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The International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB) is an annual competitive and cultural event for teams of three teen Beeks sent by their national beekeeping associations. Last summer the 2023 IMYB was held in the beautiful green fields and forests of rural Slovenia. During the event we heard exciting rumours that there might be a possibility of the 2024 IMYB being held for the first-time outside Europe in the UAE. In March 2024 we got the news that this year’s IMYB would indeed be held in Dubai which looks to be an amazing event.
The UAE as a whole has been planning its transition for years away from its previous reliance on income from oil and gas towards a more sustainable future. This includes massively expanding the agricultural sector to produce locally sourced foodstuffs and so they are also focusing on promoting local pollinators which of course includes bees.
This region has a very long history of beekeeping and honey production using cyli...
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The BBKA recently took the opportunity to join the European Beekeeping Association (EBA).
This will provide a good opportunity for the BBKA to work alongside its counterparts on areas of mutual interest and to evaluate long term participation.
The three primary goals of the European Beekeeping Association are:
The fight against counterfeit honey that has flooded the European market
The fight for the introduction of special subsidies per beehive based on the contribution to the pollination of cultivated and uncultivated plants and the improvement of ecology
The fight against the improper use of pesticides which are toxic to bees
Further details can be found in the EBA brochure or on the EBA website.
The EBA also have an electronic monthly magazine, “NO BEES, NO LIFE”, which is completely free and available to download from the EBA website.
June 2024
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This page redirects to the category listing page for swarms.
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The British Beekeepers’ Association is thrilled and delighted to celebrate 150 years on Thursday 16th May 2024! During the year, the BBKA will hang out the flags and ring the bells for bees and beekeepers in multiple ways, with more to come:
A Little 150-Year History The British Beekeepers’ Association - known as the BBKA - was established as a London-based beekeepers ‘club’ in 1874 and within a decade had evolved into a national organisation. By 1943, Ireland, Scotland and Wales had developed their own Associations, while the BBKA represented beekeepers in England and Northern Ireland. After many years with no fixed abode, in 1982 the BBKA moved to offices at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire. Today, the BBKA represents around 30,000 beekeepers across the country, and works to support education around honey bees, while actively campaigning to raise awareness of threats to pollinators.
Further information including a timeline can be found here.
Planting T...
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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 Click here.
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 pl...
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Busy Bees Wordsearch
Asian Hornet Kids Fact Sheet
Asian Hornet Activity Book (shared with permission from Chloe Underwood, Isle of Wight BKA)
Asian Hornet Crossword Asian Hornet True or False Crossword & True or False Answer Sheet
Hornet Hunt (shared with permission from Chloe Underwood, Isle of Wight BKA)
Memory Snap Game (shared with permission from Chloe Underwood, Isle of Wight BKA)
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Ian Campbell, Newcastle & District BKA and BBKA Social Media Manager
The tide begins to turn on the beekeeping season and it is already time to start thinking about preparing for the late season and beyond.
Inspections
Continue weekly inspections. Swarming is mainly over, but an unexpected late round of swarms in some seasons can catch you out. This tends to happen if colonies build up strongly again after early splits. Sometimes and selectively, you can reduce the frequency of checks on some colonies.
Honey
This can be a good month to remove honey. Super frames for extraction are ready when ~75% of a frame is capped. A refractometer is valuable to measure the moisture content of honey (see opposite, along with a typical measurement scale viewed through the eyepiece) . Remember, a colony needs about 20kg of stores for the winter, so avoid taking off too much honey. Extractors are costly – does your association have one you can borrow?...
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With the school holidays on the horizon, you may have kids, grandchildren, or other young visitors to entertain. These crumbly moreish biscuits are simple to make and fun to decorate so will be enjoyed by kids young and old. For instant results, the dough can be scooped straight onto trays for baking. I also like to wrap and chill the dough before slicing it into rounds as this captures the nuts and cherries in cross-section. I love the flavour and colour of pistachios and cherries in these biscuits, but you can substitute other dried fruits or nuts of your choice.
Servings: Makes 12–14 Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes
Ingredients
150g Desiccated coconut 100g Plain flour 50g Rolled oats ½ tsp Cinnamon 100g Glace cherries 100g Pistachios 40g Sunflower seeds Pinch Salt 100g Butter 150g Honey 50g &nbs...
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The BBKA are putting on a series of Zoom talks for beekeepers which will also be streamed to YouTube for those unable to watch live.
Next Talk
"Preparing for Winter" on Tuesday 20th August 2024 at 7pm with Dave Bonner; Master Beekeeper, Ex Bee Inspector
This will be a great opportunity to learn how to avoid the colony losses that some of you may have experienced last winter. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83824579560?pwd=kjhdRbTQz1THpUcmwAHUkn6LZxaq37.1
Meeting ID: 838 2457 9560 Passcode: 753891
The talk will also be streamed to YouTube.
Dates for the Diary - Future Talks
17th September, 15th October and 19th November 2024: Pests and Diseases
21st January, 18th February and 18th March 2025: Towards the Basic Assessment
Further details for each talk will be available nearer the time.
Previous Talks "Food Safety for Beekeepers" with Andy Pedley on Tuesday 18th June 2024
YouTube recording available here Handout links:&n...
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Please use the following contact details for all media enquiries:
Email: bbka@bbka.org.uk Telephone: 07544 861931 Please note: this number is for media enquiries only. Please DO NOT use this number for swarm or general enquiries - please use 024 7669 6679 or see below for further information.
Asian Hornet
Further information about the Asian Hornet including how to identify and report sightings: https://www.bbka.org.uk/Listing/Category/asian-hornet-vespa-velutina
Asian Hornet Media Fact Sheet Asian Hornet Week Press Release August 2023 Asian Hornet Press Release May 2024 Further Asian Hornet images available from the NBU Media Gallery: (https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/resources-for-beekeepers/media-gallery/)
Swarms
In summer we receive many calls and enquiries from members of the public regarding bees in their houses, outbuildings and gardens but our volunteer members are only able to help in cases of swarms of honey bees.
Furthe...
