The first indoor meeting of the autumn will be on Wednesday 9th September at 7.30 pm. Please note that this meeting will take place at The Sundorne Centre and NOT at the Shirehall. The Centre is on Corndon Crescent and the postcode is SY1 4LL. There is a map here, from you should be able to see that you can reach the Centre from either Sundorne Road or the Whitchurch Road, whichever is the most convenient (northern approach via the A49; southern approach via Castle Foregate/St. Michael’s Street/Spring Gardens/Ditherington Road to the Heathgates Island). The Sundorne Centre is on the opposite side of the road from The Lantern, where we have met on a previous occasion. Signs will be put out in the vicinity to help you ‘home in.’

Our speaker will be Doug Jones, an SBI for the Northern Region. Those who heard him last year will remember what a lively and informative speaker he is. He has travelled extensively through Europe, studying beekeeping methods in many countries, and constantly questions the way we do beekeeping here by challenging the assumptions on which we base our practices. Yet another string to his bow is his inventiveness at creating new items of equipment to solve the more frustrating aspects of our craft. We do not yet have a formal title for Doug’s presentation, but whatever it is we can be sure of a sparkling start to the season.

The following Saturday (12th September) at 2.30pm will be the last of the current series of apiary meetings at Radbrook. This one is not listed on our Programme Card but will focus on autumn activities to send our bees into the winter in good shape.

4.      October AGM

Our AGM will be on October 14th when the Committee for the coming year will be elected. Please use this nomination paper to put forward your own name or that of anyone else you know would be willing to help run the Association’s affairs. Committee meetings are held about every 8 weeks so the commitment is not onerous. (All current committee members are reminded that they also need to confirm their willingness to stand by nominating themselves again).

N.B. Ray Green has indicated his intention to stand down as Chair after 5 years in the post. Also, for the second year running we need nominations for a new treasurer. Stuart Foster took on the role last year but changes to his work commitments now make it impossible for him to continue. A new appointment is essential if the Association is not to grind to a halt, particularly with the very welcome intake of new beekeepers that have joined during the year. (If you would like to know more about what is involved you can get in touch with Stuart and talk to him direct - see the back page for contact details). PLEASE GIVE THIS YOUR SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.

5.     More Research on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

As yet the cause of this syndrome remains unknown. Potential triggers that have been advanced have included viruses, mites, fungal infections, pesticides, nutrient deficiencies and even mobile phone signals. However, scientists at the University of Illinois have discovered a characteristic pattern of cell damage in bees affected by CCD, which suggests that a virus contributes to the condition that killed off so many American honeybees in 2007/8.

The research has indicated that a group of viruses called the picorna-like viruses are likely to be involved, though they may not be the only cause. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists examined the way genes were switched on and off in the guts of bees from hives that later fell victim to CCD.

They found that compared with bees from unaffected hives, the CCD bees had abnormally high levels of fragmentation in a genetic chemical called ribosomal RNA (rRNA). This is used to build ribosomes, structures found in all living cells which manufacture proteins using genetic instructions written into DNA.

The fragmented rRNA suggests that the bees suffered from degraded ribosomes, in a fashion consistent with damage caused by picorna-like viruses. The scientists also found that bees from CCD hives had “more than their fair share” of infection with these viruses, according to May Berenbaum, of the University of Illinois, who led the study.

Picorna-like viruses, she said, in effect “hijack the ribosome” of bees to take over these protein factories, which are then used to make viral proteins, rather than those that the bees need themselves. One of the viruses in the picorna-like group is Israeli acute paralysis virus, which has previously been suspected as the primary cause of CCD. Dr Berenbaum said that while the viruses may not kill infected bees outright, the ribosome damage they cause may leave the insects especially vulnerable to other stresses and infections.

“If your ribosome is compromised, then you can’t respond to pesticides, you can’t respond to fungal infections or bacteria or inadequate nutrition because the ribosome is central to the survival of any organism,” she said. “You need proteins to survive.”
(From an article by Mark Henderson, Times-on-Line 25 August 2009)

6.      Preparing Honey for Sale (Part 1)

(This is a shortened version of an article by Robert Swallow first published in our April 2008 edition. Next month he will describe how he creams honey for sale to those who prefer a set product - Ed.)

Most honeys harvested in the British Isles will eventually granulate. The most important factors influencing this behaviour are the ratio of glucose to fructose in the honey and the ambient temperature. Apart from being unsightly, granulation, or crystallisation as it is also known, brings with it the danger of fermentation, which will not just spoil the visual appeal of the honey; it will also affect the taste and aroma, becoming unpalatable and useful only for the production of mead.

Although the sugar balance/glucose content is the fundamental cause, granulation can also be initiated by seeding, caused by physical stimuli from particles such as dust, pollen, wax fragments from the extraction process and even minute air bubbles which have been entrained in the honey when it has been stirred or poured while it is being processed. A small quantity of a rapidly granulating honey remaining in the super after extraction can also trigger granulation in a subsequent crop, i.e. a super used for rape in spring, is extracted, and then used for summer blossom honey, which then granulates.

All these factors need to be taken into consideration when liquid or ‘runny’ honey is prepared for sale. It must be prepared using techniques that achieve the maximum postponement of the onset of granulation so that the consumer is not confronted with deterioration due to granulation soon after purchase. To achieve this it has first to be heated sufficiently to dissolve any particles of glucose and kill the natural yeasts, whilst stirring periodically and then filtering to remove as much in the way of the physical contaminants of dust, pollen and wax fragments as possible. The recommended approach is to heat the honey to 66°C/150°F for 15 minutes and then filter it through a fine mesh (100 mesh/inch or 40 mesh/cm) in order to kill yeasts, liquefy any glucose crystals and minimise particulates. Following cooling at as rapid a rate as possible the honey should then be allowed to rest for a few days at 20° C / 70° F in a warming cabinet to allow the small air bubbles to rise to the surface, which will also improve the clarity, before finally packing into jars. Many will blanch at the thought of heating honey to such a degree but the alternative is a rapidly granulating and hence unsaleable product.

7.      Miscellany

(i) from Peter Edwards: Stratford-upon Avon Newsletter

• Wasps are a big problem this year, so reduce entrances to a minimum to help your bees defend themselves. In the wild many colonies would have an entrance no bigger than a 2p coin.
  
• If you find queen cells in a colony at this time of year you should leave them! The bees are replacing the queen because there is something not quite right about her. If you destroy the cells you may well lose the colony
  

8.     Apiary Sites

One side-effect of the increasing public awareness of the plight of honeybees is an increase in the number of apiary sites being offered to beekeepers.

At the time of writing there are offers in the following areas: Trewern (4.5acres); Baschurch (0.3acres next to fields); Abdon (Craven Arms - 'acres of pastureland, woodland etc') & Picklescott.

If anyone is interested in any of these, please contact Ray Green on 01743 465079 or 07946 501975. N.B. It will be up to any interested individual beekeeper to then contact the person offering the site, assess suitability and make appropriate arrangements.

9.      Round & About

Oswestry BKA: AGM & Dinner will be on Saturday October 10th at the White Lion, Whittington - 7 for 7.30 pm - £21.50 per head. Flyer with all details provided to Oswestry members

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