Due to Covid-19 this course has been cancelled
Saturday 25/04/20 09.30 – 16.00 Brailes Village Hall OX15 5AS Theory – How a honeybee colony works; the beekeeping year; how to get started; essential equipment; harvesting your honey and wax.
Sunday 26/04/20 10.30 – 14.30 Practical at club apiary OX15 5HZ – Siting an apiary; assembling hive parts; apiary safety; inspecting a honeybee colony / handling bees (weather permitting) Beesuits provided.
Light lunch and refreshments provided both days.
Cost £55 (couple £90) Gift Voucher available.
Enrolment: www.sbka.org.uk/training
Enquiries: secretary@sbka.org.uk
Due to restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 virus, the apiary will not be available during the lockdown period and the colonies therefore cannot be prepared.
Consequently, the event has now been cancelled.
This hands on introductory course will cover queen rearing methods suitable for those preparing for their General Husbandry Assessment or for those who wish to produce a few spare queens for their own apiary. The workshop, led by 3 GH assessors, will include stock selection, setting up cell raiser colonies, larval introduction using ‘Miller’ frames and grafted cell bars, setting up mating nucs and queen introduction. Materials will be provided. Delegates to provide own lunches and clean bee suits etc.
16 places
This session has been postponed – if you have booked, someone will be in contact to tell you about alternative arrangements
Taster Session for prospective beekeepers. (booked places only) Ryton Apiary, Garden Organic, Ryton on Dunsmore
More information here
In conjunction with the NBU and by popular demand, Warwickshire Beekeepers are hosting a one day event that is open to beekeepers from across the country. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from the NBU Bee Inspectors how to keep your bees healthy, how to spot disease issues and the actions necessary should you discover a potential problem. A key part of the day the chance to inspect diseased comb so that we are better equipped to spot problems in the field. The course is ideal preparation for the BBKA Bee Health Assessment.
60 places
2. 139th AGM of WBKA draft minutes for issue (3)
4. honoraria and expenses policy WBKA AGM 27 3 2019 amended
140th Annual General Meeting of Warwickshire Beekeepers Association
followed by a County Lecture
‘Beekeeping at Buckfast Abbey’ by Clare Densley and Martin Hann.
All members of WBKA are invited to attend this on-line meeting to be conducted using Zoom web video technology. Full details to access the meeting will be provided beforehand, however registration is required. Papers for the AGM are available on the WBKA website (link required). Please note that voting during the AGM is limited to Registered and Partner members of WBKA, but all members are welcome to attend.
“Beekeeping at Buckfast Abbey’’ by Clare Densley & Martin Hann
The talk takes a look at the work of Br Adam at Buckfast Abbey, taking into account: the history of the Abbey; the context of beekeeping during the early part of the 20th century and the understanding of genetics and bees from that time. We look at why Br Adam became a celebrity beekeeper and why his work was so appealing to beekeepers all over the world. We reveal some of the lesser known facts about the Buckfast breeding programme and explain why we don’t follow that regime today. We finish by explaining what we do now and why.
Clare is a former Seasonal Bee Inspector (SBI) and writes a monthly column in BeeCraft. She has been at Buckfast Abbey for 10 years and is the Head Beekeeper.
Martin is also a former SBI and has been working at Buckfast for the last 4 years.
Members’ Monthly Meeting, Shipston Beekeepers
The Shipston Beekeepers branch is holding its monthly, 2nd Monday of the month, virtually. This will be conducted over Zoom and details will be advised prior to the meeting.
Please contact the branch Secretary for more details on how to join this virtual event.
Members’ Monthly Meeting, Sutton Coldfield and North Birmingham Beekeepers Association
This the branch’s monthly meeting and, as COVID-19 restrictions persist, will beheld online via Zoom. This month’s talk will be on Honeybee Democracy and will be presented by Dave Bonner.
Information and details for the Zoom Meeting will shown on our website, approximately 3 days prior to the talk.
British Beekeepers Association, 61st Annual Delegate Meeting
The British Beekeepers Association is holding its 61st Annual Delegate Meeting. This will be held virtually using Zoom. More details will become available soon.
Some of the propositions to be put to the ADM include:
- Increasing the annual capitation from £19 to £21 (effective Oct 2022) to
offset a significant and believed continuing drop in donations to the Charity; - Changing the voting system at the ADM to a single tier weighted system;
- The introduction of a set of criteria and procedures that will need to be met
and followed before a new Area Association can be accepted as such.
Should you have any questions or would like to provide feedback, please contact Douglas Nethercleft, WBKA ADM Delegate
Members’ Monthly Meeting, Coventry Beekeepers
The monthly members meeting for Coventry Beekeepers will feature a talk by Andrew and Sarah Heath on the BBKA Apiary and the activities around it. As per current country-wide restrictions, the event will be held virtually using Zoom.
Please contact Dave Bonner for more details on how to join this talk.