Welcome to the April newsletter.
On 15th March we held a swarm collecting session presented by Jeremy, our apiaries manager. The presentation was informative and rather entertaining – there seems to be no end to the places swarm collectors can find themselvesin – more about swarms later in the newsletter.
Following the apiary spruce-up on Sat 29th March, our open apiary sessions start this month and are the perfect way to gain confidence and knowledge under the guidance of experienced members.
Andy Willis will be talking to us about the Trials and Tribulations of a Beekeeper, how he managed to avoid becoming a beekeeper until the age of 27 and various stories and events that have kept his interest going over the years. Diane from the Bee Depot will be coming along to the evening and will be happy to bring any items you would like to pre-order. If you are completely new to beekeeping, Diane is a very patient explainer of the finer details when buying your first equipment.
The kettle will be on and the Coffee Lounge open for business. Can’t wait!
Margaret Murdin, NDB and Master Beekeeper, will be talking to us about reading a colony.
Looking further ahead
June speaker: Bridget Strawbridge on bumblebees and solitary bees
July: Morgans Hill Wildlife Reserve Visit and Picnic on Saturday 12th
By now, Bees Abroad have built a tradition of organising free, online events during their fundraising campaigns and are lucky to have fantastic speakers. As supporters, they have extended an invite to KBKA members to join their April events. Please take a look at the links below for further details.
Biking for Bees: Cycling from the UK to New Zealand Tickets, Thu, Apr 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM | Eventbrite
Regenerative Beekeeping: Climate Resilient gardening and more Tickets, Thu, Apr 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite
As the beekeeping season starts to ramp up and swarming becomes more likely, it is timely to refresh our minds and help inform our newer beekeepers of the process which Kennet has in place to tackle swarms. Members with experience indicate on their membership forms that they are interested in collecting swarms. These members are verified to ensure they meet the Kennet criteria and having been approved, they are added to a dedicated swarm collector WhatsApp group that is co-ordinated by Paul Bollen. The swarm collection is then allocated appropriately and a log kept of the number of incidents which Kennet beekeepers have attended over the season. The approved collectors and Paul Bollen’s details can be found on our website as follows: https://www.kennet-beekeepers.co.uk/swarm-advice/
Since there is a proven procedure for the collection of swarms, please could we ask that this process is adhered to and not posted onto the generic Kennet WhatsApp group as this can cause confusion over who is collecting, and ultimately a delay to the member of public.
The March BBKA newsletter featured this event held in Dubai in 2024 and next due to be in Northern Ireland in 2026. As a Wiltshire wide initiative we are looking to encourage and hopefully support our young beekeepers with this venture. In the first instance where Kennet is concerned, anyone interested and meeting the criteria should approach Andrea Waylen, one of our education officers at education@kennet-beekeepers.co.uk.
Martin Phipps who has led the Wiltshire Asian Hornet coordination will be stepping down later this year and a replacement will need to be found from one of our local branches. If this is something you would be interested in learning about, why not contact Martin on ahat@wiltshirebeekeepers.co.uk.
There is a possibility of an event taking place in Chippenham on the 17th May run by the Wildlife trust. This is an excellent opportunity to sell some honey and to chat to the public about the importance of pollinators. Even if you are only interested in setting up the stall or closing it down, Sophie would love to hear from you at hithergardens@gmail.com.
After spending the past 6 years as our Club Secretary, Elaine Lewis will be stepping down at the AGM in September. Ideally, we will find a candidate from amongst the membership so if there is anybody who would like to join the committee in this role please contact me in the first instance on the email address below.
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Please refer to the events calendar on the KBKA website for the latest information on the apiary openings and all other events.
Hope to see you at our April club night with Andy Willis.
Sonia
Sonia Meadows
