FASCINATING facts about bee colonies and bee keeping in the Mediterranean were the focus of a talk given to apiarists in Okehampton recently. Richard Ball, the National Beekeeping Inspector, delivered a presentation on beekeeping in Malta to Okehampton beekeepers at their last meeting held on December 11 at Shelley Methodist Hall, South Zeal. Richard had visited Malta previously in his professional capacity to deliver an intensive series of lectures to Maltese beekeepers. His presentation aimed to highlight the differences in Maltese beekeeping to the beekeeping methods used in Okehampton. He said: 'Malta is made up of three islands; Gozo, Comino and Malta. 'Historically, Malta has been famous for its honey production, the island's Greek name Melita derives from the Greek word Meli, which means honey. 'The Maltese climate is sub-tropical, which means that the bee colonies have two peaks during the year, spring and late autumn. 'Colonies raise queens in the autumn instead of the early summer, as in the UK. 'The history of Maltese beekeeping extends to pre- Roman times, the oldest apiary site on the islands is estimated to be more than 3,000 years old.' Malta remains world famous for its honey, particularly its thyme honey which commands a premium price of nearly £6 per lb. The meeting of the Okehampton branch of beekeepers is scheduled for 7.30pm on Tuesday January 8. Glyn Davies will be giving the second of his talks on the subject of queen honeybee eggs.
