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BBKA Covid-19 Update 26th June 2020

The changes on 4th July to the social distancing may mean that some beekeeping activities can now go ahead - BUT there will be certain restrictions needed and people will need to continue to follow government advice. This will be down to individual associations and their branches to carry out risk assessments and make these decisions.
Do not feel pressured into running any training or courses if your apiary management have concerns.

Your apiary is a place of work for your volunteers

Before restarting work, organisations must ensure the safety of their workplace by carrying out a risk assessment in line with HSE guidance.
In returning to work, the government has provided guidelines for workplaces
Open Air Activities:
Ensure distancing as per the government's advice:
This can be done by putting up signs or using floor tape to remind everyone about the social distancing measures. Avoiding shared workstations and equipment. Arrange one-way traffic through the workplace.
Ensure the government's advice is followed on distancing.
Stagger arrival and departure times.
Reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘partnering.’
Reduce the number of people in the apiary. Consider how many people can safely be round a hive at the correct distancing.
Avoid sharing personal protective equipment - do not borrow bee suits. Suits should be cleaned after each use.
Dispose of used gloves safely.

Updated 01/07/20 Griff Dixon

European Foul Brood (EFB) FOUND IN NOTTINGHAM

As if Covid-19 wasn't enough EFB has been found in Nottingham in the Screveton area (see BeeBase). The samples have been confirmed by the lab and emails will be sent out to beekeepers nearby.
Emails can only be sent to beekeepers who are registered on BeeBase and whose details are up to date. Also make sure your phone number is up to date so you can be contacted if necessary.
updated 29/06/20 Janet Bates

WORLD BEE DAY WAS CELEBRATED ON THE 20th MAY 2020

How did you celebrate World Bee Day?
Bought honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper.
Raised awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and expressed your support for beekeepers.
Did you set up a pollinator farm on your balcony, terrace, or garden.
Contact us at the Nottinghamshire Beekeepers Association to get started.
JOIN US - There are not enough Beekeepers in Nottinghamshire
We will show you how to do it!

LATEST NBKA BEEMASTER NEWSLETTER

Beemaster June 2020

THINK YOU HAVE A SWARM!

Make sure they are NOT white tailed Bumblebees as these are often mistaken for Honeybees and we don't collect these.
For Honeybee Swarms Visit the British Beekeepers Association website and enter your postcode to contact a local swarm collector for advice.
Honsec 31/05/20

ALL PRACTICAL APIARY TRAINING SESSIONS AND ASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Coronavirus – NBKA
The Council are constantly monitoring Government Advice regarding face to face meetings with Beginners Courses, Regional Meetings and Outside Events and will advise the Membership on an on going basis. WATCH THIS SPACE - STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY. STAY ALERT!

Tending Hives During Covid-19
24 March 2020
BBKA Chair Anne Rowberry says: "Bees are livestock and should be tended.
"You may visit your bees for welfare purposes such as for checking feed or queen cell preparation.
"You must take into account social distancing and safe access. Also swarming, please do do not going into houses, roofs etc, or go through houses to reach swarms.
"We are working with DEFRA. NBU inspectors will still inspect if you have disease concerns."

Swarm Collection During Covid-19
24 March 2020
BBKA Chair Anne Rowberry says: "The swarm collection service will still be in operation during the pandemic.
Swarm collection can go ahead but you must take into account social distancing.
Risk assess the situation and do not take unnecessary risks as health services will be under pressure due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
As always, only collect when it is safe to do so. We are working with DEFRA."
You can find info on swarms and our map of collectors here: www.bbka.org.uk/swarm

BIBBA-Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association
What do you know about BIBBA? The stated aim of BIBBA is: for the conservation, restoration, study, selection and improvement of native or near-native honeybees of the British Isles.
There is a National Group and also local groups.
Our local group is the East Midlands Group. They meet regularly at the apiary at Thrumpton. The group carefully selects good queens from the colonies for their breeding programme. Some of the virgin queens are mated in an isolated site in Derbyshire and others at the Thrumpton apiary. The breeder queens are selected for as near native characteristics as possible, as well as for temperament, etc.
There is a website for BIBBA and the local groups have links from there.
There is an opportunity this year to buy a nuc with a queen bred from one of the best Thrumpton queens. Preference will be given to NBKA beekeepers.
See the "for sale" page for more details.
Posted 23/04/2020

LETTER FROM BBKA CHAIR ANNE ROWBERRY
The Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The impact of the Coronavirus could not have been foreseen but the BBKA is working hard to support members. We regret that all the BBKA training courses at Stoneleigh have been cancelled, this includes the Healthy Hive training, General Husbandry and Advanced husbandry training. The Exam Board have cancelled the Module Exams, the Assessor Training and will be publishing information on the Healthy Hive and Basic Exams.
We are suggesting that Beginners courses and other Branch or Association organised training courses are postponed. It is important to keep the health of members at the front of our minds. It may be possible to deliver some aspects of these courses online. I would welcome suggestions as to the best way this could be achieved ; possibly some Associations have information that they would be prepared to share. We can post some ideas on our website so please share any that you think may help.
I am sure younger members of groups will support older members or those confined through association with family etc who have the virus by offering to check hives in out apiaries, making sure they are upright, have food and the bees are flying could be very helpful. Please follow the Government guidelines, we are asked to avoid social contact and unnecessary travel. This will mean considering carefully the swarm collection service and applying appropriate safeguards.
I have contacted Defra for advice on the position of beekeepers visiting their bees if the country moves into a more intensive ‘lock down’. At the moment bees will be considered as livestock and can be tended accordingly but we are following Government advice and need to address possible future directions. I have also been in contact with Alpha and the All Party Parliamentary Group and I am writing to the Minister of Environment asking about the position of beekeepers visiting bees I have also suggested that should there be a sugar shortage beekeepers have an allowance ( as I believe they had in the war). This may seem extreme but we need to be thinking now, just in case.
There are actions that the beekeeper can take to give their bees the best chance of survival and the most important is to feed them. Ensure they have plenty of food for any inclement weather, we can have snow in May and cold wet weather at any time may mean they starve. If you are concerned about visiting your bees put fondant above your supers, the bees will use it if they need it. If you do not have fondant then use syrup even if you have one or two supers on. They may move it to the supers which would mean you can’t sell it as honey but you will still have your bees and also food for the Autumn/Winter. We do not know how long this severe situation will last.
We will endeavour to give more information through our website and BBKA social media. Beebase will also be posting information.
I hope this situation passes quickly and is not as severe as is now being portrayed.
Anne Rowberry
BBKA Chair

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY SHOW CANCELLED
9th & 10th May 2020

NEWARK BEGINNERS COURSE CANCELLED
It has been decided that the Newark Beginners Course for the last 2 weeks ( 20th and 27th March 2020) will be postponed and re-arranged as Government Advice allows. It is unclear if the Apiary Sessions due to commence in May will be available to us - We will advise nearer the dates to let you know whats happening.

NOTTINGHAM BEGINNERS COURSE CANCELLED

MEMBERSHIP 2020

Membership runs from 1st January to 31st December. Membership details are now on the new Er2 membership database and renewals are online.
If, during the year, the number of colonies you have increases beyond the number you have insured through BDI. you can increase your cover at any time. If you are underinsured you won't be able to make a claim if you lose bees as a result of EFB or AFB.
Any problems with your membership contact me Janet Bates.
NEW MEMBERSHIP
If you wish to join NBKA then please contact me (Janet Bates-see above) with:
your name, postal address and email address and I will send you an online application form.
For details of the membership categories click here.

BASIC CERTIFICATE SUCCESS

Seven of our members took the Basic Certificate in the summer and all have passed with credit.
Well done to:
Glenis Swift, Glynis Storer, Shirley Wragg, Gill Dodd, Phil Rawson, Steve Barton and Brian Parton
Certificates and badges will be presented at the next Nottingham meeting- 16th March.
If you have kept bees for one year by next summer then you are eligible to come along to the practical sessions and take the BASIC CERTIFICATE. Keep an eye out on the website for details soon.

BBKA MODULE EXAMS

The latest sitting of the module exams was to be in March but was cancelled at the last minute due to the Covid-19 restrictions.
The next sitting of the module exams is in November. Let's hope that the isolations, shielding and distancing are all past by then.
Study groups have also been cancelled for the time being.
Contact me if you are interested in coming to a study group.
Janet Bates

EFB to Remain a Notifiable Disease.

There was a rumour that EFB (European Foul Brood) may be removed from the list of notifiable diseases. We have had a communication from DEFRA stating that EFB is to remain on the list of notifiable diseases.
The other notifiable diseases are AFB (American Foul Brood), Small hive beetle and Tropilaelaps.
If you think you have found a notifiable disease in a colony then reassemble the hive. Reduce the entrance to prevent robbing. Put a voluntary standstill on your apiary and inform the local bee inspector and your local secretary.

Asian Hornet Threat 2019 and AHATs

Two nests have been destroyed near Christchurch, Hampshire. It was predicted that there would be incursions of the Asian Hornet into the UK in 2019. Last year there were 8,000 reported sightings although obviously most of these were false alarms.
It is likely that the resources of the NBU Bee Inspectors will be overwhelmed if more than 3 or 4 sightings occur at the same time.
In conjunction with the NBU local BKAs are forming Asian Hornet Action Teams (AHATs) to increase the resources available to support the bee inspectors. Their role will be to confirm sightings/photos/place traps locally/watch for flight lines.
The Association AHATS must quickly become an important reserve on which the NBU can rely to keep outbreaks under control.
The Midlands are coming together for the purpose and Sam Hampton is a coordinator of the larger group.
Destruction of nests will be carried out by pest control operators.
It is important to report any suspected sightings of this species as soon as possible. Find out how to identify Asian hornet by downloading an Identification Guide, or visit the BeeBase website.
Yellow legs and a mostly black body are key features.
Note that the AH nests in the UK have not been as large as those found in France.
Ideally photographs and/or a specimen should also be obtained.
Sightings must be reported to the NNSS Non-native species secretariat. alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
Any foundress queens that have escaped from nests last year will be about in spring.
The AHAT coordinator for NBKA is Penny Forsyth
See BeeMaster for more AHAT information.

Feeding bees-

For further information, please see the ‘Best Practice Guidance No. 7 - Feeding Bees Sugar’ on the following BeeBase Page: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

One of our meetings with members demonstrating how to make balms and soaps

NEXT EVENTS

Nottingham Group Meetings

Nottingham Group Meetings Are Cancelled until Further Notice

Have you seen the Linda and Maurice Jordan Beekeeping
Movie

Newark Region Meetings
Newark Group
are now using Zoom
Web Conferencing
for meetings
David Chase has Organised

NBKA Council Meeting
18th June 2020
BY ZOOM Web Conferencing
Griff Dixon has Organised

Nottingham Group Committee Meeting

Meetings Cancelled until Further Notice

Useful Links

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BeeConnected

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