Events

NDB Bee Behaviour Course

apiarymanager Education & Training, Events, Training

The National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) are running a 2 day Bee Behaviour course in Wrexham on the weekend of 19 & 20 February 2022. It will be delivered by Marin Anastasov and Lynfa Davies, both NDBs. Details may be found in the Eventbrite link below. WBKA encourages any of its members interested in this topic to consider enrolling for the course, and will support those who do enrol by reimbursing 25% of their course fee after they complete it. Please note that the NDB Short Courses are aimed at those beekeepers with some experience of the craft, not beginners or novices. The organisers will provide guidance to applicants as to the appropriateness of the course to their stage of beekeeping.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/honey-bee-behaviour-north-wales-tickets-201575055417

WBKA Webinar – Colonsay’s Native Honey Bee Reserve – 11th November 2021

apiarymanager Events, Stories of Interest

Colonsay’s Native Honey Bee Reserve – Ann Chilcott, Scottish Expert Beemaster

Join us for a webinar on Nov 11, 2021 at 7:30 PM GMT.

Register now!

Ann will speak about her visit to Andrew Abrahams’ native bee reserve and you will hear about beekeeping on a marginal island off the west coast of Scotland where conditions are challenging. You will also enjoy stunning scenery from the comfort of your armchairs and sofas.

Ann is a retired public health nurse with a diploma in nurse education. She has been keeping bees for 17 years in the Scottish Highlands and holds the Scottish Expert Beemaster certificate and an HNC in Countryside Management. Ann combines these skills in her self-appointed, mostly voluntary, role of honey bee health champion and beekeeping educator. She takes every opportunity to learn from other beekeepers and has travelled widely visiting beekeepers and giving presentations overseas. Her favourite part of beekeeping is engaging with children and, over the summer, many visit her apiary and observation hive: she is known locally as The Bee Lady.

Ann writes for various beekeeping magazines and her weekly blog on www.beelistener.co.uk is currently read in over 100 countries.

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

View System Requirements

Another way to register is to use the link https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3904554223735312653

 

Microscopy course

apiarymanager Education & Training, Events, Training

The National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) are running a 2 day Microscopy course in Cirencester on the weekend of 11 & 12 December. It will be delivered by Marin Anastasov and Lynfa Davies, both NDBs. Details may be found in the Eventbrite link below. WBKA encourages any of its members interested in this topic to consider enrolling for the course, and will support those who do enrol by reimbursing 25% of their course fee after they complete it.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/microscopy-for-beekeepers-cirencester-tickets-201528104987

Webinar – Preparing for successful spring build up -Thursday 14 October at 7.30pm

apiarymanager Bee Health, Education & Training, Events, PBKA, Training, WBKA

We expect this to be another popular event so suggest that those wishing to join register early to secure a place.

Preparing for successful spring build up – Marin Anastasov, Master Beekeeper, NDB 
 
As the seasons go from autumn to winter, and from winter to spring, the colony undergoes significant changes in the physiology of its inhabitants. This ensures the bees have all they need to survive the winter and provides the foundations for productive colonies the following spring. There are a number of operations that we need to complete (and sometimes avoid) to ensure our colonies have the best chance of survival through the winter and come through it ready for the spring build up. This talk covers common reasons for winter colony losses, the common reasons for colonies failing to build in the spring, and some of the important management operations in the autumn, winter and spring to ensure our colonies remain healthy and productive.
 
Marin holds a BSc in Animal Science and an MSc in Organic Farming. He is passionate about sustainable food production and his entire working career has been in organic food and farming. Marin is a Master Beekeeper and gained his NDB in 2017. He currently manages 30 colonies in Gloucestershire. He is a trustee of Gloucestershire Beekeepers’ Association and Chairman of the BBKA Examinations Board. He is an assessor for the Basic, General Husbandry, and Advanced Husbandry certificates, and has contributed to the development and running of the General Husbandry and Advanced Husbandry training programmes for the BBKA. Marin is co-author, and led the implementation, of the BBKA Certificate in Honey Bee Breeding, including providing the training and support to both future candidates and assessors.