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Asian Hornet Week 2021 6-10 September
We are asking everyone to be vigilant in looking out for this alien species, the Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina. This hornet could decimate our pollinators including our honey bees, it is important to have everyone actively looking for it. Follow the BBKA on social media and share the Asian hornet week posts to help raise awareness
Twitter Facebook Instagram
Autumn is the time for trapping as wasps and hornets lose their sources of floral nectar and find hives full of honey very attractive. We are asking beekeepers to put an hour aside every day to watch for hornets hawking their hives during Asian Hornet Week.
Asian hornet press release
We have also prepared a press release you can send to local radio stations and newspapers:
asianhornetweek2021pr.pdf
A brilliant article from APHA Science blog by Peter Davies.
The threat of the Asian hornet
The blog covers the background, the threat they pose...
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Did you know that the British Army is providing much-needed homes for several species of bees, some of which are Britain's most endangered native species?
This week as part of Bees Needs Week, an annual event coordinated by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), we highlight some of the work being done across the Defence estate by Army and civilian personnel to create bee-friendly environments to help ensure the pollinators are protected for the future.
Bee nests or hotels as they are often referred to, can be found on sites across the Defence Estate including Donnington, Bicester, West Moors, Gosport and Abbey Wood with more planned.
Made of different sized hollow tubes, a bee hotel is a great way to help solitary bees, including Red Mason bees, by providing much needed shelter. A bee will live there...
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The following members of staff are based at the Stoneleigh Office.
Leigh Sidaway
General Manager
also General Secretary
gen.manager@bbka.org.uk
Sarah Snelson
Deputy Manager and Examinations Officer
also Correspondence Course Manager
sarah.snelson@bbka.org.uk
Liz Leddy
Officer Administrator
liz.leddy@bbka.org.uk
Erica Challis
Website & Fundraising Administrator
erica.challis@bbka.org.uk
Sarah Laidler
Management Accountant
sarah.laidler@bbka.org.uk
Michelle Walsh
Finance Administrator & Membership Secretary
michelle.walsh@bbka.org.uk
Debbie Lee
Accounts Assistant and Purchase Ledge Clerk
debbie.lee@bbka.org.uk
Diane Roberts
Press Officer
diane.roberts@bbka.org.uk
07841 625797
Please contact our Press...
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The 2021 National Honey Show takes place at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ on 21st - 23rd October.
This year there are a number of new junior classes including some photo, essay and artwork classes.
A full schedule of classes can be found using the following link:-
https://www.honeyshow.co.uk/files/2021/Full-Schedule-of-Classes-Guidance-Rules.pdf
The junior classes start on page 29 of this document and all the new classes are marked with a black triangle.
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Bees Needs Week: 12th - 18th July 2021 The BBKA will be sharing our favourite beekeeping moments on our social media: sharing our members photos of their beekeeping and our most popular stories from the last 12 months. Follow us on social media.
These are the five simple actions you can take to help pollinators and make sure their populations are sustained:
Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees
Let your garden grow wild
Cut your grass less often
Don’t disturb insect nest and hibernation spots
Think carefully about whether to use pesticides
Our patron, Jimmy Doherty, sent this message in support of Bees Needs Week:
YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61X1Hpr4S-c
ARMY HAS A NEW HIVE OF ACTIVITY
Did you know that the British Army is providing much-needed homes for several species of bees, some of which are Britain's most endangered native species?
This week as part of Bees Needs Week, an annual event coordinated by the Department of Environm...
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The Veterinary Medicine Directorate’s (VMD) have become aware of a number of unauthorised veterinary medicines/treatments being advertised and sold for a variety of honey bee issues including:- Varroa, Nosema disease (nosemosis) and Tracheal mites (acarapisosis).
We advise members to always use authorised products and also to submit a complaint if they see unauthorised veterinary medicine or products being advertised: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-an-animal-product-being-marketed-as-a-medicine
There is a list of all the current UK authorised products for bees on the VMD’s product database. Click search at the bottom of the page, select ‘Bees’ in ‘Species’ and then click ‘Run Search’.
More detailed guidance on both how to report suspected illegal activity and how the VMD will deal with these reports can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-illegal-animal-medicines
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Article by Tim Lovett, BBKA Past President, published in the June edition of BBKA News.
Professor Ian Gibson PhD, 1938–2021 The MP who served beekeeping so well
By Tim Lovett, BBKA Past President
Ian Gibson passed away on Friday 9 April 2021 after a short illness. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the BBKA in 2010 in recognition of his seminal active support and encouragement to the BBKA in a period of great importance for bees and beekeeping. Indeed, he played no small role in putting beekeeping front and centre at Westminster and the country at large, and as a result, was hugely helpful in engaging with the public in getting key messages over to them. The corporate memory of the BBKA may have a number of lacunae, so it is worth revisiting Ian’s involvement and contribution.
Ian Gibson graduated and obtained his PhD at Edinburgh University. A geneticist, he did post-doctoral research at Universities of Indiana and Washington before returning to the UK as a lect...
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What bee is this?
In summer we get many calls and questions from people with bees in their buildings, outbuildings and bird boxes. Often these turn out to be bumblebees.
Step 1 - Identification
As well as honeybees there are around 24 species of bumblebee and over 240 species of solitary bee in the UK. To find out what type of bees you have please see the pictures below.
Honeybees
There can be variation in the colour of the main body or abdomen of honeybees, from honey coloured Italian bees to very dark native Black honeybees but all will form a distinctive cluster when they have settled as a swarm. Honeybees have large hairy eyes, a furry chest or thorax and distinctive bent antennae.
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This is a swarm of honeybees gathered on a wall. There are more pictures of swarms here honeybee swarms
If you are sure they are honeybees then again follow the link at the bottom of the the BBKA website swarm page . This allows you to type in your postcode and...
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In summer we get many calls and questions from people with bees in their houses, outbuildings and gardens.
There are over 250 types of bees in the UK but there is only one european honey bee (Apis mellifera). As well as honey bees there are around 24 species of bumblebee and over 240 species of solitary bee in the UK. Please see below to help identify what type of bee you have and who to approach for help and information.
If you have honey bees in the structure of your property
If you feel you need to have the bees destroyed please contact a local reputable pest control company. Bees are endangered but they are not protected. Click here for the link to the Health & Safety Executive guide to Honey bees and biocides:
Our volunteers beekeepers can only assist in cases of swarms OF HONEY BEES.
See our page of photos of honeybee swarms
To Jump straight to the Swarm map click here
To support the work of the BBKA please DONATE
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Bee Diseases Insurance click through
Long Service Certificate - downloadable application form
Swarm Collectors Protocol
BBKA Calendar of Events & Important Dates 2021
Risk assessment for Schools visit with observation hive
Risk assessment for a training apiary
Asian hornet team documents
AHT Online Assessment - flowchart
Asian hornet teams
Summary reports of BBKA Trustee Meetings can be found on the Meetings & Reports page of BBKA EC and Office section.
