KBKA members were out in force at the Wiltshire Bee and Honey Day, either as volunteers or competitors (or both). It was a fantastic day with a great variety of talks, activities for children, trade stands and charity representation. On 14th October my first committee meeting was an introduction to the many aspects involved in running a beekeeping association – we are lucky to have a very dedicated group of people working hard behind the scenes to make the association successful in all activities.
Fran Kimpton (right), pictured receiving the Blue Ribbon Award from Hazel Blackburn
Richard Rickitt will be presenting on “Bees and Trees – an Ancient Partnership”.
Richard is a KBKA member and Co-Editor of Bee Craft Magazine.
The next in the BBKA series of Zoom talks will be “Varroa” with Kirsty Stainton on Tuesday 19th November at 7pm. In this talk, Kirsty will describe the biology of the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, why Varroa mites are bad for honeybee colonies and how to recognise symptoms of infestation. She will then provide an explanation of the various ways for Varroa monitoring and a comprehensive overview of the treatment options available in the UK, including husbandry techniques that can be used to reduce mite loads without chemical intervention. This will be a jargon-free presentation designed to help you chose the right treatment for you and your bees. A recording will be available on You Tube.
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86822829123?pwd=tpZCfstxaAByXIbzslOZqCmg5BuStF.1 Meeting ID: 868 2282 9123
Passcode: 737424
A must for those looking to gain great skills in refining wax for making candles and wraps, all fantastic for Christmas gifts. Sophie will be sharing her secrets exclusively to KBKA members to help with our exhibits in 2025 shows.
Please register with Elaine at elainelewis@hotmail.co.uk for full information.
Why not kick off the Christmas season early with a friendly game of skittles and a get together with your fellow beekeepers.
The cost of £15.50 per head includes games of skittles and a buffet supper. The event is open to all members, their family and friends and payment is to be made via the KBKA website shop by no later than Monday 25th November. Skittles start at 7pm and there will be a bar open till 10.00pm. Please see link below for all details and to book.
KBKA Annual Skittles Night 2024 | Kennet Beekeepers Association
Let’s see if one of us can wrestle the trophy away from Martin Phipps.
Bee Improvement and Breeders Association – Winter Course
The link below gives details of a BIBBA course running early next year on risks from the importation of bees and queens. Home – BIBBA
You can refer back to the October newsletter on the website for a reminder of our own courses over the winter and email Emma or Andrea (education@kennet-beekeepers.co.uk) if you would like to join any of these.
Open Apiary 2025
Starting on 5th April, the open apiary sessions will for fairness, be on a Saturday for the duration of 2025. Final information will be published in the New Year.
Other News
WKBA is starting to make plans to introduce beekeeping to HMP Erlestoke in 2025 and will be looking for volunteers who are competent, confident beekeepers who would be able to travel to Erlestoke during the working day for a few hours. The site has ideal facilities for the project which will commence with a short course in February before the introduction of hives to be inspected regularly throughout the summer. If interested in being part of this valuable initiative please contact elainelewis@hotmail.co.uk.
Out-Apiary Opportunity
An opportunity has become available for an out-apiary at Roundway Hill with a perfect location to locate some hives. The site has easy access and plenty of forage for the bees. Please contact elainelewis@hotmail.co.uk for further information.
Can you spare time to monitor for yellow-legged hornets over the next 2 weeks? Help protect our native pollinators and take time to observe insects feeding on monitoring stations, fruit/fallen fruit and flowering ivy before winter.
This year, the NBU has located and destroyed 21 yellow-legged hornet nests in Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Hampshire. Credible reports increase after media coverage, for example two suspect nests were found following coverage on the BBC. Your sightings can make the difference between a nest being discovered or being unreported.
The yellow-legged hornet is smaller than the native European hornet, and it has a dark velvety thorax, and a dark abdomen with a distinctive yellow band on the fourth segment. If you think you have seen a yellow-legged hornet, please report it using the free Asian Hornet Watch App, available for Android and iPhone, on the online notification form or by emailing alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. A photograph and the location of the sighting must be included for the National Bee Unit to respond. Please include your contact details so we can get in touch.
For more information on how to report sightings, please visit our ‘So you think you’ve seen a
yellow-legged hornet’ page.
Further information about the yellow-legged hornet and the work of the Non Native Species Secretariat can be found here: Asian Hornet » NNSS (nonnativespecies.org)
Looking forward to seeing everybody at the November club night for Richard Rickitt’s talk.
See you there!
