British Beekeepers Association
@bbka.org.uk
This is the page for the British Beekeepers' Association, a national charity supporting bees and beekeepers.
https://www.bbka.org.uk/
https://www.bbka.org.uk/
The small hive beetle is a pest of honey bees, but it can also be deployed in beneficial ways. New research shows that small hive beetles can be reared on excess honey bee pollen and their pupae and frass can be converted into animal feed and biomanure.
entomologytoday.org/2025/11/17/c...
entomologytoday.org/2025/11/17/c...
Circular Economics: Honey Bee Pest Turns Excess Pollen Into Food
New research shows small hive beetles can be reared on excess honey bee pollen and their pupae and frass converted into animal feed and biomanure.
entomologytoday.org
November 21, 2025 at 11:13 AM
The small hive beetle is a pest of honey bees, but it can also be deployed in beneficial ways. New research shows that small hive beetles can be reared on excess honey bee pollen and their pupae and frass can be converted into animal feed and biomanure.
entomologytoday.org/2025/11/17/c...
entomologytoday.org/2025/11/17/c...
“The message is simple...If we want to support pollinators, we need to plant more diverse flowers and create larger gardens. The way we design and manage our gardens really matters.”
www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-eve...
www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-eve...
Community gardens help Christchurch pollinators thrive | UC
Urban gardens across Ōtautahi Christchurch are buzzing with life, and that’s good news for our pollinators.
www.canterbury.ac.nz
November 21, 2025 at 10:05 AM
“The message is simple...If we want to support pollinators, we need to plant more diverse flowers and create larger gardens. The way we design and manage our gardens really matters.”
www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-eve...
www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-eve...
Varroa mites have been recently detected in new locations in South Australia.
honeybee.org.au/ahbic-indust...
honeybee.org.au/ahbic-indust...
AHBIC Industry Update 73 - Further SA Detection - Australian Honey Bee Industry Council
Varroa Confirmed – Limestone Coast Varroa mite has been detected in beehives in the Limestone Coast region near Salt Creek, South Australia. A suspected detection of varroa mites in a hive was not...
honeybee.org.au
November 21, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Varroa mites have been recently detected in new locations in South Australia.
honeybee.org.au/ahbic-indust...
honeybee.org.au/ahbic-indust...
The December 2025 edition of BBKA News is out soon.
Bottom-up Beekeeping – Ray Baxter
UK Beekeeping Perspectives – Fay Kahane
New Beekeeper – Emma Guile
Apimondia 2025 – Ian Campbell
+ regulars, features, news, apiary tips, letters, puzzle & recipes
Bottom-up Beekeeping – Ray Baxter
UK Beekeeping Perspectives – Fay Kahane
New Beekeeper – Emma Guile
Apimondia 2025 – Ian Campbell
+ regulars, features, news, apiary tips, letters, puzzle & recipes
November 21, 2025 at 9:16 AM
The December 2025 edition of BBKA News is out soon.
Bottom-up Beekeeping – Ray Baxter
UK Beekeeping Perspectives – Fay Kahane
New Beekeeper – Emma Guile
Apimondia 2025 – Ian Campbell
+ regulars, features, news, apiary tips, letters, puzzle & recipes
Bottom-up Beekeeping – Ray Baxter
UK Beekeeping Perspectives – Fay Kahane
New Beekeeper – Emma Guile
Apimondia 2025 – Ian Campbell
+ regulars, features, news, apiary tips, letters, puzzle & recipes
The National Bee Unit has recently update its Best Practice Guidance on Apiary & Hive Hygiene.
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
November 20, 2025 at 1:23 PM
The National Bee Unit has recently update its Best Practice Guidance on Apiary & Hive Hygiene.
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
The White Paper seeks to:
Define the economic and ecological importance of commercially
managed honey bees
Encourage dialogue among policymakers,
regulators & stakeholders
Identify opportunities to strengthen beekeeping
industry for U.S. agriculture
www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/wp-content/u...
Define the economic and ecological importance of commercially
managed honey bees
Encourage dialogue among policymakers,
regulators & stakeholders
Identify opportunities to strengthen beekeeping
industry for U.S. agriculture
www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/wp-content/u...
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The White Paper seeks to:
Define the economic and ecological importance of commercially
managed honey bees
Encourage dialogue among policymakers,
regulators & stakeholders
Identify opportunities to strengthen beekeeping
industry for U.S. agriculture
www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/wp-content/u...
Define the economic and ecological importance of commercially
managed honey bees
Encourage dialogue among policymakers,
regulators & stakeholders
Identify opportunities to strengthen beekeeping
industry for U.S. agriculture
www.californiastatebeekeepers.com/wp-content/u...
The recent BBKA webinar by Shirley Bond on becoming a show judge is now on the BBKA's YouTube channel
youtu.be/EGKI4eswdDw?...
youtu.be/EGKI4eswdDw?...
Becoming a Show Judge
YouTube video by British Beekeepers Association
m.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:23 AM
The recent BBKA webinar by Shirley Bond on becoming a show judge is now on the BBKA's YouTube channel
youtu.be/EGKI4eswdDw?...
youtu.be/EGKI4eswdDw?...
Auckland New Zealand
Now 14 confirmed queen hornets found (based on specimens). 9 of the 14 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
Now 14 confirmed queen hornets found (based on specimens). 9 of the 14 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
November 20, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Auckland New Zealand
Now 14 confirmed queen hornets found (based on specimens). 9 of the 14 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
Now 14 confirmed queen hornets found (based on specimens). 9 of the 14 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
Karl von Frisch, Austrian entomologist and Nobel Prize winner, was born on this day in 1886.
He is best remembered for his work decoding honey bee waggle dance behaviour. His key book 'The Dancing Bees' was published in 1927
He is best remembered for his work decoding honey bee waggle dance behaviour. His key book 'The Dancing Bees' was published in 1927
November 20, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Karl von Frisch, Austrian entomologist and Nobel Prize winner, was born on this day in 1886.
He is best remembered for his work decoding honey bee waggle dance behaviour. His key book 'The Dancing Bees' was published in 1927
He is best remembered for his work decoding honey bee waggle dance behaviour. His key book 'The Dancing Bees' was published in 1927
The National Bee Unit has recently update its Best Practice Guidance on Varroa.
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
In conjunction with the comprehensive Managing Varroa leaflet they provide beekeepers with excellent information and best practice advice
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
In conjunction with the comprehensive Managing Varroa leaflet they provide beekeepers with excellent information and best practice advice
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
The National Bee Unit has recently update its Best Practice Guidance on Varroa.
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
In conjunction with the comprehensive Managing Varroa leaflet they provide beekeepers with excellent information and best practice advice
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
In conjunction with the comprehensive Managing Varroa leaflet they provide beekeepers with excellent information and best practice advice
www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...
Auckland New Zealand -
As of 18.11.25 - 12 confirmed yellow-legged Asian hornet queens found. 8 of the 12 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/...
As of 18.11.25 - 12 confirmed yellow-legged Asian hornet queens found. 8 of the 12 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/...
November 19, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Auckland New Zealand -
As of 18.11.25 - 12 confirmed yellow-legged Asian hornet queens found. 8 of the 12 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/...
As of 18.11.25 - 12 confirmed yellow-legged Asian hornet queens found. 8 of the 12 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting.
www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/...
"Artificial intelligence could help automate pollen identification and match it with chemical data, allowing regulators and producers to test more samples, more quickly and more accurately."
theconversation.com/the-honey-tr...
theconversation.com/the-honey-tr...
The honey trap: why honey fraud is a health hazard
Almost half of honey imports to Europe have been flagged as suspicious. From sugar syrups to fake origins, honey fraud is big business.
theconversation.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:22 AM
"Artificial intelligence could help automate pollen identification and match it with chemical data, allowing regulators and producers to test more samples, more quickly and more accurately."
theconversation.com/the-honey-tr...
theconversation.com/the-honey-tr...
The BBKA has written to The Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP, Secretary of State, Defra, about aligning UK honey labelling with the EU Honey Directive 2024 (also known as the Breakfast Directivities)
Details:
eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-con...
BBKA letter:
www.bbka.org.uk/news/bbka-ca...
Details:
eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-con...
BBKA letter:
www.bbka.org.uk/news/bbka-ca...
eur-lex.europa.eu
November 19, 2025 at 9:32 AM
The BBKA has written to The Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP, Secretary of State, Defra, about aligning UK honey labelling with the EU Honey Directive 2024 (also known as the Breakfast Directivities)
Details:
eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-con...
BBKA letter:
www.bbka.org.uk/news/bbka-ca...
Details:
eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-con...
BBKA letter:
www.bbka.org.uk/news/bbka-ca...
BBKA November Talk
The next BBKA Zoom talk will be ‘Becoming a Show Judge’ with Shirley Bond tonight,Tuesday 18 Nov @ 7pm. Recording available afterwards for those unable to watch live.
'Shirley is a Master Beekeeper, BBKA Show Judge & Chair of the BBKA Exam Board.
The next BBKA Zoom talk will be ‘Becoming a Show Judge’ with Shirley Bond tonight,Tuesday 18 Nov @ 7pm. Recording available afterwards for those unable to watch live.
'Shirley is a Master Beekeeper, BBKA Show Judge & Chair of the BBKA Exam Board.
November 18, 2025 at 12:41 PM
BBKA November Talk
The next BBKA Zoom talk will be ‘Becoming a Show Judge’ with Shirley Bond tonight,Tuesday 18 Nov @ 7pm. Recording available afterwards for those unable to watch live.
'Shirley is a Master Beekeeper, BBKA Show Judge & Chair of the BBKA Exam Board.
The next BBKA Zoom talk will be ‘Becoming a Show Judge’ with Shirley Bond tonight,Tuesday 18 Nov @ 7pm. Recording available afterwards for those unable to watch live.
'Shirley is a Master Beekeeper, BBKA Show Judge & Chair of the BBKA Exam Board.
“As with humans, some of the worker bees are very busy, some are lazy, and some even cheat on the job. Studies have shown that some bees can spend up to 40% of their time in a hive doing nothing. Some are purely part of a hive’s reserve force.”
www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/...
www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/...
Professor's Research on Honey Bees Earns Royal Society of SA's Highest Honour
Professor Robin Crewe from UP has just received one of the biggest scientific honours in the country – the John F.W. Herschel Medal from the Royal Society of South Africa.
www.goodthingsguy.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:10 AM
“As with humans, some of the worker bees are very busy, some are lazy, and some even cheat on the job. Studies have shown that some bees can spend up to 40% of their time in a hive doing nothing. Some are purely part of a hive’s reserve force.”
www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/...
www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/...
Beekeepers in Slovenia are very happy with this year's yield, the best in a decade. According to estimates are of some 4,000 tonnes of honey, meeting Slovenia's growing demand for the first time in a long while
english.sta.si/3488469/beek...
english.sta.si/3488469/beek...
english.sta.si
November 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Beekeepers in Slovenia are very happy with this year's yield, the best in a decade. According to estimates are of some 4,000 tonnes of honey, meeting Slovenia's growing demand for the first time in a long while
english.sta.si/3488469/beek...
english.sta.si/3488469/beek...
This is a good time to put in Varroa inspection boards to monitor average daily mite drop.
Boards are put under open mesh floors for a week.
Divide the mites seen by no. of days.
Compare drop with NBU treatment threshold guidance.
Licensed oxalic acid is the normal treatment when colonies broodless
Boards are put under open mesh floors for a week.
Divide the mites seen by no. of days.
Compare drop with NBU treatment threshold guidance.
Licensed oxalic acid is the normal treatment when colonies broodless
November 18, 2025 at 9:16 AM
This is a good time to put in Varroa inspection boards to monitor average daily mite drop.
Boards are put under open mesh floors for a week.
Divide the mites seen by no. of days.
Compare drop with NBU treatment threshold guidance.
Licensed oxalic acid is the normal treatment when colonies broodless
Boards are put under open mesh floors for a week.
Divide the mites seen by no. of days.
Compare drop with NBU treatment threshold guidance.
Licensed oxalic acid is the normal treatment when colonies broodless
This National Bee Unit YouTube training video demonstrates hive hefting. This is a way of gauging the weigh of a hive as an indication of colony stores and the potential need for supplementary feeding
youtu.be/i6x7XlpV3yY?...
youtu.be/i6x7XlpV3yY?...
How to Heft a Hive.
YouTube video by National Bee Unit - Animal and Plant Health Agency
youtu.be
November 17, 2025 at 12:03 PM
This National Bee Unit YouTube training video demonstrates hive hefting. This is a way of gauging the weigh of a hive as an indication of colony stores and the potential need for supplementary feeding
youtu.be/i6x7XlpV3yY?...
youtu.be/i6x7XlpV3yY?...
This study successfully developed and validated an automated framework for honey bee subspecies identification that directly addresses the critical limitations of existing methods.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Automated Honey Bee Subspecies Identification Using Advanced Wing Venation Analysis and Adaptive Hierarchical Clustering
This study introduces an automated, label-free framework for honey bee subspecies identification using advanced wing venation analysis and adaptive hierarchical clustering. By integrating robust imag...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:20 AM
This study successfully developed and validated an automated framework for honey bee subspecies identification that directly addresses the critical limitations of existing methods.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Researchers in Iran have introduced a lab-verified scoring index for honey, providing consumers with a clearer, science-based measure of quality. The new scoring system is reshaping how honey is evaluated and marketed by grounding claims in reproducible data.
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
Iranian researchers unveil new honey scoring index
Researchers in Iran have introduced a lab-verified scoring index for honey, providing consumers with a clearer, science-based measure of quality.
www.presstv.ir
November 17, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Researchers in Iran have introduced a lab-verified scoring index for honey, providing consumers with a clearer, science-based measure of quality. The new scoring system is reshaping how honey is evaluated and marketed by grounding claims in reproducible data.
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
Researchers in Iran have introduced a lab-verified scoring index for honey, providing consumers with a clearer, science-based measure of quality. The new scoring system is reshaping how honey is evaluated and marketed by grounding claims in reproducible data.
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
Iranian researchers unveil new honey scoring index
Researchers in Iran have introduced a lab-verified scoring index for honey, providing consumers with a clearer, science-based measure of quality.
www.presstv.ir
November 17, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Researchers in Iran have introduced a lab-verified scoring index for honey, providing consumers with a clearer, science-based measure of quality. The new scoring system is reshaping how honey is evaluated and marketed by grounding claims in reproducible data.
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...
Five months to go until the BBKA Spring Convention.
Pencil the dates in your calendar
Pencil the dates in your calendar
November 17, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Five months to go until the BBKA Spring Convention.
Pencil the dates in your calendar
Pencil the dates in your calendar
November 16, 2025 at 12:07 PM
National Bee Unit (BeeBase website) 2025 map of Inspections with European Foul Brood by 10km
www.nationalbeeunit.com/diseases-and...
www.nationalbeeunit.com/diseases-and...
November 16, 2025 at 11:04 AM
National Bee Unit (BeeBase website) 2025 map of Inspections with European Foul Brood by 10km
www.nationalbeeunit.com/diseases-and...
www.nationalbeeunit.com/diseases-and...
Winter capped brood monitoring
The status of capped brood in honey bee colonies during winter is critical information beekeepers must consider when choosing an appropriate control product for the mite Varroa destructor.
agriculture.auburn.edu/research/enp...
The status of capped brood in honey bee colonies during winter is critical information beekeepers must consider when choosing an appropriate control product for the mite Varroa destructor.
agriculture.auburn.edu/research/enp...
November 16, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Winter capped brood monitoring
The status of capped brood in honey bee colonies during winter is critical information beekeepers must consider when choosing an appropriate control product for the mite Varroa destructor.
agriculture.auburn.edu/research/enp...
The status of capped brood in honey bee colonies during winter is critical information beekeepers must consider when choosing an appropriate control product for the mite Varroa destructor.
agriculture.auburn.edu/research/enp...