A beekeeper in the Ascot area of Berkshire filmed live insects near a hive, photographed a dead Vespa velutina and reported the sighting using the using the ‘Asian hornet Watch’ app.
Further information regarding the Asian hornet can be found on our Asian hornet page of BeeBase and on Defra’s news page. Please direct all media enquiries to the Defra Press Office: 0330 0416560
July 2021 – Varroa a reportable pest
The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (England) (Amendment) Order 2021, The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2021 and The Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Scotland) Amendment Order 2021 make Varroa a reportable pest effective 21st April 2021. To find out how you can report varroa please visit https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/BeeDiseases/report-varroa.cfm
SUMMER MEETINGS FOR BEGINNERS AND PUBLIC (around Covid restrictions)
The Vale and Downland Beekeepers’ association are holding meetings for anyone interested in beekeeping at our association apiary on:
• Wednesday’s 2nd June, 7th July and 4th August, starting at 1900hrs
• Sunday’s 20th June, 22nd August 1300hrs-14300hrs.
Spaces are limited so if you’d like to come along or if you know of anyone who would be interested in attending any of these meetings please contact us via our contact page here.
or call Michael Havard-Bilton on 01235 523420 between 6pm-7pm Mon-Fri evenings.
The BBKA need your opinion about your BBKA News magazine. Do you enjoy picking up a printed copy as it drops through your door and relaxing in a chair to read it, or if you would prefer to receive it on your computer/laptop so that you can enjoy it wherever you are, let us know. You can even opt to receive both versions of the magazine if you wish.
Here is a link to allow you to fill in a questionnaire about the BBKANEWS online;
or you can send in a printed copy by downloading the form or by filling in the paper copy in January’s BBKANEWS and returning it to:
Freepost BRITISH BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
Please note this address label is sufficient and nothing else should be written on the envelope.
There are several other questions about the content, balance and style that the BBKA would value your response about. We need your opinions to help deliver the magazine you would like to receive.
The BBKA are leaving the survey open until end February so we encourage you to take part.
If you have registered your bees with BeeBase then you should have received the following; if not, the please read on for the annual hive count.
Dear Beekeeper
It is again time to update your BeeBase records with the total number of overwintering hives as of 1st November 2020.
To complete this year’s hive count please click the link below which will take you to BeeBase. Once logged in, please answer the hive count questions displayed and then click the ‘Submit response’ button. It is as simple as that! Please update your records by 31st December 2020.
If you currently have no colonies, please update your BeeBase record to confirm this by selecting “non-current”.
Please click this link to update your Hive Count.
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/login.cfm?relocate=/secure/beekeeper/hiveCensus.cfm
More details of this project, its importance and why we need your help can be found on BeeBase:
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=362
2019’s count indicated a total UK population of honey bee hives at approximately 264,000. Please note that several assumptions formed part of the calculations used to get derive this number. It is therefore classed as an ‘experimental statistic’.
If you have any security concerns about clicking on the embedded links in this email, you can access BeeBase directly from your Internet browser to complete the hive count. Simply log in to BeeBase and select ‘Hive Count’ from the list of options displayed.
We have produced additional guidance on how to update your records within BeeBase, these are included in the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document on the Hive Count information page of BeeBase.
For more information on the National Hive Count you can email hive.count@apha.gov.uk or call the National Bee Unit Office on 0300 3030094.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
National Bee Unit
The BBKA annual honey survey is now open on their website. It really does only take a few minutes to complete and we would like to encourage as many members as possible to take part.
Here is the link : BBKA Annual Honey Survey
Everyone is welcome to attend the event, free of charge.
Attendees will be able to attend lectures, demonstrations, visit our trade hall and take part in other exciting activities.
The show will feature a series of lectures and demonstrations, followed by live online Q&A sessions, with the opportunity to ask questions via the ‘chat’ facility.
Entry to the Show is by registration only and is free to all. Registration is now open at https://crowdcomms-ltd.reg.crowdcomms.com/the-national-honey-show and it only takes about a minute to register. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with their registration details.
13.45 Welcome
14.00 Mike Palmer: A year at French Hill Apiaries
15.30-16.30 Demonstration: Gwyn Marsh Making Beeswax wraps
17.00-17.15 National Honey Show AGM
17.30-17.45 National Council AGM
18.30 The Central Association of Bee-Keepers Lecture: Medhat Nasr: Wintering honey bees – but not as we know it
11.00-12.00 Demonstration: Chris Park, Skep making
14.00 Etienne Bruneau: The honey market in turmoil
15.30-16.30 Demonstration: John Goodwin, Showing honey
18.30 Bees for Development Quiz:
11.00-12.00 Demonstration: Same day soap: The Robb recipe
12.30-13.30 Bill, Bob and Bees. Bill Turnbull and Prof Robert Pickard interview
14.00 Jeff Pettis: Long live the queen, please!, why are queens failing?
15.30-16.30 Closing
We know the lack of a physical Show will be disappointing, as it is for us all, but we hope to offer an exciting armchair event, where the National Honey Show Community can come together online.
All your favourite traders will be represented in the Trade Hall, where you will be able to keep in touch with their latest offerings.
Asian Hornet Week 2020 7-13 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
https://twitter.com/britishbee
https://www.facebook.com/TheBritishBeekeepersAssociation/
https://www.instagram.com/britishbeekeepers/
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.
Effect on Biodiversity
From the Invasive Species Compendium
Hornets are well known for their attacks on other hymenopteran species, especially honey bees. Studies by Muller et al. (2010, 2013) in France demonstrate that V. velutina preys on a range of insects and the carcasses of mammals and birds.
The prey spectrum consisted of 59% hymenopteran species [of which bees (Apidae) represented over 35%], 32% dipterans, and 9% others (orders Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Mecoptera, Trichopetra, Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Neuroptera, Dermaptera, and Blattaria).
Resources
This is a link to a PDF for an Asian Hornet banner we designed in the office and have used at the Asian hornet conference in 2020. This is shown on the right.
This is the PDF file of the latest banner used
You can use the pdf to have your own banner printed by downloading it to your computer and then uploading it to this website. Banners are in the region of £30/40 pounds -
https://www.solopress.com/roller-banners/ (other websites are available!)
We have also attached the latest Asian hornet poster from the Government which you can display anywhere you think might be useful in your locality (local shops/ allotment site / work notice boards).
Asian hornet ID poster
How to report an Asian hornet
If you suspect you have seen an Asian hornet you should report this using the ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app:
Asian Hornet Watch app for iPhone
Asian Hornet Watch app for android
You can also report sightings by email: alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. Please include information on location, date and number of Asian hornets you have seen. Please also include a photo if you can to help our experts identify the insect.
Alternatively, you can fill out an online report form
Reporting Asian Hornet Sightings
Please fill out the details in the form – Non-native Species Alert – at the link, in each of the three sections, before clicking on the Save button at the bottom of the last section.
https://www.brc.ac.uk/risc/alert.php?species=asian_hornet
Bucks County BKA Spring Seminar 2020
The 24th annual spring seminar hosted by Bucks County Beekeepers will take place at the Wendover Memorial Hall on Saturday 8 February, 2020 from 10am
The speakers are:
Bob Smith: 8mm of nothing – the importance of bee space.
Dr Seirian Sumner: Wasps – the neglected darlings of the insect world.
Dr Nick Isaac: Where have all the pollinators gone?
There will be a second hand equipment stall – please contact Steve Adkins if you have something you’d like to sell – treasurer@buckscountybeekeepers.co.uk. If you have items you wish to offer for sale please bring them on the day between 9:45am – 10:20am clearly marked with your name and price required. (all un sold equipment must be removed by the owner at the end of the day)
There will also be a raffle and stalls to browse: Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Bees Abroad, BBKA, Central Association of Bee Keepers, the Bucks Microscopy Group and a secondhand beekeeping bookstall.
Tea, coffee, cakes and a ploughman’s lunch is included for those who pre book so please register so that we can cater for everyone. The cost for the event is £15
The Bucks County Beekeepers AGM will be held at the end of the meeting.
For bookings CLICK HERE
Practical Workshop for Beginners
25 January 2020
This workshop is being held to help guide our new beekeepers through the process of assembling their equipment ready for the new season, if anyone is interested in helping please contact Lilian
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