[…]what a beekeeper can learn from careful observations without opening a hive and disturbing the bees. It has evolved over the years as the bees teach Ann many more new lessons, and it includes things seen a little further away from the actual hive entrance. It is a presentation thoughtfully prepared with all stages of beekeeping experience in mind, and […]
[…]to create a more beautiful and positive future.” Since the start of our project in 2011 we have been travelling the length and breadth of the country to attend hundreds of garden shows and festivals (RHS Chelsea, Hampton Court, Chatsworth, Tatton Park, BBC Gardeners’ World, Glastonbury, Wilderness, Wood Festival, BBKA Conference, and the National Honey Show to name a few […]
[…]one descriptive name, so avoiding confusion with all the local names. See https://bibba.com/honeybee-origins/ How many honey bee sub-species are there? Expand This is a topic that scientists disagree on, as a few sub-species are considered by some to be local variations of others. In general, 26 – 30 are commonly stated. Why are there so many sub-species and why are […]
[…]projectThe Sandringham estateFinding and setting up the ApiaryResourcing the ApiaryAbberton Black Bee project visitOur chosen breeding methodologiesBuilding the project year 1Upgrading and future proofing the ApiaryOur experience and learning in year 1Our Experience to date in Year 2Our aims and plans moving […]
[…]whilst artificial selection, by the beekeeper, selects those qualities that we want to see in our bees. Bees that perform well under local conditions are favoured, building up a population of locally adapted bees. Due to the difficult starting position in many areas which have very mixed stock, queens can be brought in from other beekeepers who are working to […]
We’ve probably all seen or heard about Swarm Collectors and what they do. Some bees get to set up a new home and it can often be in people’s homes and gardens. This talk will show some examples of bee extractions from walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, trees and sheds to give an idea of what can be found and how […]
[…]Natural and artificial selection work well together and represent the partnership between the bee and the beekeeper and result in an improved drone population. How can small-scale beekeepers have any bearing on the local drone populations? General principles get us moving in the right direction, but small-scale beekeepers may feel that they have little chance of influencing things for the […]
NatBIP is all about genetic stability of local bee populations through a framework of sustainable beekeeping. Bee Improvement is the route to genetic stability. Events BIBBA runs and maintains Beekeeping.events a website designed bring beekeepers and training together. Read More NatBIP This is an initiative has the twin aims of reducing the number of imports of honey bees into the […]
[…]Bee Improvement Programme is not prescriptive about what qualities we should strive for in our bees. It is much better if beekeepers decide for themselves what is important to them, and they are far more likely to progress if they work to their own ideas rather than be made to accept the views of others. Having said that the chances […]
A branch of the Eastbourne Beekeepers’ Association keen to develop a local strain of honeybee well adapted to the South Downs climate, with particular focus on improved health and docility. Contact; Simon […]
[…]are fellow Dark bee breeders and the overall Irish population remains robust and pure. Helen is a Bee Master with the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations and a member of NIHBS, the Native Irish Honey Bee Society, for which she has written a chapter on basic genetics for beekeepers. Along with maintaining and breeding dark bees in several apiaries, she now […]
The National Honey Show is a beekeeping institution. 2023 will be the show’s centenary. My plan for the talk is to give a bit of history of how the show has developed and then to take you behind the scenes to give you a taste of what it takes to stage the world’s biggest honey show and beekeeping convention. New […]
[…]for his local association, a committee member for the Native Irish Honey Bee Society and holds beekeeping, bee improvement and queen rearing classes at his home apiary. Along with Jonathan Getty, he has been giving online training to the more than 200 members of the NIHBS Queen Rearing Group Scheme since 2021. Their management system gives them little or no […]
[…]Production with Native Honey Bees - Colm ONeillFrom 7:25 for 7:30 Colm ONeill has been beekeeping for over 50 years, he and his three brothers worked 30 colonies with their father until Colm took over the beekeeping operation in his early 20s. With his wife Imelda he manages 60 honey production colonies and supporting nuclei, producing honey, native queens, drones […]
We’ve probably all seen or heard about Swarm Collectors and what they do. Some bees get to set up a new home and it can often be in people’s homes and gardens. This talk will show some examples of bee extractions from walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, trees and sheds to give an idea of what can be found and how […]
A branch of the Eastbourne Beekeepers’ Association keen to develop a local strain of honeybee well adapted to the South Downs climate, with particular focus on improved health and docility. Contact; Simon […]
[…]are fellow Dark bee breeders and the overall Irish population remains robust and pure. Helen is a Bee Master with the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations and a member of NIHBS, the Native Irish Honey Bee Society, for which she has written a chapter on basic genetics for beekeepers. Along with maintaining and breeding dark bees in several apiaries, she now […]
[…]for his local association, a committee member for the Native Irish Honey Bee Society and holds beekeeping, bee improvement and queen rearing classes at his home apiary. Along with Jonathan Getty, he has been giving online training to the more than 200 members of the NIHBS Queen Rearing Group Scheme since 2021. Their management system gives them little or no […]
[…]isolated. For security reasons we ask the location is not disclosed to anybody. For working at the bees, bee suits and gloves are not essential, but head protection is. What is or isn’t included? A one day practical and online video. Pre – COVID, this was a 2 day course, but the videos now replace the first day. Please see […]
[…]Scillonian weather, in particular the long dry summers. This is more than likely because honeybees have been imported (but luckily from varroa free locations, Colonsay, and the Isle of Man). Another part of the Project will be to take an annual DNA sample from as many colonies as pos)sible so that we can use the results to help the bees […]
[…]and others, with a bias toward conservation and the environment, rearing our own queens from black bees. Why do the bees rear so many drones? This piece aims to explain: why the production of a large number of drones is the inevitable consequence of the free mating of queens in drone congregations; and why this proliferation of drones is […]
[…]a ‘go to’ source of information not just for beekeepers in the island of Ireland but for all beekeepers who keep Amm bees or who want to know more. It covers all the essentials: What is a native Irish honey bee? Consideration of honey bee genetics (which will become an increasingly important issue in the 2020s as our knowledge of […]
[…]question any individual or group should consider is what method should I/we follow to Improve our bees and to produce queens. There are a few key choices depending on your aims, capacity (time and equipment) and capabilities. I’m assuming the reader is looking for a bee that is native and/or locally adapted. Kevin […]
