Canterbury Beekeepers

Our last apiary meeting of the summer will be on 16th September in Janet MacDonald and Jenny Warbey’s apiary, which is on the grounds at Wildwood in Herne.  The focus will be looking at various hive patterns, and it will be an opportunity to discuss advantages and disadvantages of several of the common (and less common) hives.

Saturday 16th September – time 2-4pm

Please can you let Janet know by the morning of Saturday 16th September, if you will be coming so that she can let the park know numbers to expect.

Bee Zone
Wildwood Trust
Wealden Forest Park
Canterbury Road
Herne Common
CT6 7LQ

Park in the Main car park and meet outside the Main entrance at 2 pm. We will then sign you all in to the park, free of charge, and then will take you to Bee zone.
Bring a bee suit if you have your own (usual apiary hygiene rules apply – clean suits and gloves) and we have plenty of suits to borrow if you do not have your own suit.
Refreshments provided – please stay for a chat and some tea and goodies.  If weather is bad then you are still welcome – we won’t be able to open hives but can sit in the shelter and talk bees.

Our next apiary meeting will be at our Palmsted Wood apiary on Saturday July 1st between 2-4pm.

Many colonies will reach their maximum size around the summer solstice, so we’ll be looking at uniting smaller colonies to make a big colony for honey production, doing a comb change procedure on weak and strong colonies (to reduce the burden of infective diseases and varroa), and possibly requeening. We’ll also discuss care of colonies started from swarms.

For any newbees, we will show you the principles of opening a beehive, and looking for signs of health, and any swarming preparations.  If you don’t have a suit, we have a small selection from which you can borrow for the afternoon.  We don’t like leather gloves, but kitchen marigolds are fine, as are hospital/surgeons’ gloves.  Wear wellie boots (to keep the bees from your ankles), and preferably avoid woollen/hairy clothing, as bees can get caught up in the fibres. 

As usual, please come with clean suits and gloves. Per Kent BKA requirements, we will ask folks to sign a disclaimer form, acknowledging the (small) risks inherent in beekeeping. Any questions about visiting the apiary, just drop a line to Adrian at chairman@canterburybeekeepers.org.uk

Here are a few different ways to locate the apiary entrance – it’s a shared driveway, and you should enter the wood using the left-hand gate. People should already be present when you arrive – expect to drive down about 100 yards and we will indicate where to park.

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If you find yourself at Highfield nursing home, you are close! The apiary entrance is the other side of the road, approximately 50m towards the woods