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Welcome to the British Beekeepers' Association

The BBKA is a charity set up in 1874. Today it has more than 16,000 members and works to support and promote honey bees and beekeeping. Educating the public of the enormous importance of honey bees and pollination to everyone's lives is one of its priorities. Another key role is to represent its members views and concerns about the health of the UK's honey bees. It lobbies government, the European Union and statutory bodies on these issues. Currently it is campaigning to raise the level of Government funding for research into the diseases which threaten to wipe out our honey bees. It is asking the Government to commit £8 million over the next five years to this research programme over which period pollination will have contributed over £800 million (£165 million per annum) into the agricultural economy.

Our current weather patterns mean there is is no fixed date to the start or end to the beekeeper's year, and like all crops, there are regional variations too. Beekeepers usually start opening their hives in March, and the first crop of honey is taken out of the hive in late April/ May. The main crop is taken out of the hive in July or early August. Some beekeepers have a later crop of heather or ivy honey which is taken off in September. Most beekeeping associations hold their end of season honey shows in October and by mid November, usually, the bees are clustering in the hive until spring.

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News Home > Statements > BBKA Endorsements

BBKA Endorsements

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By Martin Smith
President, BBKA

Published May 25, 2008

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The BBKA notes that there has been some renewed criticism of the BBKA policy of engaging with Agro - Chemical companies following a recent incident in Germany associated with a product marketed by Bayer.

The BBKA does not endorse the particular product in question, but does endorse other products marketed by the same company.

The policy of the BBKA established some years ago and endorsed by its membership at an Annual Delegates Meeting, is one of constructive engagement with such companies to ensure that the products are sold with the correct instructions to farmers in relation to when and how to spray to ensure that honey bees are not affected.

In arriving at this policy the BBKA acknowledges that not all its membership agree with the policy, but equally the clear majority do. We accept that some of our members are for example committed to a purely organic way of farming and do not agree with the use of any pesticides or genetically modified products. The BBKA takes the view that they must represent all of their membership in the best way it can for benefit of beekeeping as a whole and to do this we recognise that we exist in a world where chemicals are used.

Members of the BBKA technical committee met the relevant companies periodically to ensure that we are aware of products coming onto the market, and discuss their possible effect on honey bees. We review the products we already endorse in the light of any new evidence that may become available and ensure that the instructions to farmers remain pertinent. We also provide the companies with advice about the habits of honey bees to assist in their formulation of new products.

With the recent well documented problems affecting honey bees throughout the World and in the UK, the BBKA is committed to raising the awareness of the plight of the honey bee, and is doing its upmost to persuade all interested parties including in particular the UK Government that urgent research is needed into the reasons for the decline of the species. In particular the BBKA is keen that research is undertaken to establish if new treatments can be developed into controlling the varroa mite as this remains the number one reason for the reduction in honey bee numbers in the UK at the current time.

Martin Smith

BBKA Chairman

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