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

PRESENT: Frank Lindsay (Pres.), Mary Ann Lindsay (Treas), John Burnet (Sec.) and 19 members as listed in the attendance book.

APOLOGIES: Peter Radcliffe, Wrae Duncan, Ken Breden, Bob McCann, John Wallace, Les Solomon

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: Minutes of meeting held 11 Feb as detailed in the March newsletter were read and confirmed. However Secretary advised that contrary to the minutes Treasurer Mary Ann Lindsay was not present at the meeting. Amendment to the minutes was proposed by Andrew Beach and seconded by Amor Walter.

MATTERS ARISING:

Visit by Trevor Tong, UK beekeeper – President advised that time restraints limited Trevor Tong’s Wellington visit to half an hour. Trevor however mentioned that owing to varroa his club in the UK (Whitstable & Herne Bay) had now less than 30 members and only three of those still had hives. Bees in the UK were now developing immunity to Apistan and a Resistance Test was now being applied.

Pauatahanui Incident: Using his new digital camera and video monitor Frank was able to show members photos he had taken demonstrating the use of "No More Gaps" in killing and sealing feral bee colonies. Frank had traced and killed all the feral colonies found within a 5 km radius of the sawmill. Using bee-lining and asking the local residents, a total of 21 colonies had been discovered in willow trees, macrocarpas, pines, poplars, old sheds and oil drums and subsequently destroyed. Only one resident resisted a request to destroy a feral colony and MAF powers could be used to over-ride this refusal to allow the colony’s destruction.

Overall the sawmill exercise was considered successful because the varroa had been identified within four good flying days. Only time will tell if the eradication was completely successful and it was suggested that the Club should offer to MAF to monitor bait jars in the sawmill area on a fortnightly basis for 12 months. Club members agreed to participate – Secretary will write to Paul Bolger and offer the Club’s services accordingly.

Varroa Update : Various varroa controls and monitoring techniques were discussed including Bayvarol strips, sticky boards. President advised that on Thurs 14 March organic acids will be officially gazetted by the Govt for use in NZ – formic and ascetic acid. The Canadian product "Mite Gone" was also now being advertised in NZ. These were pads containing formic acid and because of its potency the acid could not be pored onto the pads until just before placement in the hive. Full safety gear was required including respiratory masks, goggles and rubber gloves and preferably a double layer of clothing.

GENERAL BUSINESS:

Member’s Queries – Following a member’s question on the effect of varroa control acids on honey, President advised Apistan strips should not be applied until after the honey is removed. Bayvarol however had no effect on honey. While Bayvarol was absorbed by the wax however this was considered no worse than fly spray on house furnishings such as curtains etc. Because of the build up of Bayvarol toxins in wax, old dark frames should be discarded as soon as possible (other bee diseases such as nosema also accumulate in old dark frames) - bees preferred using light coloured wax anyway. Because of the possible presence of toxins, brood wax should not be retained or re-used and wax buyers were buying only wax from supers for this reason.

Wasps - Andrew Beach displayed a wasp nest he had recently destroyed (soccer ball sized) and this led to the discussion of the use of control methods. Apparently carbaryl is no longer available in NZ however an alternative called Stardust also Derris Dust were considered acceptable substitutes.

The first part of a video on beekeeping in England made by John Furski (given to the club by Trevor Tong) was shown, following which the meeting closed at 9:30 pm.

Last month, Frank described some temporary nuc boxes made from cardboard to allow new queens to be overwintered, or held separately until they can be combined with an existing colony. Frank has supplied some photos of an example of this type of nuc box.

All registered beekeepers should have recently received a copy of the March edition of The New Zealand Beekeeper. The magazine is usually sent only to members of the NBA, but because this edition has important information on varroa and the approvals on the use of organic acids for its treatment, MAF have arranged for it to go to all registered beekeepers. There is also a useful summary of the new levy proposal.

March has been rather an easy month for me. Surprisingly we picked up two very late swarms. During the month there was quite a late flow on and many hives superseded their queens. Seems instead of just superseding, a few hives were stimulated enough to swarm. Normally at this time of the year these swarms are of little value, as they have to be fed during the winter and need a new queen. However following perhaps the worst production summer ever, they have been put to good use. One was given away to re-establish another beekeepers hive that failed to produce a mated queen after it swarmed and the other was put in a 4 frame nuc box with two frames of honey. They should survive the winter (with the addition of another two honey frames) and will be used as replacement stock in the spring.

This nuc was placed in the garden for a few days to settle down and allow the queen to mate before being moved to an apiary. Bees are fascinating and you can generally get an indication of what's going on by studying the bees on the flight board. As I was observing bees with pollen coming in, I noticed a commotion below the hives. Ants were out everywhere, climbing up grass and over the bricks at the edge of the garden. Within a few minutes I had worked out what was going on. All the ants were getting rid of the spiders and other insects around the nest while other were driving queen ants from the colony. Seems the workers control the activities of the nest just like bees do in the hive.

While picking up a swarm I noticed bees working something I wouldn't have considered a nectar source - Totara berries. The bees haven't got the mouthparts to puncher these berries but where they have been damaged at the base of the tree by children and animals, the bees were all over the fallen fruit. I always thought that these trees had no uses in beekeeping but we live and learn.

I have been checking hives recently and some of those that had the crop removed early have expanded during the last month and are now short of stored honey. If you are in this situation, feed sugar syrup (as thick as you can make it) so the hives have at least a super of honey. Indications are that it could be another warm winter, which means some hives will continue brood rearing. This uses honey stores quicker than normal so watch the weight of the hive. These hives will need checking in August to see they still have enough food to last through to the first flow in October.

Hives should now be set up for winter. Close down the entrance if you haven't already done so to prevent mice from entering. Make sure the foundation is OK and that the hives slope forward slightly to allow water to run off. Clear away any grass around the hive so there is airflow underneath. Lift the lid a little by putting a match under each corner to give top ventilation.

Now that robbing has finished and drones are being tossed out, do a final brood inspection to make sure the hive is free of AFB. Also remove or replace and broken frames or rotten woodware. Any broken frames with brood or honey should be moved towards the outer edges of the super so they can be changed in the spring.

Finally check that stored supers are free of wax moth. Store in a cool airy place or you can use PBD crystal. Place a tablespoon on a piece of paper on top of a stack of supers and cover. Make sure all cracks are sealed with paper or tape so that the gas is held in the super long enough to kill the wax moth larva. Repeat in a month because this doesn't kill their eggs.

Are spiders useful to the bee-keeper? Most of the time we consider these predators of bees and other insects but I noticed something rather unusual when cleaning up a bait hive. It had two very large wolf spiders in it and I let one go in the garden after I came across it. Then I noticed something unusual with the frames. Wax moth quickly get into exposed frames and start chewing them up. However this super had all the silk wax moth channels opened up. Seems these spiders had dug down through the wax and had been excavating the moth larva before they could do a lot of damage. In the whole super there was only one wax moth larvae and that was under a frame where the spiders couldn't get at it. When I discovered the second spider, I put this one into a stack of supers to carry on the good work. (see photo above).

Ever wonder what these large dragon-flies eat? Larger insects that are caught on the wing. I photographed one eating a drone (shown above).

Pauatahanui Varroa Controlled Area. I have removed the strips from the hives in the area but it looks like AgriQuality will not be recom-mending the lifting the Movement Control Restrictions until spring when further tests will be undertaken to prove the area is free of varroa. Everything is looking positive for this but in the mean time, if you hear of any feral hives in the area, arrange to get then killed or sealed into the cavity.

True mead is the product of fermentation of honey and water without the addition of anything other than a nutrient to strengthen the yeast. When spices are added, the result is called metheglin, and if fruit juices are added then it becomes melomel.

Natural honey lacks certain ingredients necessary to make a good wine, and it contains many impurities. It is therefore necessary to simmer the honey and water together, skimming off the impurities as they rise to the surface until the liquid is clear. Heat the water first and add the honey, dissolving it before it touches the bottom to prevent it burning. At this stage the nutrients should be added. Use about 15g per 5 litres of liquid.

After simmering, the must (honey and water solution) should be strained through a fine mesh cloth and cooled as quickly as possibly. Tannin should be added when it is cool. Use about 1 teaspoon (5ml) of strong cold tea (or half a teaspoon of grape tannin) per 5 litres of liquid.

Yeast is best added to a mead must in the form of a starter so that the fermentation may get under way as quickly as possible. Any wine yeast will do to ferment the must, but a proper mead yeast known as Maury that imparts no undesirable flavours is available. Refer to instructions below for making a starter bottle.

Fermentation should be at about 15^oC (60^oF), and the process may take up to two years to complete. Rack off after about 6 weeks into a clean fermentation vessel and proceed until the mead stops working. If the mead is racked occasionally and left long enough it will clear and may then be racked off into bottles. If it does not clear naturally, raising the temperature at which it ferments (up to about 20^oC) may assist it to clear. If it does not clear then, fining may be used, but as a last resort only.

Nutrients, tannin, and yeast can be obtained from all home brew outlets. Remember that clean equipment is vital for good brews. The best form of sterilisation is either by boiling, or using a potassium metabisulphite solution (make a 10% stock solution by dissolving 150gm metabisulphite in one litre of water - dilute this 1:10 for use).

A starter bottle serves two purposes. It provides active yeast to enable a fermentation to get under way promptly, and provides a means of propagating yeast. Starter bottles should be prepared a day or two before the yeast is required for the mead brew.

Dissolve 50 gm sugar, a tablespoon (15 ml) of malt extract, and 1/4 teaspoon nutrient salts in 400 ml of water. Pour into a bottle, plug the top with cotton wool, and place in a large pot of water and sterilise by boiling for half an hour. When cool (16 - 21^oC), add the yeast and again replace the plug. Maintain at this temperature.

When vigorous bubbling is noticed, the starter bottle is ready for use. Shake the bottle and pour half the contents into your must. Top up the bottle with more cold sterile water/sugar solution, add a little more nutrient and replace the plug. When bubbling has resumed, place starter bottle in the refrigerator to preserve it. Remove from the fridge and warm as above about two days before required for your next brew. In this way, yeast can be kept going for several months.

After simmering and cooling, the specific gravity of the must should be about 1100. Add nutrients, tannin and yeast. Ferment right out to dryness, racking off only once at the end of six weeks. Bottle and store in a cool place for a year.

Simmering and cool as prescribed. The specific gravity of this must should be about 1120. Add nutrients, tannin and yeast. Ferment right out to dryness, racking off only once at the end of six weeks. Bottle and store in a cool place for a year.

Start with about 1.6 to 1.9 Kg of honey with 4 litres of water. Simmer and cool as prescribed. Add nutrients, tannin and yeast, and allow to ferment. Simmer, cool and stir in the remainder (0.9 Kg honey with a litre of water) after the first tumultuous fermentation has subsided. Aerate the must to invigorate the yeast when adding the remainder of the honey. Ferment in the warm for as long as possible and do not rack till fermentation is quite finished.

Simmer above ingredients, strain and cool as prescribed. Add nutrients, tannin and yeast. Ferment out as far as possible, racking off once fermentation is complete. Bottle and store in a cool place. Needs long maturation.

Pour boiling water over the fruits and leave overnight. Next day, mash and leave a further 24 hours. Strain, add honey and simmer as with other meads. Cool, add the yeast, nutrients etc and ferment as usual. Bottle and store for at least two years in a cool place.

Don't forget that the annual honey competition will be the focus of this month's meeting. Bring your prepared sample along in a standard jar and challenge the club's best!

Information about the date of the promised seminar is not yet available. However, each registered beekeeper should shortly receive a letter providing details of the seminars in the local area. There are two day seminars for commercial beekeepers, and a 3-4 hour session for hobbyists. The seminar will be based on the Control of Varroa handbook distributed to all beekeepers last year. You will be expected to bring the book with you to the seminar to assist with the programme.

The club's annual mead competition will be in June, so members should be planning now on making mead. There are recipes in this edition of the newsletter. Further recipes and instructions from previous newsletters are available on the club website.

Don't forget that the club has one (or two?) extractors available for members to hire. These cost $10 per time (ie over a weekend or similar), and need to be returned promptly in clean working order. Contact May-Ann Lindsay (ph 478 3367) for more information if you are interested.

The committee is always looking for interesting and/or relevant speakers for future meetings. If you have any suggestions please contact our secretary,
John Burnet on 232 7863 (or secretary@beehive.org.nz).

• May (13th): (to be advised)
• June (10^th): Mead Competition
• July (8th): Annual General Meeting