FOUR members of the Okehampton branch of Devon beekeepers were awarded their basic beekeeping certificates last month. The branch is encouraging its membership to train for exams with Ray Radford and these were the most recent of several passes so far this year. The group?s July apiary meeting was held at Gisela Banbury?s apiary near North Tawton on July 7. The persistent rainfall throughout June meant the beekeepers had a difficult month with many of them needing to feed their bee colonies to ward off starvation. Fortunately, the weather on the meeting day was ideal, which made for gentle bees and interesting, enjoyable hive inspections. Around 20 members attended, including several new faces, and the group was also pleased to welcome regional bee inspector Adam Vevers. Branch chairman Ray King inspected brood nests in two of Gisela Banbury?s three colonies. Newcomers to the group were shown how to recognise queen honeybee eggs, and the group was fortunate in being able to observe a new queen hatching out and emerging. She was caught and packaged for introduction to a queenless colony. The Okehampton beekeepers will be in the beekeeping marquee at the Okehampton Show on August 9. Among their exhibits there will be the branch?s observation hive, as well as cream and honey scone tasting, candle rolling, and honey sales.
