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 […]
Bee Improvement Days 2021 The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders' Association (BIBBA) will be running a small number of practical and theoretical courses during the summer months. These will be aimed at beekeepers who wish to improve their bees, with emphasis on suitability to the environment, docility, calmness on the comb, ease of management, good use of stores, etc. The […]
[…]in producing Queens and colonies for our teaching programme and as a source of local bees for beginners. In the long term we would be excited to part of the effort to improve the nation’s […]
This is a new group in its infancy, to safeguard our local honeybees. For locally reared strong healthy honey bees in the Test Valley and the County of Hampshire suited to our environmental […]
[…]supports the prosperity and wellbeing of all our current populations of bees, including honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees as well as other pollinators, Imported honey bees pose a considerable risk each year to our present populations in many different ways. This ever-growing practice is not sustainable. It is most likely that the seriously damaging invasive pests and pathogens we […]
[…]low number of beekeepers (mostly hobbyists) which may have helped reduce mass import of non-native bees in this area. Furthermore, the isolation of the northern tip of Gower may offer a stronghold for colonies of near native bees. The group which is just starting is looking to encourage breeding from these local near native stocks and improve their qualitive through selective […]
[…]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 twin 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 […]
[…]support of beekeepers aiming to develop Varroa resilient bees The Problem with Imports Imports of bees have been growing, year on year, and, although currently at record levels, at best, only produce a short-term respite, in terms of quality. In the long-term no consistent improvement in the quality of our bees is achieved, and the system relies on further imports […]
We are a community group focused on the re-introduction of the black bee, through sustainable breeding and bee improvement. Teaching and community are at our heart. Contact: Claudia […]
[…]five sessions to host as follows (all are Tuesdays at 7.30pm):- 5 20th Oct “Resilient Honeybees” by Grace McCormack 6 27th Oct “Where we are, how we got here and how we can move on…….” by Roger Patterson 7 3rd Nov “Some Fresh Ideas for Teaching and Learning” by Roger Patterson 8 10th Nov “Bees and queens for everyone” by […]
[…]usual this year and we figured that his ‘rejects’ may well be better than my current choice of bees. I had bees up on Saddleworth Moor (900ft), just into Derbyshire (1,130ft) but most were down on the Cheshire plains with a similar altitude and climate to West Sussex. I certainly wouldn’t want to impose the cooler, windier and wetter options […]
[…]packages contained queen bees! In total I posted about 40 queens in 6 batches. I know that queen bees have been posted in travel cages for a long time, mainly from commercial suppliers, but it was still interesting to find few problems when done by amateurs in less than ideal conditions. I will describe a little about how the queens […]
[…]Others would argue that it is easier and cheaper to import from abroad; after all, some think bees are bees are bees! When asked about the Black Bee, many will repeat what they have read in books and journals: a defensive and aggressive race with low productivity, adapted to the colder, wetter climate of western and northern Europe where it […]
[…]Bees: We are currently a small group but currently looking for more members who share the love of Beekeeping and a passion for honeybees. Bloomington Indiana 47403 USA contact Nathanael […]
Members can download a copy of this book for their personal use. This electronic download is ONLY available to current BIBBA members. It is strictly copyright protected against any distribution, loaning, display, broadcasting, selling or copying. By downloading this file, you agree to these terms and […]
[…]by Reg Hook, a founding member of SCBKA and a tutor at Berks College of Agriculture. Reg has been breeding near native dark bees for over 20 years and has distributed stock to both members of Reading and Wokingham BKA while teaching at BCA, so it makes sense to continue his work in the local area. Free Virgin Queens Due […]
[…]Linnaeus 1758 is a subspecies and northern geographical race of Apis mellifera, the western honeybee. It may be subdivided into many local ecotypes. Its various vernacular names include:“Dark European Honeybee” (English),“L’abeille noire” (French),“Die dunkle Biene” (German) and“Det mörka Nordiska Biet” (Swedish) Apis mellifera mellifera is distinguished from other subspecies of the honey bee by:a) Morphological characters, including colour, size, wing […]
[…]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 […]
[…]the reader is looking for a bee that is native and/or locally adapted. The first thing for a new beekeeper to understand is that honey bee mating biology is very different from that of mammals and breeding “pedigree” queens is hard when in nature they fly 3+ miles to mate with up to 35 males from random hives (sources differ […]
[…]this wouldn’t work there are many examples of where this has been done and after many years the bees have been found to be 70-99% pure AMM (you do need to be able to tell the difference between AMM and Carniolan queens though). Propagating queens You can start to introduce more propagation methods too – different methods of transferring larvae, […]
The group works in South West Pembrokeshire to breed and conserve a strain of the local black bee. An ultimate aim would be to influence the conservation of the black bee widely in the Pembrokeshire peninsula. contact Mel […]
[…]are not imports, and that the seller supports the objectives of BIBBA. Learn to Create Your Own Bees & Queens: NatBIP Guide Roger’s “Free Bees and Queens for Everyone” roadshow. Two Frame Nucs Contact a Local BIBBA Group: We have a number of Bee Improvement Groups around the UK. Often these groups have surplus bees and queens. Click here to […]
[…]to the conservation and reintroduction of the native black bee. We are a friendly team of bee keepers working together to improve the qualities of the existing surrounding bee population. Our aim is to work towards locally adapted colonies focusing on the reintroduction and proliferation of the native black bee. Contact: Nicola Crosswaite 07905929114 […]
[…]events. A whole range of topics were discussed on the day including: Roger’s system of keeping bees, having non-prolific bees and still getting plenty of honey. Simple factors to consider for bee improvement Getting queen cells and two framed nucs set up How to get up to 11 colonies in one season Roger frequently signposted attendees to the Dave Cushman […]
[…]to recruit nestmates into defensive tasks. The effect of floral odours on this behaviour has never been studied, despite the relevance of these olfactory cues for the biology of bees. Here we use a novel assay to investigate social and olfactory cues that drive defensive behaviour in bees. We show that social interactions are necessary to reveal the recruiting function […]
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle […]
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle […]
[…]enough bees for their beginners and queens to head them. In response to the obvious need the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) are staging a series of one day regional events during the 2018/19 winter. These are to help and encourage everyone from the small-scale beekeeper upwards and BKAs to produce bees and queens from local stock, by […]
[…]enough bees for their beginners and queens to head them. In response to the obvious need the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) are staging a series of one day regional events during the 2018/19 winter. These are to help and encourage everyone from the small-scale beekeeper upwards and BKAs to produce bees and queens from local stock, by […]
[…]enough bees for their beginners and queens to head them. In response to the obvious need the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) are staging a series of one day regional events during the 2018/19 winter. These are to help and encourage everyone from the small-scale beekeeper upwards and BKAs to produce bees and queens from local stock, by […]
[…]enough bees for their beginners and queens to head them. In response to the obvious need the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) are staging a series of one day regional events during the 2018/19 winter. These are to help and encourage everyone from the small-scale beekeeper upwards and BKAs to produce bees and queens from local stock, by […]
[…]enough bees for their beginners and queens to head them. In response to the obvious need the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) are staging a series of one day regional events during the 2018/19 winter. These are to help and encourage everyone from the small-scale beekeeper upwards and BKAs to produce bees and queens from local stock, by […]
