Page 22 - ALG Issue 4 2019

bees
Training and resources for beekeepers
Any plotholders considering keeping bees on their plots will need to undertake some training in order
to acquire the knowledge and skills required to take on the responsibility of a hive in a public place.
Your allotment authority should have
a beekeeping policy in place that requires training and, more than likely, membership of the British Beekeeping Association. BBKA membership gives the benefit of Public and Product Liability insurance and access to resources and support. There are 75 local associations who offer training and support; details can be found on www.bbka.org.uk/. Many BKAs run beginners’ courses where you can learn some of the theory and gain valuable practical experience in their teaching apiary. The BBKA has a long and well-established exam course which is constantly being developed
to keep up with new research in the
field of beekeeping. The exams start with a Basic covering basic skills and knowledge of the craft, all the way up to becoming a Master Beekeeper.
The BBKA website recommends several books for new beekeepers; ‘Keeping Bees’ by Pam Gregory and Claire Waring, ‘Better Beginnings
for Beekeepers’ by Adrian Waring, ‘Beekeeping. A Practical Guide’ by Roger Patterson, ‘Bees at the Bottom of the Garden’ by Alan Campion and ‘BBKA Guide to Beekeeping’ by Dr Ivor Davis NDB. The local Beekeeping Association will probably have a library available for you to borrow some.
BeeBase is the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) National
Bee Unit website. It is designed for beekeepers and supports Defra, Welsh Government and Scotland's Bee Health Programmes and the Healthy Bees Plan, which set out to protect
There are 75 local associations who offer training and support
and sustain our valuable national
bee stocks. The website provides a wide range of apicultural information for beekeepers, to help keep their colonies healthy and productive. It provides a wide range of beekeeping information, such as the activities of the NBU, honeybee related legislation, pests and diseases information, which includes their recognition and control, publications, advisory leaflets and key contacts.
www.nationalbeeunit.com/ public/beekeepingFaqs/ getStartedInBeekeeping.cfm
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22 Allotment and Leisure Gardener