Free entry to the Convention, together with a duty rota that will ensure more than sufficient free time to enjoy the event, a free lunch and a small emolument towards your expenses will, I am sure, complete an enjoyable day.

For More information see here

If you have a pass in Modules 1 & 2 go here for details of the BBKA Train the Trainers Winter Programme.

It is with grateful thanks we record a donation of £155 from Pierre Cope and Andy Bell via Just Giving. This was from Andy's share of royalties received from online music downloads of their EP Sunsets Pink. Sunsets Pink consists of 5 Demos which was recorded back in the early 80's. It was released online back in March this year under the artist name of Dinger( Pierre Cope and Andy Bell).

The EP can be purchased through Amazonmp3 or Itunes. Pierre's share of the royalties has gone to "The Royal Marsden Trust".

The EP did not get any major publicity or press coverage as it was released independently of any major record labels through an online distribution company, however, the old hard core Erasure fans and some friends did buy it.

Andy and Pierre hope that the money will come to good use for our association. 

Many thanks to Pierre and Andy and we hope that sales of the EP go viral!

Following on from the successful series of National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) Short Courses which were run during January to March 2011, the NDB are delighted to announce that these courses, and some new ones, are again to be offered during this autumn and winter.

See here for more details on the National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) Short Courses 2011 or go to the NDB Website 

See also the Training for Trainers Newsletter

The article in the Telegraph gives 10 tips for Lovers of Bees. An interesting article covering Bumblebees and Honey Bees with lots of ideas for ways of encouraging bees into your garden and supporting them.

For more information please contact our Press Officer.

Starting this month, Richard will work together with Dr Falko Drijfhout at Keele University and Dr David Aston, Chair of the BBKA’s Technical and Environmental Committee, to study methods to enhance honey bee health by looking for substances in pollen that stimulate bees to feed. BBKA members will be taking part in the final stages of the project.

The team will launch a full investigation into determining which compounds are responsible for the palatability of pollen to the honey bee, studying compounds from various pollen sources to determine if these compounds are common or specific to a plant species. These natural compounds can then either be isolated, or synthesised, and mixed in with pollen substitutes to increase their palatability.

Dr Aston, said: “One of the major factors responsible for the global decline in honey bees is the nutritional status of the colonies. Poor nutrition affects bees’ resistance to disease.

“In certain parts of the world, it has been established that giving additional pollen to a honey bee colony , often in the form of pollen patties, has improved its strength. It is believed that feeding stimulants, natural compounds within pollen itself, influence honey bee feeding behaviour.

BBKA funding has come from donations raised by its Adopt a Beehive fundraising campaign which gives people who want to help honey bees without having a hive of their own, the opportunity to donate to bee health research and beekeeper education.

Related Links Adopt A Bee Hive Scheme.

www.britishbee.org.uk/burtsbeesauction

Martin Smith, President of the British Beekeepers Association, said: "The BBKA is very pleased that the United Nations Environment Programme's study, Global Bee Colony Disorders and other Threat to Insect Pollinators, recognises the economic importance of managed honey bees and also welcomes its call for stronger government intervention to restore habitats for bees, which make a £153 billion contribution to global food production. See link to download below.

"The BBKA  calls on the UK government not only to take action to protect existing habitats but to find the ways and means to create new habitats beneficial to bees and other pollinators. We urge increased planting of wild flower margins around agricultural fields and also stronger guidance to local authorities on increasing flowering trees and wild flower planting in towns and cities."

The BBKA also calls on the public to become honey bee activists by either taking up beekeeping or becoming an Armchair Beekeeper by supporting its fundraising campaign Adopt a Beehive.

Keynote Speaker

Dr Jeff Pettis, Research Leader, USDA Bee Research Laboratory

Guest panel:

Dominic Dyer, Crop Protection Association; Dr Chris Hartfield, NFU; Tim Lovett, British Bee Keepers Association.

An open invitation is made to all interested beekeepers to attend the next meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture on the afternoon of Monday 4 April 2011.

Guest speaker Dr Jeff Pettis, Research Leader at the USDA Bee Research Laboratory, will present the findings of his recently published research into agricultural pesticides and bee health. Amid calls for a ban on certain types of insecticides, Dr Pettis‘ work has been widely reported in the British media and debated by MPs in Parliament. This meeting will offer the chance to hear about his research first-hand, as well as his views on how its conclusions have been received and interpreted in the UK.

Dr Pettis‘ presentation will be followed by question and answer panel session – to include farming, crop protection and beekeeper representatives - on the issues raised by his research and the wider factors impacting bee health in agriculture.

BBKA members and other beekeepers are invited to attend what we hope will be a thought-provoking and informative session.

See Press Release for more information

Mrs Ford, a florist, became interested in bees in 2009 and took a recognised BBKA Introductory Course run by her local beekeepers early this year.

Mrs Ford, said: “I’d always been fascinated by  honey bees, but concerned about their decline, so having  got an allotment and some chickens, it just seemed natural to go on and  learn about beekeeping.

“The local beekeepers have been very welcoming to me and my family – even providing a bee suit for my daughter. Sophie has watched as I learnt the art of handling a hive of 50,000 bees closely guided by my beekeeping mentor.

“By July I felt confident  enough to have  a hive on my allotment. It’s so satisfying to watch the bees flying around the allotment, collecting nectar and  pollinating the crops -every site should have some.”

David Rea, Chairman of Sidcup Beekeepers said: “Tara has become a ‘model’ beekeeper and you can only do that by learning how to handle bees responsibly before you get your own.”

“Our membership matches the steep upward curve across the UK. We have nearly 70 active members – the highest number for 25 years.”

The survey found that, on average, each hive produced 32lbs of honey, worth £130* to the beekeeper, whilst the value of pollination provided to the agricultural economy by each hive has been estimated at more than £600. per hive.**

The figures show substantial regional variations of honey yields. The highest yields were in the south east with 10 per cent above average, while the lowest yields were in the north west with 34 per cent below the average. Speaking at the opening of the National Honey Show, Martin Smith, BBKA President, said:

“It is extremely encouraging that our members have produced more than three and a half million*** jars of honey this summer - that’s more than a third of all the nation’s home-produced honey. “We estimate that beekeepers have also increased the number of their bee colonies by 50% - up to 120,000 from 80,000 in March.****

“This summer too 44 per cent of beekeepers kept one or two hives which of course reflects the 40 per cent increase in people taking up beekeeping.” Mr. Smith contintued:

“The test of whether beekeeping in the UK is still improving however will come when we survey the number of hives which survive the coming winter. “But let’s not forget the £200 million contributed by honey bees through pollination and the resulting increased crop productivity.

” The current membership of the BBKA at just under 20,000 shows a near 100 per cent rise in the last three years coinciding with the huge public interest in bees and beekeeping.

The survey showed that while members on average have been keeping bees for just under 10 years, just over 40 per cent of the respondents had taken up the craft in the last 2 years only.

Beekeepers in rural areas tended to have kept bees longer at 10 years, than those in urban areas at five years whilst 42 per cent of rural beekeepers reported increased honey output compared with just 34 per cent in urban areas.

Commenting on the success of the Adopt a Beehive campaign, Martin Smith said: “The public has responded magnificently to the plight of the honey bee by either taking-up beekeeping or by becoming ‘armchair beekeepers’ through the recently launched ‘Adopt a beehive’ fundraising campaign which is providing funding for research and beekeeper education.

“It is not just beekeepers who can help bees to recover, everyone can play their part by continuing to plant bee friendly plants, fruit and vegetables in their window boxes, patio pots, gardens and allotments to provide desperately needed forage."

Adopt a Beehive, the BBKA’s first fundraising campaign in its 135 year history was launched on 19 March 2010 with the sponsorship of the Saga group and the support of Michelin starred chef, Raymond Blanc. www.adoptabeehive.co.uk

The survey also reveals the efforts that beekeepers are making to rebuild bee stocks with the average number of colonies per beekeeper in the survey rising from 3.7 in 2007 to 4.7 in 2009.

The figures* show a national loss of 17.3 per cent but with substantial regional variations.  Highest losses of 26 per cent were recorded in the north of England, and lowest losses of 12.8 per cent were recorded in the south west of England.

The number of hives increasing over the same period rises from an estimated 

40, 000 to more than 80,000, and with the number of honey bees rising from  23 billion to 48 billion.**

Martin Smith, BBKA President, said:“This year’s losses show a small and encouraging  improvement on the 19.2 per cent losses of 2008-09 and are much better than the disastrous 30.1 per cent revealed by the 2007-08 survey.

“It shows that our honey bees are slowly  moving out of intensive care but they are still not healthy  enough. 

“Winter losses between 7 – 10 per cent are acceptable. The current rate is not and neither are the vast regional  differences. Yet there is still no answer to what is causing the losses. Disease, bad weather and poor nutrition due to habitat loss are the prime suspects.  

 “British beekeepers are having to work even harder at this time of year to replace their missing colonies to keep the stream of honey flowing and more vitally  to maintain the ‘pollination army’  on which we depend for so much of our food , and the beauty of our countryside.

“For the welcome increase in the numbers of honey bees to be sustainable further research into the causes of the losses remains critical.”

A beekeeping renaissance has been created by the BBKA’s high profile campaigning for greater investment into honey bee health research, with thousands more people taking up the craft. Membership of BBKA has grown by 20 per cent over the last 12 months from 12,500 to 17,500 reversing the historic decline in the number of beekeepers since the end of World War II. 

This increase in new beekeepers is putting more pressure on the existing beekeepers and their local associations who have historically trained the next generation while honing their own skills, and watching out for possible new exotic pests arriving in the UK too.

Martin Smith continued: “The public has responded magnificently to the plight of the honey bee by either taking-up beekeeping or by becoming ‘armchair beekeepers’ through the recently launched ‘Adopt a beehive’ fundraising campaign which is providing funding for research and beekeeper education. 

“It is not just beekeepers who can help bees to recover, everyone can play their part by continuing to plant bee friendly plants, fruit and vegetables in their window boxes, patio pots, gardens and allotments  to provide desperately needed forage."

 Adopt a Beehive, the BBKA’s first fundraising  campaign  in its 135 year history was launched on 19 March 2010 with the sponsorship of the Saga group and the support of Michelin starred chef, Raymond Blanc.  www.adoptabeehive.co.uk