The Welsh Beekeepers’ Association (WBKA) is the national support organisation for beekeepers in Wales. It is a registered charity (number 509929) managed by a board of trustees supported by various officers, all of whom are volunteers.
Founded in 1943, WBKA is the umbrella organisation for 19 local associations across Wales. Representatives of these 19 associations, and specialist members, form the WBKA Council which meets three times a year.
The WBKA works to support its member associations, specialist and individual members by:
developing co-operation amongst beekeepers and other bodies, including Welsh Government and other national associations and bodies
improving the standard of bee husbandry by supporting the beekeeping education system in the UK.
We hope our website gives you an insight into the ways in which we support the objects of the WBKA as set out in our Constitution – the encouragement, improvement, advancement and promotion of beekeeping to provide a benefit to the public and the environment throughout Wales.
WBKA Webinars
Currently we are are arranging at least one webinar each month. Our webinars are free and open to all.
September 12th, 7.30pm BST
Winter is coming
Lesley Jacques
By clicking this button, you submit your information to the webinar organizer, who will use it to communicate with you regarding this event and their other services.
Although winter may seem a long way away, our bees are definitely thinking about it already. As beekeepers, what do we need to think about to ensure that our bees go into the winter in the best possible condition, and are ready thrive in the spring? There’s more at stake than simply having sufficient stores. Understanding the needs and dynamics of the colony in the run up to, and during the winter can help us to weather the season most effectively. Here, we will look at the preparations that we make for the winter; what are the essentials and the nice-to-haves, the reasons why and, in spite of our best efforts, some of the things that occasionally go wrong.
Lesley became an accidental beekeeper after a swarm arrived in her garden in 2011. She very quickly became fascinated by the bees she was tending, and committed to learn more about them, working her way through the BBKA Module and Husbandry exams. She was awarded her Master Beekeeper qualification in 2022 and gained the NDB in 2024. Lesley is Vice Chair of Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association as well as being a founder member of Mid Cheshire Beekeepers. Lesley is an examiner for the Basic assessment as well as being actively engaged with the Association’s advanced and beginners’ level teaching programmes, typically providing introductions for entry-level beekeepers, tuition and mentoring for the Basic examination and structured teaching for the Module exams. As a scientist by profession, she takes a particular interest in the biology and botanical aspects of beekeeping, and in conveying this to others. Lesley lives in Cheshire with her husband Tony, and manages three apiaries with more colonies than she admits to.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
News
June 13th 2024:
Our Regional Bee Inspector, Dan Baxter,has circulated the article below on starving bees to all contacts in Wales. With the cooler temperatures and inclement weather starvation is being observed across Wales by the inspectorate and supplementary feeding may be recommended to minimise colony losses.
This presentation is intended for beekeepers at all levels but new beekeepers usually find it particularly useful.
Watch the latest Video from Anaphylaxis UK on Bee and Wasp stings.
New!
Apiary and Brood Inspections
Three videos by Regional Bee Inspector Frank Gellatly, Gwenyn Gruffydd and Black Mountain Honey.
Frank Gellatly, Regional Bee Inspector for Wales has joined with Gwenyn Gruffydd and Black Mountain Honey to produce three useful and interesting YouTube videos. We thank Frank and both of these businesses for granting us permission to share the links to these very informative videos.
(Please note that the WBKA do not endorse any particular products or suppliers mentioned in these videos, or in any of the advertisements which appear via YouTube).
Click on the videos to view.
The Healthy Bees Plan 2030
has recently been published by DEFRA to cover Wales and England for the next 10 years.
The Plan is available below.
The Asian Hornet in the UK
The scientific journal Nature has published a detailed report on the sightings of Asian Hornets in the UK from 2016 to 2019 and the follow-up investigations. You can read it below.
Ulster BKA Webinars
Jan 2022
Members may be interested in the Ulster Beekeepers’ Association flyer of webinars starting in January 2022. Registration details are below.
Scottish BKA Webinars
2021 -2022
Here are some past webinars from the Scottish Beekeepers Association that you might find interesting.
Click on the button below.
QUICK LINKS
