Beekeeping in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Beekeeping
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...

in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...



In the winter of 2008, about 20% of the UK's bees died. The losses were highest in the north of England and lowest in the east. These winter losses have been increasing in recent years as some of the treatments to combat Varroa lose their efficacy.

The government researches bees at its National Bee Unit
National Bee Unit
The National Bee Unit is responsible for the delivery of the Bee Health Programmes in England and Wales. Using , a website designed to help monitor and control the spread of serious honey bee pests and diseases, the NBU consists of a team of 60-plus field-based Bee Inspectors and staff based in...

, run by the Food and Environment Research Agency
Food and Environment Research Agency
The Food and Environment Research Agency, a new Defra executive agency was vested on 1 April 2009.-History:The agency was formed by bringing together the Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton, the Plant Health Division / Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate in York, the Plant Variety Rights...

 at Sand Hutton
Sand Hutton
Sand Hutton is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, about north-east of York.Part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's Food and Environment Research Agency is sited at Sand Hutton....

 in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...

, close to A64
A64 road
The A64 is a road in North and West Yorkshire, England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64 ring road motorway in Leeds and then is a dual carriageway for the rest of its route, except parts of the road from Malton to Scarborough.The road approximates a section of the...

.

The Bees Act 1980
Bees Act 1980
The Bees Act 1980 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It seeks to stop the damage caused by diseases, chemicals and pests that damage the wellbeing of bees...

 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that seeks to stop the damage caused by diseases, chemicals (such as Imidacloprid and pests that damage the wellbeing of bees). It repealed the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1941. The Act has never been put into force, and currently does not extend to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

The National Bee Unit
National Bee Unit
The National Bee Unit is responsible for the delivery of the Bee Health Programmes in England and Wales. Using , a website designed to help monitor and control the spread of serious honey bee pests and diseases, the NBU consists of a team of 60-plus field-based Bee Inspectors and staff based in...

 is responsible for the delivery of the Bee Health Programme in England and Wales. It is based in Sand Hutton in North Yorkshire.

The National Honey Show
National Honey Show
The National Honey Show is an annual British show of Honey and other Honey and Bee products.It first took place in 1923 at The Crystal Palace until 1936, when it burnt down. It is currently is held every October at St George's College, Weybridge, Surrey. Events that take place at the show include...

, the first of which was held 1923 at The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...

, is an annual British show of honey and other bee products.

Associations

The British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) represents the amateur beekeepers in England. There are many local associations, within the county associations, which are within the BBKA. The association is a registered charity. It is based at the National Agricultural Centre in the National Beekeeping Centre, where it has been since July 2000, although it has been at Stoneleigh since 1982. Previous to 1943 it was based on Bedford Street in London. From these premises, the Beekeepers' Record and British Beekeepers' Journal were published.

The Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA) represents the interests of amateur beekeepers in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

The Scottish Beekeepers Association (SBKA) represents the interests of Scottish amateurs.

The Welsh Beekeepers Association (WBKA) represents the interests of Welsh amateur beekeepers.

The Bee Farmers' Association of the UK (BFA) represents the commercial beekeepers of the UK.

Bee Disease Insurance (BDI) offers insurance against notifiable diseases for beekeepers in the UK.

The Confederation of National Beekeepers Associations (CONBA) represents the above associations in Europe.

See also

  • Beekeeping in Ireland
    Beekeeping in Ireland
    -Organisations:The Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations is the association of beekeeping associations in Ireland.It is notable for its monthly publication, An Beachaire, and its unique summer course held at Gormanston, Co. Meath in Gormanston College...

  • Agriculture in the United Kingdom
    Agriculture in the United Kingdom
    Agriculture in the United Kingdom uses around 71% of the country's land area and contributes about 0.6% of its gross value added. The UK produces less than 60% of the food it eats and the industry's share of the national economy is declining...

  • Apimondia
    Apimondia
    Apimondia or International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations promotes scientific, ecological, social and economic apicultural development in all countries and the cooperation of beekeepers` associations, scientific bodies and of individuals involved in apiculture worldwide.The federation...

  • June Gap
    June Gap
    The June Gap refers to a dearth of nectar forage for bees in June in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The June Gap is important because typically, the number of bees and hence energy requirement in the colony has built up significantly by the time the dearth occurs.Some plants which can help provide...


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