Promoting Healthy Bee Populations in The County of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

First Inspection of 2024

Good day at the Apiary in the early April Sun, most of the colonies were looking really strong.
The new storage shed is looking great too!

Spring colours in the apiary

Spring is a busy time of year for our bees and the apiary team have been equally busy painting hives and buildings. Well done guys!

The Class of 2019



After attending weekly classes over winter to learn the theory of beekeeping, the class have now had the opportunity to gain practical experience at the associations apiary in Penllergaer. Weather permitting each week the students are taken through a year in the life of a beekeeper, learning hands on skills such as routine inspections, queen marking, disease control, apiary management and best of all honey extraction!
If you are interested in becoming a beekeeper please keep an eye on this web page for details of next years course.

https://www.westglamorgan-beekeepers.co.uk/beginners-course/

Members Meeting Talk by Les Baillie on: Tails of novel antibiotics, spying on the hive and African killer bees!

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Episode 2, the Pharmabees project revisited. Tails of novel antibiotics, spying on the hive and African killer bees

At the next meeting on June 18th we welcome back Prof. Les Baillie from Cardiff Uni.

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/90823-baillie-les

He will give a talk about Antibiotic resistance and the latest research into how bees can help combat this. He will also bring us up to date on recent work in the community.

Cardiff university have been working to save the honey bee and  to inspire young kids to develop an interest in science and the natural world.  Starting with a small effort to discover the Welsh Manuka  the project has  swarmed to create new project across the university and Cardiff.  In this presentation professor Baillie with describe how the honey bee is playing a key role in support the health and welfare of the people of Wales.

(https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/pharmabees).

Members from any Association are welcome.

7pm Cwmbwrla day centre.

Free of charge.

A Guide to buying second hand beekeeping equipment

Buying second hand beekeeping equipment can be a veritable minefield, especially for a beginner so if you are offered any second-hand kit, it is worth asking an experienced beekeeper to come with you to advise.

Hives and ancillaries can last for years and beekeepers are renowned for being ‘careful’ with their money so there is more than a good chance that when Kit is put up for sale it is well past its best.

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The Beekeeper’s calendar

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Strangely, the beekeeper's year start around September – this is when the honey crop comes off and we start to prepare the colony to survive the winter and be big and strong in readiness for the spring and summer honey crop.

So, I shall Start with September

Mid-September to November

As soon as the honey crop comes off then it is time to start autumn varroa treatment.

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