Monthly Archives: September 2019

On Thursday evening after dinner there was the Deasy Memorial Lecture: Dr Una FitzPatrick, and her subject was the All Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015 -2020.  She is the Chairwoman of the steering group that produced the plan and oversees its … Continue reading →

The second lecture on Thursday afternoon was David Tarpy on the Quality of Commercial Queens.  Beekeeping is a bit different on the other side of the Atlantic as 90% of the bees are owned by 10% of the beekeepers and … Continue reading →

Today, 8th September, there was a meeting of DARG, the Devon Apicultural Research Group and a dozen of us from three counties met at the Village Hall of Uplowman, near Tiverton.  There might have been more of us but some … Continue reading →

The first lecture after lunch on Thursday was Dr Dara Kilmartin on Climate Change and Phenology – Effects on Beekeeping. I wish I could read my notes!  What follows has bits missing so may not make as much sense as … Continue reading →

On Thursday morning I got up at 6.30 after 4 hours of good sleep.  I went for a walk along the yew cloister then along the drive to the main entrance and back along the road to return via the … Continue reading →

On Wednesday evening there was the Dave Cushman Memorial Lecture on Synergy Between Science and Beekeeping by Prof. Grace McCormack, an evolutionary biologist.  She covered natural selection, bee imports, racial types and DNA.  She’s encouraging beekeepers to get involved with … Continue reading →

I missed the second Senior lecture on Wednesday afternoon as it was about Maximising Honey Production under Irish Conditions and I don’t keep bees in Ireland (although I did briefly once upon a time).  Instead I went to a workshop … Continue reading →

The lecture after lunch on Wednesday was David Tarpy on Honeybees in Mythology, Religion, Warfare and Politics. We have always robbed bees as is illustrated in ancient rock art pictures copied in Eva Crane’s book.  We used not only the … Continue reading →

It was coffee time on Wednesday that I realised that it was 4 whole days since I had received any news of what’s been happening in the world outside.  Normally I listen to news programmes on the wireless several times … Continue reading →