GOT A SWARM!?
Click here to contact your regional swarm coordinator.
JUST WANT TO TRY BEEKEEPING?
If you are thinking about taking up Beekeeping, then why not try one of our taster sessions? Check our 'Events' Page for details of our 2020 Taster Sessions.
Taster Sessions may be booked by emailing your details to:
Image © David Wootton
Join our Facebook Group here.
Registered Charity No. 1151301
The Home Page of the Friendly Beekeepers
Educating the Beekeepers of Tomorrow and Informing the Beekeepers of Today
Recent News and Announcements
COVID-19 update
Following the latest advice from the Government on 16th March we are sorry to say that all WNKLBA events are cancelled for the foreseeable future.
We will monitor the situation and if possible, reinstate events should Government guidelines suggest it is safe to do so. Apologies for any inconvenience.
Please see below for information regarding members sales.
WNKLBA Event Guidance.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [130.3 KB]
WNKLBA Sales Guidance Coronavirus Covid-[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [108.1 KB]
Please join us on our Facebook Group here where we'll be happy to offer continued help and support.
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Bees Abroad Big Birthday Pub Quiz
Hosted by Prof Adam Hart.
Please support us online on
Wednesday 6th May at 8:00 pm
This year Bees Abroad is celebrating 21 years of delivering beekeeping projects that enable communities to enhance their livelihoods and improve their quality of life.
"I have seen first hand the empowering effects of beekeeping in the developing world, and the benefits are remarkable. They can be surprising too - some communities even use beehives to protect their
crops from elephants! Bees Abroad is exactly the sort of initiative that really makes a difference in people's lives" - Prof Adam Hart
At this time of uncertainty, we have had to cancel lots of fundraising activities and we need your help to continue our work.
Please join in the fun, enjoy the Bees Abroad Big Birthday General Knowledge Pub Quiz and make a donation if you can. If you are unable to join you can still support us with a
donation.
2020 BBKA Winter Survival Survey
Please take part in the BBKA Winter Survival Survey, the more feedback they receive the better the picture they can build as to the status of our bee colonies in Spring 2020
2020 COLOSS Survey
In the last decade, elevated losses of western honey bee colonies have been observed, but the underlying causes still remain unclear.
In 2008, European and USA honey bee experts formed a network "COLOSS"
Now more than 1000 scientists are working together in this network in specific working groups.
The group has developed a standardised questionnaire to identify the underlying causal factors of losses and provide beekeepers sustainable management strategies.
You are now invite you to fill in the questionnaire for 2020:
https://www.bee-survey.com/index.php/958611
This enables them to compare your answers with other beekeepers. With your data COLOSS can estimate the relative risk of colony losses for beekeeper decisions such as Varroa treatment, migration of colonies and comb replacement. We also aim to identify differences in relative mortality risk between regions. This will enable follow up research projects in specific regions.
Results from previous surveys have been published in Journal Apicultural Research, the most recent article was published as an open access document and can be found at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218839.2019.1615661
Asian Hornet latest
On Friday 4th October 2019 a nest was destroyed following the confirmed sighting of an Asian hornet near Christchurch, Dorset after it was reported by a member of the public.
We continue to ask beekeepers and the general public to remain vigilant and report suspect sightings using ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app (see links below), by filling out an online report form or emailing [email protected] .
Further information can be found here.
Got a Swarm? If you discover a honey bee swarm please contact our swarm co-ordinators:
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk - Barry Thrower 01553 810001
North Norfolk - Barry Walker-Moore 07833 915340
For all other areas, swarms, or for more information, please see our services page
How to Make and Asian Hornet Monitoring Trap. If you wish to learn how to make an Asian Hornet Monitoring Trap, there is a useful YouTube guide here. Written instruction from the National Bee Unit are contained here.
Asian Hornet Watch - A Smartphone App For Reporting Suspected Asion Hornet Sightings. Asian Hornet Watch is an app designed to record and help the early detection of Asian Hornet in the UK following the first confirmed record in September 2016. You might wish to download this to your smartphone:
Click here for Android phones and Here for Apple Iphones.
Introduction From the Chair
A change of face for 2019! I am delighted to be taking on the Chair of WNKLBA and shall do my very
best to build on the excellent work carried out by my worthy predecessors.
The Association has enthusiastic and talented committee members who work hard to make WNKLBA
such a welcoming, friendly and pleasant group to be a part of.
We are so incredibly fortunate to have a lovely apiary, providing ever improving facilities, where we can carry out the education and training programmes that we feel are so important in helping new members learn and improve their beekeeping skills.
We also run taster sessions which are designed to let complete novices look inside a hive and discover the magical world that lies within. For those who might be interested in learning more, we run a very comprehensive Beginners’ course, led by experienced beekeepers in a series of theory and practical sessions during the Spring and early Summer. Following on from this Beginners’ course is the Improvers’ course, the following year, which is intended to help the new beekeepers through their early years of beekeeping.
The BBKA offer some more formal assessments and qualifications which members of the education team are pleased to help with and advise on.
As an association we also stage one-off events and training sessions, lectures, and seasonal demonstrations which are designed to be of interest to all members, however long standing they may be.
Other benefits to be had from being a member of WNKLBA include the bulk buying scheme which greatly reduces the cost of jars, feed and medication. Our newsletter, Beeaware, is produced regularly and includes interesting articles, information about forthcoming meetings, offers to be had, and a lot of other things of beekeeping interest.
We look forward to welcoming you to as many of our meetings as you can attend. All new and longstanding members are always made welcome. There is something for everyone.
With my very best wishes for this Beekeeping season,
Venetia Rist (Chair)
Books, Suppliers, DVDs, Bookshops and Recipes.
For a list of our recommended books, equipment suppliers, DVDs and bookshops - also includes honey based recipes submitted by our members for the Sandringham Flower Show - please download our Links Page.
Contact the FERA Regional Bee Inspector at the National Bee Unit:
Visitors since 1 Jan 2018
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