2016 annual report

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Executive

  • President: Bill Fosdick
  • First vice president: Lisa Redding
  • Second vice president: Vacant
  • Secretary: Irene Tiampo
  • Treasurer: Joanne Davidson
  • Member secretary: Alanya Smith

Directors and committee chairs

  • Beeline editor: Werner Grundlingh
  • Website: Peter Willis
  • Library: Bob Lucy and Alanna Morbin
  • Hospitality: Dave & Judy Wallace & Lorna Connor
  • Festivals and Fairs: Graeme Nye
  • New beekeepers’ corner: Carolyn Hissen, Tara Beninger and Don Lambert
  • Education Committee: Nairn Hollett
  • Swarm line: Jody Aylard
  • Top bar and Warre hives: Tara Beninger
  • Outyard team: Derek Wulff
  • Bee supplies: Jennifer Olson
  • Regional representative: Edan North

2016 Calendar

  • January
    History of Mead presented by Bob Liptrot
  • February
    Annual General Meeting
    Bee Willows presented by Rosemary Iskania
  • March
    Swarm Management
    Life Cycle of the Wasp
  • April
    Queen rearing Heinz
    Beekeeping in Rwanda presented by Barry Denluck
  • May
    Inventions and Contraptions: Hive Stand; Bee Vacuum; Honey Oven; Wax Melter
  • June
    Managing Mites presented by Bill and Tara
  • July
    The Flo Hive presented by Jennifer Olsen
  • August
    Solar Wax Melter presented by Werner
    Sustainable Cities presented by Virginie Lavalee Picard
  • September
    Bruce Rutley from the National Diagnostic Centre in Alberta
  • October
    The Colinson Experience – Isle of Skye Gordon McKay
  • November
    Potluck Desserts and Auction raising $570.00
  • December
    Rest – no meeting

Education

  • Creatively United Fair
  • Buzz About Bees at Francis King Park
  • Earth Day at Government House
  • Going Buggy at Elk Lake
  • 2 classroom, 5 summer camp and 3 garden club presentations
  • CTV Story on Zombees with Carolyn Hissen
  • And monthly: What’s in bloom by Nairn Hollott

Bee supplies

  • 2016 sales
    • Honey Extractor
    • Hive Fogger
    • Pollen Patties
    • Wasp Traps
    • Oxalic Acid
  • Coordinator: Jennifer Olson
  • Extractor: Jim Henry

Refreshments

  • Coffee , tea, cookies, cakes, fruit and the chance to taste honey and try to identify its “terroire”
  • Coordinators: Lorna Connors and Peter Day and Dave and Judy Wallace

Swarm line

  • Volunteers: 24
  • Calls received: 32
  • Swarms collected: 23
  • Bumble bee nests: 13
  • Our service to the public and to the bees is to intervene when a swarm is discovered or a nest is found in an inconvenient location. The bees are captured and provided a safe and secure accommodation
  • Swarm line chair: Jody Aylard

Iotron trip

  • Boxes: 161
  • Cost per box: $8.00
  • The Iotron sterilizes boxes and equipment ensuring disease is not transferred with the sale of a hive. It is good to rotate your equipment through the Iotron every two years
  • Coordinator: Alanna Morbin, Jim Henry and Don Hutton

Field days

  • In 2016 we had 5 field days when members welcomed others into their yard to delve into their hives
  • Typical group size is about 6 to 12 and when possible includes a provincial inspector providing advice and ideas
  • Field days organized by Lisa Redding

Library

  • Bee Scene, printed quarterly
  • Bee Culture, printed monthly
  • New additions:
    • The bee keepers handbook
    • Beekeeping in Western Canada
  • Coordinator: Bob Lucy and Alanna Morbin

Community

  • Young parents support network: $570 and six jars of honey to young (and usually single) mums here in Victoria
  • Quadra Days; Saanich, Sooke and Luxton
  • Seedy Saturday at the Conference Centre

Outyard

  • China beach: 30+ members set up 75-80 HIVES on three sites from early July until mid-September when the fireweed ended
  • Thank you to Karen and Werner Grundlingh, Gord Quaite, Jeannie Page and Stephanie Galas for their work setting up and maintaining the yards
  • Outyard coordinator: Derek Wulff

Thank you

  • Lisa Redding is stepping down from her role as First Vice President after two years
  • Joanne Davidson is stepping down from Treasurer after 6 years (and to her husband Greg who made sure she got delivered to each meeting)
  • Lorna Connors, Dave Wallace and Judy Wallace who will take a break after three years making sure we had tea, coffee and goodies after each meeting
  • Thank you to the people who arrive early to help set up the room for our meetings and hang in at the end to see all the chairs put away.
  • Thank you to the people of St. Aidan’s who hosted us for so many years and to the people of Gordon Head United who are helping us settle into our new location

The season in summary

We had an early start; fewer reported swarms; no luck with blackberry blooms; low returns on honey for many; mites that would not die and wasps that kept attacking late into October with some hives continuing to produce brood and bring pollen into the hives until late November.

We moved locations of our meetings, grew our membership to over 200 and saw the honeybee become the poster creature for all that is good and all that is at risk in the environment.

Like all good farmers we expect the coming season to be the best season ever!

Related: 2015 CRBA annual report

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