Hello All
 
Well once again we have come to the end of a week's long beekeeping course
held at The Fransiscan College, Gormanston, Co. Meath, in the Irish Republic.
 
This year, the course once again, came up to the high standards which we
have now come to expect. We had about 250 attendees from Ireland (North and
South), England, Scotland, Wales, USA, Belgium and other countries.
 
Naturally, varroa was high on the agenda, the pest having recently made its
appearance in our country. No effort was spared during the course to educate
the beekeepers in the methods of detecting and teating varroa, and any air
of complacency which anybody may have had about the disease has now
hopefully been eliminated.
 
The sale of varroa floors was very brisk - I got a good design from Karl
Showler (of B & K Books fame), and will have floors made up for all of my
hives in the next couple of weeks.
 
We were fortunate in having people from abroad who have vast experience in
the disease, and who made their knowledge freely available to us at
lectures, during informal chats, and indeed over a pint or two of Guinness!.
 
The guest lecturer this year was Paul Jackson from Texas, USA who showed
expertise both in his knowledge of his subject, and in delivering his
lectures. Someone said that maybe there is a Texan version of the Blarney
Stone!.
 
There was, as one would expect, a high level of humour and camraderie during
the course. I could not forget to mention the following two answers which
were given in the Preliminary Examination Paper:
 
Q: How would you know that your hive was being robbed?
 
A: If I saw it being driven down the road on the back of a truck.
 
 
Q: What is Run Honey?
 
A: The name of a horse in the Grand National.
 
 
Sincerely
 
Tom Barrett
49 South Park
Foxrock
Dublin 18
Ireland
 
e mail [log in to unmask]
Tel + 353 1 289 5269
Fax + 353 1 289 9940
 
Latitude  53 Degrees 16' North
Longitude  6 Degrees  9' West of Greenwich