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BIBBA Monthly is produced by BIBBA and is provided to members free of charge.
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BIBBA Monthly - May 2023

BIBBA Monthly – May 2023

BIBBA CIO Progress
Trustee Changes
Conference 2023
Commercial & Semi-Commercial
One Day Queen Rearing Courses
December 2022 BIBBA Monthly

December 2022 BIBBA Monthly

Our new membership system
Mitochondrial DNA
Sandringham Project update
Normandy Black Bee

November 2022 BIBBA Monthly

Winter webinars
  • Colm ONeal
  • Helen Mooney
Normandy Black bee
Qualities in our bees
Conservation in Germany
Photo courtesy of Richard Senior

September 2022 BIBBA Monthly

A 'Yorkshire' Wax Melter-Richard Senior
Game of Drones-the Scilly Isles
Questions for Willie Robson
NatBIP Update-Jo Widdicombe
August 2022 BIBBA Monthly

August 2022 BIBBA Monthly

Treatment Free Beekeeping - Terry Hitchman
Something Strange- Roger Patterson
Sandringham Flower Show
Report on Bee Improvement and QR courses
June 2022 BIBBA Monthly

June 2022 BIBBA Monthly

A Simple Method of Simultaneously Raising Queens and Producing Nuclei - Eoghan Mac Giolla Coda
Undermining Local Bee Populations - What Do We Do?
Developing Sustainability in Beekeeping
Converting BIBBA to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) - Update
May 2022 BIBBA Monthly

May 2022 BIBBA Monthly

World Bee Day - 20th May
Bee Improvement Courses
Apiary Vicinity Mating - Fact or Fiction?
March 2022 BIBBA Monthly

March 2022 BIBBA Monthly

Webinars
Beowulf: my friend and mentor
Supporting Semi-Commercial
Small Entrance Closures
YouTube - "The Sustainable Apiary"
BIBBA Monthly February 2022

BIBBA Monthly February 2022

Webinars
BIBBA secretary
Research: early spring
Rick Stein in Cornwall
YouTube video recommendation -varroa feed on fat bodies
BIBBA Monthly January 2022

BIBBA Monthly January 2022

Jo Widdicombe-BBKA trustee
Let's Go Beekeeping
Why do bees rear so many drones?
Lune Valley webinar
BIBBA Monthly - December 2021

BIBBA Monthly – December 2021

Important changes to the membership system
January webinars:
  • Small scale queen rearing
  • Wax production and replacing old comb
BIBBA Monthly - November 2021

BIBBA Monthly – November 2021

What is BIBBA for?
Will the Irish Republic Ban Honey Bee Imports?
BIBBA & the Welsh BKA
book: The Native Irish Honey Bee
Sandringham Native Bee Project
National Honey Show 2021 review
BIBBA Monthly - October 2021

BIBBA Monthly – October 2021

Sustainable bees - sustainable beekeeping
Silent Earth - averting the insect apocalype
SICAMM online conference 2021
Lune Valley Breeding Apiary
BIBBA Monthly - Sept 2021

BIBBA Monthly – Sept 2021

Roger Patterson:
  • A review of BIBBA over the past year
  • Call for someone with insurance expertise
  • Planned publications
  • The Teaching Apiary
  • Peter Jenkins Thoughts on Beehives
BIBBA Monthly – July 2021

BIBBA Monthly – July 2021

This month, Jo Widdicombe discusses how to achieve SICAMM’s (and BIBBA’s) aim of promoting the conservation of Amm.
BIBBA Monthly – June 2021

BIBBA Monthly – June 2021

The Scillonian Honey Bee Project
Nosema ceranae and Fipronil
Colony Increase-a new book
BIBBA Monthly - May 2021

BIBBA Monthly – May 2021

Live @ the Hive
Honey Bee Watch
Handling Frame Lugs
BIBBA Monthly - April 2021

BIBBA Monthly – April 2021

At the recent BIBBA AGM
BIBBA gets a makeover
How training and information sources for beekeepers and beefarmers can be improved
From the President
East Midlands 1998
Extra webinars for Season Four – Spring 2021
Will you have Queens or Nucs for Sale?
BIBBA Monthly – March 2021

BIBBA Monthly – March 2021

BIBBA's Progress
AGM Registration
Trustees' Report and Accounts
Eddie O'Sullivan - an appreciation
BIBBA Monthly – February 2021

BIBBA Monthly – February 2021

Statement on Imports
Social Distancing for Honey Bees by Selwyn Runnett
Notice of AGM
Increasing the number of trustees
Overwintering nucs. The bees are very quiet inside. The upper box is full of stores.

BIBBA Monthly – January 2021

Beowulf Cooper book
New Year Message from the President
Record Cards – options on what criteria and how to score them
The NatBIP Guide and the Record Card
BIBBA Monthly - December 2020

BIBBA Monthly – December 2020

webinars for spring
Is this colony queenless? By Roger Patterson
BIBBA Monthly – November 2020

BIBBA Monthly – November 2020

New webinars
Need Early Queens? Produce Your Own by Roger Patterson
Opportunity for DNA testing of your bees
BIBBA Monthly October 2020

BIBBA Monthly October 2020

NatBIP webinars
Queens: Collaboration and how to make it easy on yourself and your bees
Queens – an example of collaboration between beekeepers
Bee business for sale
Future webinars
Mated and virgin queens through the post

BIBBA Monthly – September 2020

National Bee Improvement Programme
Webinars - Season Three
Cupkits, Fakes and Annoyance
Conserving Black Bees
BIBBA Monthly - August 2020

BIBBA Monthly – August 2020

Webinars – Season Two
Varroa – is the end nigh?
NatBIP – selecting within a strain
End Of Season Use For Your Mininuc Bees and Frames
BIBBA Monthly - July 2020

BIBBA Monthly – July 2020

  • view the latest on NatBIP
  • how to select your breeder queens
  • download Beo Cooper's book
  • updates on the webinars
  • learn about drones from "queen" cells
  • Joseph Tinsley - ahead of his time
BIBBA Monthly - June 2020

BIBBA Monthly – June 2020

keep up to date with NatBIP strategy
take part in some DNA research
see what you can do with a nuc box
book up some BIBBA webinars
BIBBA Monthly - May 2020

BIBBA Monthly – May 2020

Bees for Sale? Advertise them on the website
Deatails of committee changes
Honey bees that survive varroa
Update on the National Bee Improvement Plan
Strategies for bee improvement - part three
BIBBA Monthly - March 2020

BIBBA Monthly – March 2020

  • From the President – Jo Widdicombe
  • We're making a stand-Dorian Pritchard
  • Varroa- we can't go on treating forever - Guy Thompson
  • Bee Improvement Strategies part 1 - Kevin Thorn
  • Lester Wickham - Obituary
BIBBA Monthly - December 2019

BIBBA Monthly – December 2019

Breeding groups - Raising finance
Bee improvement practical & queen rearing course review
Canada 2019 Apimondia - Impressions from a short visit
BIBBA Monthly - November 2019

BIBBA Monthly – November 2019

First B4 Native Bee Haven.............
Eden Project Observation Hive....
Breeding groups...
BIBBA Monthly - October 2019

BIBBA Monthly – October 2019

End of season use for your mininuc bees and frames.........and more
BIBBA Monthly - September 2019

BIBBA Monthly – September 2019

  • Queen Rearing - my preferred method by Jo Widdicombe
  • Setting Up a Breeding Conservation Group

BIM header

Editor: Philip Denwood  Design and Artwork: Roger Cullum-Kenyon

miller queen rearing cells

BIM 52 – Spring 2019

    • From the President – Jo Widdicombe
    • Queen rearing at Exeter – Catherine Mudge
    • One size fits all – Baruch Livneh
    • Battling the Bandits – Dorian Pritchard
    • Adventures in Beekeeping – Brian Ripley
    • BIBBA Conference 2018 – Roger Patterson
    • SICAMM Conference 2018 – Jo Widdicombe
    • Aimo Nurminen – Lassi Kauko
BIM 51 - Summer 2018

BIM 51 – Summer 2018

  • From the President – Jo Widdicombe
  • Albert Knight – J. Phipps, D. Allen and A. Stokes
  • BIBBA Conference – Roger Patterson
  • Shakespeare’s Bees – Gaynor Smith
  • Just look what happens if . . . – Dorian Pritchard
  • In Memory of Abess – Dawn Boswell-Challand
  • Sustainable Beekeeping – David Ledger
  • Two days at Cilgwri – David Spalding
  • Stratford-upon-Avon BIG – Terry Hitchman
  • West Suffolk BIG course – Kevin Thorn
  • Book Reviews – Philip Denwood
  • The Honey Badger’s Story – Mike Taylor
BIM 50 - Winter 2017

BIM 50 – Winter 2017

  • From the President – Jo Widdicombe
  • 54 AGM Notice 14th April, Harper Adams
  • B4 Press Release
  • Mount Edgcumbe – Mark Edwards
  • BIBBA Conference – Roger Patterson
  • More Queen Rearing Myths – Roger Patterson
  • Winter Losses – Beowulf Cooper
  • SICAMM Conference – Philip Denwood
  • Locally Adapted Bees – Dorian Pritchard
  • Queen Assessment – Dorian Pritchard
  • How not to Rear Queens – Kevin Thorn
  • Beekeeping on Scilly – Jo Widdicombe
BIM 49 - Spring 2017

BIM 49 – Spring 2017

  • From the President – Jo Widdicombe
  • Trials and Tribulations – Frank Hilton
  • Are you a Natural Beekeeper? – Brian Dennis
  • Natural Beekeeping – Philip Denwood
  • Racial Profiling of Mongrels – Paul Honigmann
  • Bee Improvement and QR – R Patterson
  • History of Manx beekeeping – Cilla Platt
  • Making Increase – Brian Dennis
  • Locally Adapted Bees – Wally Shaw
  • Bee Races in Switzerland – Balser & Padruot Fried
  • B4 Press Release – Plymouth University
  • SICAMM Conference – Eoghan Mac Giolla Coda
  • Intelligence v. Chemical Responses – Brian Dennis
  • This is a non-smoking area – Brian Dennis
BIM 48 - Winter 2016/17

BIM 48 – Winter 2016/17

  • Miniature tracking device – Paul Cross
  • BIBBA Conference – Viki Cuthbertson
  • Quest to Improve the Manx honey bee – Johnny Kipps, et al
  • Bee house on the Isle-of-Man – Roger Patterson
  • BIBBA Conference; some thoughts – R Patterson
  • Varroa resistance – Gareth John
  • Dark bees in Cornwall – Bob Black
  • Ardnamurchan native bees – Kate Atchley .
  • Queen raising criteria in N.E. European Russia – Anna Brandorf & Marija Ivoilova
  • Bee Improvement – Roger Patterson
BIM 47 - Autumn 2016

BIM 47 – Autumn 2016

  • Queen raising – Alan Brown
  • Burzyan wild-hive honeybees – R. A. Ilyasov,
  • M. N. Kosarov. A. Neal, F. G. Yumaguzhin
  • Queen rearing on the Isle of Man – John Evans
  • The SMARTBEES project – Jo Widdicombe
  • Conferences and Workshops – Roger Patterson
  • Working for a better bee – Mark Edwards
  • Polynucs – Peter Edwards
  • QR at Keepers Cottage – Peter Edwards
  • Black bees in Wales – Eifion Williams
BIM 46 - Winter 2015

BIM 46 – Winter 2015

  • The Honey Bee family – Brian Dennis
  • A word from Brother Adam – Brian Dennis
  • QR – some experiences – Roger Patterson
  • BIBBA Conference – Roy Norris
  • The BIfA workshop – Katey Slater
  • Grafting – Roger Patterson
  • Assessment of the black bee – Willie Robson
  • News from SICAMM – Philip Denwood
  • Dark Bee Seminar – Philip Denwood
  • The BIBBA Course – Mike du Feu
  • Dark Bee breeding project – Margie Ramsay
  • From the Archives – R Smailes
  • IBRA Press Release – Norman Carreck
BIM 45  - Spring 2015

BIM 45 – Spring 2015

  • Looking for the best bees – M. Meixner & R Büchler
  • Introduction of exotic bees – Brian Dennis
  • Echoes from the past
  • 2014 Conference – Margaret Murdin
  • BIBBA/SICAMM Conference – Roger Patterson
  • BIBBA/SICAMM Conference – Dorian Pritchard
  • SHB press release – COLOSS
BIM 44 - Summer 2014

BIM 44 – Summer 2014

  • From the Chair - Kevin Lincoln
  • BIFA Days - Roger Patterson
  • Letters to the Editor - Mark McVey
  • IBRA Press Release - Norman Carreck
  • A BIPCo visit - Jo Widdicombe
  • Pesticide Debate - Norman Benson
  • Queen raising for the Amateur - Alan Brown
  • In Memory of Janet Hinchley - David Allen
  • Sampling and Predicting - Brian Dennis
  • Bee v Pigeon - Jeremy Clay
  • Genuine Imported Queens - Will Messenger
  • Conference Venue
BIM 43 - Spring 2014

BIM 43 – Spring 2014

  • BIFA Days – Roger Patterson
  • Moonlight Mating – Philip Denwood
  • Pure Mating by Time Isolation – John E Dews
  • Ownership of a Swarm – Brian Dennis
  • Annual General Meeting Agenda – Secretary
  • Annual Accounts – Treasurer
  • Trustees Report – Chairman
  • Draft Minutes – Secretary
  • BIFA meeting in Sussex – James Norfolk
  • Book Review – Philip Denwood
  • Patron Saints – Brian Dennis
  • Conference Speakers List – Roger Patterson
BIM 42 - Winter 2013

BIM 42 – Winter 2013

  • Dark Bee Reserve – Philip Denwood
  • BIBBA Groups News – Jo Widdicombe
  • Whither goest thou? – Brian Dennis
  • Are you a Natural Beekeeper? – Brian Dennis
  • A Broader Perspective – Dorian Pritchard
  • Honey with a Buzz – Trisha Marlow
  • Book Review – Philip Denwood
  • Some thoughts on Grafting – Roger Patterson
  • Honey Bee Improvement – John E Dews
  • Bee Improvement for all Days – Roger Patterson
  • Genuine Imported Queens (3) – Will Messenger
BIM 41 - Spring 2013

BIM 41 – Spring 2013

  • News from North Wales – Steve Rose
  • AGM Proposal 2012 – Will Messenger
  • The Native Bee – Dorian Pritchard
  • Wing Morphometry Service – Will Messenger
  • Trustees Report – Will Messenger
  • Report and Accounts – Iain Harley
  • Project Discovery Phase 2 – Will Messenger
  • NIHBS – Aoife McGillycuddy
  • Morphometry Measurements – Jacob Kahn PhD
  • Genuine Imported Queens Part 2 – Will Messenger

BIM 40 – Winter 2012

  • From the treasurer – Iain Harley
  • Beekeeping in Switzerland – Roger Patterson
  • Help West Highland bees – Kate Atchley
  • Workshops – Terry Clare
  • Towards 50 years – Will Messenger
  • Project Discovery update – Terry Clare
  • Ludlow & District group – Mike Saunders
  • Coorecorder v DrawWing – Conan McDonnell
  • Morphometry in practice – Terry Clare
  • Imported Queens part 1 – Will Messenger

BIM 39 – Autumn 2012

  • From the Chair – Will Messenger
  • SBA Centenary Conference – Will Messenger
  • CoLoss Action Group – Will Messenger
  • Providing Breeding Material – Albert Knight
  • Meet the Members – Eddie O’Sullivan
  • Queen Rearing workshop – Mike Thornley
  • Scottish Bee Breeding – Mike Thornley
  • Experiments with Morphometry – Iain Harley
  • SICAMM Conference – Steve Rose

BIM 38 – Spring 2012

  • Project Discovery – Terry Clare
  • North Pennine Bee Group – Pritchard & Miller
  • The Black Bees of Tasmania – Andrew Abrahams
  • Stratford-upon-Avon BIG – Peter Edwards
  • Native Dark Bee Breeding – Margie Ramsey
  • News from the Groups – Jo Widdicombe
  • News from BIPCo – Jo Widdicombe
  • Queen Rearing Workshop – Mike Saunders
  • Scottish Centenary Conference
  • Sedbergh Breeding Group – Andrew Royce
  • North Wales Queen Rearing – Steve Rose
  • BIBBA Scottish Conference

BIM 37 – Spring 2012

  • What’s in a Name – Will Messenger
  • A Proposal – Jo Widdicombe
  • The BIBBA Constitution
  • Genetic Influence – David Campbell
  • Project Discovery – Terry Clare
  • A Bright Future – Dorian Pritchard
  • Dave Cushman’s Website – Roger Patterson
  • Wing Morphometry – Peter Edwards
  • Galtee Bee Breeding Group – Mary Ryan
  • John Dews Update – Tony Jefferson

BIM 36 – Summer 2011

  • Update on Morphometry – Peter Edwards
  • Beekeeping in Orkney – Jannine Hazelhurst
  • The way forward – Will Messenger
  • Inbreeding part 2 – Dorian Pritchard
  • Simple Queen Rearing – Dinah Sweet
  • The Native Bee – Pam Hunter
  • Dave Cushman – Roger Patterson
  • John Dews Obituary – various
  • Book Review – Philip Denwood
  • BIBBA Trustees

BIM 35 – Winter 2010-11

  • Queen breeding – Bill Cadmore
  • Genetic findings – Jacob Kahn
  • Bee improvement in IoM – Roger Patterson
  • BIBBA Conference – Dinah Sweet
  • Local Queen program – Roger Patterson
  • Inbreeding part 1 – Dorian Pritchard
  • Thoughts on Morphology – Roger Patterson
  • Queen rearing for one – Albert Knight
  • Conference law – Dorian Pritchard
  • Trustees Report 2010 – Dinah Sweet
  • Financial Statements - 2010

BIM 34 – Spring 2010

  • BIBBA Handbook – David Allen
  • Beekeeping notes – Willie Robson
  • Small scale queen rearing – John Dews
  • Expansion & queen rearing – Chris Broad
  • Queen rearing on a small scale – Tom Robinson
  • JZBZ frame bar – Roger Patterson
  • Inbreeding – Tom Robinson
  • Pesticides and colony losses – Eric Mussen
  • Isle of Man workshop – Doris Fischler
  • A note on MorphPlot – Peter Edwards
  • Galtee Group AGM – Mary Ryan
  • Helen Sanders – David Allen
  • BIBBA Conference

BIM 33 – Winter 2010

  • Cornbrook revisited – Sandra Unwin
  • Local Queen Programme – Roger Patterson
  • Assessment of colonies – Jo Widdicombe
  • The BIBBA record card – Philip Denwood
  • Groups – Terry Clare
  • A model agreement – Terry Clare
  • Queen rearing group – Roger Patterson
  • Warnholz Mini BiVo nuc – Dave Cushman
  • The Harding Mini Nuc – John Harding
  • Bee improvement – Roger Patterson
  • Entombment follow-up – Dave Cushman
  • BBKA Forum - Roger Patterson
  • Morphometry Course - Dinah Sweet

BIM 32 – Autumn 2009

  • The Harding Hive Debris Floor - John Harding
  • Three fertile queens in one colony - Roger Patterson
  • Variation in susceptibility to bee diseases among European races of honey bees - Dinah Sweet
  • Isle of Wight disease in Warwickshire - Brian Milward
  • Griff Jenkins - obituary by Albert Knight
  • Queens entombed in wax - Norman Walsh
  • Reply to Robin Dean’s article on the Black Bee - Jo Widdicombe
  • Galtee Bee Breeders’ Group Workshop Day - Mary Ryan
  • GBBG News - Mary Ryan
  • SICAMM Conference, Aviemore - Philip Denwood
  • Chairman’s Report - Dinah Sweet
  • Local Queen Programme - Roger Patterson

BIM 31 – Spring 2009

  • The Harding queen raising system. John Harding
  • A tribute to Gordon Hartshorn. Tom Rowlands
  • Beekeeping in Northumberland. Dorian Pritchard
  • Three fertile queens in one colony. Roger Patterson
  • Brother Adam and the dark bee. Dorian Pritchard
  • Breeding Group news. Jo Widdicombe
  • The Bee Improvement Programme for Cornwall. Jo Widdicombe
  • Survey of native bees. Roger Patterson
  • Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects. Terry Clare
  • Gormanston Summer Course 2008. Dinah Sweet
  • Our heart is in the Highlands! Dorian Pritchard
  • Administration of BIBBA
  • BIBBA and publicity. Roger Patterson

BIM 30 – Winter 2008

  • Why the native bee is the best bee for the British climate. John E. Dews
  • Discoidal shift. John E. Dews
  • My approach to bee improvement. Roger Patterson
  • Is the Dark Bee really native to Britain and Ireland? Dorian Pritchard
  • The Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations (FIBKA) and BBKA examination systems
  • Breeding Groups Secretary. Jo Widdicombe
  • The one that nearly got away. Micheál Mac Giolla Coda
  • Bedfordshire Beekeepers' Association queen rearing day. Wally Thrale
  • Bee improvement and conservation in Southern England. Terry Clare
  • Galtee Group queen rearing workshop. Jim Ryan
  • Bee improvement and conservation in County Louth.
  • Medway and North Kent Bee Breeding Group (MedBees). Terry Clare

BIM 29 – Summer 2008

  • "The Dark Bee In Russia", Moscow, 2008 Dorian Pritchard
  • SICAMM Presidential Address, Moscow 2008 Dorian Pritchard
  • Impressions of Russia Jo Widdicombe
  • The Queen Rearing Day, Isle of Wight Ian King
  • Queen rearing at Alnwick Brian Ripley
  • Setting up the Ulster Bee Improvement Group (UBIG) Mervyn Eddie
  • DEFRA Consultation Terry Clare
  • Update on Stratford-upon-Avon Bee Improvement Group Peter Edwards
  • Morphometry made easy — eventually! Peter Edwards
  • Varroa destructor and winter losses Terry Clare
  • Nature Reserves and Native Bees Dorian Pritchard
  • Bees in Europe and Sustainable Honey production (BEESHOP) Rodolfo Jaffé, Stephan Wolf and Robin F.A. Moritz
  • BIBBA Conference 2008 Dinah Sweet

BIM 28 – Autumn 2007

  • Open Day at Cornbrook Bee Farm - Sandra Unwin
  • Lancashire Queen Rearing Workshop - Ray Dowson
  • The Carniolan Bee - Brian Milward
  • Inbreeding in the Honeybee - Dorian Pritchard
  • Galtee Bee Breeders' Group Queen Rearing Workshop - Claire Chavasse
  • Obituary: Claire Chavasse - Micheál Mac Giolla Coda
  • Gormanston and BIBBA - Terry Clare
  • BIBBA General Meeting, Gormanston - John Hendrie
  • The Gormanston Summer Course - Sandra Unwin
  • What is BIBBA For? - Brian Dennis
  • Reflections - Terry Clare
  • International Conference: The Dark Bee in Russia

BIM27 – Spring 2007

  • Breeding honeybees on a small scale, Part 2 - Dorian Pritchard
  • Isle of Wight Disease in Ireland - Eoghan Mac Giolla Coda
  • Stratford-upon-Avon & District BKA
  • Bee Improvement Group - Peter Edwards
  • Project Discover - Mervyn Eddie
  • Techniques for Queen rearing & Introduction - Albert Knight

BIM 26 – Winter 2006

  • BIBBA Conference 2006 - Sandra Unwin
  • Breeding honeybees on a small scale, Part 1 - Dr.Dorian Pritchard
  • SICAMM Conference 2006 - Philip Denwood
  • York and District Queen Rearing Programme 2006 - Tom Robinson
  • Obituary: Alan Bernard Hinchley - David Allen
  • Bee Improvement Magazine: subject index. Issues 1-25 - Philip Denwood


BIM Issues 1-25 with Index