Welcome

We are an active and friendly club who always welcome new members. The club supports a variety of beekeeping methods, ranging from honey production to keeping bees for the joy of seeing them.
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We host an array of different meetings throughout the year, from Apiary visits, coffee mornings and general club get-togethers where there is always tea and cake. Our membership is currently spread across the Sedbergh, Bentham, Settle and surrounding areas.

The Month of August

Here are some of the key tasks for beekeepers in August:
Honey Harvest: For most beekeepers, August is the prime time to harvest surplus honey. This involves removing the "supers" (the boxes where the bees store honey) and extracting the honey from the frames. It's important to leave enough honey in the hive for the bees to survive the winter.
* Varroa Mite Treatment: This is a critical time for mite management. The bee population begins to decline in August, and the mites can cause significant damage to the "winter bees" that will be responsible for keeping the colony alive through the cold months. Beekeepers perform mite counts and apply treatments if necessary.
* Checking Hive Health: Beekeepers continue to inspect their colonies for signs of disease, a healthy brood pattern, and the presence of the queen. The queen's egg-laying rate will begin to slow down as the days shorten, and the overall colony size will start to decrease.
* Winter Preparation: August is the time to start getting the hives ready for winter. This includes:
* Feeding: If the honey harvest has left the colony with insufficient food stores, beekeepers will begin feeding a sugar syrup to the bees to help them build up their resources for the winter. This is also a good time to feed weaker colonies.
* Entrance Reduction: With the main nectar flow over, there is an increased risk of "robbing," where wasps or other bees try to steal honey from a weaker hive. Reducing the hive entrance helps the bees defend their hive more easily.
* Combining Colonies: Weaker colonies may be combined with stronger ones to increase their chances of surviving the winter.
* General Maintenance: Beekeepers also take this time to clean and store equipment, repair damaged hive components, and make sure the hives are secure from predators and the elements.