What we do
Beekeeping for most of us, is our hobby. We have talks and discussions during the winter months. During the summer months we tend our bees, and meet at local apiaries to discuss what we have seen during bee inspections, and any local and national news that might affect our beekeeping. These summer meetings usually culminate in the drinking of tea & coffee and the consumption of cakes and sandwiches.
North Herts BKA covers from the borders of Luton across to the Essex border and from Knebworth & Kimpton to the borders of Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire. We are a division of Hertfordshire Beekeepers Association and in turn are full members of the British Beekeepers Association.
Why join a Beekeeping association? At North Herts Beekeepers, you will have access to hundreds of years of beekeeping knowledge and experience. The association also has a number of sites where you can keep a hive or hives, as most of us do not have gardens of sufficient size, or neighbours accommodating enough to allow us to keep bees at home.
Members also enjoy public liability insurance and insurance cover for their bees against disease, through affiliation to the BBKA, as well as help and assistance in all beekeeping pursuits. We also run a scheme of mentoring for new beekeepers, where an experienced beekeeper will be available for the newcomer to contact and discuss any issues or worries that they might have concerning their bees.
If you think you might have an interest and would like to find out more, contact the secretary for more information, and perhaps you can come along to a meeting and experience the bees first hand. We have a number of protective beesuits available for you to borrow so there is no excuse to experience the thrill of being in the company of a colony of honey bees.
We are also present at shows, large and small, around the county, so please check out the calendar page and perhaps we will see you some time soon.
Asian Hornet Vespa Velutina
The NHBKA and BBKA aim to raise awareness of the Asian hornet as it could decimate our pollinators including our honeybees. It is important for everyone to be actively looking for it. If you spot an Asian Hornet, please report it by using the Asian Hornet Watch app available free on both Android and iphone or alternatively you can fill in the online form.
You can view more information about the immediate risks we face on the BBKA website or the NHBKA’s AHAT page here
Beekeeping Beginners Course
Our course is run over 5 afternoons and will include a practical session covering frame and hive construction. And finally there will be a visit to our honeybee apiary where opening and inspecting a hive will be demonstrated.
For more info and to book click here