Just to advise beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores (especially nucs), particularly if you didn’t give yours a full winter feed at the end of last season.
So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!) and recheck regularly!
This is also a good time to treat for Varroa while brood numbers are still low.
Just a reminder that membership renewals are now overdue.
Please ensure that you renew promptly on our online system (see link below), in order to ensure continuity of your membership and BDI insurance.
We are also accepting applications for new PBKA Members and PBKA Supporters for 2024.
Please note that there are changes to PBKA membership arrangements for 2024, due to changes in the policy conditions of the Liability insurance cover with the WBKA.
For further details and to join/renew as a full Member or Partner, please follow this link.
We are doing our best to try and make this change as seamless as possible, but please bear with us during this transition phase.
If you have any queries, please email pbkaapiarymanager@live.co.uk
This is a reminder about the next WBKA webinar, on Thursday February 29th at 7.30pm. As usual this webinar for anyone to attend.WBKA February Webinar (attendance free)
Ann Chilcott – Observations at the Hive Entrance
Join us for a webinar on Feb 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM GMT.
Register now!
- Opening a hive of honey bees for inspection is always stressful for them to some extent, and the longer they are exposed the greater the risks of chilling, robbing etc. “Observations at the Hive Entrance” is about what you can learn from watching honey bees near their hive and around the apiary. Understanding bee behaviour and being in tune with a colony can help them enormously and reduce the disturbance of unnecessary inspections. Sometimes management decisions can be made from observations made outside the hive.
This presentation is intended for beekeepers at all levels but new beekeepers usually find it particularly useful.
Ann Chilcott has been keeping bees in Nairnshire, Scotland, since 2004 and currently manages 12 colonies in several apiaries. She is qualified to Scottish Expert Beemaster level and involved in education at local and national levels. She spends a lot of time on practical hands-on mentoring of local beekeepers, teaching children, giving presentations, writing articles for journals, supporting local beekeeping association in key roles, reviewing books, continued self-development, and sharing knowledge worldwide through her blog: www.beelistener.co.uk
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
We are very sad to announce the passing of our beekeeping colleague and friend Gareth Issac, from Fishguard.
Gareth had been a PBKA member for a number of years, was very popular and always willing to help anyone out.
Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends. If we hear anything about funeral arrangements, we will of course advise further.
Gareth will be greatly missed by us all!
Pembrokeshire Beekeepers' Association 