Apiary
What's Going On?
You can visit the NSBKA apiary meetup group to see future planned activity.
Our Apiary
For many years the NSBKA has had its own apiary facilities in Longsdon near Leek. The facilities we have there will allow you to gain experience in the practical aspects of beekeeping. Together with expert guidance and tuition we will enable you to develop your skills, knowledge and confidence before embarking upon the important step of keeping your own bees and hopefully producing your own honey!
During the weekly apiary meetings a range of seasonal beekeeping skills are demonstrated and explained. These are very much hands on practical based sessions covering such subjects as
+ understanding colony and hive structure.
+ practical handling and colony inspection techniques.
+ recognising and understanding bee behaviour.
+ disease recognition, treatment and management.
+ queen identification, marking, introduction and rearing.
+ swarm condition recognition and control.
+ feeding methods including knowing what to feed, how much and when.
+ advice on setting up and running an apiary.
These sessions also give the opportunity for beginners to become familiar with beekeeping terminology and to use a wide range of beekeeping tools and equipment. You will also make some useful contacts and good friends along the way.
You can generally find members at the apiary at weekends starting in April through to October. It is always advisable to check with other members prior to attending as sometimes, especially during show and holiday season, timings may be altered.
We currently have 13 colonies at the apiary. Some of them will be used as starter colonies for new beekeepers next season. Any surplus honey is extracted and bottled by our members and made available for sale to the public at any of the events we attend during the year.