THE FIRST meeting of the New Year for the Okehampton Beekeepers Association saw an interesting and informative talk on 'Improving Devon's Bees'.

The talk, given by branch chairman Ray King, focused on rearing and breeding queen bees, pointing out the good reasons for encouraging local queen rearing and breeding.

Locally bred queens are likely to be well adapted to local conditions. Ray cited an example of a beekeeper who had had great difficulty with bees that he had moved here from the North of England.

Imported queens will be adapted to a different climate from that locally experienced.

Moreover, importing queens brings with it increased risk of also importing diseases and parasites.

Ray rounded off his presentation by inviting support to launch a co-operative queen breeding programme.

While this would be complicated to set up and administer, the potential benefits attracted nearly universal support from the 40 members present.

Maggie Gill was awarded her Basic Certificate in Beekeeping, and members were also reassured that the number of dead bees appearing in hives at this time of year, was an apparently normal phenomenon.

Holsworthy branch is again hosting a Beekeepers' Spring Convention. This excellent all day event will be held on Saturday February 26. Tickets are £12 per head including refreshments and a ploughman's lunch.

There is also the free entry to the 'South West Celebrity Lecture' to be held at Bridestowe on April 12. Pre booking with David Milford is necessary for this event by emailing [email protected]">[email protected]

The next meeting, on Tuesday February 8, will see a discussion on the first steps of the queen breeding programme, and a presentation by Louisa Mogford, on beekeeping at Castle Drogo.