BBKA Module exams: some important information from the BBKA for new candidates
I know you have been wondering what is going to happen with the Module Exams next year. We are currently in the second wave of Covid and another National lockdown. The experts are not able to say when things might improve but the main body of opinion is that this may not be until a vaccine is available. The Exam Board took the hard decision to cancel all exams and assessments in 2019.
Unfortunately we have no way of knowing what the situation will be next March so the Exam Board has been looking at an alternative solution. Even before Covid-19 the board had been considering the use of online facilities to aid with the delivery of exams. For various reasons, not least suitability and cost, this was not a priority, but events as well as the rapid development of the online invigilation service have opened opportunities for us to consider an invigilation system which will allow candidates to sit the exam in their own home.
The education sector as a whole has had to embrace this technology and it particularly suits our geographically spread cohort. We recognise that we will have candidates who do not have the confidence or computer skills for online exams and we will continue, when possible, to offer the handwritten option albeit at a reduced number of venues.The Board has investigated a number of companies and found the one to offer a suitable service for our needs is called Inspera. Extensive research and trials by the Board resulted in the decision to offer the Module exams online in the Spring. This decision and the financial support needed has been approved by the Trustees. In order to do this successfully, a number of changes will be needed in this first year. I will summarise the main factors and hopefully answer your most immediate questions.
· The exam papers will not change, they will have the same layout and type of questions
· Only online module exams will be available in the Spring 2021. We hope to offer some hand written opportunities in the Autumn but this will depend on the Covid situation.
· We will be sending you the list of transferred module exam entries for your Area and asking you to contact your candidates to find out if they wish to take online modules. If they do not feel able to cope online, their entry will be transferred to November 2021.
· Candidates will be allowed to sit a maximum of 2 modules
· The closing dates for new entries will be January 31st 2021 to allow more time for setting up and training.
· The date for the exams will move to 24th/25th April 2021 – probably 24th April but at this stage we are not ruling out two days. Again this is to allow more time for the preparation.
· Candidates and invigilators will receive training on the system and computer access will be checked beforehand.
· Invigilators for the online modules will be arranged centrally. Please let us know if you are interested in being considered.
We will be keeping you up to date on developments.
Val and Nicky
A VERY SERIOUS THREAT TO OUR BEES
I was horrified to learn a few minutes ago (2nd December) that old, dark brood comb is being offered for sale on ebay at £15 per frame. It is intended for use as a lure in bait hives.
All beekeepers, especially new beginners, must make themselves and other beekeepers aware of this threat which at the very least could start a huge wave of foul bood in the UK, plus goodness knows what else from the undesirable disease-causing matter that could be present in old combs; such combs should be destroyed.
Read about this for yourselves on the ebay link below:
Thanks to David Parker for bringing this to our attention – perhaps the most important thing that he or anyone else has ever sent.
Geoff Cooper
Editor – Newsletter
BBKA online talks watch them while you can
Circulation: Area Association and Branch Secretaries
The online BBKA talks that have been taking place over the past few weeks have proved to be immensely popular, so much so that demand has outstripped supply of the places available.
Thanks to the kind permission of the speakers, you can view the talks via the BBKA website:
https://www.bbka.org.uk/bbka-talks
The talks will be available for approximately one month only so please share this information with your members asap.
Kind regards
Leigh Sidaway
General Manager
Winter update from your Chairman Andrew
Dear Members,
Mid winter is a relatively quiet time for beekeeping but there are two tasks that can be carried out at this time of year. Most important is to check the weight of your hives by hefting them. This means putting your hand under the hive and tilting it forwards or sideways to assess the weight. If it is hard to lift all should be well but an easy lift could mean stores are getting low. If you have more than one hive, it is easier to detect which ones are lighter. Bees will not accept liquid feeds in winter, so if extra feeding is needed now, use candy, which you can make yourself, or buy fondant.
Making bee candy
Making bee candy can be a bit like making porridge for Goldilocks. Too much heat and the candy sets too hard for the bees to eat; not enough heat and the candy may be soft enough to drip out of the container onto the frames and bees.
Dissolve 2kg white granulated sugar in 600ml of hot water. Using a sweet/jam maker’s thermometer, heat the solution to 117⁰C (soft ball in sweet maker’s terms). Watch the pan carefully to make sure the syrup does not boil over. When the required temperature has been reached, remove from the heat and stir continuously as it cools (the pan can be stood in cold water in the sink). When the liquid starts to become thick and opaque, quickly pour the solution into suitable containers, such as aluminium food trays. Leave to set. Place the candy tray upside down on the frames above where the bees are clustering. Use an empty super to provide space for the candy tray and cover the frames and candy with a piece of blanket or other thick cloth to keep warmth in the brood box.
The other winter beekeeping activity is treatment against Varroa with oxalic acid. In December around Christmas time there is generally little or no sealed brood in hives, so the Varroa mites will be exposed on the adult bees. Oxalic acid can be applied by trickling 5ml of the prepared solution between combs that are occupied by bees. There is a useful video on this technique on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgHmGGXRDzg The oxalic acid part starts 1 minute and 40 seconds into this video. An alternative means of applying oxalic acid is to heat the crystals using a car battery-powered heating device that is inserted into the hive. This causes the chemical to vaporise and as it cools it crystalizes again on the bees and hive parts. It is a more effective means of contacting the mites but oxalic acid vapour is a human health hazard if breathed in or if it comes into contact with eyes. A proper face mask and protective gloves are essential. Covid 19 masks will not do! A video of heat treatment with oxalic acid (sublimation) can be seen on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xjuFdSQv00. The Weybridge division has an oxalic acid sublimation applicator that can be hired, The user must supply their own car battery and have the necessary protective mask and gloves. See https://www.weybridgebeekeepers.org/wbk-equipment-hire.html for information about hiring Weybridge division equipment.
With most of Surrey now having been placed in Tier 4, we are advised to stay at home. This does not mean that you cannot travel to your bees if you have an out apiary. Caring for bees and other livestock is a permitted activity that allows travel for that purpose. I have attached a document that was circulated earlier this year when Covid restriction first came in. It may be useful to keep this in your car, particularly if going to your bees means travelling from Tier 4 into a Tier 3 area.
Happy Christmas and best wishes for successful beekeeping in 2021,
Andrew Halstead
Weybridge division Chairman
Co-op Community Fund
Weybridge Beekeepers has been chosen as one of the good causes that will benefit from the Co-op Community Fund scheme for a year ending on 31 October 2021. The way in which the scheme works is that three good causes are linked to a Co-op business. Our linked store is the Co-op food store at Shepperton. Perhaps not the most obvious location for the Weybridge division but at least, unlike some good causes, we have not been partnered with a branch of the Co-op funeral service!
As explained below, donations of 2p in the pound are donated to the Weybridge division when selected goods or services are purchased from the Co-op. This can be in any Co-op store but the person making the purchase must be a Co-op member (costs £1) and must nominate Weybridge Beekeepers [https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/51630 ] as their chosen good cause.
There is more information about the scheme below.
How does a Co-op Member select us as their cause?
Co-op Members can select their cause by either logging in to their Membership account https://www.coop.co.uk/membership, or downloading our Co-op app https://www.coop.co.uk/coop-app, or phoning our Membership Support Centre. A member will see three local causes in their immediate community, however there is an option to see more causes within a 15 mile radius.
Co-op is not like other retailers, we do not have coins or tokens in stores or in our funeral homes. All cause selections are made digitally or by phone.
Can Co-op Members only raise funds for us when they shop in their local Co-op store?
No, every time a member buys selected Co-op own brand products and services from a Co-op Group Food store or Co-op Funeralcare, anywhere in the UK, an equal split of the 2p of every pound they spend is put into their account to allocate to a local cause. So your supporters can help your cause by shopping in any of our Co-op Group outlets. The important thing is that people swipe their membership card when shopping in our stores or inform our Funeralcare colleagues that they are a Member. If they don’t do this, they’ll miss out on their membership rewards and they won’t be able to generate any funding for their chosen cause – which could be Weybridge Beekeepers.
Is it only Co-op Members who live in my community that can raise funds for my cause?
No, the good news is any Co-op Member across the UK can support your cause, however they will need the link to your unique cause profile page [https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/51630] to do this directly. When Members log in to their Membership account they can only select a cause within 15 miles of their registered postcode – unless they have the direct link to your cause profile page.
How much does it cost to become a Co-op Member?
To become a Member, you pay £1 – see https://www.coop.co.uk/membership. That £1 buys you one share in Co-op Group – this means you own part of the business and can have your say in how it’s run, such as at our Annual General Meeting (AGM). By joining Co-op you’ll get personalised offers across our Co-op Group Food Stores and Funeral homes as well as raising much needed funds for your community.
How can someone become a Co-op Member if they are not digitally savvy?
If you don’t have a computer or are unable to download the Co-op app, you can call our Membership Support Centre on 0800 0686 727 to become a Member and select a cause. Lines are open 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.