local community, local life ...............
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out & about Kilbarchan & District Beekeepers Association Beekeepers are often asked if their bees will die when winter temperatures plummet as they did in February this year. Thankfully, bees can withstand very low temperatures provided they have enough stores (food) and the hive is wind and water tight with some insulation added. They also need to have a good number of bees to form a healthy cluster that will generate sufficient heat for them to survive. That is not to say there are not some casualties sadly, especially toward the end of winter when instead of warming temperatures there is a prolonged cold damp spell. Beekeepers need to check the stores in their hives (carefully without letting residual heat out) and hopefully if all is well the Queen will have begun to lay eggs to create new young bees. A good sign of early life is bees foraging on warmer days and taking pollen back to the hive. Aconites, crocus, snowdrops and gorse are all good food sources at this time of year, followed by blue bells and early blossom. Meanwhile beekeepers have not been idle in winter. Online meetings have continued along with talks and discussions by speakers as far away as America. At the February KDBA online meeting medical herbalist Nikki Addiss, gave a fascinating talk on Honey and Healing, which covered the uses of locally produced honey as treatment for a whole range of illnesses, from arthritis to chest and throat infections. She talked about a growing number of studies that have found honey to be an important addition to the medicine cabinet. Hopefully, future studies will continue to produce positive results for its benefits to health.
Colourful Kilmacolm This year, more than ever before, we are all looking forward to springtime and hoping for better weather – and better everything – enabling us to get out and about more. Even gardening activities have inevitably been curtailed, but the committee of Colourful Kilmacolm has been active in the background. Learning from our experience last year when plants were difficult to come by, we have already placed our order for this summer’s displays, which we can assure you will be bright and cheerful. Before that there will be spring bulbs galore to gladden our spirits. Watch out for variations on previous years’ themes. We are pleased to report that membership is holding up well, and we take this opportunity to thank our members for their renewed subscriptions. These are always welcome, but especially this year as Inverclyde Council has, understandably, been unable to support us financially. We were therefore particularly delighted to be given a generous contribution from the Co-op Local Community Fund. The local Co-op provides a very valuable service to the community, and in turn, we hope that our efforts help to make our village a pleasant, welcoming place for residents and visitors alike. At the time of writing it seems very likely that our AGM will again be held virtually. Members will be informed of arrangements in due course. If you would like to be involved, either actively or by donating, visit www.colourfulkilmacolm.org.uk or phone Peter (01505 872448) or Liz (07963973031) for more information.
If you are interested in beekeeping for yourself, please contact our secretary via helenajbee@gmail.com who will provide more details about our association and how to join. We have a Facebook page which is reserved for members and beekeeping friends, but you can follow us on Instagram via kilbarchanbeekeepers or Twitter @ KilbarchanBees
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