03 Sep Spring Field Day
Spring Field Day
Sunday September 22
10.30am – 3.30pm
Cost $130
Lunch provided
We run seasonal field days, based around current seasonal conditions..
Our day starts with a small workshop component covering:
- Safety
- A little theory & discussion on basic preparation & assembly of hive materials, Q&A
- Seasonal considerations, what’s happening for the bees at this time
- Setting the scene for the day’s activities & encouraging experienced attendees to support beginners, we encourage questions from both as the flow-on discussions assist all
- Detailed explanation of what’s happening for the hives at the present time with a view to where they are heading in the weeks ahead.
- Risk & management strategies
- Flora & environment
Followed by inspections of our hives : practical beehive management.
The season will determine the content and may include:
- Checking how bees have come out of the Winter
- Cleaning and general inspections
- Installing & using feeders to save hives from starvation & to build them quickly.
- Petrol in the tank theory, helping the bees to get to natural forage
- Inspecting the brood for good laying pattern & disease
- Checking for queen cells & dealing with them.
- Finding the queen & assessing performance
- Replace old, dodgy queens to successfuly requeen, assuming queens/cells are available
- Make nucleus/split hive if queens available
- How to prove queen is OK without finding her
- Check pollen & honey stores
- Check space & accommodation requirements
- Adding boxes & material, seasonal expansion
- Equalization and disease control
- Build up & swarm management
- Catching swarms
- Check for problems & take immediate corrective action to encourage the bees to fix their own problems naturally, with time
- Discuss the natural order in the beehive and how to work with the bees
- Reading the signs, evaluating what’s really going on/has happened in the hive.
- Seasonal flora, pollen & nectar
- Insulation & ventilation
- Weather & Bees
- Balancing natural & practical beekeeping
- Q&A
We break for lunch between 1 & 2.
Our field days sometimes run a little late. If the sun’s out, the bees are happy and there’s more to explore we will continue. Those able, are welcome to stay a little longer.
Maximum number of participants is 12.
This allows for interesting discussion over lunch and good access/visibility during hive inspections.
If weather is unsuitable we will cancel the session and reschedule.
We believe the greatest benefit to you is achieved with first hand exposure to the hives.
Refunds will be given or a credit to a future field day.
Please contact Tracey on 0448 582 697 if you’d like to join us.
She will require a non refundable deposit of $30 to hold your place.
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