News – Petersfield and District Beekeepers Association

First Association Zoom meeting on Saturday 28th at 7.30pm

We are having our first Association Zoom meeting on Saturday 28th at 7.30 pm.

Andrew Brown of the B4 Project will be talking about the native black bee, their work to conserve it, and the science that could affect the way you could choose to look after your bees.

To join just click on the link below or copy and paste onto your browser. This is our first event, so please be patient with us and we hope to see you on our screens 🙂

Topic: Bringing Back the Black Bee
Time: Nov 28, 2020 07:30 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84397630574?pwd=S1l6cjN3SHIrK0w2SVV2ajNDdUd1QT09

Meeting ID: 843 9763 0574
Passcode: 713798

COVID-19 and beekeeping

Please click on the link below for guidance from the bee health policy teams in England, Wales and Scotland regarding beekeeping during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here:Covid-19_and_Beekeeping_Update_v1

All PDBKA Events Postponed / Cancelled until further notice.

In these extraordinary times we have taken the decision to postpone or cancel our planned events.
The apiary will be closed for the foreseeable future. Therefore no final new beekeeper training session on Sunday 29th, no Apiary cleaning day or Sunday Apiary sessions.
The summer shows are being cancelled by their organisers.

Bumblebees face mass extinction amid ‘climate chaos’, scientists warn

‘We have now entered the world’s sixth mass extinction event — the biggest, most rapid global biodiversity crisis since a meteor ended the age of the dinosaurs’

A massive decline of bumblebees — the world’s most important pollinators — is now underway due to “climate chaos” and other human impacts on the world, scientists have warned.

A new study reveals bumblebees are currently disappearing at rates “consistent with a mass extinction”, and are on course to be wiped out in just a “few decades”.

More information here

Pesticides impair baby bee brain development

Pesticides can impair brain growth in baby bumblebees, affecting their ability to perform a simple learning task as adults, according to a new study.

(more…)

WSBKA Bee Market & Auction

The West Sussex Beekeepers’ Association is again organising a Bee Market and Auction for the benefit of its members and non-members with beekeepers attending to buy and sell from a very wide area.

The event will again take place at Chichester College’s Brinsbury Campus in Pulborough, West Sussex on Saturday 25th April 2020.

Auction details, Guidance Notes and the Entry Form are available to download from the WSBKA website – www.westsussexbeekeepers.org.uk/auction.html .

The Auction catalogue will be published online after 20^th April.

For further details contact me on email secretary@westsussexbeekeepers.org.uk or phone 01403 752493 Mobile 07761 34928

February 26th 2020: National Bee Unit update

With bad weather conditions affecting much of the UK, please take some time to read the below update and check on your colonies.

STORES
Please keep a check on the winter stores. Hefting is the preferred method, gently tilt the hive from the rear to give an indication of the amount remaining. If you’ve already placed fondant inside then perhaps lift the lid to have a quick peek to ascertain if the bees are taking it, and if so gauge if or when it may need replenishing.

PEST DAMAGE
Prior to checking stores a perimeter check of the hive would be a good idea after stormy/windy weather to see that your hives are still upright. If you have used straps check your straps are secure. Check also for pest damage, woodpeckers can be a particular nuisance at this time of year as can mice looking for a warm place to nest. Mouse guards should have ideally been fitted as part of your winter preparations. If you live in an area where woodpeckers might be a problem a cage around your hives made from chicken wire is a good deterrent.

VARROA
Many of you will have checked your Varroa mite count and treated as necessary but if not please do check your Varroa mite count and treat if needed (but only use an authorised treatments). In the winter months when no brood is present oxalic acid products can be administered, but ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Though with the mild weather to date a brood less period may not have taken place in some parts of the country.

A full list of the currently authorised treatments can be found here.

DAMP
Damp is one of the biggest risks to your bees in winter, bees can usually withstand the cold but damp will takes its toll. If your hive is in an area where damp may accumulate it may be prudent to move your hives elsewhere.

REGIONAL BEE INSPECTOR (RBI) REPORTS
Your RBI has compiled a report giving feedback on the 2019 season along with the National Bee Unit contact information. You can view it here.

SEASONAL BEE INSPECTOR (SBI) VACANCIES
The National Bee Unit currently has a number of Seasonal Bee Inspector (SBI) vacancies advertised in the following areas. If you are interested in applying for the job, please use the links below andcontact the relevant Regional Bee Inspector for any queries regarding the position.

South East – Kent

North East – East and West Yorkshire

Southern – Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Hampshire

Eastern – North Cambridgeshire, South Lincs & West Norfolk

BBKA Spring Convention Cancelled

Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB

Friday 3, Saturday 4, Sunday 5 April 2020

The Beekeeping Event of the Year! Cancelled

20+ Lectures; 50+ Workshops & Seminars for all levels of beekeeping experience including BBKA Funded Research Session Friday
Large Trade Show Saturday ♦ Not for Profit Exhibitors Friday and Saturday
Excellent facilities; great value catering and accommodation available

BBKA Website

One of the more unlikely films competing in this years Oscars is a fascinating story about a wild beekeeper in the Balkans. Honeyland has a strong ecological message, but it’s the life story of the woman at the centre of the film that has struck a chord around the world.

Read the full BBC article here

Rotten Tomatoes reviews

Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime

THE TRESALLIER TROPHY FOR THE UNSUNG HERO 2019

This year, the committee of Petersfield and District BKA has voted for Elizabeth Eveleigh to be our Unsung Hero!

Elizabeth started bee-keeping in 2009 having completed the PDBKA Beginners’ course the year before. She is always helpful and knowledgeable due to her thirst for reading Bee books!

In the committee, everyone relies on Elizabeth to take the minutes and then produce a light hearted version for circulation via the newsletter. She knows about native bees, bumble bees, wasps and hornets, and how to tell them apart. She happily gives talks to children and they are always entertained which saves us a few false swarm calls by instructing their parents.

Another of Elizabeth’s fortes is making wonderful cakes, so she tests the Honey show recipes and the committee gets the chance to evaluate the results…keeping the committee very happy! That is only one of her duties at the annual honey show, she also organizes the venue, cakes, wax judging and photos.

But the most remarkable point is that a few years ago, Elizabeth suffered anaphylactic shock so she cannot keep the insects that interest her so much…..amazingly, she is still here helping everyone!

Instagram January 15, 2021
@britishbee New Covid advice Beebase hive count BBKA Letter about neonics Genetics Special Edition Marin Anastasov talk David Charles tributes World of Bees infographic Take our Quiz How do I become a Beekeeper? I need help with a swarm of bees I want to set up a fundraiser for the BBKA Where is my local […]
Marin Anastasov talk: Nutritional requirement and supplemental feeding January 14, 2021
Marin Anastasov talk: Nutritional requirement and supplemental feeding Nutrition is a basic biological need and the pre-requisite for a healthy and productive colony. Carbohydrates provide bees with the energy for flight, movement and heat, while protein, fats, vitamins and minerals are needed for the growth, function and development of the colony. This talk will cover […]
Lecturers & Speakers January 11, 2021
Enhance your association activities and extend your educational programme by booking a speaker. Tips for looking after your speakers: Make contact with potential speakers well in advance, many are booked up to a year ahead. Send your speaker a reminder a week or so before, with clear directions and map on how to find the […]
Online data base of pollinator interactions January 11, 2021
Dr Nicholas Balfour and colleagues at Sussex University were recipients of funding from BBKA in 2018 for an unusual and interesting project on building an online data base of pollinator interactions. This is intended to be open access when it becomes active (hopefully later in 2020) so that anyone can search it for any plant […]