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Gloucestershire Beekeepers Association

A warm welcome to Gloucestershire Beekeepers Association (GBKA). New members of all ages and experience are welcome to join us.

GBKA is a registered charity with the principal objective of promoting and furthering the craft of beekeeping. GBKA has been doing this for over 100 years and has members from all over Gloucestershire and its neighbouring counties.

GBKA is a member organisation of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), the national organisation that provides a wide range of services to beekeepers including insurance, information, newsletters, examination programmes and legal advice.

The seven Branches of GBKA support beekeepers in their area and run their own programmes of meetings, talks, and training sessions. GBKA members can attend the meetings of any Branch.

Events

  • February 2025

    Friday 14th
    19:30
    My journey so far by Simon the beekeeperC&G BKA, Uckington Village Hall, GL51 9SR
    Saturday 22nd
    10:00 – 16:00
    GBKA Spring Lecture day, County honey show & AGMSouth Gloucestershire
    Hawkesbury Upton Village Hall,  GL9 1AU
    Saturday 22ndBritish Beekeeping ShowTelford International Centre
    Thursday 27thAnaphylaxis by Dr PhillipsNewent Community Centre (Glebe Chapel)

    March 2025

    Tuesday 4th
    19:30
    Reading the colony by Margaret MurdinZoom. Stroud beekeeping
    Friday 14th
    19:30
    Getting ready for spring by Stewart Spinks (Norfolk Honey Company)C&G BKA, Uckington Village Hall, GL51 9SR
    Thursday 27th
    19:30
    Honeybee swarms by Jim Vivian-GriffithsNewent Community Centre (Glebe Chapel)

News

  • GBKA 2025 Spring Lecture Day, County Honey Show and AGM

    Saturday, February 22nd. Hosted by the South Gloucestershire Beekeepers Association at Hawkesbury Upton Village Hall,  GL9 1AU. This year we have three exciting talks from two speakers (Professor Francis Ratnieks and Brigit Strawbridge) covering the Ivy Bee, integrated Varroa control and the life cycle of our native bumblebees and solitary bees. Read more….

  • Royal Three Counties Show 2024

    Online entry to the Royal Three Counties Honey Show is now available (closing date May 15th). The theme for this year’s Bees & Honey Show is ‘The Beekeeping Year’ organised by Worcestershire on behalf of the three counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Read more…

Asian Hornet Sightings

2024

Updated 3/12/24

GBKA Asian Hornet Action Teams

  • There is now evidence of nests reaching maturity and successfully overwintering (2023/24) in South East England.
  • The hornets trapped in Four Oaks, Kent are offspring of a nest destroyed in East Rye, Kent (Nov. 2023).
  • A hornet trapped in Denton, Kent is an an offspring of a nest destroyed in Alkham, Kent (Oct. 2023).
  • Some hornets trapped in Kent are related to hornets trapped the previous year – possibly suggesting they are from an undetected 2023 nest.
  • Hornets from the destroyed small primary nest found near Canterbury, Kent also appeared to be unrelated to any of the previously known nests. They were all triploid (queen mated with a single diploid drone) and unlikely to be fertile.
  • As of 5/11/24, 24 primary and secondary nests have been reported. Thirteen secondary nests (mainly in Kent and Sussex with one in Hampshire) have been found and destroyed.

Do you have land suitable for bees or an apiary?

If so please contact your local GBKA association secretary here.

National Bee Unit News

  • Please report sightings of Yellow-legged hornets (YLH), also known as Asian hornets, on this online form or download the free Asian hornet Watch app for Apple devices or android devices. As of 05/02/2025: 1 credible yellow-legged hornet sighting has been reported in the UK in 2025.  0 nests have been found. To view the location of […]
  • A new study examining data from the National Bee Unit’s annual husbandry survey to better understand Varroa treatment practices throughout the UK has just been published. Thomas O’Shea-Waller from the University of Exeter along with colleagues from Newcastle University and Fera Science Ltd assess the relative importance of treatment adherence, location, climate, and Varroa management […]

BBKA News

  • Not for Profit Exhibition for 2025 will be on 4th and 5th April. Trade Show will be on 5th April 2025 only. The annual pilgrimage to a dedicated Beekeepers’ Trade Show is as essential as it has always been.  And our lunchtime Hog Roast at the entrance is an extra temptation! In this post pandemic […]
  • Where and when is the Convention for 2025? The Convention is held at Harper Adams University, Shropshire, TF10 8NB 4th – 6th April 2025, with a Welcome dinner at 6.30pm on Thursday 3rd April 2025 When is the programme available? The full programme is now available How can I get updates about the Convention? Convention […]
  • This page contains information to help those who find themselves with a honey bee colony which has set up home within the fabric of a building. It is important to firstly identify if the bees in question are indeed honey bees by looking at our identification page. Bumblebee Honey Bee Wasp Bumblebees can set up home […]
  • Welcome to a New Year! So, we find ourselves in 2025 and while temperatures are currently hovering around freezing, thoughts are no doubt already turning to the new beekeeping season and what fresh challenges this year might bring us in the form of the yellow-legged Asian hornet. In 2024 the nest tally never rose above […]
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