A new season starts at the apiary by checking the bees for food stores.
Feb 2024, still too cold to do an inspection, but on a good day the roofs can be removed to top up with fondant if necessary.
GALLERY
Get to know us better by taking a look at some of our photos
Queen Rearing using the Nicot Cupkit System
A number of queen cells being drawn on the cell raiser frame - harvested using the Nicot Cupkit System.
A great turn out at Brook Hall Estate & Gardens Open Days, Saturday15th and Sunday 16th.
We have colonies of Native Irish Black Bees on the estate. This has allowed us to have our observation hive on show to see inside a beehive.
Despite the weather on day 2, it didn’t dampen our spirits. Lots of smiling faces, honey tasting and informing people about the Native Irish Black Honey Bee, including the Mayor of Derry, Lilian Seenoi Barr.
Thank you to all who came to our stall and thank you to Brook Hall Estate and Gardens for having us.
Great Weekend!
Hover over image to see arrows to move slide show along --->
Thank you to Thomas from Donegal Bees who attended our meeting on Wednesday.
An informative and enjoyable night learning about CDB hives, section honey production and beekeeping in the Glencolmcille area of Donegal.
Can anyone guess where the beehives are?
Beekeepers Barney and Thomas were busy this week setting up bees on top of a Roof in Derry. They’ve got a great view!
Colourful bee hive!
Bee hive painted by a group called "Minding Mum" from the Waterside, Derry.
Kindly submitted by Liam Nelis.
Before the Easter break, beekeepers Barney and Thomas created a bit of Buzz when they visited Culmore Primary School to take part in their topic “It’s a Bugs Life”.
It's always a pleasure to visit schools and talk to the children about Bees and Beekeeping.
Year 3/4/5 had a busy 🐝afternoon learning all about bee keeping, as part of our topic ‘It’s a Bug’s Life’. Thank you so much to our fantastic visitors, Barney and Thomas. We enjoyed every minute of it 😃🐝 and learnt so, so much 😃
A great turnout last Wednesday28th Feb for the talk by Mark Wallace.
Members visiting the proposed apiary at
Acorn Farm, St Columb's Park
Our 2nd Open Day, May 2022.
What a day !! great craic, a constant flow of visitors, plenty of coffee and tray bakes, a dozen or more took up the offer to go into the apiary and were "buzzn" that they had, so much so we have a few new members. Big thanks has to go to all of our members who worked hard to pull it all together, we hope to do it all again very soon, see you then.
Click here for more photos of the day.
Click here to see photos of our first Open Day, August 14, 2021, to showcase the revamped apiary thanks to Connect 2021.
How’s this for beautifully painted boxes, from Liam Nelis St. Columbs Park House, who has just completed our preliminary beekeeping course.
It’s a hard graft! And requires some concentration. But our queen rearing is going well and we’re looking forward to starting the NIHBS programme queen rearing after practising with our own.
Some of our preliminary students celebrating their exam results and doing a bit of beekeeping too!
The celebratory chocolate cake made by member Paul Burley from Ethical Weigh was enjoyed with tea and coffee.
Hard at work erecting stands for queen rearing in the association's new out apiary, on a cold November day.
DONT WASTE YOUR WAX - Trade it in
On right, what £682.90 of wax foundation looks like.
On left, block of rendered down wax being prepared.
For 60lbs of wax and £167.64 including £34.00 of postage Thomas netted £8.59/lb and if the wax was exchanged at the Conference it would have netted £9.16/lb.
Dave Atherton's solar wax extractor Mark 2 anyone interested in more detail, get in touch,
Dave is happy to do a Masterclass.
Click
here to download a copy.
Uniting a 14x12 queenright Nuc with a 14x12 box. Homemade uniting board to accommodate the Nuc which has a removable base.
Billy Chambers working with bees and beginners
Answers to Thomas on the back of a fiver!!
Queen rearing using a Hopkins board.
These will be lovely queens for nucs from a prolific gentle healthy colony.
Beekeeping under lockdown!
Getting ready to inspect colonies, at a safe distance, of course!
Anyone guess who this is?
On the committee if you need a hint.
Here’s a pic of Cathy Mclaughlin, preliminary student about to do her first colony inspection.
Fun in the Park 2019, Derry
Learning how to prepare honey for a Honey Show - demonstrated by David McIntyre and Leo McGuinness
Interesting talks at our monthly meetings
At the apiary, Brooke Park
