Asian Hornet update!

Just a note to ‘bee vigilant’, Asian Hornets have been found in Essex and Jersey reports the highest number so far. These hornets hover outside beehives picking off individuals, biting off the heads and devouring the rest.

Hornets will be active for a few weeks yet, so if you find a nest report it asap! If the nest produces queen’s we can all look out.

Asian hornets are no more dangerous to humans than wasps. Their 4th abdominal segment is brown distinguishing them from the all yellow European hornet.

Peter Kirkup

Asian Hornet Co-ordinator

Pembrokeshire Beekeepers’ Association

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Message from the NBU re Wasps

Many beekeepers are reporting the presence of large numbers of wasps in apiaries and around their bee hives. Please refer to the National Bee Unit factsheet on how to manage wasps: Wasp facts.

Mae llawer o wenynwyr yn cofnodi presenoldeb nifer enfawr o wenyn meirch mewn gwenynfeydd ac o amgylch eu cychod gwenyn. Cyfeiriwch at daflen ffeithiau yr Uned Wenyn Genedlaethol ar sut i ddelio â gwenyn meirch: Ffeithiau gwenyn.

Bee Health/Safari Day feedback

Would all PBKA members who attended the Bee Health/Safari on Saturday 16th July, please fill in a feedback form – they only take a couple of minutes and it will help the National Bee Unit to justify more events like this in the future. Here is the link to the form.

Also the NBU has just (this week) made ‘live’, a video animation demonstrating the work of the NBU and encouraging people to register on BeeBase – click here

Note that all beekeepers have a duty to keep healthy, disease free bees and the PBKA strongly recommends that all beekeepers sign up to Beebase in order to ensure that they receive any warnings and can obtain advice etc. in the event of a disease outbreak.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the National Bee Unit and their team, for a very interesting and most enjoyable course. 🐝

Successful Pembrokeshire Bee Health Day/Bee Safari held on Saturday 16th July

We would like to extend our grateful thanks to the Bee Inspectors from the National Bee Unit, who presented an excellent ‘Bee Health Safari’ for Pembrokeshire Beekeepers’ Association, at Scolton Manor, on Saturday 16th July.

The ‘Bee Health Safari’ included the Bee Inspectors giving practical demonstrations to attendees on how to perform a health inspection and spot any possible problems using colonies of bees at the association’s training apiary.

The inspectors were also on hand to offer expert advice, presenting information and displays on exotic pests and general bee health.

Many thanks also to the PBKA members who came along demonstrating such enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, with a barrage of questions….many of whom also turned up at the honey extracting demonstration the following day…….

Now that’s what we call dedication!!