This won't affect most of you, unless someone has imported Hawaiian queens near to you.

It has been confirmed that Small Hive Beetle (aethina tumida) has been found on a nut farm on the island of Hawaii.

Only a small number of queens have been imported into the UK this year and we are inspecting all beekeepers involved (please note that all attendant worker bees and the cages are sent by the beekeepers to the National Bee Unit for checking from every queen sent from Hawaii)

The EU commission has not yet decided what restrictions are being put in place concerning further imports

Ian Molyneux   Northern Regional Bee Inspector

10 Bramhall Avenue

Harwood

Bolton

BL2 4EL

Sussex Uni Beekeeping Report

or download a copy by clicking here

Roof garden opens at Liverpool University

Students at the University of Liverpool have created an urban roof garden on the roof of the Guild building in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool.

The garden provides a place to grow herbs and salad and includes two beehives and bird nests to encourage local wildlife to the area.

The site will be a base for educational projects looking at environmental impact and sustainability.

And the garden will also be open for use by local community groups.

It is hoped that this will help to bridge the gap between students and the local community.

Liverpool Guild of Students President Danielle Grufferty said,

"The Guild Roof Garden is a great example of a community outreach project which can benefit both our current and future members and places the issue which are important to our communities, right at the heart of what we do."

We have had a call from this man below from County Crops.  He is keen to promote his name / contact details amongst beekeepers so that they are aware the fact that

a)  He exists

b)  His information is readily available to beekeepers.

c)  There is nothing like so much aerial spraying anymore but it does happen now and again and he is keen to be able to inform people in the relevant areas.

He is more than happy to be told by beekeepers that they are putting hives adjacent to fields that he might be spraying (OSR or field beans)

Contact details:-

Mat

County Crops

Agronomy House

Langley Road

Burscough

Lancashire

L40 8JR

Tel: 01704 895001 and 07831 114334.  Fax: 01704 896394

email: mattaspden@countycrops.co.uk

Internet: www.procam.co.uk

Matt would like beekeepers to be aware that he is available for any questions related to crop spraying, and will be able to advise beekeepers if any aerial spraying is planned for fields in which their colonies are sited.

If you do plan to site any of your colonies in or close to fields that may be sprayed, such as oilseed rape, or field beans, it would be well worth contacting Matt to let him know, so that he can keep you informed of any spraying activities that may affect  your hives.

Theft from the Out Apiary

It is with much regret that I have to inform you that we have had a colony of bees stolen from our Out Apiary at Kings Moss. They were taken between the 30th October and 7th November.

The thief must be a beekeeper as only the brood chamber, containing the bees, and the crown board were taken. It is likely that it is someone who has already lost their bees and has decided to restock. The suspicion has to fall on anyone with the knowledge of Kings Moss and our Out Apiary.

If anyone has any knowledge or suspicions of who it may be, would they please let me know.

Within any club a lot of things are done in trust without the encumbrance of a lot of security. It is very sad that even in beekeeping we can't trust everyone. Members of the branch put in a lot of time, effort and expense into keeping the facility going at Kings Moss for the benefit of new beekeepers and members.

If it is an Ormskirk & Croston member I hope they are feeling particularly guilty and hope they have the conscience to return the bees.

Sorry to have to report this as it casts a cloud over our hobby.

Regards

Ray