BBKA

• Spring Convention Stop Press

  We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Spring Convention, 17th -19th April 2026, at Harper Adams University, Near Telford, Shropshire, TF10 8NB   Back to main Spring Convention Pages

• Honey

  Why do bees make honey? Honey bees are special in that they overwinter as a colony, unlike wasps and bumblebees. The colony does not hibernate but stays active and clusters together to stay warm. This requires a lot of food, which is stored during the summer. Although a hive only needs 20 - 30 lb of honey to survive an average winter, the bees are capable of collecting much more, if given storage space. In a good year, honey bees will make far more honey that they need for themselves.  Beekeepers usually harvest the surplus honey at the end of the summer but always leave enough in the hive for the bees to eat over the long winter months. How do bees make honey? Bees take nectar, which is a sweet sticky substance exuded by most flowers and some insects (honeydew), and mix it with enzymes from glands in their mouths. This nectar/enzyme mix is stored in hexagonal wax honey comb until the water content has been reduced to around 17%. When this level is...

• Spring Convention FAQ

  Where and when is the Convention for 2026? The 2026 convention will be held 17th - 19th April, at Harper Adams University, Near Telford, Shropshire, TF10 8NB This page will be updated for 2026 shortly but in the meantime here are some photos from the 2025 event. Photo credits:  Ian Campbell, Marcus Hughes and Dave Heaton

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