The buds are bursting all over the Valley, so regardless of what the calendars say, spring is upon us! Now is the time to take advantage of those occasional warm still days to inspect your hives.
Northern Rivers newsletter - August 2017
The bee pictured was spotted out in the field recently. It was noticeably larger than the European honey bee and was quite loud in flight.
Pictures were sent to Dr Tobias Smith at the University of Queensland for identification. It turned out to be a peacock carpenter bee (or green carpenter), with this one being the male of the species. Females are darker green, without the yellow hairs.
What’s interesting is that this bee was foraging. In dealing primarily with European honey bees, it is easy to think that all male bees do no work.
Macarthur newsletter - August 2017
Another month has passed and I have noticed many eucalypts in flower. This is a positive sign that winter is coming to an end. Now is the time to make sure that all your frames and boxes are ready for the spring. Often when the bees start collecting they go hell for leather and we beekeepers are left trying to keep up.
Parramatta newsletter - August 2017
In this Issue
- Are you in the market for a new extractor?
- New Biosecurity Act of 2016
- July Event – Christmas in July Dinner, Wednesday, 12 July 2017 - Summary
- August Club Event – Swarm Management and Capture – Norm Webb
- Feature – Another tried and tested method of melting Wax - Microwave oven vs Conventional oven
- Supplementary feeding of bees using external feeders
- Are you swarm ready?
- Club Library
- First spring hive inspection
- Spring management of bees
- Why is it best to wait for spring to remove an established nest?
- 2017 Quick Reference to key position holder’s contacts
- Beekeeper Training Available
- Club Shop
- ABA Fees 2017
- Training Certificates
- Future events - 2017, 2018
Mid North Coast newsletter - July 2017
It is a bit risky to requeen at this time of year, because of low food sources. But at Sharif’s, the bees were bringing in plenty of pollen, presumably from the clover in the grass, the Billygoat weed (purple flower), Fireweed (yellow flower), and banana flowers in the background. The hives were in a nice sunny spot on top of a hill. There seemed to be no sign of winter.
Bega Valley newsletter - July 2017
Northern Rivers newsletter - July 2017
The beehives were very quiet in June because there was a poor flowering of Melaleuca quinquenervia (broad-leaved paperbark) this year. This is a short budding, high yielding – of both nectar and good quality pollen – Australian native that flowers prolifically nearly every year in the Far North Coast. This year was their off year!
Macarthur newsletter - July 2017
A honeybee can carry up to 30 percent of its body weight in pollen because of the strategic spacing of its nearly three million hairs. The gap between each eye hair is approximately the same size as a grain of dandelion pollen, which is typically collected by bees. This keeps the pollen suspended above the eye and allows the forelegs to comb through and collect the particles. The legs are much hairier and the hair is very densely packed -- five times denser than the hair on the eyes.
Bega Valley newsletter - June 2017
Parramatta newsletter - July 2017
In this Issue
- Update on Ross’ Recovery
- Beekeeping Registration Requirements
- July Event – Christmas in July Dinner, Wednesday, 12 July 2017
- June Club Event – Honey – could it be the sweet solution to the superbug crisis? - Summary
- Feature – Step by Step Guide to a Tried and Tested Method of Melting Wax in a Microwave
- Training by the NSW Apiarists' Association – Eucalyptus Identification Workshop – 5 and 6 August 2017
- 2017 Quick Reference to key position holder’s contacts
- Beekeeper Training Available
- Beekeeping in Japan
- Club Shop
- ABA Fees 2017
- Future events