Newbury & District Beekeepers’ Association
The Association is a registered charity, number 1016603. Its objectives are to improve the practice and science of apiculture for the public benefit, in particular to:
Benefits for the established beekeeper:
| Insurance | Public liability for all members. Special bee disease insurance. |
| Bulk Purchase | Honey jars, wax foundation, frames and materials for treating parasites are procured at discounted rates. |
| Equipment Hire | Extractor, Pratley tray, Burco boiler, refractometer,
microscopes and observation hive. Display equipment for mounting exhibition stands is available on loan. |
| Library | Comprehensive library about all aspects of beekeeping including slides and videos. |
| Spray Warnings | Central system for disseminating crop spray warnings. |
| BBKA | The national association encourages best practices in beekeeping, promotes research on bees and extends support to beekeepers. At present they are collating data on a bee sting survey |
| Bee health | The National Bee Unit (part of Central Science Laboratory, part of DEFRA) maintains the bee health inspectorate and the BeeBase database. Our regional Bee Inspector is Ian Homer (phone 01308-482161) and our Seasonal Bee Inspector is Robert Carpenter-Turner (phone 01672-852265). |
Benefits for the new beekeeper:
| Training | Beginners' courses available locally. |
| Setting up | Help with setting up a new apiary. |
| Handling bees | Bees can be handled at summer meetings. There are also special beginners' meetings in the spring. |
| Assistance | Experienced members of the Association are always willing to help new beekeepers. |
Meetings:
| April to September | Monthly on a week-end afternoon, at members’ apiaries with
talks and demonstrations. Some examples are: Dadant hives. Mininucs. Plant sale. Diagnosis and treatment of bee diseases. Wax extracting. First Aid. |
| October to March | Monthly at 7:30 pm on a Friday, in Newbury. Visiting
lecturers and demonstrations or social events. Some examples are: Candle making. Bees abroad. Display of produce. Falconry. Biological control of varroa. |
Subscription rates, year 2008
| Individual | £15.00 | for a copy of the Membership form |
| Household | £20.00 | click here |
For membership details e-mail the Association or Karin Hall who is the Membership Secretary.
| Home page | Programme 2008/2009 |