Information for Beekeepers
The beekeeping information is provided by individual members of the Kent Bee-keepers' Association.
Populations of bees and other insect pollinators have fallen dramatically in recent years. The reasons for these declines are complex and wide ranging, but there is little doubt that pesticides are playing a key part. PAN UK has launched this website to cut through the confusion and provide an up-to date and balanced explanation of the role of pesticides in pollinator declines.
Aliya Mohammed Ali Sajwani, a PhD student at Sultan Qaboos University, won the largest number of prizes in the National Honey Show held in London 2012 for the Omani honey she exhibited.
There continues to be substantial media coverage of honey bees and other pollinators which is to be welcomed. A number of campaigns have been launched recently, designed to 'help' bees. There is a risk that these campaigns may confuse the issue.
Kent Bee-keepers' Association (KBKA) membership application. ONLY for new members joining between January & August 2013. Members pay their local branch treasurer.
On 16 January 2013 EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) published three reports, the preparation of which had been requested by the European Commission to assess risks associated with the use of the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. The assessments concentrated on the use of these insecticides as a seed treatment or as granules with particular regard to their acute and chronic effects on bee colony survival and development; their effect on bee behaviour and the risk posed by sub-lethal doses.
The season began in earnest this year on 26th March. As usual, all of the bee inspectors gathered at the Food and Environment Agency (FERA) at Sand Hutton, York for our Technical Training Seminar. Always a good start to the season, the seminar is 3 days of intensive training for Bee Inspectors, revising our practices etc. ready for the new season ahead. Of course, prior to that, I was busy with lectures to various Associations throughout the SE region.
As always, I will start my report by thanking all the beekeepers who have taken the time to respond to my request for honey crop and price statistics. This year I’ve had an absolutely fabulous response with 470 replies.