Bee Health

‘Special’ Apiary Training Session – Sunday 17th May at 2pm!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Education & Training, Events, PBKA, PBKA Apiary, PBKA Membership, PBKA Website, Scolton Beekeeping Centre, Starting Beekeeping, Stories of Interest, Training

Just to advise that the next apiary meeting of the season is on Sunday 17th May 2026 at the Woodland Apiary, Scolton Manor commencing at 2pm promptly.

As well as general hive inspections, we’re hoping to:

  • Install a nucleus colony into a hive
  • Introduce a mated Queen into a nuc
  • Administer an Oxalic Acid trickle treatment to a newly arrived swarm

BEGINNERS – Beginners are encouraged to attend! Please ensure you bring a bee suit (if you have one), sturdy footwear covering your ankles (i.e not Crocs!!), and suitable gloves, such as rubber Marigolds (e.g. not woollen gloves!)

If you do not have a bee suit (typically beginners/new members), then please advise us in good time if you can, as we have a limited number of bee suits available, which we can loan you for the session. N.B. You will need to bring your own boots and gloves as above however. It would be helpful if those people requiring a bee suit could arrive before 2pm in order to save time.

N.B. Apiary meetings are on Sundays, commencing promptly at 2pm, subject to weather conditions (please check the PBKA web page for any updates in that event

Scolton Manor Museum
Spittal
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
SA62 5QL

Off the B4329 road, turn into Scolton Manor main entrance and keep left. Pass the old steam train on the right and go through the two sets of gates ahead (with the large Green Barn building on the right). Follow the lane, past the containers on the right, down to the Woodland Apiary, which is in front and just before railway line. There is a wooden beekeeping shed on the right.

Please park up the left hand track at the end of the lane, starting at the top and being sure not to block anyone in. Additional ‘Pay and Display’ parking is also available by the site shops, just before the steam train.

Contact details

If you have any queries, please email the Apiary Manager, David Moore, at pbkatrainingapiarymanager@gmail.com

Pic: Pete Hobbs 2026

Possible reasons for winter losses!🐝

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, Foul Brood Diseases, Hornets, Neonicotinoids, Nosema, PBKA, Pests, Varroa

We have had reports of significant Honey Bee losses this winter. This can be for a variety of reasons including starvation, queen failure, undiagnosed/untreated disease, mite infestation, pesticides and of course, inclement weather.

Beekeepers may find the attached from the NBU of interest and perhaps act as a timely reminder to keep their eye on the ball with such risks as Varroa and Nosema for example, which have faded into the background somewhat, with the looming threat of the Yellow Legged Hornet!

Hive check reminder!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

Just to remind beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores (especially nucs), as we are coming into a high risk time for starvation and the queen will be getting in gear, which can result in the remaining winter stores being used up very quickly.

Personally, I always take the roof off to avoid getting a false impression of weight. So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!).

Avoid the temptation to do full hive inspections until the temperature is at least 15°C on a calm day. A good indicator, is if you are comfortable outside wearing a T shirt. Any cooler and you risk chilling the brood. Early in the season when inspecting, I use the dummy board to cover the frames not being inspected, to help keep the warmth in!

Paul Eades

Chair

Webinar – Managing Comb in the Spring for Healthy Colonies with Lynfa Davies – Thursday 19th February at 7.30pm

apiarymanager Bee Health, Events, WBKA

You are invited to register for a Zoom webinar!

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T_jbaeixRKmvVtObglSBlA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Regular comb changes are important for boosting the health of your colonies, as well as making your inspections far easier. In this webinar we will look at some of the techniques you can use to manage combs effectively in the Spring while ensuring your bees have everything they need to navigate the process smoothly. We will discuss the optimum times for performing these manipulations and handy tips to help you.

Lynfa lives near Aberystwyth in mid Wales and has kept bees for 20 years. She is a Master Beekeeper and in 2019 was awarded the National Diploma in Beekeeping.

Lynfa has 30 colonies which she manages for honey production and for the joy of looking after bees! She raises her own queens and uses these to produce nucleus colonies and to replace her own stock. In Spring 2022, Lynfa’s first book, The Miller method of queen rearing, was published by Northern Bee Books, followed by her second book, The Beekeeping Year, in 2024.

Outside of beekeeping, Lynfa works for Mentera providing support and advice for farmers in Wales. She brings her expertise on insects to this work promoting the value of biodiverse ecosystems in a farmed landscape. In addition, Lynfa has written an online training resource called the Healthy Bees Academy which is funded by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. 

Stores check reminder!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

The miserable weather has been making it difficult to get out since Christmas.

But just to remind beekeepers everywhere to try and check their bees for stores (especially nucs), as we are coming into a high risk time for starvation and the queen will be getting into gear, which can result in the remaining winter stores being used up.

Personally, I always take the roof off to avoid getting a false impression of weight, but I avoid taking the cover boards off and going into the hives, in case I chill the developing brood.

So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!).