A conservation project working with Free Living and managed surviving non treatment colonies to protect a wild population and produce a better local Honey Bee in Northamptonshire.
BIBBA Opposes the Importation of Honey Bees and Queens
Here are 15 reasons why BIBBA opposes the importation of honey bees and queens
National Bee Improvement Programme (NatBIP)
The National Bee Improvement Programme (NatBIP) has been launched in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. This is an initiative organised by the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders’ Association (BIBBA), with the aims of reducing the number of imports of honey bees into Britain, Ireland and associated islands* and of improving the quality of our honey bees. This Programme aims to provide a way forward to a stable and sustainable future for our beekeeping.
Houghton Community Black Bee Project-SO20
We are a community group focused on the re-introduction of the black bee….
Wharfdale Valley Bee Improvement Group-LS21
Operating in the Wharfedale valley we aim to breed a locally adapted bee for the unique weather we have within the area.
Queens: Collaboration and how to make it easy on yourself and your bees – by Karl Colyer
Last year, I did several splits including splits of all my favourite breeder colonies in mid-August. It was a slight gamble where I live in Cheshire but the weather was fair and the outlook very similar. Roger mentioned that I was out of action from last September (2 months to get walking, a year to pass a medical to get my driving licence back and lots of mobility issues in between). The rivers around me flooded while I was in hospital and many of my bees and colonies were literally swept away.
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Queens – an example of collaboration between beekeepers, by Roger Patterson
For myself and my local association, Wisborough Green BKA (WGBKA) in West Sussex, where I am Apiary Manager, I usually produce at least 100 queens per year. This is mainly to replace poorer queens in honey producing colonies, provide queens to head nucs for new beekeepers and for members who need queens for a variety of reasons. We try to encourage members to rear their own queens, but sometimes their bees need requeening with better stock. As many beekeepers only have a couple of colonies, they may not have bees that are good to propagate from. A BKA teaching apiary can be a genetic resource to distribute good local stock from.
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TBKA Bee Breeding – CT12
Situated on the “Isle of Thanet” in Association with Thanet Beekeepers Association.
Bloomington Bees – USA
Beekeepers of Bloomington IN USA
A Proposal for a National Honey Bee Improvement Programme
If, as an alternative to the importation of queens, we established a National Bee Improvement Programme which selected and propagated the best local bees, a good reason could then be made for not using imported bees. Beekeepers would benefit in two ways, that is, in a reduction in the biosecurity risks associated with imports, and through the opportunity of supporting and participating in a project that could deliver a better-quality bee. Taking part in a scheme to sustainably improve our bees would provide a definite reason to refrain from the use of imported bees.