attend. Keep an eye on your emails. I encourage anyone who hasn’t been to a workshop to make the effort to get there.