Reporting Varroa Amendments to the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (England) Order 2006, the Bees Diseases and Pest Control (Scotland) Order 2007 and the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (Wales) Order 2006 come into force on the 21st of April 2021 requiring all beekeepers and/or officials in GB to report the presence of Varroa in any of the hives that they manage. This amendment will allow Great Britain to comply with the Animal Health Law which is necessary for future working relationships with the European Union. To make this simple, a tick box will be introduced to BeeBase, the voluntary register for beekeepers managed by the National Bee Unit. This will be the easiest way to report Varroa but an alternative mechanism will be provided for those who do not wish to register on the BeeBase system. Details of this alternative system will be provided after 21st April. If Scottish Beekeepers wish to, they can report varroa by contacting the Scottish Bee Health Insp...

As our petition to Stop the Importation of Honeybees into GB from the EU via Northern Ireland has passed 10,000 the point at which the government has to give a response Defra have responded and you can see that below. We need to get to 100,000 signatures to get the petition debated in Parliament. "We recognise the serious threat posed by small hive beetle. EU areas affected by this pest are not permitted to export to the UK. Strict controls apply to imports into the UK from other areas" "The Government recognises that some beekeepers are concerned about the new trading arrangements and the risks of exotic pests entering Great Britain, in particular small hive beetle. Small hive beetle would present a serious threat to our honey bees if it were to arrive in the UK. This invasive pest has only been detected in one part of Europe, namely southern Italy, and exports of bees from the affected region into either Great Britain or Northern Ireland are not permitted. Imports o...

Asian Hornet Week 2021 6-10 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 Twitter Facebook Instagram  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.  Asian hornet press release We have also prepared a press release you can send to local radio stations and newspapers: asianhornetweek2021pr.pdf   A brilliant article from APHA Science blog by Peter Davies.  The threat of the Asian hornet The blog covers the background, the threat they pose...

Help BBKA raise funds for our new schools learning Apiary which will be a live resource for learning about the environment and pollinators YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVWzifzgfRE Filmed by fridaysky : www.fridaysky.co.uk   Our offices in Stoneleigh provide the perfect location for our new visitor centre as we are in the heart of England and can welcome visitors from all over the UK. Children will come with their school classes and learn about bees and mini-beasts and food security and have a live bee display with one of our beekeepers. Lots of children get ‘bitten by the bug’ this way and with their interest in beekeeping awakened, will return to it in later years. It’s imperative we train a new generation too as the average age of a beekeeper in the UK is 65. What your donations have paid for The paths around the area have been laid out and the base of the cabin has been installed. The building is expected to go up in spring ne...