PRESENT: Doug Purdie (Pres.), John Burnet (Sec.) and 18 members and visitors as listed in the attendance book.

APOLOGIES: Frank & Mary Ann Lindsay, Graham Lusty, Pam McDowell, May Larsen

MINUTES: Minutes of meeting held 11 May were read and confirmed.

MATTERS ARISING: NBA Executive Committee Election. Biographical notes detailing the two nominees for the North Island vacancy were discussed and members then voted to support Nick Wallingford for the position.

CORRESPONDENCE: Manawatu B/K Club had written seeking details of our AFB fund. President had attempted to phone the Manawatu Sec but had been unsuccessful to date. Sec will forward details by letter.

GENERAL BUSINESS:

Annual General Meeting. President reminded members of the AGM in July and advised that in terms of the constitution he would be standing down after three years in the chair. Secretary advised that both the Librarian Shauna Tate and Supper Organiser Graham Lusty had indicated they too would not be available for reappointment.

School Holiday Talks: Bernie Long advised he had been approached by the City Library seeking beekeepers who would be available to give organised talks about beekeeping to children’s groups in various libraries during the July school holidays. Use of an observation hive, b/k suits, hive parts, smokers and the Club’s large coloured posters were discussed. Bernie will obtain further details from the Library and contact the committee in due course.

Jill Cornish advised she had recently addressed the Seatoun Garden Club and received an enthusiastic response.

President Doug Purdie spoke on a recent visit to the Comvita factory in the Bay of Plenty.

Ivan Pedersen showed members a foundationless frame completed by bees with brace comb.

GADGETS AND GIZMOS: Demonstrations were given by:

• Max Aston on a multiple drilling tool for end frames, embedding gadget, wiring board and uncapping fork.
• James Scott on his modified floorboard.
• Alan Gibb on his home-made solar wax melter.
• Fritz Fuchs on his home-designed & built pollen trap and steam box for section frames.
• Richard Hatfield spoke on various ideas, methods, and procedures to simplify beekeeping.

Meeting closed at 9.15pm.

For a full range of Ecroyds Beekeeping Supplies

Phone 0800-5BEEHIVE (0800-523344)
or 06-324 8224

We will trade Honey, Beeswax or Pollen for Gear

Contact Marjorie or Kevin Kibby
for further details or to place an order

SH1, RD 3, Palmerston North (24kms north of Foxton on SH1).

New beekeepers who have not yet got their own hives, or who want to gain some experience working with established colonies, are invited to assist in looking after a dozen hives in an apiary for an Association member who has gone to Canada for a few months.

The hives, belonging to Todd Lurman, are located in the Akatarawa valley in Upper Hutt, and will need to be looked after from now until Todd returns in October. Todd has promised a box of honey from each hive to the people who look after them, so here is an opportunity to both gain experience and some liquid reward. Todd has left his bee suit, smoker etc behind, and these are available if required, so don't be out off by not having the right gear. Phone James Scott on 565 0164 for further information or to become involved.

Beekeepers have long believed that large populous colonies are superior honey producers. This was shown experimentally in 1937, and set the stage for modern honey production recommendations. It was shown that within colony population ranges of 15,000 to 60,000 bees, larger colonies are more efficient honey producers. The conclusion was that a small number of populous hives were better than a large number of weaker hives. It was later shown that as well as producing more honey per bee in times of nectar flow, strong hives also consumed less honey per bee during shortages. The reverse is true concerning brood production. In general, smaller colonies focus on raising bees whereas larger colonies focus on storing food.

Thus we have an important maxim for honey production that is well grounded in empirical science - maximise colony populations in time for nectar flows. If colonies are still small and focussing on brood rearing when major nectar flows begin, maximum honey production will not be realised. If populations peak prematurely, then the beekeeper is faced with congested colonies inclined to swarm, which defeats the objective of a large population. A beekeeper must balance well-time growth with swarm prevention measures, and in all temperate climates, almost all hive manipulation is aimed at achieving this balance.

In Connecticut, USA, wild colonies achieve populations of up to 40,000 bees and annual honey stores of up to 25kg which below levels achieved by beekeepers with managed hives. In a sense modern practices manipulate colonies to attain unnaturally large populations and honey stores.

Bee population growth was compared in four specially modified hives. The total comb area in each was equal, but the size of combs was either 13 x 19 cm, 13 x 43 cm (Illinois super frame), 20 x 43 cm (standard Langstroth), or 26 x 43 cm (Jumbo or modified Dadant). After 59 days, colonies with larger combs had more bees than did colonies with smaller frames. For brood production, this supports the use of large combs, which is in fact the case for much of the world. If the harvest of large diameter trees declines, there may not be enough suitable timber for the manufacture of larger hive bodies.

Beekeepers today regard swarming very differently from their earlier counterparts. Before the importance of large populations was shown, swarming was often considered a positive thing. The honey yield was thought to depend more on hive numbers than on colony strength, and swarming was an easy and inexpensive way to increase hive numbers. But as the benefits of large bee populations became apparent, swarming was recognised as a serious affront to honey production. Research conformed this; studies showed that swarming reduced the honey yield by 54% (Manitoba, Canada), and 50% (Russia). During this century, beekeepers have adopted practices to discourage swarming and maintain large intact forager populations. This shift from tolerating swarms to discouraging swarms is one of the most profound ways research has influenced beekeeping.

Swarming is stimulated when colony populations peak early in the season, especially if the growth results in hive congestion. Research has shown that this in turn prevents the effective distribution of "queen substance" (QMP) causing workers to rear queens. Thus research laid the groundwork for many of the practices used today to discourage swarming. These include:

• Reversing hive bodies - putting the relatively empty lower box on top of the full upper one to reduce congestion
• Dividing colonies - brood and bees are taken from prematurely strong hives to make new colonies and reduce congestion in the parent one
• Equalising colonies - brood and bees are taken from a prematurely strong hive and given to weaker colonies, stimulating the weaker and reducing congestion in the stronger one
• Maintaining vigorous young queens - to keep the levels of QMP high in order to discourage swarming

Colonies do not make large honey crops if they are queenless or the queens are producing very little brood. A study in Canada showed that honey production in queenless colonies was only 62%, and in colonies with failing queens was 65% of normal. Fortunately, these effects can be avoided if queen problems are corrected early in the season. Queens produce brood that become foragers collecting honey, but the effects of a queen on honey production goes beyond brood production. The presence of a queen, even if she is caged, in a queenless colony increases colony weight gain during nectar flow and minimises weight loss during nectar dearth. This is partly explained by the stimulating effect of queen pheromones on worker foraging. A queen's output of QMP probably decreases as she ages which raises the question of whether beekeepers should requeen regularly to maintain young queens and high levels of QMP.

Researchers have tried to determine optimum requeening schedules, but results seem to vary in different areas. Studies in Canada and Greece suggest that honey production is the same for colonies requeened every 1, 2, or 3 years, but colonies left to requeen themselves through supersedure produced less honey. This suggests that requeening every 2 or 3 years is satisfactory. In contrast, a study on sub-tropical Israel found that colonies with 7 month old queens produced more honey than those with queens up to 20 months old. Consequently, beekeepers in Israel now requeen almost every year. Although research has not provided a universal schedule for requeening, it has demonstrated the value of replacing non-productive queens, and requeening has now become a routine part of modern bee management.

Research has found that empty comb in honey supers stimulate workers to hoard honey. The stimulant is apparently a volatile given off by warm empty combs. Beekeepers in Alberta found that they can optimise honey production by adding sufficient supers at a time (eg 6 - 7) and harvesting the honey at mid flow and again when the flow has finished. Additional empty comb space did not increase yields, but adequate supering limited the frequency with which honey needed to be harvested. Yield declined in colonies harvested more than twice during a nectar flow, presumably because the bees are stressed by cleaning and repairing cells.

These studies support the practice of supering abundantly, which is normal in areas with short intense nectar flows. However, honey production is optimal when bees are slightly crowded, which may explain why over-supering in the Alberta studies did not increase honey production. In other words, supering with empty comb stimulates honey production but one can over-super to the point where reduced bee density negates any stimulating effect of empty combs. In practice, most beekeepers super generously as long as nectar flows continue and the bees are numerous enough to occupy the supers. When flows decline, most beekeepers stop supering or even remove unused supers. This is sound practice supported by the latest research.

Researchers and beekeepers have identified principles of colony growth, queen pheromone biology, and worker hoarding behaviour and developed them into effective honey production practices. Research in honey production remains very active and contributes important practical information to the beekeeping industry.

An Introductory Course

A basic course in beekeeping for the hobbyist and the small commercial beekeeper. The course will cover basic knowledge required for looking after your hives and producing a crop. Each session will be hosted be experienced personnel. Camp Rangi is not being held as a fund raising exercise, but as a response to repeated requests for more in depth tuition than that which can be given at field days. To this aim, Camp Rangi is a no-frills weekend. If you missed out on the school camps in your childhood, this weekend will make up for it. We are using the YMCA camp facilities to keep costs to a minimum. Participants will be sharing the cabin facilities and will be required to bring their own sleeping bags, towels, eating utensils, crockery etc. There are no camp staff, therefore all course participants will be required to participate in the general housekeeping duties of the camp: dishes, spud peeling, etc.

Full details of the camp and your requirements will be forwarded to you upon receipt of your application and payment of the course fee ($50.00). The camp is open from 5:30 on Friday 14^th August and finishes 3pm on Sunday 16^th. Course starts promptly at 8:30am Saturday to 6:00 pm, then 8:30 am Sunday. Places are limited to 50 residential and 30 day only participants.

Complete the enclosed application and send to Peter Ferris with your cheque. It will be great to see a number of Wellington members at this weekend.

Don’t forget that we will be having the club’s annual mead competition at the July meeting following the AGM. If you have some mead already made, then bring it along to show the rest of us how well you are doing. Remember that all entries need to be presented in clear glass bottles with suitable stoppers.

All members who have had to destroy hives as a result of AFB infection during the last year should have claims lodged with the Treasurer by now. The AGM will consider these claims, and will approve a payment from the BL Fund to provide some recompense and assist in replacing the destroyed hives. The level of payout in previous years has been about $60, established at 50% of the cost of a new "A4" hive, comprising floor, ceiling and 2 brood boxes.

Enrol for this forthcoming Buzz Weekend now. Details are:

• When 14^th, 15^th, and 16^th August 1998
• Where Pohangina Valley Camp, Near Palmerston North
• Cost $50 – includes meals, accommodation, tuition

Additional details inside the magazine on previous page.

Subscriptions for the 1998/99 year are now due. Please complete the enclosed membership form and send to the treasurer, Frank Lindsay.

Our secretary, John Burnet, is currently planning some interesting sessions for this year. Please mark these dates in your diary and come along.

Don’t forget when selling any used hive gear, the seller must inform MAF Palmerston North, so it can be tracked in the case of an exotic disease outbreak. Purchasers should sign the form supplied by MAF.