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Chairman's Address,
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Chairman's Address,
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Chairman's Review of Year 2004
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Annual Report on Dun Aonghusa Breeding Apiary - Year 2004
Work Party
On Sunday 15th February we had our annual work day in the breeding apiary. Present were Michael Maunsell, Dennis, Joe, Jim, James, Liam, Sally, Bea and Micheál Mac. Commencing at 10.00 a.m. we got through a great deal of work involved in the preparation of two large beds in the bee garden. A number of flowering shrubs were planted also. Great credit is due to those voluntary workers who turned up on the day. Of course a lot of extra work had to be done during the year in the development and maintenance of the bee garden site and breeding apiary. A tremendous amount of work still remains to be done this year so as to have this showpiece looking its best for the many beekeepers from overseas who are due to visit in conjunction with their participation in the Apimondia conference tours next August. It will be necessary to have at least three work days during the spring and summer as well as the normal ongoing maintenance.
Spring Maintenance
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From 25th. to 28th February all hives, stands, huts, and Apidea stands were treated with creosote. Garden wooden seats and picnic tables were treated with medium oak fencelife preservative. Looking at my diary, I find that I spent a few days in early March digging out briars and cleaning up the fence by the wood. On St Patrick's Day I was cleaning up the frames of Apidea boxes and a day was spent planting out snowdrops. All colonies were treated with Bayvarol and stimulative feeding of cell rearing and drone production colonies was carried out during April and early May. On 8 June I got a man to spray the beds etc. with Roundup to kill scutch grass and Bishop's Weed etc. and he spent two days removing branches and cutting back overgrown bushes. On the 18th and 19th June I succeeded in getting a family member to tidy up the sheds and I.I. hut in preparation for visiting groups and I.I. sessions. |
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Visitors and Videos - U.S.A., Belgium and Co. Kerry
On the 13th. May Redmond came and took some photographs and made a video. On 17th. May
we had the first visitors to the apiary who were two beekeepers from U.S., Gene and Shirley
Foley. On the 24th May I recorded a very heavy flowering of Sycamore and Horse Chestnut in
the neighbourhood.
On 25th. May Redmond called again to make a video of cell raising at Dun
Aonghusa and filling Apidea at Shanbally apiary. On 30th. May we had a visit from two
Austrian beekeepers. On 11th. June Mr Richard Collins inspected the apiary for brood
disease and took samples of brood for diagnostics. He also took samples of diseased ivy
from the old oak trees in Glengarra Wood where the disease has been progressively killing
the ivy over the past few years. The ivy samples were submitted to Kinsealy Laboratory and
the ivy disease was identified there as Xamonthomonos hedera which is a rare bacterial
disease of ivy for which there is no known cure. On 20th. June we had a visit from members
of the Co. Kerry BKA and we demonstrated queen rearing, grafting and colony evaluation and
recording. On 8th. July we entertained a party of Belgian beekeepers who were on a visit to
Kilarney. They were surprised to learn that we could open and examine colonies of Dark
European Bees with little or no protective clothing. Redmond made videos of these
demonstrations which will be available from the GBBG video library in due course.
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All our visiting guests were treated to tea, scones and biscuits which were very much appreciated.
Thanks to those members who attended to meet the visitors and look after the catering and
especially to those who brought along their own homemade cakes which went down a treat. The
music of the pipes by our Secretary, Dennis was also much appreciated and helped to make
our guests feel at home among us. On 9th. July Gudrun Singer from North Tipperary visited
the apiary with her uncle and two other beekeeping friends from Austria. Despite the fact
that the three were clad in shorts and tee-shirts as we opened and examined a hive nobody
got stung.
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Australia, Germany, Canada.
On the 3rd of August I had the pleasure of the company of Andrew Jenkins from Australia whom I had met during the previous week at Gormanston. Andrew was anxious to see how we do things in our Dark Bee improvement projects. He had serious plans to set up a project for queen rearing and selection of the best strains of the native Dark Bee of Tasmania which DNA analysis has shown to be very closely related to our native bees. These Tasmanian bees have been descended from old English bees brought out there from Yorkshire in 1835. On 27th. August we had a visit from two German beekeepers. On 5th December we had a visit from two members of Duhallow BKA who were accompanied by a large scale queen producer from British Columbia.
Queen Rearing Workshop and I.I.
It was heartening to see such interest in our queen rearing workshop at Dun Aonghusa on 29th. August when we had twelve enthusiastic members present. We hope in the coming year that members in the various BKA's will hold similar workshops in queen rearing as well as colony evaluation and recording with a view to formation of small bee improvement groups at different locations. On the 24th. June Redmond arrived for the first I.I. session when we managed to inseminate ten queens between 1.00 and 6.00 p.m. During the months of July and August we spent one day per week on I.I. work thus making up for last year's shortfall by inseminating more than 100 queens. The great majority of these I.I. queens were successfully introduced into hives or nuclei and hopefully will form the basis for future selective breeding. They have been distributed to members who have been evaluating their colonies consistently and keeping the records over a number of years. At our recent Committee meeting it was felt that this was the best way to reward members who have been keeping records and submit their colony appraisals regularly to James Power for the establishment of breeding "Stud Books" for future bee improvement work.
Low Swarming, Supersedure and Longevity
After experiencing two very swarmy years it seems to be an ideal time to do some improvement work on these very important characteristics which influence the economics of beekeeping in a major manner. Despite previous appeals for breeder queens that have survived the past two years without swarming, I have received no promise to date of such breeding material to supplement my own resources with the exception of two queens received from Redmond. If I continue to breed from my own selected supersedure strains there is the danger of inbreeding occurring eventually within this closed population area.
T.V. Programme - An Tuath Nua - TG4
On 2nd September Redmond and I were involved in the making of a television programme with some input also from Eddie and Aoife. The programme was about the bee improvement work of GBBG and covered various aspects of queen rearing such as grafting, I.I., selection of breeding material, establishment of mating nuclei, etc. A T.V. crew of five arrived at 9.00 a.m. and worked all through the day until 6.00 p.m. Much preliminary work was involved also in the preparation of colonies and moving them to a suitable location, etc. However I think it was worthwhile for the ensuing publicity and there was tremendous feedback from people who saw the programme subsequently.
Drone Congregation Areas
After successfully locating the drone congregation area at Gormanston using the queen pheromone received from Karl Showier, I decided to reconnoitre a part of the Galtee/Vee Valley on three afternoons of 4th to 6th. of September. After much searching I think I located a definite congregation area and I will of course seek to confirm this next season as well as searching some more of our valley. If anyone is interested in doing likewise in their own locality I will forward some information on how to approach it.
Preparing for Apimondia
On 24th. November the Committee of GBBG met in the Band Room, Cahir. Much discussion took place on preparation of Dun Aonghusa for Apimondia 2005 when several coach tours of beekeepers and friends from abroad are expected to visit our breeding apiary and meet with group members to discuss our breeding methods and programmes. It was decided to implement the recommendations set out in the apiary report which was presented to the AGM of 2003. As a result Redmond came over on 6th. December and together we made out a final list of requirements as well as a work programme for 2005. It was decided to go ahead with the erection of a bee house which would hold 5 or 6 queen rearing colonies, two of which would be polystyrene for possible earlier queen production. At least one picnic table and about 20 stacking picnic chairs would be required also. Huts and shed would also require fitting with tables and workbench as well as some repairs and treatment with preservative and/or painting. These facilities have been needed for some time due to the increased influx of visitors and having to make do with primitive seating arrangements and catering facilities. A comprehensive programme of work will be drawn up prior to the first work day in the apiary and it is hoped that all the necessary requirements will be purchased and the work completed well in advance of Apimondia 2005.
Cahir Study Group
This activity which was revised under the auspices of GBBG has proved an excellent facility for the continued education of our members. Originally intended as a method of increasing our knowledge of bee improvement and related subjects it has been adapted to prepare for the examinations of FIBKA and the excellent results obtained by members at Preliminary, Intermediate, Senior, and Practical Beemaster levels has proved that this system does work very well. The study group continues this term in the Band Room. There were eleven members present for the first session and divided into two groups for the Practical and Scientific sections of the Intermediate syllabus. We welcome Jim Ryan who has volunteered to act as leader of the Scientific group. We must take this opportunity to acknowledge the great work that has been done by Claire, Redmond, and Dennis who have acted as joint leaders for a number of years and who have decided to take a well deserved break from the study group for the current season.
Our Departed Friends
At this time of year it is our sad duty to review the loss of our dear friends in beekeeping and members' relatives who have passed away during the past year. And so we mention Josef Stark, Ashley Milner, Brian Hughes, Kathleen Deasy, Christine O'Mahony, and Tim Ruane, Finola Walsh's mother, John Donoghue's father and Margaret Me Namara. May they rest in peace.
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Congratulations I am sure that Dennis has congratulated all those who were successful in passing their FIBKA examinations and those who won the prizes at numerous honey shows. I would like to take the opportunity however to pay a very special tribute to our members who travelled to the London Honey Show and did Ireland proud by winning so many prestigious awards including the World Honey Cup which Norman took home to Co. Down once more. I was delighted also to see that Claire's prize winning essay has been published in the current issue of 'BBKA NEWS'. |
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| Claire has to be congratulated also on being presented with the President's Trophy for the Beekeeper of the Year award at Gormanston Summer Course. Nobody deserves it better. |
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Thank You
A word of thanks to all those members who helped out at the various group activities during the year. Especially my fellow officers Dennis, Claire, and Jim Ryan. Thanks also to those who have taken on special functions such as James, Redmond, Ruary, Jacob, and Dave Cushman. The group would not be the same without your unstinting work and dedication.
My very best wishes to each and every member for 2005.
Micheál Mac Giolla Coda. (Chairman)
Originated... 20 January 2005, Upgraded... Mid May 2005, Revised... 12 June 2005,
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Redmond in one of the many roles that he undertakes for GBBG.
