Bees – it's not just honey.

(Cymraeg)

Mavis Tierney talked to the members about the life cycle of bees, the structure of a hive, caring for bees and the importance of bees. It was a fascinating and informative talk.

She had brought a small example of a hive structure to show the different levels: such as where the queen lives and broods, and where the honey is stored.

She explained the importance of having the correct gear for bee keeping, saying that she has only been stung once whilst wearing a bee keeper's suit, and that was because there was a split in the seam.

From hatching, the bee goes through many stages of development. Straight after hatching they clean the cell where they formed. Next, their job is feeding the larvae, then they produce wax, carry food and do undertaking duties. Then they become guard bees. By this time they are 21 days old and will live for another 3 weeks gathering pollen. Only females fly and develop a sting. The males' job is to fertilise the queen and they do not develop a sting or leave the hive.

The bee keeper has to open the hive to check that there is brood and a queen in the bottom layer, and a honey store. If there is no queen... the hive dies. Mavis explained that bees take their personality from the hive queen. Most bees are gentle, but occasionally a hive can be aggressive. The bee keeper will also help people who need a swarm removed, if they are resting in an inconvenient place or setting up home. They are happy to do this, because it means free bees!

Glenys chatting to Mavis
in front of the skep beehive.

Mavis showed a beautiful old wicker hive called a skep. In this the bees develop wild cones, but unfortunately the skep often has to be destroyed to harvest the honey, so it is not an economical method these days.

There may be 10,000 bees in a hive. Mavis explained that they always leave them a jar of honey and give them a special feed especially when it so cold or wet. Bees gather pollen in the spring, and start to shut down in July. 

A queen bee lives for about 18 months these days, but they used to live for 3 years. No one knows why this has changed. A larva given royal jelly for the first 2 days of life, will develop into a queen.

Mavis suggested that it is important to eat local honey for health benefits. The wax that is cut off to get at the honey has a lot of pollen in it. Chewing this, some people have found, can help with allergies such as hay fever.


–

Gwenyn – nid mêl yn unig ydyw

(English)

Siaradodd Mavis Tierney â’r aelodau am gylchred bywyd gwenyn, strwythur cwch gwenyn, gofalu am wenyn a phwysigrwydd gwenyn. Roedd yn sgwrs hynod ddiddorol ac addysgiadol.   

Roedd hi wedi dod ag enghraifft fach o strwythur cwch gwenyn i ddangos y gwahanol lefelau: megis lle mae'r frenhines yn byw ac yn magu, a lle mae'r mêl yn cael ei storio.

Esboniodd bwysigrwydd cael y gêr cywir ar gyfer cadw gwenyn, gan ddweud mai dim ond unwaith y mae hi wedi cael ei phigo wrth wisgo siwt gwenynwr, a hynny oherwydd bod rhwyg yn y wythïen.

O ddeor, mae'r wenynen yn mynd trwy sawl cam datblygu. Yn syth ar ôl deor maen nhw'n glanhau'r gell lle gwnaethon nhw ffurfio. Nesaf, eu gwaith yw bwydo'r larfa, yna maent yn cynhyrchu cwyr, yn cario bwyd ac yn cyflawni dyletswyddau. Yna maen nhw'n dod yn wenyn gwarchod. Erbyn hyn maent yn 21 diwrnod oed a byddant yn byw am 3 wythnos arall o gasglu paill. Dim ond merched sy'n hedfan ac yn datblygu pigiad. Gwaith y gwrywod yw ffrwythloni'r frenhines ac nid ydynt yn datblygu pigiad nac yn gadael y cwch gwenyn. 

Mae'n rhaid i'r gwenynwr agor y cwch gwenyn i wirio bod epil a brenhines yn yr haen isaf, a storfa fêl. Os nad oes brenhines... mae'r cwch yn marw. Eglurodd Mavis fod gwenyn yn cymryd eu personoliaeth oddi wrth frenhines y cwch gwenyn. Mae’r rhan fwyaf o wenyn yn ysgafn, ond weithiau gall cwch gwenyn fod yn ymosodol. Bydd y gwenynwr hefyd yn helpu pobl sydd angen tynnu haid, os ydynt yn gorffwys mewn man anghyfleus neu'n sefydlu cartref. Maent yn hapus i wneud hyn, oherwydd mae'n golygu gwenyn am ddim!

Glenys a Mavis gyda sgep

Dangosodd Mavis hen gwch gwiail hardd o'r enw sgep. Yn hyn o beth mae'r gwenyn yn datblygu conau gwyllt, ond yn anffodus mae'n rhaid dinistrio'r sgep yn aml i gynaeafu'r mêl, felly nid yw'n ddull darbodus y dyddiau hyn.

Gall fod 10,000 o wenyn mewn cwch gwenyn. Eglurodd Mavis eu bod bob amser yn gadael jar o fêl iddyn nhw ac yn rhoi bwyd arbennig iddyn nhw, yn enwedig pan mae hi mor oer neu wlyb. Mae gwenyn yn casglu paill yn y gwanwyn, ac yn dechrau cau i lawr ym mis Gorffennaf.

Mae brenhines wenynen yn byw am tua 18 mis y dyddiau hyn, ond roedden nhw'n arfer byw am 3 blynedd. Does neb yn gwybod pam fod hyn wedi newid. Bydd larfa a roddwyd jeli brenhinol am y 2 ddiwrnod cyntaf o fywyd, yn datblygu i fod yn frenhines.

Awgrymodd Mavis ei bod yn bwysig bwyta mêl lleol er lles iechyd. Mae gan y cwyr sy'n cael ei dorri i ffwrdd i gael at y mêl lawer o baill ynddo. Mae rhai pobl wedi darganfod bod cnoi hwn yn gallu helpu gydag alergeddau fel clefyd y gwair.

A cheque for City Hospice

At the January 2024 meeting, Whitchurch WI formally presented a cheque for £600 to one of our charities, City Hospice.

Vice President Linda, Katie Vaughan, and Treasurer Liz.

 

Katie Vaughan received the cheque on their behalf, and offered thanks for our support, expressing the importance of their work in supporting people in their own homes. 

Yng nghyfarfod Ionawr 2024, cyflwynodd WI Eglwys Newydd siec o £600 yn ffurfiol i un o’n helusennau, City Hospice.

Derbyniodd Katie Vaughan y siec ar eu rhan, a chynigiodd ddiolch am ein cefnogaeth, gan fynegi pwysigrwydd eu gwaith yn cefnogi pobl yn eu cartrefi eu hunain.

Newsletter 178 – January 2024

WELCOME,  and Happy New Year!

January 2924 meeting: 

Subject:  ‘Bees – it’s not just honey’   Speaker: Mavis Tierney 

We are delighted to welcome back Mavis – some of you will remember her demonstrations of silk scarf painting. Today (January 9th) it's bees that Mavis is here to talk about – a subject that the WI nationally has been campaigning on for over ten years. 

HAVE YOU GOT YOUR THINKING CAPS ON ?          

WI Resolutions:  to be voted on at our February meeting. Some background information to inform your decision can be found in the latest W.I. magazine.

Unwanted Christmas presents: 

Please bring these along to our next meeting.  Sales go towards our Charity fundraising. Which leads to...

Our Charities:  

We want you to  put forward the charities you want to support this year. As last year, we will have the opportunity to vote on which ones we will be supporting. And, speaking of which, do tell us your ideas for fundraising.  Please note, although we still plan to run a stall at the Whitchurch Fete it will NOT be plants this time.

Outing:   

Our anniversary trip this year is to Paul Kirner’s Music Palace in Ynys Hir. This is a showcase for theatre and electronic instruments, and we will be given a demonstration and talk, followed by a cream tea. It will be on Tuesday, 9th April. Cost £15 which includes – entry fee, entertainment, and tea and scone. Travel by coach is being paid for from funds. Please see the treasurer, Liz to sign up today.

The Bus Pass Group:  

This is quite informal. A route or destination to travel by bus—using our bus passes of course—is suggested. You are given the details: date, bus route number and time – though you can catch the bus along the route if you want to join the group.  Yvonne will arrange the first one in February, but your suggestions for future trips are most welcome.

MARY DAVIES

We are sad to announce the death in December of one of our members, Mary Davies. Mary has been described as ‘one of the quiet ones’ but very independent and with a gentle sense of humour.  There will be a photo of her on the notice board.

GROUPS: Dates for your new 2024 diaries!            

Book Group:  Wednesday 10th Jan 2024 / 11.00am at La Cucina da Mara
Poetry and Prose: Monday 15th Jan 2024 / 11.00am at the Ark, Ararat
St Mary’s Gardens:  Tuesday 16th Jan 2024 / 10.00 am.  A working party, suitable for all activity levels.
Family History: Thursday 18th Jan 2024 / 10.30am at 113 Pantbach Road
Sunday Lunch Group: Sunday 21st Jan 2024 / 1pm at Pantmawr Inn.  Contact Gill to select your menu choices as pre-ordering is required.
Craft Group: Monday 22nd Jan 2024 / 10.30am 18 Heol Stradling
The Bus Pass Group: this will re-start in February.     

All our activities are listed on our blog, along with reports and photos from previous meetings – visit: http://whitchurch-wi-cardiff.blogspot.com

NEXT MEETING:  

Monday 12th February 2024 at 2pm.
Subject:  St Mary’s Gardens; the secret place. 
Speakers:  Zoe Pearce and Sheila Austin
(and don’t forget to bring your unwanted presents!)

Glamorgan Newsletter snippets — Volume 14, issue 12

Glamorgan Federation of Women’s Institutes

Not in my Name Competition 2023 — ’Design and Make a Tote Bag’

The winner and runners-up of the above competition were announced at the stakeholder event at the Senedd on 20 November 2023.
Winner—Barbara Pearce, Hilperton WI, Wiltshire Federation
2nd—Christine O’Kell, Ringway and Hale Barns WI, Cheshire Federation
3rd—Jacky Brown, Frongoch WI, Gwynedd Meirionnydd Federation.

ROYAL WELSH SHOW WINTER FAIR

Congratulations to the following members from Glamorgan Federation who were successful at the Royal Welsh Show Winter Fair.

Christmas Tree Skirt
1st Mair Morgan, Tir Iarll WI
2nd Pat James, Catwg WI
3rd Gayney Jones, Margam WI 

Decorated Wreath Cake
3rd Alison Kennedy, Garth WI

Congratulations to Daphne Furneaux on sweeping the board at the Winter Fair:
1st and best in Show Champion—the class title was ‘A Commemorative
design to depict our Patron the Late Queen Elizabeth II’ her interpretation was ‘Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed the outdoor life at Balmoral'.
1st for ‘Highgrove’ a landscape design
1st for ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ a Miniature user 4 inches.

Diary dates—2023/2024

Annual Council Meeting—£12—Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot
Monday 18 March 2024—Closing date: 23 February 2024

Bluebell Spring Lunch—£23—Hi Tide Inn, Porthcawl
Wednesday 20 March 2024—Closing date: 1 March 2024

Rosebowl & Brecon Cup 2024—Blanco’s Hotel, Port Talbot—
Thursday 18 April 2024—Closing date: 1 March 2024

Rosebowl & Brecon Cup Afternoon Tea—£15—Blanco’s Hotel, Port Talbot
Thursday 18 April 2024—Closing date: 1 March 2024