Taunton & District Division

Secretary - Mrs Mary Adams - 01823 432287

Swarm Contacts

M N Clark , Brookfield , Rectory Drive, Staplegrove, Taunton TA2 6AP 01823 282239

S J Gammon, 500 Cheddon Road , Taunton TA2 7QX   01823 270465

Ms L Garner, Long Down Barns , Appley, Stawley, Wellington TA21 0HL 01823 672119

Mrs R McClure, 1 Newlands Grove, Ruishton, Taunton. TA3 5JJ 01823 442677

D Pearce, Haddeo , Bathealton, Taunton TA4 2AG 01984 623851

Richard Cherry, mobile 07502016955 

Course co-ordinator Debbie Glennie. Email    tauntonbeginners@somersetbeekeepers.org.uk

Please contact Debbie before attending if not already signed-up.

REMINDER FOR THE TAUNTON HONEY SHOW

There is an amendment to Class 22 The Honey & Orange Loaf. This can be downloaded here

Just two entries from every member would result in over 400 exhibits. It's not too late to enter.

Programme 2010

HP = Heatherton Park Apiary

St. A = St.Andrews Church Hall

NVA= Neroche Village Hall

SVH=Staplegrove Village Hall

Sat 8 th May Introducing new queens with C Harries 2:30 pm (HP)

Sat 15 th May Swarm prevention/control with T Richards 2:30 pm (HP)

Sat 22 nd May Queen rearing/patch method with D Morris 2:30 pm (HP)

3 rd /5 th Jun Bath and West Show.

Sat 5 th Jun Preparation for the basic exam with S Jones 2:30 pm (HP)

Sat 12 th Jun Basic Exam

Sat 19 th Jun Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with M Clark and D Sanderson

Sat 26 th Jun Hog Roast & Waggle Dance, at Neroche Village Hall

Contact S Jones 01823 443737 and A Coles 01823 325503

Sat 26 th Jun Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with M Priscott and A Smales-Creswell

Sat 3 rd Jul Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with K Garside and R French

Sat 10 th Jul Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with W Canning and G Johnson

Sat 17 th Jul Presidents Afternoon, Speaker David Charles, TW Cowen's Beekeeping Life

and Rent a Hive with T Richards and M Drakeford 2:30 pm (H.P)

Sat 24 th Jul Making up feed and Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with D Pearce, T Trood and P Hopkins

Sat 31 st Jul Rent a Hive and preparation for flower show with A Halpin and A Robbins

6 th /7 th Aug Taunton and County Honey Show at Vivary Park.

Wed 11 th Aug Putting on Varroa Trays, clearing supers and feeding if necessary 7:00 pm (HP)

with J Gammon and M Priscott

Sat 14 th Aug 1 st Varroa treatment and Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with E Burgess and D Basterfield

Sat 28 th Aug 2 nd Varroa Treatment and Rent a Hive 7:00 pm (HP) with S Jones and A Coles

Sat 4 th Sep Extracting day and Rent a Hive at Haddeo, Bathealton with D.Pearce 10:00 am start

Sat 11 th Sep Feeding and Rent a Hive 5:00 pm (HP) with D Pearce and M Lewis

Sat 18 th Sep Topping up Feed and Rent a Hive 2:30 pm (HP) with D Morris and M Lewis

Sat 25 th Sep Take home for Rent a Hive 6:30 pm start (HP) with J Bevan and J Gammon

Wed 6 th Oct Year in Retrospect 7:30 pm (St A) M.Priscott.

Wed 13 th Oct Continuation Course (1) 7:30 pm (St.A)

Sat 16 th Oct Return and Sterilising of Rent a Hive equipment and close down 2:30 pm (HP)

with S Jones, D Pearce and A Cole

Wed 20 th Oct Continuation Course (2) 7:30 pm (St.A)

October Skittles TBA

Sat 23 rd Oct National Honey Show

Wed 27 th Oct Continuation Course (3) 7:30 pm (St.A)

Wed 3 rd Nov Continuation Course (4) 7:30 pm (St.A)

Sat 6 th Nov TDBK Div. AGM Life as a seasonal bee inspector with M Seymour 2:30 pm (St.A)

Wed 10 t h Nov Continuation Course (5) 7:30 pm (St.A)

Wed 17 th Nov Continuation Course (6) 7:30 pm (St A)

Sat 11th Dec TDBK Annual Dinner (venue to be announced)

Sat 11 th Dec Late varroa treatment using oxalic acid solution with K Edwards 2:30 pm (HP)

HP = Heatherton Park Apiary

St. A = St.Andrews Church Hall

NVA= Neroche Village Hall

2011

Wed 16 th Feb TBA

• Our headquarters and Apiary are at Heatherton Park.

  Follow the A38 from Taunton until you get to the Worlds End hotel (2.5 miles). On the opposite side of the road you will see a house with an archway through it. Go through this archway and drive for about 300m. Our Apiary and building are on the left. Beware of sleeping policemen!

  If you are coming from the Wellington direction it is 1.3 miles from the A38 roundabout.

  Please be aware that strict hygiene protocols are in force within the Heatherton Park Apiary

• Read our latest Newsletters: Or right click the link and click 'save target as' to keep a copy for reading or printing later.

• July 2010 ...plus .July suplement (Supers and Supering)
• May 2010...plus.......May suplement (Making up a nucleus)
• March 2010..plus.......March 2010 suplement (second hand equipment)
• February 2010
• January 2010

Please note, our newsletters use Adobe pdf format. To view them you will need the Adobe Reader software installed on your PC. To install a free version of this software follow the link below.

AGM Report November 2009 from David Morris

8 th November 2009

Gerald Fisher and Ken Tredgett, the county President and Chairman respectively, were amongst the members attending the AGM of the Taunton Beekeepers on Saturday 7 th November. Ken Basterfield a commercial beekeeper from Devon and one of the country's most senior lecturers, was the guest speaker. Ken described how he tries to make the task of beekeeping easier especially in respect of lifting some of the 90lb (when full), honey boxes that he uses on the hives. A modified sack truck illustrated how much easier it was to load heavy weights onto a trailer via his adapted ramp.

He then went on to show how washing machines, washing up bowls, old milk churns and a boiler helped in the process of extracting honey, preparing feed for the bees and rendering beeswax. After questions, a vote of thanks was given by David Morris who suggested that members get down to their local recycling depots as soon as possible.

After an excellent tea provided by Jenny Gammon and helpers, the business meeting was opened by Simon Jones, the President. During his deliberations he particularly thanked the officers and the committee for their immense contribution to the Division throughout a successful year. Mary Adams secretary, and Jenny Gammon, treasurer, both recorded their thanks for the support and help they had received and were duly re-elected. The membership had increased to 192 members, indicating that the interest in beekeeping over the past few years was still continuing.

Secretary - Mrs Mary Adams - 01823 432287