This article is from page 75 of the 2008-10-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 75 JPG
IT WOULD seem that the bees haven’t been so busy in west Clare last summer as honey is as scarce and precious as gold in the county.
As a result of the honey decline EIRI Corca Baiscinn has found yet another niche in the market to help supplement farmers income in west Clare. The organisation is hosting a nine-week Bee Keeping Course starting on Monday, November 3 at the Brothers of Charity in Kilrush.
The course 1s aimed at anyone who may have considered keeping their own honeybees and harvesting their own wild flower honey.
“There are many reasons to keep bees as well as being able to get your own local, nutritious honey to sweet- en drinks and food,’ said Hilary Gleeson, Rural Development Officer with EIRI.
“Bees, as every keen gardener knows, help with pollination in your own garden or orchard and surround- ing area. Beeswax can be used to make candles, soap and cosmetics,” she added
The wet summer resulted in a low honey yield this year and the ru- ral development officer hopes that if more people get involved in the home industry next year there will be sufficient honey available to act as
a sweetener to the health conscious and ward of colds and flus in the county.
Ms Gleeson said that honey was not very plentiful in the seen farmers markets in the county this year, and hoped that with more suppliers the natural produce would be available well into the winter.
“Tt is very hard to buy at the mo- ment. It would be a big seller if we could get more of it at the markets,” she said.
The bee-keeping course will cover the history of beekeeping and how to get started including beekeep- ing terminology, and the equipment needed.
Information on the types of hives, apiary selection and management, handling the bees, a month by month beekeeping diary, queen rearing, pests and diseases, flowers for nectar and pollen, dealing with the honey crop and preparing for winter will also be among some of the areas Ono Keren
The course will also include a visit to lecturer, Fintan Ryan’s apiary in Rahona, Carrigaholt.
Bookings and information for the course 1s available at EIRI Corca Baiscinn, Kilkee on 9056611 or by contacting Hilary Gleeson, Rural De- velopment Officer on 086 8235598. The course cost €20.