Somerton & District Division

Hon. Secretary - Mrs J Mosedale . Tel. 01278 723320 - jackie @jmosedale.wanadoo.co.uk

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BEGINNERS' BEEKEEPING PRACTICAL CLASSES 2010

The Somerton Division of the Somerset Beekeepers' Association would like to invite you to participate in this year's Beginners' Practical Beekeeping Classes. The classes will be run on Saturday mornings beginning at 10.00 am and continuing until approximately 12.00 pm.

They will be based at North Wootton Village Hall. The apiary and bees are approximately 150 yards walk from the Hall. In wet weather the classes will go ahead in the Hall even though it may be impossible to open up the hives at the Apiary. There is no charge for this course.

April 24 th . Spring Inspection

May 15 th . Swarm prevention and control.

June 19th. The June Gap.

July 17th. Diseases.

August 7th Taking the honey.

August 21st. Honey extraction.

September 11th. Preparing for winter.

Appropriate protective clothing will be provided but if you already have your own veil then please do bring it along. Please bring a pair of Wellingtons, and a pair of long sleeved gloves if possible, “marigolds” are appropriate. If you have a zip-up anorak then please bring that.

Travel Instructions.

From Wells. Take the A39 Glastonbury road, and after half a mile turn left into Woodford Lane just before Browne's Nursery. Continue along this road for 2.2 miles. You will then see the North Wootton road signs. Shortly after this you will bear sharply right and enter the rather grandly named High St. The Village Hall with ample off road parking is on the left after a hundred yards or so.

From Glastonbury via the A361. As you approach Pilton you go up a steep hill, the main road turns right, but turn left just before the village shop. Do not turn left between the shop and the pub. Having turned left just before the shop keep on this road and you will eventually drop down into North Wootton passing the large Crossways Pub on your left. Carry straight on and you will pass over a small white painted bridge. Take the next turn on the right and the Village Hall is on your right after approximately fifty yards. For SatNav enthusiasts the postcode of an adjacent house is BA4 4HA.

Full Programme for 2010

Thu 11 th Mar "Value Added Products" Alan & Margaret Johnson

Thu 8 th Apr "Bee Behaviour" Ian Homer

Sat 24 th Apr Beginners Practical Class 10.00 – 12noon at North Wootton

Sun 25 th Apr Apiary Visit to Karen Cox & Chris Strong, School House, Beer

Sat May 15 th . Beginners Practical Class Swarm prevention and control.

May Apiary Visit Final details being negotiated

Sun Jun 6 th . Apiary Visit at Christine Howard's Mulberry House East Lambrook

Sat Jun 19th. Beginners Practical Class The June Gap.

Sat Jul 17th. Beginners Practical Class Diseases.

Sat Jul 24 th Apiary Visit a t Roy White's Waterloo House Kingsbury Episcopi.

Sat Aug 7th Beginners Practical Class Taking the honey.

Sat Aug 21st. Beginners Practical Class Honey extraction.

Sun Aug 22 nd Apiary Visit at Jeffrey Wilson's Silent Elms, Wearne, Langport.

Sat Sept 11th. Beginners Practical Class Preparing for winter

Sat Sept 18 th . Somerton Honey Show. Long Sutton Village Hall.

Thu 14 th Oct "A New Large Scale Beekeeping Apiary" Dan Basterfield

Thu 11 Nov Past Chairman's Talk Alex Morrice - "Mead & Other Wine Making

Thu 25 Nov AGM

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Apiary Visits - Risk Assessment

Anyone organising an apiary meeting or similar event has a duty of care to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of those taking part.  Formally this means doing a risk assessment. Most of this is simple commom sense but if there is an incident it is important to be able to show that the risks were assessed and that all reasonable action were taken to minimise them  Somerton Division has developed Risk Assessment and Check List which they use to cover such events.  .  "Click here to view Somerton Assessment and Check List"