APIARY RULES : FEBRUARY 2014
- The Committee will appoint and support an Apiary Manager and one/ two Assistant Managers to take responsibility for the general management of the Apiary.
This will include:
· decisions relating to the siting and inspection of the hives
· the observance of the Rules by all members and visitors
2. A copy of the Rules will be sent, with membership acknowledgement to all new PBKA members.
Should there be any significant additions and/ or amendments to these Rules then a correct copy will be sent to all members with their yearly membership letters.
3. All people visiting the Apiary will follow good beekeeping practices and hygiene appropriate to a communal Apiary.
This includes:
i) All hives will be kept on Varroa screen floors.
ii) Upon discovering that a colony has died, that hive will be sealed and the
Secretary, Chairman or Apiary Manager will be notified without delay.
iii) Bait hives may only be employed by the Apiary Manager and all unoccupied
hives or boxes will be sealed.
iv) Preventative measures against robbing, drifting and the issue of swarms will
be employed.
v) Hives and equipment belonging to members, and surplus to the season’s
requirements, must be removed from the Apiary if requested by the Apiary
Manager.
vi) All hives will be kept tidy. Comb scrapings, debris and any other resultant
waste will be kept in a ‘bee tight’ container and removed from the site.
vii) Precautions will be taken, especially with the use of smokers, to avoid the
risk of fire.
viii) Any apparent incidence of disease will be notified immediately to the Apiary
Manager. Good practices will be applied generally to encourage the
avoidance of disease and its transmission.
ix) All bee suits will be clean, and members will use disposable gloves within the
Apiary.
x) Only Association hive utensils (hive tools, drone uncapping forks etc.) may
be used in the Association Apiary. Containers of washing soda solution will
be provided and members will be expected to clean the hive utensils both
before and after use.
4. The Apiary and the hives managed for the Association may be used for Association purposes including scheduled meetings and demonstrations.
5. Whilst any stand-still order imposed by DEFRA is in force, rules which conflict with that order will be held in abeyance.
6. Any dispute arising from the operation of these rules shall be notified to the Penrith Beekeepers Association Committee in writing and a decision will be determined by a majority vote of the Committee. That decision will be final and absolute.
7. Neither the Association nor any of its Officers shall be liable for any loss or damage to members’ bees or equipment nor shall they be liable for any expense or injury to the member from the operation of the Apiary, unless damage is directly caused as a result of negligence by the Association.
8. All work on Apiary hives must be logged either in the main log book or on record cards kept within the roof-space of the hive/equipment shed, designated by the Apiary Manager.
These records are to include medical Records where any substances used in the hives are listed e.g. syrup, hive clean, oxalic acid.
9. Members visiting the site will abide by the Rules of the National Trust and comply with their agent’s instructions.
Members should carry their British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) Membership card as proof of identification. Without this, the National Trust reserves the right to refuse admission to the site.
10. Some Apiary equipment may be borrowed with the permission of the Apiary Managers. Members will be required to sign for the equipment that they are borrowing. They will be responsible for returning the equipment by an agreed date, in a clean state and good working order.
11. Members are reminded that they should exercise due care and attention at all times and are responsible for their own safety.
12. These Rules will be reviewed by the elected Committee prior to each Annual General Meeting (AGM). Any changes will be subject to consideration at the AGM
Approved : AGM 20/2/14