Members

The Buzz from the Branch News Letter – July 2026

Dear Member,

Several topics covered this month:

Firstly we wish our Basic candidates good luck with their assessment at the beginning of this month. You will all do great 👍 – you have worked hard for this and as always many thanks to our knowledgeable educating team, Nick, John and Richard who have led you through the training programme.

Forthcoming Meetings:
📢📢 SUNDAY July 12th 4.30pm – 6pm at the beeshed.
🍰🫖🐝OUR SUMMER SOCIAL ☀️☀️ WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
Please reply if you are attending*

Saturday 18th July 2.30pm
This summer session will be devoted to YLAH Yellow Legged Asian Hornet. You can hear the latest updates as our YLAH branch co ordinator Milly Frankpitt will be on hand and hear about practical help as Nick Silver will demonstrate his electric harp defence equipment.

YLAH – Asian Hornet Monitoring
This is to inform you of upcoming member participation in monitoring over the next two months.
The preparation for the battle with AH is on going. To some of you this threat to our bees is new knowledge but for others the story is continually evolving. Many of us have already taken part in Asian Hornet monitoring weeks using bait stations over the last few years and this activity is to be revisited this summer.

Milly Frankpitt informs us that Devon are planning to co-ordinate monitoring in August. BBKA are suggesting monitoring with bait stations takes place in July. However, Devon’s decision to delay till August is because nests are bigger and so more likely to pick up hornets.

As we border Dorset (where last year a nest was found in Swyre), we’ll be concentrating our first monitoring efforts in that Devon/Dorset border area in mid to late July. You will be contacted by Milly if you are a member in that ‘border’ area. (There are 24 of you).

The invitation will then be extended to the rest of the members across the branch for August monitoring.
More instructions will follow in due course.

🍯Honey Extractor🍯
If you wish to borrow a honey extractor from the branch please let me know so I can book you in the diary and arrange for pick up. Usually members have it for three or four days and then return (in sparkling clean condition please).

Sugar Supply and Collection
Are you a member living in or around the Seaton area who would be willing to take on SUGAR COLLECTION from Tesco at Seaton? It involves a visit to the store every 2 weeks to collect sugar and every few weeks to then drop off at the beeshed however much you have gathered. We thank David Rice very much for being our collector thus far, but if you are willing to take over please get in touch.
A reminder too that although supplies are still very slow, please still put your name down now ready for your autumn needs. Orders to: rhiannonhodson1@gmail.com

HONITON SHOW. 6th August 🎪
This looms large on our calendar. Thank you so much to all of you who have volunteered as stewards.
You have all received details of the competition schedule and honey sales info. We very much look forward to your support. A wide selection of exhibits from members really does make for an interesting display for the public. Show day is our chance to educate, inform and entertain our public about all things beekeeping related. 🐝🐝Sophie Benger is poised and waiting to process your entry forms.

IMYB – International Meeting of Young Beekeepers
Follow the journey as our very own junior member Harry Burrough prepares for the next stage of this exciting opportunity. See BBKA NEWS JULY pages 26-27. Good luck Harry.
Val🐝

N.B. Low nectar production: Our Devon chair, Warwick Newson, reminds members that colonies can be compromised by lack of nectar and water supplies in the hot weather.

Contacts:
Chair: Alasdair Bruce. chair24@edbk.co.uk
Treasurer: Keith Bone. charandale@gmail.com
Secretary: Val Bone. val.valbone@gmail.com
Swarms: Stan Wroe. stanwroe@aol.com
YLAH: Milly Frankpitt amelia.frankpitt@gmail.com