BBKA News
BBKA News
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Winners of 2022 Photo Competition
The winners of the 2022 photo competition have now been announced. Thank you to everyone who entered. The winner of each category receives a £25 Thornes voucher and the runner-up receives an Asian Hornet set in acrylic. Many thanks to Thornes for kindly donating the prizes. Many congratulations to all of our winners! Category 1: Asian or European Hornet Foraging Winner: Catherine Hawkins Runner-up: Stephen Powles Category 2: The prey of Asian Hornets ... -
October In The Apiary
Jeremy Quinlan There is a temptation to think that there is nothing to do in the apiary at this time of year. While it is true there is not a great deal to do, there are still some things that need attention. Ivy is in flower from September to November and is... -
Rayleigh Asian Hornet Nest Removed
Sunday 2 October 2022 The Asian Hornet nest detected at Rayleigh in Essex after a beekeeper found three hornets on their property has been removed. It was found 20 feet up a sycamore tree in a private garden. The nest which looks quite large will now be analysed by government scientists to see if they can determine where the hornets came from and if queens for the next season have already been released. Further traps have been put out in Rayleigh to see if there is another nest. The Asian Hornet below feeding on ivy was found by one of the people taking part in the hunt for the nest. Beekeepers in the area are asked to keep a close eye on their hives for any hawking hornets. The discovery follows photographic evidence in August of a single hornet in Chelmsford a few miles away reported on the Asian Hornet Watch app and then three were found together in a property in Rayleigh and captured and then reported on the App. Inspectors were dispatched to carry out e... -
Asian Hornet nest found in Rayleigh
Friday 30 September 2022 A nest of Asian Hornets has been located by a track & trace operation in Rayleigh in Essex and destroyed. The nest was 20 feet up a sycamore tree in a private garden. A team from Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) Wildlife has destroyed the contents of the nest and will remove it for examination by Government scientists tomorrow. Inspectors have laid further traps to try to find out whether there is another nest in the area. This is the only nest of Asian Hornets found so far on the UK mainland this year. -ends- -
Three Asian Hornets Confirmed in Rayleigh in Essex
Wednesday 28 September An Asian Hornet Team member in Essex has found three hornets in Rayleigh in Essex and they have been confirmed as Asian Hornets. This comes a month after a single confirmed hornet was found in Chelmsford in Essex. National Bee Unit Inspectors have been dispatched to the location to carry out further surveillance. The Asian Hornets were captured by the AHT team member and reported on the Asian Hornet Watch app. The app is free to download from both Apple and Android app stores. -ends- -
The Truth about Honey
The Truth about Honey? Honey is a pure and natural product with health giving properties, however there is a growing issue worldwide with honey adulteration. This means that honey fraud is now the 3rd biggest food fraud in the world. This talk lifts the lid on the how, why and wherefore of honey fraud and the way that it impacts on the livelihoods of beekeepers around the world Lynne Ingram NDB has kept bees for over 30 years, and runs 15 – 20 colonies in Somerset. She is a Master Beekeeper, has recently gained the National Diploma in Beekeeping, and is an examiner for the BBKA modules and practical assessments. Lynne is heavily involved in educating beekeepers in Somerset, running study groups, and curating the popular Somerset Lockdown Lecture series. She is the chair of the Honey Authentic Network (HAN) UK, and a member of the BBKA Honey Adulteration Working Party. You will recieve the 'Zoom' webinar registration link in a confirmation email. This webinar is free but w... -
Rest in peace
It is with great sadness that the BBKA mourns the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - a champion of the environment. Long Live King Charles III Jacob King/PA Wire/PA Images. -
BBKA National Honey Day
The British Beekeepers' Association are celebrating the first National Honey Day on Friday 21st October 2022. We would like to invite you to share in this day when we will be encouraging everyone to buy a jar of local honey, produced by bees here in the UK. Not only do we want to ensure people are aware of all the benefits honey provides but we are seeking to celebrate the pleasure of eating honey. Honey has been enjoyed all over the world for centuries, it was found in the Egyptian tombs and is often depicted being collected by bees in ancient cave drawings. During this day of celebration, you could encourage friends and family to share photos on social media: you and your jars of local honey! The things you do with your honey. Perhaps you eat it on toast or in porridge? Perhaps you bake with honey or make mead? Do you make cosmetics containing honey? Use the hashtags #NationalHoneyDay, #LocalHoney, #Beekeeping But we are concerned that consumers are able to bu... -
September In The Apiary
Jeremy Quinlan Did you treat for Varroa in the middle of last month? Does every colony have 20kg of stores? If the answer to either question is “No” then please do so before it is too late. In July BBKA News, there were three articles about not treating. I agree that will be the best thing to do eventually, but I do not think that many of us have yet reached that point. No one likes putting chemicals into bee colonies, but if that is the only way to ensure they will be alive next spring there is no other realistic choice. Did you check mite drop over four days before treating? How did the number of mites that fell compare with the control guide in the NBU booklet Managing Varroa, page 33 (redrawn below)? I found the number varied widely. Since every colony is unique, any other result would be surprising. Did you put check boards in again when you treated? Most colonies will already have ejected all their drones. If there are still drones in a colony, susp... -
The Truth about Honey Webinar
