Basingstoke Beekeeper June 1991 Foul Brood Many of you will know already that there have been a number of outbreaks of foulbrood in the area and I am trying to keep track as far as I can on precisely where these outbreaks are. The most significant of these outbreaks as far as most members will be concerned is one case of AFB on the Association Apiary at St John's copse -- the colony in question has been destroyed in the prescribed manner by Peter Smith, the Bee Diseases Inspector for our area. Sue's and my apiary in Pack Lane, Kempshott has EFB and is presently undergoing treatment, Harry and Mo Mayers' colony at Up Nateley is still very lightly infected and Chris Mounty has colonies with EFB on sites at Bentworth & Brown Candover. There is also a reported case of AFB in Old Basing but I don't know precisely where. All apiaries with foul brood are given a 'standstill notice' which makes it illegal (as well as very improper) to move bees from that site until given an official 'all clear' by the Bee Diseases Inspector. If you are within three miles of any of these sites you should receive a call and inspection from Peter Smith. If you even suspect you may have either EFB or AFB you must contact the Bee Diseases Inspector and he will check your colonies and have a comb inspected by Luddington if he sees evidence -- he doesn't mind false alarms! and there is no charge for the service. Do you know what to look for? many people don't. In the earlier stages, EFB is typically seen as larv‘ in unnatural positions, often discoloured yellowish or grey. As the larv‘ get older, they develop a 'melted down' appearance which varies between a fairly normal creamy colour darkening towards brown, but with little or no normal shape. If you insert a matchstick into the cell, stir it around and remove it, the deposit comes away with a somewhat lumpy cream- cheese like texture, possibly with a slight tendency to string like AFB. If you don't get this 'glop' then they probably have some 'sac brood', a fairly minor problem which can normally be ignored unless very bad. EFB and sacbrood each form a scale in the bottom of the cell from where it can easily be removed. AFB generally affects larv‘ once they are capped over, the first clues being darkened and sunken cappings, frequently punctured and a number of apparently empty cells giving a 'pepperbox' appearance. On closer inspection, the 'empty' cells will be found to contain a scale which cannot be removed without breaking the cell wall. The matchstick test with AFB results in a sticky brown coloured substance which 'ropes' or 'strings' when the matchstick is pulled away, rather as Bostik does. How could I get it? There is some evidence that the diseases may be around all the time but only occasionally become evident -- generally there is only a small age range during which larv‘ can become infected. Isolated outbreaks may be triggered by such things as the well intentioned leaving out of honey jars for the bees to clean, particularly where imported honey is involved. Outbreaks in affected areas are probably caused by robbing of an infected colony during its dying days. The only way that beekeepers themselves are likely to be involved is if they move from an infected colony to an uninfected one and carry the disease (a bacterium in both cases) on their equipment. Since before my outbreak, I have been wearing disposable rubber gloves (Sainsbury's 91p/10) and boiling hive tools between apiaries. This will not only minimise the risk of me infecting anyone else's colonies but will also minimise the risk of infection or re-infection of my colonies. Other Reported cases of EFB are at Ringwood and Richmond. Bee Diseases Insurance Enclosed with this newsletter you will find a copy of the current premium and compensation rates for BDI. I have also a limited number of copies of the terms which I will supply if you ask me (I may include a copy with the newsletter if I have or can get enough). Do remember that claims will be reduced pro-rata if you are underinsured, and that insurance taken out after March take 40 days to come into effect. Have you covered your self for that swarm you caught or your own artificial swarm? Remember also that the pro-rata rule applies to all colonies on shared apiaries. Beekeeping Hygiene Do you sterilise your beekeeping equipment? Hives; frames; wax, including comb and honey; cover boards etc. can all be sterilised using glacial acetic acid, as recommended by John Furzey in the last Bee Talk (although he tells me that he does not ventilate hives after sterilisation because open hives of wax etc. collect bees by the thousand). Unfortunately, the acid does attack many metals and this includes hive frame runners, metal escapes and foundation wires (although the new stainless wire may be immune) so you may feel the need to remove some metalwork from you equipment. Some equipment like the metal work and cotton clothing can be boiled, but don't boil leather gloves or plastics like veils or polyester bee suits as these may be damaged. Hives parts and tools which are heatproof can be sterilised with a blowlamp; wooden parts sterilised in this way should have the surface lightly charred to guarantee destruction of all living organisms. Make sure that lumps of wax, propolis etc. are all removed to avoid entrapment of infections within them, although if wax or propolis boils, little is likely to survive within them. Irradiation One of the methods available to destroy bacterial & viral contamination of equipment (but not of course live bees) is irradiation, a technique rather like giving a very high X-ray dose to the materials, resulting in almost total sterilisation. This is an effective method of hygiene control which will destroy not just EFB (97%) and AFB 99.99%), but all the other pests as well -- sac brood, chalk brood, wax moth, nosema, amþba etc., on both hive equipment and clothing, and may therefore be of interest to members. John Furzey has used irradiation extensively. I believe that irradiation may not at present be used for foods for human consumption in this country. Isotron plc in Swindon offer an irradiation service which Chris and I may use this autumn as part of our sterilisation programmes. The cost is modest if demand is sufficient to cover the minimum charge. If you are interested in joining us, please give one of us a call. Buckfast Abbey I have been asked to try to organise a visit to Buckfast Abbey, the home of Brother Adam. After discussions with Buckfast and Association members, it seems that the best time to go is out of the beekeeping season so that we can meet the people involved in beekeeping and hopefully Brother Adam himself, although he is now in his nineties and tires easily. By going later in the year we will be able to spend longer with the beekeepers themselves, rather than being given a 'quick look around of the home apiary' and then finish. I am proposing that we visit on the Saturday 26th of October. This will give us a reasonably long day which we will need for the journey, and will avoid the worst of the traffic and problems of winter roads. The Abbey staff are not concerned about number of visitors in any group, although they would like to know about one week before so that they can ensure that lunches can be catered. However, I would like to get a reasonable idea of numbers so that I can consider and arrange transport. Probably this will consist of various members cars unless the numbers appear substantial when a minibus or coach may be feasible (there may be a minibus available anyway). To help me plan the visit and transport etc, please inform me if you would like to go, and if you are able to offer the use of a car or want a seat in one. Sparsholt Beekeeping Unit First the good news: The Beekeeping Unit at Sparsholt has received a 'stay of execution' for a further year. It does still have to look for alternative methods of funding for the longer term, but at least there is some time in which to do this. Heather Permits Costs for New Forest Heather Permits for this season are: Key Deposit œ10.00 First Colony œ 3.50 Further colonies œ 2.77 each North East Hampshire Heathlands Project As you may know from local press and television reports, the Nature Conservancy Council, Hampshire County Council and District Councils in north- east Hampshire (including Basingstoke & Deane) are jointly sponsoring this three year project. The Project Officer's brief is to restore and introduce management schemes for as many areas of heathland in the north-east of the county as possible. Sustainable economic use of heathlands is an important factor in their successful management. For example, some ares are already being grazed and birch scrub is likely to be 'cropped' by besom broom makers. Other uses are being considered, including migratory beekeeping for heather honey. To encourage local beekeepers, the Project Officer has offered to set aside sites for hives and provide suitable hive stands. This is an attractive proposition as there are 3000 hectares of heathland within a twenty-five mile radius of Basingstoke which could provide a valuable alternative to the New Forest for some local beekeepers. The Project Officer would be happy to meet interested beekeepers to discuss his proposal in more detail. If you are interested, please contact David Purchase on Basingstoke 781288 not later than 21st June, to enable plans to be agreed in time for this year's heather honey crop. Bee Pond. After receiving telephone calls, from people living across the road from the Association apiary, about the numbers of bees using their garden ponds, I have put a small pond in the apiary to try to lure the bees away. The pond, about 6-8 feet across, is located a little way from the hives, towards the village and is at present little more than a mud and water filled hole (with a butyl liner). There is, of course, no source of water on the site and all water for this pond must be fetched in buckets, SO, if you go to the apiary, please try to bring some water and help to keep it topped up. The bees will also appreciate some dense floating weeds etc. that they may stand upon whilst collecting, so please donate a handful if you have any spare. HBA Spring Convention Richard Thomas' talk on Market Forces on Hampshire Beekeepers could have been very dry and boring with graphs and charts of numbers and so on. So it came as quite a surprise to find graphs and charts could be stimulating, fun and interesting. I didn't quite understand how Mr. Thomas achieved this but achieve it he certainly did and his splendid humour was a major factor. He managed to put across so much information that trying to pass it all on would be hopeless! Main features covered worldwide aspects of where honey was produced, where it was marketed and where it was consumed (Germany is by far the biggest market in Europe, importing vast amounts). Also mentioned was the fact that various organisations and countries figures rarely if ever 'add up'! Brian Kidd of the Portsmouth Council Parks Department talked about his experiences, particularly with respect to the 'city in bloom' initiatives around the country and especially in Portsmouth. He gave many examples and anecdotes about his efforts to get Portsmouth to plant up, including how 'rough' neighbourhoods get transformed, and how to get around the 'we can't do that here' syndrome (e.g. give BIG planters to the local police -- if they put them on the pavement -- and frankly they couldn't put these anywhere else -- so can we all!). Again, a superb sense of humour was the order of the day; this was one of the most amusing talks I have ever attended. If you don't already know Brian, you can hear him on Radio Solent in the Saturday lunchtime 'Topsoil' gardening programme. Our final talk of the day, from Barry Potter, was entitled 'Lazyman's Beekeeping' and was yet again highly amusing. Despite the title ("I tried to change it but Theresa said no chance") Mr. Potter declared that wasn't actually going to be the subject of his talk. However there was much lazyman's advice, sometimes 'alternative' ("Use WBCs -- that way you won't be tempted to move them"; "I use a hot air paint stripper for uncapping -- it takes the same time as cutting the cappings off, but it's cleaner and saves hours cleaning up afterwards; you know -- hands, clothes, floors, walls, worktops, doorhandles, banisters, toilet seats, etc."). Much of the talk was in fact on his experiences in and around beekeeping, mostly on his present home ground of Yorkshire. Chelsea Flower Show This year, Clive d'Bruyn, the Essex County Bee Lecturer, took a stand at the Chelsea Flower Show to represent bees and beekeeping. Although such stands are expensive, Clive was able to do this with the help of financial support from BBKA and various county Associations, including the Hampshire Beekeeper's Association. NBU Funding At the moment, the best description for this situation may be 'a mess'. Formalised capitation as a way of raising the required funds has been rejected and funding therefore remains as a 'voluntary contribution'. Whilst this sounds reasonable, the end result is likely to be that a small proportion of beekeepers pay most of the monies whilst everyone gets the benefit -- I don't see it working, do you? Maybe the view will change if (when?) it proves that the system doesn't work, but I hope that we are not risking the facility in the meantime because of the "If they won't pay for it. they don't want it" view. I would appreciate members views on the whole situation. The present plan regarding administration is that BBKA set up a fund management committee to define the activities to be done by the NBU and to supply funding specifically for those activities, rather than giving NBU a free hand as was originally proposed. What are your views please? John Furzey Many of you will know that John was made redundant at the end of April this year, as a consequence of his new employer's attempts to get to grips with the financial realities of bee farming. John is presently without a job and is looking either for further work as a bee farmer, or for part-time work in another field to allow him to run a modest bee farm of his own, possibly concentrating on queen rearing. Swarms Whilst the recent cool weather has slowed the swarming a bit, there are a number of swarms about and there will probably be more yet. If you want a swarm or swarms, particularly if you are interested in collecting them, please inform me and I'll try to inform you when they arise. An experienced beekeeper is usually available to help out if you're a beginner. Many newly collected swarms this year seem to be absconding -- I don't know why -- but if it happens to you, its probably not 'your fault'. Putting a feed on a newly collected swarm certainly encourages them to stay and gives them a good start, but so far this year even that has been of limited help. Basingstoke Beekeeper September 1991 NBU FUNDING BBKA are now requesting that Associations send to them the voluntary contributions that have been collected for this year. As you probably know, BDBKA has been trying to get a clear and concise method established for making such donations in the belief that a purely voluntary system is liable to be unworkable. So far, BBKA have avoided making payment mandatory and have left the decision whether or not to donate, entirely to each and every individual member. Our concern as the BDBKA Committee is that by leaving the arrangements this open, then the monies will be collected from only a few conscientious beekeepers who will therefore 'carry' the remainder of beekeepers, or more likely that the system will collapse and require a rethink. For the time being, to show some support for the NBU, BDBKA has agreed to send a œ20.00 interim payment for this year from Association funds and we would ask members to contribute to the Association to help us cover this figure. As the situation is at present, the NBU 'needs' a contribution of œ1.50 from each member. If, like your Committee, you feel that we should support the NBU, please send a contribution of at least this amount to the Treasurer who will arrange to forward the total amount raised. Foulbrood Unfortunately the problems in our area continue. Two further colonies in the Association's Apiary have been diagnosed AFB and have been destroyed. This means that the standstill order which has been in force for most of this year will now continue throughout the winter. Please note that a standstill order means the bees and equipment etc. must not be removed from the apiary. There is no restriction of visits to such an apiary, although I would recommend sensible hygiene precautions e.g. bare hands or rubber gloves, boil or torch hive tools etc. Remember that FEEDERS are equipment which comes under this heading -- once you've taken such equipment there you must not take it away again until the standstill order is removed! It seems that foulbrood infections are widespread and in quantity this year. There are several views on why this may be. Concern has been expressed for several years now that the Bee Disease Officers do not automatically check all colonies periodically, and that when EFB is found, contact colonies are not treated along with the infected colonies. The view is held by a number of authorities that EFB at least, is present but dormant in most colonies and is triggered by stress in the bees. Bees, and most other creatures for that matter, are more prone to diseases when stressed and the weather this spring and June was enough to stress anyone. I have had related to me, some of Clive De Bruyn's views on EFB. I understand that he feels that contact colonies should always be treated when a outbreak is found, a view which is in contradiction with that presently held by the Ministry -- perhaps, given time, MAFF will alter its views?. Clive does of course agree with them that 'precautionary treatment' is highly undesireable as this encourages resistance to the antibiotics. Those of you with whom I have discussed Sue's and my colonies infection will probably know that we have EFB which looks rather like AFB, in that it is brown & sticky and is frequently found under sealed cappings. Clive's view is that this is caused by a secondary infection and is not, as we had been concerned, a 'new mutation'. However there is still a difficulty: As you may realise, antibiotics do not kill bacteria but simply remove their ability to reproduce, giving the bees time to clean the infection from the nest. Probably because of the sealed cells, it appears that the bees may not be cleaning infected cells quickly enough, so the infection remains after eight weeks treatment time! Have you seen this problem? HBA Honey Show Manager. I am pleased to tell you that Tony Bamberger is the new HBA Honey Show manager, aided and supported by Norman Hughes. As many of you will know, Tony has an interest in honey showing, so this should be a worthwhile new departure for him. And Honey Showing. By coincidence, the BDBKA Committee decided earlier in the year to try to foster more interest in showing, hence the talk from Hazel Blackburn in September. Amongst our aims is to encourage those who are a little reticent to 'have a go'. The standard seen at shows is quite variable and anyone who makes an effort to present well should have no fears of embarrassment. It has been a while since Basingstoke has been represented in force at a Honey Show, although we are well known for supporting very strongly most other events. A further reason for our wish to encourage showing is the feeling that these are events which can both strengthen an Association and 'polish' the quality of honey produced by its members, not just at shows but also in the shops etc. where we sell our produce and either make our living or for most of us, finance our hobby. It is important for both amateurs and professional beekeepers that our produce continues to be seen as a wholesome quality product. Buckfast Abbey The visit to Buckfast on 26 October should go ahead with, so far, no anticipated difficulties. At present I have names for about a dozen people who wish to go and I enclose a brief note with this newsletter if you are on my list. If you should be on the list but don't get the note, or if you want to be added to the list phone me! As I said in the last newsletter, the Abbey staff are not concerned about number of visitors in any group, but they would like to know about one week before so that they can ensure that lunches can be catered. I would like to know names and numbers so that I can arrange transport. Probably this will consist of various members cars unless the numbers appear substantial when a minibus or coach may be feasible (there may be a minibus available anyway). F‚te Display. Dave Purchase and I are to refurbish and update the display that we use for F‚tes etc. We would like to collect reproducible photographs of beekeeping activities which we can then have enlarged. We would particularly like to see Basingstoke activities, but any other information will be warmly welcomed. Any material used will be copied and the originals returned. See Dave or Gordon. Apiary Meetings We would like to reorganise the way we operate apiary meeting to both remove some of the workload from Frank, and perhaps make our meetings more flexible. One possible method would be to organise a rota of experienced members to look after the colonies for one or two weekends during the year, and to be available at those weekends for informal beekeeping with those who wish to participate or help. If you would be willing to consider participating in scheme something like this, please inform Gordon. Also If you have any ideas for this or other methods of running Association colonies and apiary meetings, please give your ideas to a member of the Committe as we wish to discuss these ideas at the next (Oct. 15) Committee Meeting. Varroa Search It is again the time of year when we should carry out the ADAS recommended tobacco smoke test on our colonies. I shall try to include in newsletters for recent members, a copy of the colour leaflet which outlines the method, but if I miss you and/or you want a copy please feel free to ask for one as I have plenty. The method is quite simple and gives a good chance of finding this pest if it reaches our shores. Basingstoke Beekeeper December 1991 A Merry Christmas Wishing a very merry Xmas and a happy, prosperous & productive new year to all our members and their thousands of little friends. Sung to the tune of 'O little town of Bethlehem'   O little Town of Basingstoke, All Beekeepers draw nigh. About the summer crops and Blooms, in winter may we sigh. But in the dark nights shineth an everlasting thought, that now's the time when you can clean and sort out all you've bought. So Beekeepers of Basingstoke must all be of good cheer, for what you gained or what you lost will guide you through next year. In ev'ry apiarists foremost thoughts this simple theme impart so here's to hives and bursting combs right from the seasons start. Anon.   HBA Honey Show 1991 Various of our members put entries into the HBA Honey show this year and did a very good showing indeed. Most who entered one some award, some several. Although we took only one 'cup' (wooden bowl actually) we were surprisingly close behind several others -- Well done everyone who took part. I hope to have more details of the proceeding is a future newsletter. -- GLS. A Cautionary Tale By Dave Purchase. As some of you will know, I had two colonies destroyed in mid-September because of American Foul Brood. I hope that others will benefit from this account of my experience (based on my colony records) in view of the big increase in both AFB and EFB in the Basingstoke area this year. Both colonies had been taken early in August to the heather in the Yateley Country Park together with colonies belonging to four other members of the Association. AFB was diagnosed at the heather which meant that a Standstill Order came into effect for the remaining 19 colonies on the site. Because it was late in the season, the Order with its attendant problems will remain effective until next April. The Bee Diseases Officer (BDO) was of the opinion that AFB had been present for up to eight weeks. Both colonies were inspected in late July before moving them to the heather. I saw no signs of AFB although one colony was quite badly affected with Sacbrood, however if the BDO's opinion was correct the AFB was present in its early stages at that time. I had been concerned about the colony with Sacbrood since May and had asked the BDO to inspect it. After two postponements caused by bad weather, he carried out an inspection in mid-June and reported that there was no foulbrood present. He also cleared the second of my two colonies on the site. He did confirm, however, that the first colony was quite badly affected by Sacbrood (although in other respects it was a reasonable colony). A leading beekeeper to whom I have spoken (holder of the National Diploma in Beekeeping and active in BBKA nationally) and two of my beekeeping textbooks confirm that it is possible to confuse AFB with the more advanced stages of Sacbrood (and EFB with the early stages of Sacbrood). Therefore, if AFB was present before moving the colonies, I must have overlooked it in the one colony because of the presence of Sacbrood. I had seen AFB before and new what to look for and was satisfied that it was not present in the second colony, which probably became infected when I transferred a frame of brood from the first colony to the second in mid-August to boost the latter which had not built up very well since swarming in June. I was unable to carry out a close inspection when I transferred the frame because I had to travel to Yateley in my lunch break and was short of time. Superficially, however, the frame looked much as it had done all season with signs of Sacbrood. Ideally, I should have re-queened earlier in the season in an attempt to eliminate the disease. Incidently, my reason for taking two mediocre colonies to the heather was not to gain a crop but to enable me to move the colonies to a new, more sheltered, site, some 30 metres from the original in the grounds of Oakley Manor. The experience has taught me three valuable lessons:. 1) When inspecting colonies for Foulbrood, pay particular attention to those which are affected by Sacbrood (or, possibly, other minor brood diseases), even if they were given a clean bill of health only a short while earlier; 2) Once on the heather, or with beans or rape for that matter, try hard to continue with regular inspections as you would in the home apiary, even if distance and lack of time make that difficult; and 3) Do not 'equalise' colonies unless the stronger colony is known to be free of all disease, as a minor brood disease, like Sacbrood, could make it more difficult to identify the early stages of foulbrood, thereby increasing the risk of overlooking it. To those who might feel that 2) and possibly 3) are overreactions to my recent bitter experience, I would reply that we have a duty to our bees and our fellow beekeepers to do all we possibly can to stop the spread of AFB and EFB in our area. Finally, a question to ponder. Are marauding wasps in late summer able to transmit AFB and EFB in the same way as the better known carriers such as robber bees and drifting? The increase in cases of the two types of foulbrood this year has been meteoric in most areas -- typically up 50% and sometimes much worse (in terms of the number of cases, Basingstoke has been little affected this year). I have to agree with Dave that Sacbrood can be difficult for many of us to tell apart from either EFB or AFB -- if in doubt, call Peter Smith, our local BDO. Hygiene is a fundamental tool in controlling all diseases: In the apiary it will minimise the risk of spread amongst colonies whilst you are working them -- clean tools, hands etc. between apiaries. During the winter and if moving empty hives, frames, feeders etc., sterilise them using for example a blowlamp, boiling/steaming, or acetic acid fumes (the 80% glacial type available from Steele & Brodie or Chemists). Always sterilise new equipment (unless of course it has bees in it) using one of the above methods. If you get new bees from a source in which you do not have 100% confidence, try to quarantine them until you are sure they are o.k. This is easy said, of course, but really needs an apiary away from others. Remember that most if not all diseases are more likely to 'get a hold' when the host (bees in this case) is under stress. Try to minimise the stress on your bees -- don't let them run too low on food during winter or the June gap, don't use too much smoke, keep your fingers crossed that next June is better than last June etc. Strong colonies are more able to resist disease than weak colonies (although of course they could may be more likely to be exposed to it if they are the robbers), so requeening regularly can help the bees to control problems -- remember that diseases are infections which must be cleared before the problems go away and generally its the bees which do the clearing, not the medication. GLS Apiary Meetings Frank Allan intends to 'retire' from the post of Apiary Manager which he has now been doing for some years. Frank feels the need for a change and for more freedom to look after his own bees. The Association normally keeps some colonies at St. John's Copse and these were also managed by Frank who held apiary meetings typically once a month where all were invited to join him inspecting these and sometimes other colonies. The turnout to these meetings has been variable and at times the meeting has been very poorly attended. Whilst Dave Purchase has offered to stand for Apiary Manager next year, he does not feel in a position to run apiary meetings or indeed to find the time to manage Association colonies, so unless another volunteer comes forward the present system must end. All is not lost however, as we have been considering another way of getting beginners to the bees, by having available a list of reasonably or very experienced beekeepers who are happy to have beginners (or anyone else for that matter) join them in their normal beekeeping activities. There are several benefits to this system which probably make it advantageous overall Beekeeping experience should be available on every seasonable weekend throughout the year. The opportunities and experiences will vary, some beekeepers having fixed apiaries, some migrating etc. Exposure to more colonies with the increased likelihood of seeing interesting things (unfortunately not always pleasant e.g. diseases, but maybe more important for that). Exposure to a wider range of beekeeping styles, methods and ideas. The Holly & The Ivy A Seasonal Appraisal. Holly is a genus of 300 species of trees and shrubs. The common holly, Ilex Aquifolium, is the most common evergreen tree in Britain, although mostly grown as a shrub. The many garden varieties available range from the smooth, leathery, dark green and prickly species types, through various coloured marginal versions etc. The various species have inconspicuous five-petalled flowers about 6-10mm across borne around April to June. The flowers secrete nectar freely and this is much sought after by the honey bee to whom it is easily accessible. Unfortunately it is not a very reliable source and lasts only two to three weeks. Generally, male and female flowers are carried on separate plants with (of course) only the females bearing the bright red or occasionally yellow berries, so if you want the seasonal fruits you need a female with a male in near proximity. Fortunately, many of the males are attractive variegated varieties so are worthy plants for any garden and they are also, unlike the female, a source of pollen. Curiously, most male plants are called ...Queen whilst most female plants are called ...King -- Is there a historical 'King Bee' connection here? Slow growing, the holly makes an excellent hedge which forms a fine backdrop to a garden as well as a pretty effective barrier against intruders, however extensive clipping will reduce the number of berries. Ilex x Altaclarensis 'Golden King' is a female plant with golden margins to the almost spineless leaves and with large red berries. Ilex Aquifolium 'Amber' is a freely berrying female with dark green leaves and orange berries carried in tight clusters. I.A. 'Argenteo-Marginata' male and female trees, both having oval spiny leaves edged with silver, the female bearing large crops of berries. A-G pendula or 'Perry's Silver Weeping' is a female tree forming a large dome. I.A. 'Ferox' the 'hedgehog' holly has leaves which are remarkable for having spines not just around the edges but also over the surface of the leaf. Ferox Argentea has cream/white spines. I.A. 'Golden Queen' is male with exceptionally shiny, golden margined leaves. I.A. 'J. C. van Tol' is a freely berrying female with almost spineless leaves and bright scarlet fruits. I.A. 'Silver Queen' is male with striking dark green architectural leaves margined with silvery cream, the young growth often with a pink hue. Ivy is a genus of 15 species of evergreen climbers. Two forms of growth are produced, the juvenile or runner growth which climbs over the host, and the adult or arborescent growth which has no aerial roots and bears the flowers and fruits. Ivy is not a parasite as was once thought and does no harm to the trees which it climbs provided that is does not get so large that the extra windage of the ivy causes structural damage in high winds. Similarly, it does no harm to buildings unless the mortar is so old that it crumbles and falls out when it should be repointed in any case. As a bee plant, the juvenile phase is of no use to us, however at that stage ivy does make a splendid garden plant. When the later arborescent phase is reached (which may take 10-20 years) the plant is an excellent source of both nectar and pollen very late in the season (Sept-Dec) and is often as efficient as heather for supplying the bees their winter feed. Interestingly, cuttings taken from the arborescent stage tend to continue with that phase of growth and can therefore reduce the long wait for flowers. Few if any plants may be bought in this stage so growing your own cuttings will probably be necessary and is still quite slow. As with hollies, many variegated forms are available, often with superb colouring although the arborescent growth often loses this. Hedera Colchica (Persian Ivy) 'Dentata' has thin widely toothed dark green leaves, sometimes with a purplish tinge and is an excellent wall plant. H.C. 'Variagata' has leaves marked with creamy-yellow and pale green. Hedera Helix (Common Ivy) 'Buttercup' aka 'Golden Cloud' aka 'Russel's Gold' is one of the finest golden ivies H.H. 'Discolor' (sic) is a neat, small leaved plant, mottled with red-tinged cream. H.H. 'Silver Queen' aka 'Marginata' has grey & blue/green centres with cream/white margins tinged with pink in thew winter. Buckfast Abbey Fourteen members of the Association met at a Basingstoke carpark at 8:00 am on Saturday, 26th October, to travel by minibus to Buckfast. The morning was cool and overcast but that did not repress the spirit of beekeepers enthused by the news from Gordon that Brother Adam would be there to greet us in person. The trip was long, nearly four hours and about 160 miles, but uneventful. The scenery was pleasant but not at is best on a damp autumn day, and a break mid-way for late breakfast/mid-morning snack (depending on ones usual Saturday morning habits) was very welcome. A large field of yellow near Exeter was a magnet to beekeeping eyes. It was mustard, very similar to rape, but too late in the year to be of much benefit to bees. Harry and Mo had chosen to travel by car to Buckfast as they were going on afterwards to friends nearby where they had arranged to stay the weekend. Also meeting us there was Brian McMillan, a member from a few years ago and previously owner of Merrileas Garden Centre in Kempshott. Brian reports that his quality of life in Dartmoor is much improved and that he is enjoying his new life there very much. We were taken by a guide to the extracting room where Brother Adam was waiting, his manner and appearance belying his 93 years. It was a humbling experience to be in the presence of a world authority on bees and beekeeping. Brother Adam conducted us around the extracting and wax rendering rooms, the bottling plant and his library. Most of the equipment was old, dating from around the 1930s and was frequently carved and decorated in a fascinating mixture of Art Deco and Gothic styles, but was nevertheless very robust and well maintained. The overall impression was one of spaciousness and business- like efficiency, but tempered with a distinct church-like quality. It was difficult not to feel envious when contrasting the facilities with the garden sheds and overcrowded kitchens with which most of us were familiar! Our envy was tempered somewhat by the news that the 1991 honey crop had been very poor indeed. There followed a walk of several hundred yards through the very attractive Abbey gardens alongside the pristine River Dart to the home apiary. Brother Adam set a brisk pace which would have been a credit to a man half his age. The apiary was spacious but sheltered, with an attractive queen rearing house as its focal point and impeccably maintained, the grass for example having proper 'stripes' which appeared to run right under the hive stands. There were several groups of four hives, each hive entrance facing a different direction to minimise drifting. In the queen-rearing house we were shown a large queen cell incubator and one of the breeder colonies which took no notice of a sea of unprotected faces when Brother Adam removed the crownboard. After thanking Brother Adam for a never-to-be-forgotten morning, we lunched in the recently opened million-pound restaurant tastefully constructed in the style of the Abbey Complex. Following lunch we had a free hour to visit the various minor attractions in the vicinity before meeting for a tour of the Abbey Church itself. Our guide was Brother Nicholas who brought alive in very entertaining fashion the fantastic achievement of the four monks who, with occasional help from two others, rebuilt the entire Abbey Church from scratch and true to its original form over a thirty year period early in this century. Their spirit must have been indomitable. That ended our visit which passed all too quickly. The long journey home was to have been relieved by a stop for tea. Unfortunately our small band of minibus travellers was redefined as a 'coach party' by the staff of a Little Chef, thus preventing us from dining in the absence of a prior booking. However, the thought of forgoing a typical Little Chef meal was not too distressing and we completed our journey hungry but happy. Many thanks to Gordon for organising the visit and to Gordon & Chris for sharing the driving. Dave Purchase. For anyone who did not join us and who would like to visit, the Abbey is open to the public during most if not all of the year and I believe that you can just ask to visit the beekeeping unit. It is not very likely that you would meet Brother Adam this way but you never know. There are also various other areas, such as the stained glass workshops, which we were unable to see in the limited time available. - GLS Editor -- 1994 Bro. Adam is no longer active as a beekeeper (officially at least). Food Hygiene Regulations The statement By Mr. Rutty made at the Autumn Convention, on the subject of registration of food premises, was that beekeepers should 'wait and see'. There was no need to try and register yet as even the environmental health officers did not yet know precisely what was to be done and honey is not yet classified properly under the act. It is quite feasible that honey may ultimately be exempted. Sparsholt College Don't forget that Sparsholt beekeeping unit needs 'bums on seats' as part of its quest for viability. As usual there are various courses throughout the year (will the foulbrood courses be oversubscribed this year?) as well as the usual adult bee disease diagnosis, beekeeping examinations etc.