SWHB Bee Safari

We are pleased to announce that as we start to come out of the recent strict lockdown restrictions, we can kick off with our socially distanced bee safari taking place on Saturday 8 August. If it rains or is too windy that day then we will run the event on

Beginners Training course – Book now for Spring 2021.

Hugely popular, our Beginners Course is perfect for both non-beekeepers who are looking to become beekeepers and those who started with their first colony during the last twelve months without having completed a course. It runs on Wednesday evenings for seven weeks , starting March 10th, with each class covering

Tales from a Top Bar – 2

20 June was a Big Day – it was the nearly 6 weeks since the swarm took up residence and I took a first very tentative peek at what was going on between the follower boards (the main hive area). A few bees had been hanging about outside the hive

BIBBA Webinar Presentations

The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) is an association formed with the aim of conservation, restoration, study, selection and improvement of native or near-native honeybees of the British Isles. As an organisation, BIBBA offers: • Encouragement to form breeding groups to improve and propagate native and near native

Moving Bumble Bees – an experience not to be forgotten!

A friend called me about a nest of bumble bees in an outbuilding he was about to renovate. He did not want to kill the bees if it could be avoided. In my ignorance I volunteered to come and have a look. The bees were going in and out of

Tales from a Top Bar

I must begin all this with a disclaimer. I’m a complete novice at beekeeping and top-bar hives! So while I’m learning a lot on-line and through dealing with the bees, I am most certainly not an expert. I opted for a top bar hive because I have developed

Asian Hornet Alert – sighting – Alton GU34

Please be on the alert. A telephone call from a resident in Alton has been received by Hampshire beekeepers - the person comes from Guernsey and is used to seeing Asian Hornets on the Channel Islands - saying that she observed an Asian Hornet in her garden, near the Kings

The Asian Hornet is coming!

South West Hampshire Beekeepers now have an Asian Hornet Action Team (AHAT) and co-ordinator. Part of the role is to get the word out about the Asian Hornet and also ask to people look out for this nasty beastie. We are sure you are busy working on your apiaries following

Covid-19 Update from SWHB, BBKA & NBU

The impact of the Coronavirus could not have been foreseen but the BBKA, SWHB and NBU are working hard to support their members. We are confident younger members of the group will support older members or those confined through association with family etc. who are unwell by offering to

Helping bees live with Varroa – a BIBBA organised event

Summary Since varroa was discovered in the UK in 1992 many approaches have been adopted to minimise the effect of the parasite and its devastating impact on our bees and the craft. Recent discoveries recognise that some bees may be developing their own mechanisms to deal with the mite. It

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