OKEHAMPTON Beekeepers had the first apiary meeting of their summer programme in Germansweek on May 7.

The meeting, attended by around 20 members of the group and held by John and Elaine Morgan, provided the first opportunity to test-run the new hive record card.

The card, developed by Ray King, is designed to support the beekeepers' queen breeding programme. For some of the members it provided their first experience of working an apiary.

The three colonies are all housed in traditional WBC hives, and two of the colonies were active upon inspection, but the third appears to have died out. The two surviving colonies are thought to be doing well, with queen bee eggs and worker bees present in all stages of development.

The group were unsure of the reasons behind the death of the third colony. Mould, poor weather, parasitic varroa mites, or even the treatment used to treat the mites may have contributed to the collapse of the colony.

After the completion of hive inspections at around 4.30pm, the group adjourned to John and Elaine's home to enjoy a 'bring and share' tea.

The group's next meeting is on Saturday May 28 at Paul and Fi Reddaway's apiary in South Zeal. For further details, e-mail Will Pyne on [email protected]">[email protected]