Dorchester and Weymouth Bee Keepers Association

Not long now to the Dorset County Show. OK it is not till September but if you are thinking of submitting an entry in the Honey Show then you should be thinking about it now.

The show is the weekend of the 5th and 6th of September with the Honey Show on the 5th September.

Entries will need to be in the Honey Show Marquee by first thing on Saturday 5th September.

Entries will be judged by Chris Rawlings from Trowbridge.

Prizes will be awarded about 4pm on the Saturday.

If you think this is all about jars of honey then think again.

It is early days and we are still firming up details but watch this space.

Just as an example of what is possible here is a single winning entry from the Bath and west Show.

If you are a teacher or have any involvement with younger people have you considered the BBKA web site. They have a raft of materials to educate and entertain. As we approach the time when the Yellow Legged Hornet could be a real threat to us the BBKA have put out a set of teaching materials under their "Pollinator Protectors Project". It is worth having a look.

If you want to broaden your scope then there are several other ideas on the same page under the "Educating Youungsters" tab.

On the 19th May we have a social at the Colliton Club in Dorchester. This one will be upstairs where we will join in a Zoom lecture on Practical Swarm Collection. As someone who has collected many swarms I am looking forward to seeing how others do it.

There are a couple more dates to add to your diary. On the 19th June we are running a trip to Robert Field's Honey plant. I have been there and it is well worth a visit. If you want more details contact our secretary.

Then on the 20th June we have a special session at the apiary at Stinsford. Our recently retired Seasonal Bee Inspector, Kevin Pope, will be checking the apiary. To watch and listen to Kevin do an inspection is well worth it. If you think you know it all then come to this inspection and learn more. If you are still unsure of how much you know then come along and learn more.

On the 26th July we will be at Warmwell Fete and 12th August will be a social at the Colliton Club. This one is timed to allow you to chat about the Dorset County Show. It will be an opportunity for you to grade your honey as "light", "medium" or "dark" using our grading glasses.

Hopefully we will see you at one of these events.

This is a busy time for beekeepers so why not take a break and visit us at the Dorset Spring Show in Puddletown on the 9th or 10th of may. We will be there noth days though you only need be there for one!

We will be talking about bees and how we look after them. There will also be an opportunity to roll a candle. Who knows what else we might be demonstrating. We were there last year and it is a most enjoyable show with lots going on.

If you miss that one then the following week on Saturday 16^th May  we'll be on Weymouth seafront for the Weymouth Community Expo event, talking to the public about the Yellow legged Hornet and how to find them.

There has also been a lot of interest in our For Sale page and I am pleased to say a National Hive went from there in less than a week.  I have added some more stuff and expect there will be even more added and sold in the next few days.