BEEKEEPERS MEET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 40, 10 November 1937, Page 10

BEEKEEPERS MEET

Field Day at Havelock North Apiary A most interesting field day was held' reeently at Mr W. J. O. Ashcroft's apiary, Havelock North, under ideal weather conditjons. Messrs. W. H. and W. J. O. Asherpft weleopied the visitors. The "field day was opened by Mr Walker, president pf the Hawke 's Bay branch of the National Beekeepers' AssOciation. Mr L. Riesterer, Apiary Instruetor, Dqpartmtnt pf Agriculture, Hastings, ably demohstrated the treatment of foul-brood, which he stated was the most serioug bee disease known in New Zaeland, After clearly explajning the -appearunce of f oul "bro^o'd " and the method pf testing to dxstiijgujsh between fpnl brood gnd the soniewh&t siigilar sac-brood, Mr Biegterer demonstrated the mehhpd of trqatpient and stressed the necegsity for prqyenting bees from robbing the colonies. Mr Riesterer said' that the trouble only effected the bee-laval and, while honey from affected hives should not be^fed to other colonies, its vaiue for human consumption was not affeGted. After the demonstration the instructqr answered various questions. Mr W. J. C. Ashcroft demenstrated two n?et}iods pf loeating thq qgeen, and explginqd that, as young qneenq ,we?e neces§ary fpr sitccessful beekeppipg, all beekeepers required to know hQ"w tb locate the queen. He first rejgoved tlxe super, examining eqch brpod-frame carfifnljy, pntil the queen was located, and'then showed tho. sievipg njethod, niaking qse of a .qneen excluder, " " Hr Ashcroft then caged the qpeen and passed her round for inspection, The next demonstration, ' "spring queen rearing," was giyen by Mr V. Shqpherd, whq first dealt with commercial queep rrp.ring, Greaf jnferegt was talfeii in thq grafting* pf larval info prepared queen" pell cupqV Thegq eupp, which are "of was 'se$ in" a wobden b§§9, wero first furnig/lied witH a"enshion pf royal jelly, which was taken* fipxn natural ' qneen pells. Newly hatcljqd Wprker larval were then transferred pnto the queen jelly in each cel'l cup. Hr Shepliard- clegr|y qxplfeinedl the* neeessary proceduro. , After "alf present had par-taken of a delieious afternopn tea kindly provided by Hrs W, J, Ashcroft, Hr W, 'H. Aqlierqft gaye .an interesting ajddress teaching pn -varipug ajaiters and SPPkP of the ' PQ§t of production, geing fheroughly intq. dqtails "i'h reiation ' tq large and §mall apiarieq. H» Ash.erfift alsp rplgtfid apuslng anecdQteg'rggardr ing the intelligence of the bee. Mr A, Lpwe .-.ext 4euj9n§trate4 V&ripus methods . pf awaym cqptrpi an4 pointed put that queeniraigjng had a direet bearing on " swa?m cpntr.pl" * a§ young |ueens were the firsf Bne or dgfenee. He also mentipned thatj in the normal way, this w&5 |hg fifne when beekeepers did not want their bees to swarm, as the niain houey flow wfigld begjn in about a fortnight's finie. Messrs W, H. and W. J. 0, Ashcroft showed their method of shifting hives, using apparatus of their own design, showing " how a large hive could be sliifted without interfering with the bees. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mrs Ashcroft for the delieious afternoon tea which sho had so kjndly pro; vided and to Mr W. J'. G. Ashcroft for tho use of his apiary. Great interest was talcen in the glass observation hive and in the honey housfi- 1