Meetings are held on second Monday each month (except January), at above venue

PRESENT: Richard Hatfield (Pres.), Mary-Ann Lindsay (Treas.), John Burnet (Sec.) and 29 members and visitors as listed in the attendance book.

APOLOGIES: Dave Coulton, Graham Lusty, Laurie Williams, Bernie Cox, Brian Mitchells, Jurgen Jenkner, Wayne Wild, Andrew Yung.

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: Minutes of meeting held 8 March were read and confirmed.

CORRESPONDENCE: Letter from life member Ham Maxwell was read. Ham is now living in at Manukau and unable to readily attend meetings but still appreciated receiving the newsletters. His cheque for 98/99 sub was to be returned by Treasurer (life members are exempt from subs).

TREASURERS REPORT:

As at 31 March 1999 - Curr Working A/c $1,926.93, Goal A/cs $3,035.42 and $1,714-41.

GENERAL BUSINESS:

Wax Dipping - available in May from Pres for $5 per super plus AFB certificate provided.

Plastic Jars - available from Plastic Wholesalers, Hutt Rd, Petone. Two hexagonal sizes avail - 400ml (500 gm) 52 cents per 100 incl lid. 750 ml (1 kg) 71 cents per 100 incl lid.

Alistair Lockie advised his equipment was for sale - 2 x 3/4 supers plus lids etc. Alistair had been a member since 1944 and recalled beekeeping knowledge was scant 50 years ago compared with today. Honey was often used for homebrews due to sugar rationing. Mead making was also popular. Club membership dropped to about 8 in the 1970’s until a "coup" resulted in a major change to the committee, meeting agendas and advice given to beginners.

Members Queries - Wasp tunnels and traps discussed also carbaryl carpet, wasp baits (jam, meat, beer & sugar when producing queens).

Robbing - prevented by use of a canvas cover exposing one frame only at a time. Use of escape boards also reduces robbing. Crack supers day before removing honey enables bees to clean up burr and brace comb between supers.

Wintering down - check for AFB and brood pattern, failing queens can still be replaced now.

Feed in need with A1 white sugar not brown (raw sugar can be used in Spring).

Ivan Pedersen talked about his queen marking techniques and advised he was interested in buying member’s wax and cappings.

Frank & Mary-Ann Lindsay reported on the recent NBA Field Day and issues arising - in particular new Accident and Injury Insurance requirements.

Suburban beekeeper numbers had halved over the past 5 years and this was attributed primarily to local body and council pressure.

DECA returns were now due for completion and this issue plus PMS was to be discussed at the May meeting. The AFB fund was in future to be used for disease management not just disease payout and diseaseathon expenses.

1999 AGM will be deferred from July to August due to absence of President and Treasurer.

Meeting closed at 9:00 p.m. with supper.

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).

A man and a woman are standing side by side waiting for a bus when they get to talking.

"Say," said the woman. "Do you have a hobby?" "Yeah, I'm a bee keeper."

"Well, you must live in the country then." "Nope, right here in the city."

"Really? You must have a large house then." "Nope, apartment."

"Geez, where do you keep'm?" "A shoe box in my closet."

"A shoe box!? How many bees do you have?" "Couple thousand, something like that."

"Well, you can't keep a couple thousand bees in a shoe box! They'll die!"
"I don't care, I hate bees."

Hive Inspection: according to AgriQuality -... the carrying out of a hive inspection and sample collection programme as an audit of beekeeper performance in locating and dealing with AFB.

Hive Inspection: according to the Interested Bystander …

We meet at the appointed time at L’s place. There’s B, along with B’s dog who shall be overseeing the Hive inspections; L who owns the Hives, but who by the end of the day will probably be wishing he didn’t; L’s grandson - the ‘gofor’; R who has come along for the laugh; and the Interested Bystander, who has already decided that a low profile might be a wise option, and has elected to be ‘scribe’. Yes, the Interested Bystander acknowledges a mental note made back in February to be inexcusably busy for any combined exercise proposed by B and L, but unfortunately mental notes are no match for male cunning and cajolery.

Off to the first hive site - the usual one-leg-shorter-than-the-other hillside, but the ladies in the two hives concerned have worked hard. A banded swarm queen has invaded the first box, but all is well. The scribe stencils a letter of the alphabet on the bottom brood box in each case, then away to the second site. This is a bit more challenging - mountains have been moved to make this site and most of them appear to have been moved uphill! Our intrepid beekeepers negotiate clay and boulder faces and struggle to heights undreamed off. The reward - a view of most of Wainuiomata, the Hutt Valley and Mt Cook (well, almost) and 11 hives humming quietly. More deft work with the stencil then some hive inspections. Things continue to hum along happily until Hive ‘F’ is opened. .... A surprising collection of short words left over from Anglo Saxon days and Hive ‘F’ is closed up with a unanimous verdict: REQUEEN! A close association with large numbers of little black varmints tends to bring about that sort of unilateral decision. Finish up with Hive M, no problems so a call for lunch. Descend from the heights (that boulder was quite solid, wasn’t it L?), and adjourn to L’s for sandwiches and a drink. B decides to check the magnificently producing hive in L’s backyard - there is the sound of windows in surrounding houses being hastily slammed shut as the hive lid is lifted, and even L takes his time in putting in an appearance around the corner of the garage. It doesn’t take long to work out why - another banded bee invasion. 90% of this crop should go in peace offerings to the neighbours!

Inside for a safe haven and removal of bee veils. A quiet drink and discussion on bees in general is enlivened considerably when the back of L’s veil is lifted to disclose a small but malignant band of lurking black varmints. In the ensuing confusion the scribe attempts a quick exit, only to find another member of this intrepid beekeeping team, with similar thoughts, obstructing the egress. (This is the true version of events - ignore any other you may hear).

After sifting out assorted legs and arms (and that’s just the chairs) we are off to the fourth site - the usual goat track ascent, sped up somewhat by the interested attentions of a group of overly large boars. Nice well behaved gentlemen - and the drones in the hives weren’t too bad either. The group moves on. Well, one half of it does, but perhaps it should have known better when L and R failed to sit on its tail on the road to the fifth site. You may recall this hive from an earlier article - it contained the African Killer Bee relatives B re-queened in January. B states confidently that with one of his gold queens in residence, there is nothing to worry about, but the scribe distinctly recalls L mentioning something about nasty little black beggars and is not convinced.

Decide not to try the goat-track-and-five-gates access, but instead don suits at the road frontage and take the direct route - crawling straight up the hill - musing as to the curious non-appearance of L and R. Tether B’s dog some 50m or so short of the hive, then move in. Mistake Number One. In the three months since our last visit these Bees have grown Very Aware. And passed on a gene which says ‘Be Very Aware’. The scribe hastily stencils a letter, then beats just as hasty a retreat while B scans the sky (for divine inspiration or a lightening bolt), the bush (for a herd of stampeding elephants, a lesser fate under the circumstances), and finally the road (for the mysteriously absent L and R). No reprieve. He moves back in. Off with the lid. Mistake Number Two. A cloud of black banded super shirty bees moves up, circles around and then, as one, dives upon him. With gritted teeth and much cursing (little of it audible through the dense covering of bees) he works down to the bottom box while the scribe keeps one anxious eye on proceedings and the other scanning the road - still no sign of L and R. Well - no surprises here - once again the gold queen has been dealt to in a terminal manner, and a black queen reigns supreme. Rebuild the hive, scanning each frame with a minimum of decency and a great many muffled words, some of which sound remarkably like the tracing of pedigrees, on with the lid, over and under the electric fence, and off. B goes to release his dog, but is beaten to him by a fan club of little black varmints, and neither dog nor scribe can escape B’s company quickly enough. Slither and slide back down the hill to the car, turn to look back and there are L and R, having come in through the goat-track-and-five-gates access. We yell warnings, while silently daring them to attempt a second hive check. No such luck. Their selective hearing is suddenly remarkably clear, and they follow us quickly down the hill, muttering, when they join us at the gate, something about a puncture. A likely story. Verdict: Super Shirty Black Banded Bees! If you wanted to sell this hive, you would have to offer it without the inhabitants!!!

To the last site - a peaceful golden humming set by a gently flowing stream. This is how bees should be. The scribe happily stencils and annotates. R, B and L ponder the mysteries of unfound queens and seven box hives, and B’s dog decides that rolling in manure is a sure relief for bee stings.

The ride home is accomplished with maximum air intake - even the dog has his head out a window. A good day. Reasonably good company (the dog excepted), and the promise of the forthcoming publication: "101 Reasons for Avoiding Combined L, B and R Bee Excursions" by the Interested Bystander

Cliff Hulston advised that he extracted about 300lb from a single hive (many years ago). Frank reported that a hobbyist near Levin had got 154kg from his best hive this year.

An Australian biologist has exploded the myth honey bees are a hive of order, finding them to be scheming and factional. Dr Ben Oldroyd, 40, a Senior Lecturer from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney, is a finalist in this years' Eureka Prize for Scientific Research for his discovery of "anarchistic" behaviour in bees.

He has found a genetic mutation can make usually sterile female worker bees rebel and lay "counterfeit Queen bee eggs", causing chaos and destruction within the bee colony. The mutant trait occurs in approximately one in 2.5 million bees, and Dr Oldroyd's finding has generated enormous excitement among his international colleagues.

In a normal bee colony, the Queen is the only one allowed to lay eggs. If a worker does lay her own eggs, they are quickly eaten by other jealous "policing" workers. In "anarchist" colonies, certain rebelling workers are able to lay eggs unidentifiable from the Queen's, causing the eggs to survive, thrive and reproduce. The colony continues for about three to four months until all the workers start laying eggs, the Queen's power is marginalised, the workers stop working and the colony rapidly disintegrates.

"It's really weird to watch," Dr Oldroyd, who is now breeding the mutant colonies in observation hives, said. His biology students, who have been helping with the project since he started in 1994, find the bees' behaviour "as intriguing as a soap opera". "In Victorian society, people used to say bee colonies are something humans should emulate, with everyone being subservient to the Queen," Dr Oldroyd said. "But in actual fact it's a scheming mass of conflict with various factions trying to outdo each other and being held in check by mutual obligation."

His discovery also explains why the Queen bee is the only bee who reproduces, solving a problem that has long puzzled Darwinian theorists. "Purely Darwinian logic would say every individual worker bee should raise their own eggs because she gets more of her own genes into the next generation. Instead, female worker bees provide a nest for the Queen to lay her eggs in, feed her lava, raise her kids and do all the work," he said. "We now have a Darwinian explanation of why workers (normally) don't lay their own eggs. They have all agreed in evolutionary terms to rear the Queen's eggs. They hate it, but are trapped in it."

Australia's preeminent bee expert, Dr Oldroyd was once caned in high school for reading a bee book in maths class. Although persuaded in other directions by his school careers adviser, Dr Oldroyd has been working with bees his entire career.

Receiving his first beehive at the age of nine from his Scout teacher -- and despite being stung on every part of his body -- the only time he admits to being really scared of the "cute" insects was while working with killer bees in Mexico.

"Bee stings still hurt like hell, but once you know it can't do you any permanent harm, you can handle it," Dr Oldroyd said.

HANGOVER CURE: After over-indulgence in alcohol, the second half of this recipe is useful for reducing unwanted hangover symptoms. However, if you know in advance that there is a possibility you might drink too much, take the first part of the cure before leaving home for the best results.

• 2 ½ tablespoons honey
• 150ml milk
• 1 lemon, juice only

Mix 1 tablespoon of the honey with the milk, and drink this before any anticipated over-indulgence of alcohol to line the stomach. On returning home, mix the remainder of the honey with the lemon juice and 150ml of water to accelerate the liver’s processing rate. (Would someone mind testing this and letting us know whether it works please?!)

CLEANSING MORNING TONIC: There is no better way to start the day than with this refreshing tonic. The benefits are several: it cleans out the system, it is a mild laxative, it promotes a healthy, well-functioning liver, and it is good for skin blemishes. For maximum benefit, take this tonic every morning before breakfast.

• 3 teaspoons honey
• ½ lemon, juice only

Mix the honey and lemon juice with 150 ml of lukewarm water and drink

Honeybees will soon be sent on a mission to detect landmines and unexploded bombs in an experiment conducted by the US Department of Energy.

In the coming days, researchers at the department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory plan to equip 50 bees with miniature radio frequency tags.

These high-tech devices will allow scientists to track the bees' movement and their ability to detect minute amounts of explosive powder.

Researchers are betting on the honeybees' propensity to attract dust and garner all kinds of particles as they buzz around.

During the experiment, the tagged bees will be released to conduct their honey-gathering activities as their movements are tracked from a distance.

Once they return to the hive, a device developed by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico will detect any trace of munition powder picked up by the insects during their pollen hunt.

Scientists hope to eventually train honeybees to follow the smell of chemicals found in explosives, just as they forage for the scent of flowers.

Don't forget that the annual mead competition will take place in July. You should be preparing your mead samples now. If you need a recipe, refer to the February newsletter (or www.beehive.org.nz/tips-and-advice/taa-mead-recipe.htm)

The club requires a willing person who to take over management of the club library. We are seeking to arrange for storage of the contents at the Terrace Centre in Johnsonville (where they will be available each meeting). The librarian would be responsible for keeping the collection tidy, catalogued, and chasing up overdue loans. The club also has some funds available for purchases, so occasional recommendations for new books would also be useful. Contact Richard Hatfield, John Burnet, or James Scott if you can help.

Remember that the return for this year must be completed and sent back to AgriQuality as agents for the National Beekeepers Association, on or before 1^st June 1999. You are legally obliged to make this return under the PMS regulations.

Now is the time to think about re-queening your hives in the spring time. Order queens from a queen breeder, but be prepared to manage your hive through the early part of the buildup as fickle weather in spring may delay or prevent queens from mating. List of Queen breeders is available on the club's website.

The committee is looking for interesting and relevant speakers for meetings this year. It is hoped that Andrew Matheson will be available to talk to one meeting. If you have any suggestions please contact John Burnet on 232 7863 (or secretary@beehive.org.nz).