Look up – one near you?

YLH Campaign continues . . .
This year 8 nests were found and destroyed in Hampshire which places us as the second most affected county. However, as the autumn unfolds other nests might become visible. If you become aware of such a nest please contact Simon on AHATCoordinator@meridianbeekeepers.com . It’s too late for the NBU to be involved but knowing the location of these nests will help our plans to catch queens in the spring. Every nest not destroyed could result in SIX next year!
Resources from NNSS:
– Identifying YLH and other nests.
NBU Maps:
– Link showing inspections, confirmed EFB, YLH nest destructions, etc.

Resources
Early Season:
– The Annual Cycle
– The First Spring Inspection
– Collecting and Hiving a Swarm
– Identifying Queen cells
– Queen rearing.
– Marking Queens
General:
– Bees, Wasps and Buzzy things
– Forage and Pollen Guide
– The Sting
– Reading your bees.
– Bee Craft Glossary (link)
– Guidelines for selling a nucleus .
– Using nuclei
– Uniting colonies.
– Re-queening a defensive colony
– Feeders and Feed
Disease and controls:
– Common bee viruses (Link)
– Foulbrood.
– Varroa
– Counting varroa.
– Sugar dusting.
– Shook swarm
– Nosema
Honey and Hive Products:
– Processing Honey
– Showing/selling Honey
– Labelling Honey
– Granulated Honey
– Soft set honey
– Processing Wax
– Candle making
Education

Courses and Assessments – 2026
For a full list of assessments please click here.

Basic Assessment
Have you been keeping bees for a year? Have you taken your basic assessment? For details and support, click here.

Resources for teachers
Click here for the exciting teachers’ pack, BBKA’s Pollinator Science Project.

Asian Hornets (YLAH)

The PRIORITY NOW is to be ready to set up bait stations in August and September, so as to report sightings and assist NBU teams to eradicate nests.
Links to resources:
– Current NBU Overview,
– Latest sightings,
– Update Video (09/2025)
– YLAH Fact Sheet
– Life Cycle

Members’ News

Propolis – A problem?
. . . or bees just managing their environment?

Frame removed from a hive at Park Place (using drone culling to help control varroa) where many frames have a similar envelope of propolis.

Brood – Not a problem!

Richard Skinner’s exemplary brood

Queen Piping

Click image to see and hear Richard Skinner’s remarkable video of a Queen Piping. Recorded April, 2026, extraordinary!

Apiary Meetings 2026
West End Apiary meeting, 10th May, 2025

Members – For meetings at our apiaries in West End and Park Place see dates in Members’ Area. Please use WhatsApp group to confirm attendance.