Home

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

  • January, 2025

    Friday 10th
    19:30
    Managing your queens by Marin AnastassovC&G BKA, Uckington Village Hall, GL51 9SR
    Thursday 30th
    19:30
    Solitary Bees in Monmouthshire and Beyond by Ciaran Clark BfD.Newent Community Centre (Glebe Chapel)

    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)

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

RSS Error: A feed could not be found at `https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/home/rss`; the status code is `429` and content-type is `text/html; charset=UTF-8`

BBKA News

  • BBKA Spring Convention 2024 Participant Feedback This year’s Spring Convention at Harper Adams University in Shropshire (12-14 April 2024) saw an increase in participation from 2022 and 2023 levels, to numbers similar to pre-Covid in 2018 / 2019. Furthermore, compared with these pre-Covid years there were slightly more attending the full Convention (lectures, workshops and […]
  • Not for Profit Exhibition for 2025 will be 4th and 5th April. Trade Show 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 day and age, […]
  • Module Examinations Online Module examinations:  Saturday 22nd March 2025 The next module examination date is 22nd March 2025.  Applications will close on 8th February 2025. When completing the application form, you will need to select your preference for online or in person at a local venue. Both formats of the exam are the same exam […]
  • The following training courses are now available to book: Microscopy Beginners Course:  Saturday 8th February 2025, one day course Microscopy Beginners Course:  Sunday 9th February 2025, one day course Microscopy Intermediate Course:  Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th February 2025, two day course For further details and to book your place click here.
  • The British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) is calling on the public to help fight a major threat to honey bees and other pollinators – Asian hornets.  Numbers of the destructive insect are rising rapidly this summer and more have been detected in the UK this year than in the previous six years combined. BBKA Chair, Diane Drinkwater, […]
  • For those arranging a Honey Show and needing a Judge here is the link to the list of BBKA Show Judges:  Show Judge List (updated December 2024)