1st Apiary Meeting Sunday 25 April 2 30 PM
Branch Apiary Iverley
The most important apiary meeting of the year
As always the meeting will be cancelled if the weather is unsuitable for opening beehives. A cancellation will be written-up on the chalk board on the oak tree.
The jobs today are:
- Inspect each colony - are they alive? If not remove hive for refurbishment making a judgement on why the colony died out.
- Inspect live colonies for food, brood and disease and act accordingly.
- Find and mark the queens.
- Put at least one frame of foundation in each hive, two frames maximum.
- Replace one Brood Chamber with a clean one taking old one away for refurbishment.
- Replace each floor with a clean one. The floor can be from the previously inspected hive, but must be first be treated with a blow lamp.
- Give each colony one super and Queen excluder if they need it.
- Feed colonies if needed.
- Select a drone breeder hive and treat for Varroa, because Varroa reduce a drones sperm count
- Form a management plan for each hive and the apiary as a whole.
DIRECTIONS
The branch apiary is located on the Stourbridge to Kidderminster road at Iverley.
From Stourbridge take the A451 signposted Kidderminster. Leave the 40 mph limit and travel up hill past the Crown Public House. As you descend from the crest of the hill turn right into the field by the large oak tree.
From Kidderminster take A451 signposted Stourbridge. cross over the staggered junction of the Caunsall to Churchill road and in 500 yards turn left into the field just after the large mound of earth on your left, that's by the large oak tree.
PARKING
Park in the lay-by on the A451 just uphill from the apiary or on the verge by the large oak tree or in the field by the oak (crops permitting)
