Christchurch Beekeepers' May 2014 Newsletter
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Transcript of Christchurch Beekeepers' May 2014 Newsletter
ChristchurchHobbyist Beekeepers -
50th Year!Founded 1963
May 2014 Newsletter
President's ReportI t's hard to believe the year has gone so fast and the last Field Day is
on our doorstep. I t has been an eventful year with our 50 Year
Celebrations, Field Days, Training Days and site improvements
Our 50th celebration dinner went off in great style with 82 people
present including Jeremy and Charlotte Foate as Special Guests
standing in for the Van Ash Family. We all enjoyed the wonderful
dinner and an amazing cake created and decorated by Helen English.
A special treat was the solo musical interlude by Rob McLean on his
Harmonica. Rob played Danny Boy and When The Saints GoMarching In among others. I t was fantastic - he had everyonebuzzing . . . .
Brian Busch was presented with his l ife membership in recognition of
his ongoing contribution to the Club; and we all took home some
goodies from a special bag on the table. Thanks to our sponsors,
Ecroyd Beekeeping supplies, Beeline supplies, Whittaker's chocolate,
Alpine Forest Honey and Warehouse Stationery.
We had a great turn out to our field trip to Doug Horne's honey
processing plant at Styx Apiary in Oxford on Sunday 1 3 Apri l . 60
members turned up and were treated to a perspective of the bigger
picture of commercial beekeeping. This coming field day wil l be a
celebration day with tree planting to commemorate the 50th
Anniversary of the club. Our special guest wil l be David Penrose, the
founder of the Club and first President, who wil l plant a
commemorative tree. I look forward to seeing you all there. Keep
your bees well fed during the coming months!
Jeff Robinson
Chakra Sisters Bee Products
See text on last page
Inside -
AnniversaryDinner
Bees in a Wall
AGM
Recipe
...and More!
50th Anniversary Dinner Images...Courtesy of David Alexander, Photographer
Our own Helen English with her wonderfulcreation.
Jeff Robinson, our President, honoursBrian Busch with Life Membership.
Helen presenting our gift for the vanAsch family to Jeremy and Charlotte Foate.
A harmonica interlude from Rob McLean.Our Life Members cut the cake (L to R:Henry Tenhow, Bill Gates, EleanorPoynton, Rob McLean).
Inviting table settings for the bigoccasion.
March and April Field Days
These Field Days were held as usual at the Club Site. The focus of these sessions has been on
honey extraction and wintering down of hives. We also discussed treatments for varroa, and
carried out the usual hive inspections. Your Newsletter Editor had his arm twisted, and worked
Hive No 2. The first time I had worked a hive bare-handed! I only got stung once!
At the Dinner
A magical scene greeted the guests at Riccarton Park Events Centre. Helen English and her
team of workers had transformed the room with balloons, goodie bags, bee stickers and a
beautiful cake into a suitable venue for the Club's Banquet to celebrate its 50th Jubilee. There
were speeches from our President, Jeff Robinson, who presented Brian Busch with his Life
Membership, spot prizes, presentations to members of the Committee. Kevin Gates, Jeff
Chandler and Grant Jarvis' annual contribution to the Club's stand at the A&P Show was
recognised with a special gift. Sandy Jamieson won the competition to guess the weight of the
honey in the jar. We all also had ample opportunity to talk bee-talk with Club Members old and
new. Music was provided by a trio from CPIT Music Department, and Rob McLean entertained
us on the Harmonica.
I t was great to see so many people from out of town - including our spopnsors from Beeline
Supplies in Mosgeil . Thanks to all who made the special effort to attend!
Unfortunately, no one from the van Asch family was able to attend. However, Jeremy and Cheryl
Foate accepted our gift of glasses (with Napoleonic bee mouldings) on their behalf in recognition
of the family's generosity in al lowing the Club to use the site. Access to the site has been a key
factor ensuring the longevity of the Club.
The Editor working Hive No 2. . .
Swarm at the Old Stables!!Videoclip of bees going into the wall: http://youtu.be/eapef31uo-g
5th April 2014 - Michael and Jo visitedOldstables Garden Centre, Yaldhurst.Those are bees going into the wall underthe window! They need relocating... Call inKevin Gates to get them out!
25 April 2014 - Two days later - stilltrying to find the queen and persuade thebees to move home. Kevin will make a glasssided inspection hive for the Oldstablescustomers to watch the colony.
We put the comb between empty framesin a nuc box, and left the box by the holein the wall, hoping that bees and queen willmove into their new home...
Looks quite healthy - brood, pollen, nectarand honey. Quite a lot of varroa, thoughwith some deformed wings. Couldn't findthe queen though!
It's a big one! We counted four separatecombs in the wall cavity!
23 April 2014 - after a spell of foulweather, our intrepid hero starts the job!
Annual General Meeting and Honey Show
This year's AGM and Honey Show wil l be held on Saturday 23rd
August at 1 .30pm . The venue wil l be St Anne's Church Hall, cnr
Wilson's and Centaurus Rds, Woolston.
Guest Speaker to be arranged.
This year a number of Committee Members and Office Holders are
standing down, including our President and Secretary - both of whom
have given the Club sterl ing service. I t's thus doubly important for as
many members as possible to attend.
Helen English, our current Secretary, is eager to receive nominations
for the Committee. She can be reached through
helen.engl [email protected].
Coming EventsDECA Course to recognise AFB
This is happening on 1 0th May, and registration closed on 25th Apri l .
For information on future courses, contact
Jeff Chandler 741 1 994,
jchandler38@gmail .com
LibraryReminder
I f you have
finished with
books
you may
have
borrowed -
PLEASE
Return
Them!
From our Treasurer - Subscriptions- Special Offer!Don't forget to pay your subs! Payment ($25) may be made by
internet banking to the clubs account at Westpac Bank -
number 03-0767-0323307-00 (remember to include your name
and apiary number in the particulars field) or by mail to the
Treasurer - Kerry Kearney - at 28 Fairway Drive, Shirley,
Christchurch 8061 . To save club funds receipts wil l not be
posted unless requested.
The committee encourages you to pay the sub as soon as
possible. If you pay your sub before June, you will becovered till June 2015!
We now have171 Members
WOW!!
50th Anniversary Commemorative ItemsWe have some great souvenir items for sale - Jeff Robinson is shown
sell ing T-shirts, and wearing one of our Anniversary Caps. We have
other items too! Check them out at the next Field Day!
Recipe - Propolis TinctureBeekeepers know about the health benefits claimed for propolis. The
American National Institutes of Health rates propolis as "possibly
effective" for treating cold sores, genital herpes, and post-surgery mouth
pain. Currently, there is "insufficient evidence" to rate the effectiveness
of propolis in treating canker sores, tuberculosis, common colds and
other infections, nose and throat cancer, improving the immune
response, ulcers, stomach and intestinal disorders, wounds,
inflammation, minor burns, or other conditions. (See
http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propolis) Notwithstanding this, many
beekeepers promote propolis as a health-promoting bee product.
Propolis is sticky, and some people do not l ike the way it sticks to the
teeth. Propolis tincture is a way of avoiding this problem. This recipe is
adapted from
https://hiveandhoneybeepothecary.wordpress.com/201 3/04/1 7/how-we-
make-propolis-oi l-and-tincture/comment-page-1 /. There is also a recipe
for propolis oi l at the same site. For 1 0% propolis tincture, mix 1 part of
propolis by weight with 9 parts of 37% or stronger alcohol in a screw
topped container (ensure that the l id, if metal and not stainless, is well
coated to ensure that the alcohol does not come into contact with the
metal). Shake, and store in a dark place for a couple of weeks, shaking
at least daily. At the end of this time, strain through muslin, or use a
coffee fi lter and store in a dark glass bottle.
I have not tested this recipe personally, but would probably keep the
alcohol propolis mix in a yoghurt maker to speed up the extraction
process.
Some of the benefits claimed for propolis include: antibacterial action,
lowering blood pressure, use against warts etc (http: //www.bee-pollen-
buzz.com/health-benefits-of-propolis.html).
Visit to Styx Apiaries, Oxford on Sunday 13 April.
Approximately 60 people sal l ied forth on a dull 1 3th Apri l to make their
way to Oxford - the goal was Doug Horne's honey extraction facil ity at
Styx Apiaries. Helen English commented that it was really interesting to
see the size of the plant, and to watch it at work. The workers were busy
extracting high-value Manuka honey; and Helen was impressed by the
compressed air technique used to make the extraction easier.
Next Field DaySaturday 3 May, 12.30pm (weather permitting)
At the Club Site - Cashmere Rd, Kennedys Bush,Christchurch 8025
Final Meeting for our Jubilee Year!
• Barbeque - bring a plate, some salad, and cutlery
• Tree Planting with Special Guest David Penrose -
first President of the Club
• Wintering down of hives
• Dealing with issues over winter
The Committee
Image from: https://www.etsy.com/nz/l isting/1 03730030/bees-beehive-honey-on-keep-calm-and
The Chakra Sisters are a family business based in Christchurch. Their motto is “Inspire, Uplift,
Empower”, and they design t-shirts and gemstone jewellery. They are passionate about their
creations and preserving the Environment, and decided to combine both to raise public
awareness as well as funds to help the declining numbers within the bee population.
Their latest creation is a beautiful bracelet cal led “Bee Aware”. “Bee Aware” features a bee
charm,
with semi- precious gemstones of carnelian and yellow calcite. The bracelet is priced at $35
with $5 from the sale of each bracelet being donated to the National Beekeepers Association.
They can be purchased from www.chakrasisters.co.nz or by email ing
[email protected]. You wil l also see from the website that their latest t –shirt design is
cal led “Just Bee”. The message is a simple one; Time to stop the rushKTime to enjoy each
moment of l ifeKJUST BEE!
“One can
no more
approach people
without love
than one can
approach bees
without care.
Such is the
quality of bees...”
- Leo Tolstoy