Beekeepers from all over the South West will be converging on a village hall near Taunton on Sunday, March 24 for an auction of beekeeping equipment.

The popular sale, run by Taunton Beekeepers at Ruishton Village Hall, is expected to be packed with second-hand equipment in good time for the coming season. 

Bidders will be looking for bargains among a miscellany of second hand hives, smokers and honey extraction equipment.

Chris Harries, President of Taunton Beekeepers, will be wielding the gavel for the 35th year running and urged beekeepers to make sure they were well prepared for the coming season.

“Bees don’t wait for anybody!” said Chris who has hundreds of hives. “This is the last opportunity in the season to get ahead of the bees and beekeepers should have their equipment ready to go if they’re going to be able to cope once the bees ‘wake up’.”

Beekeeping involves a considerable amount of equipment: each honeybee colony requires a complete hive which is made up of a roof, crown board, up to three or more (honey) super boxes, a queen excluder (so the queen doesn’t lay eggs in the honey), a brood box and floor.

In addition a beekeeper needs protective clothing, hive tools, a smoker, a feeder to provide bees with sugar syrup if needed in the winter, a good reference book, honey extraction equipment and among many other items of paraphernalia.

Chris, who runs Sedgemoor Honey, added: “We always get a good selection of equipment and someone just taking up the craft could quite easily get started and save money. A new national hive costs around £300 but most years there are some quite reasonable second-hand ones which fetch £100 or less. Bidders need to remember to thoroughly clean any equipment to prevent the spread of diseases.” 

Items for the auction will be received at the village hall from 10am to 1.30pm and the sale gets underway at 2pm. 
​
Proceeds from the auction will support Taunton Beekeepers’ packed programme of educational courses and lectures held at its teaching apiary near Bradford-on-Tone, Taunton.
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Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA) is giving all its 900 members Asian hornet monitoring traps in readiness for the arrival of the non-native insects which threaten honeybees and other pollinators.
 
Distribution started at SBKA’s annual lecture day on Saturday (February 16) with members picking up traps to set up in their gardens. Beekeepers are advised to monitor daily and release native insects.
 
Anne Pike, chairman of SBKA, said: “We consider the arrival of Asian hornets to be so serious that we are spending thousands of pounds to make beekeepers and the public aware of these highly destructive and potentially devastating hornets.
 
“We are one of just a few county associations to provide monitoring traps for our membership. Vigilance is a cornerstone of our defence strategy and we want to mobilise the county to be on guard.”
 
Concerns about the potential for Asian hornets to appear in Somerset come after two nests were found and destroyed last year in Fowey, Cornwall, and two in Hampshire. An over-wintering queen, that can found a huge nest of hornets, was spotted in Jersey this month.
 
In parts of France, Spain and Portugal, Asian hornets have stripped the environment bare of honeybees and insects.

“If they get a hold here, they could be as devastating to pollinators as foot and mouth disease was to livestock,” added Anne Pike.
 
SBKA has set up an Asian hornet action team to respond to sightings and support the National Bee Unit to find nests.
​
The co-ordinator is Master Beekeeper Lynne Ingram: “As Spring approaches we need to start monitoring for the presence of Asian hornets, as mated queens will be on the wing from now onwards.
 
“We don’t know if there are any Asian hornet queens overwintering in the UK this year, or whether any mated queens will make their way into the UK post-hibernation, but we need to be prepared.
 
“When the queens start to come out of hibernation they search for nectar rich flowers in order to build up their energy. In France and Jersey they are often seen on early single Camellia flowers, so if you have any, it is worth keeping an eye out.”
 
The difficulty of destroying Asian hornets has been highlighted by Jersey’s experience. The first Asian hornet was spotted on the island in 2016 and despite the efforts of local beekeepers and volunteers from the South West, last summer there were more than 50 nests.
 
SBKA’s efforts to save honeybees and other pollinators are being supported by organic dairy Yeo Valley which donated £3,600 to the campaign and has pledged to raise awareness among their customers and staff.
 
The association has printed thousands of fliers and identification cards to help beekeepers and the public to recognise the insect.
 
Asian hornets look like large black wasps with an orange head. Any sightings should be reported immediately, preferably with a photo, to the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS): alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
 
To find out more about Asian hornets visit Somerset Beekeepers’ website: https://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/
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For further information contact:

Notes to editors:
SBKA:
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is a Registered Charity run by volunteers and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.
https://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/
 
Asian hornets:
Asian hornets (vespa velutina) are slightly smaller than native European hornets and look like large black wasps with orange head and yellow legs.

A single Asian hornet can kill 50 bees a day, with a nest containing up to 6,000 workers and up to 350 queens.
In Jersey, France and large areas of Western Europe they are stripping the environment bare of insects before moving on to prey on managed honeybee colonies.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Somerset Beekeepers’ Association and Yeo Valley are working together to help save pollinators from the threat of highly destructive Asian hornets.
 
The organic dairy company based in Blagdon has donated more than £3,500 to local beekeepers which will fund county-wide Asian hornet action teams.
 
The money was raised by visitors to the company’s gardens where hundreds of crocheted bees were displayed among the flowers.The crocheted bees were made by a group of “yarn-bombers” in the village. 
 
Anne Pike, Chairman of Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA), thanked Yeo Valley for their support.
 
“One of our roles as a charity is to help protect honeybees and we will be directing these most welcome funds to safeguarding bees and all pollinators against the threat of Asian hornets,” she said.
 
Asian hornets are a non-native species which is colonising parts of Europe and is responsible for the loss of hundreds of millions of honeybees. Although Asian hornets in the UK have only been recorded on a few occasions, it is feared numbers will inevitably increase.
 
In the spring, SBKA will monitor for Asian hornets which may have overwintered or been brought into the country from parts of Europe where they thrive. Sightings are reported to the Non-Native Species Secretariat which deploys bee inspectors to find and destroy nests.
 
Sarah Mead from Yeo Valley said: “It is so important to raise awareness of the imminent danger to our bees and pollinators from the Asian Hornet.  Until I met Anne Pike from Somerset Beekeepers Association I had no idea how serious the situation could become.
None of this fundraising would have happened without the fabulous ‘Blagsaey’ yarn-bombers whose swarm of crocheted bees appeared at Yeo Valley Organic garden as if by magic.
 
"I would like to thank all our visitors who raised an incredible £3,692 for their generosity.”
 
Anne Pike added: “In the coming months we will be working with Yeo Valley to raise awareness of Asian hornets with their customers and staff. One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat is pollinated by bees and other insects and by coming together like this we will all be helping the county’s bees to continue their invaluable activities.”
 
To find out more about Asian hornets visit Somerset Beekeepers’ website: https://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/
 
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Notes to editors:
SBKA:
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is made up of 12 divisions and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.
https://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/
 
Asian hornets:
Asian hornets (vespa velutina) are slightly smaller than native European hornets and look like large black wasps with an orange head.

A single Asian hornet can kill 50 bees a day, with a nest containing up to 6,000 workers and 200 queens.
In Jersey, France and large areas of Western Europe they are stripping the environment bare of insects before moving on to prey on managed honeybee colonies.
 
 
 
 

​

This year has been a much a better year for honey bees, according to Somerset Beekeepers’ Association.
Most of the county’s 850 beekeeper-members had a good harvest and are going into the winter with more colonies of honeybees.
Anne Pike, Chairman of SBKA, said:  “Generally, this season has been a good year for Somerset beekeepers with honey harvests recovering and the creation of more honeybee colonies going into the winter.
“The average harvest is a very healthy 35-40 lb per colony while a very few beekeepers had a truly fabulous season with between 150 and 200 lb per colony.
“However, it was a rather hit or miss affair as the size of the harvest depends not only on good temperatures and fine weather, but also on lots of nectar producing plants. Some plants were adversely affected by the hard winter and heatwave summer while others including oilseed rape, field beans, blackberries and tree blossom thrived.
“Beekeepers appreciate the help of local gardeners in planting bee-friendly blooms – apparently spring-germinated borage tops the polls as the bees’ favourite flower – and farmers who have created wildlife friendly field margins and traditional hedges.
“This week the bees should be continuing to forage on autumn flowering plants like ivy and this is a key time to look out for their hugely destructive predator the Asian hornets. These hornets, dubbed large black wasps, prey on foraging honeybees and, where they get established, decimate the insect population.
“The Asian hornet has a distinctive orange face and yellow tipped legs. Any sightings should be reported immediately, preferably with a photo, to the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS)."
 http://www.nonnativespecies.org
Local honey supplied by SBKA members is available in many independent shops and at local markets.
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​People in Somerset are urged to join the fight to save honeybees and other pollinators and take part in the UK's first Asian hornet week on September 10-16.
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association Chairman Anne Pike said: “We need beekeepers, gardeners, walkers and everyone in Somerset to be on the lookout for this highly destructive insect.
“Asian hornets are wreaking havoc in France and the Channel Islands and we fear that if they get a foot-hold in the UK, our honeybees and many other insects will be decimated here, too. This week is timed to coincide with the last chance this year to prevent the emergence of new Asian hornet queens.”
Lynne Ingram, a Master Beekeeper from East Huntspill, has spent the last 10 days tracking Asian hornets in Jersey where, in the space of less than two years, they have spread across the island.
“In Jersey it is proving very challenging to find all the nests as they are very well camouflaged. Thirty four nests have been found so far this year, but there is a constant stream of new sightings every day. The team are working flat out, but the sheer number of sightings is overwhelming, even with the assistance of UK beekeepers and a team from Exeter University. Whilst it had been believed that hornets nested high in trees, they have also been found in hedges and at ground level in a bramble patch. These low level nests are more of a public safety issue, especially as people tidy their gardens and cut their hedges at this time of year.
“It is crucial that we are all vigilant – and that any nests are found. One missed nest means lots more next year. Many people enjoy working in their gardens, so are ideally placed to spot them. Asian hornets often collect nectar from ivy and autumn flowering camellias, where they will also hawk for bees and wasps, catching them in mid air. Asian hornets are easy to spot – they are large and appear mainly black in the air. When they land, the distinctive single orange stripe across the abdomen is very obvious. They are docile when on a flower – it is only when a nest is disturbed that they become aggressive. If you see one take a photo or vide, and report to the Non Native Species Secretariat.”
The Asian hornet has a distinctive orange face and yellow tipped legs. Any sightings should be reported immediately, with a photo or video, to the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
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Notes to editors:
PHOTO CALL: YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT ONE OF THE UK’S SENTINEL APIARIES WHICH MONITORS FOR ASIAN HORNETS FOR THE LAUNCH OF ASIAN HORNET WEEK (Sept 10-16).
WHEN: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 AT 11AM
WHERE: TAUNTON BEEKEEPERS’ APIARY IS LOCATED AT HEATHERTON PARK NR BRADFORD ON TONE, TAUNTON TA4 1EU (LOCATED ON THE A38 BETWEEN TAUNTON AND WELLINGTON OPPOSITE THE WORLD’S END PUB)

​Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is made up of 12 divisions and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees

• Asian hornets (vespa velutina) are slightly smaller than native European hornets, have a distinctive black/dark brown thorax; brown abdominal segments with the fourth segment almost entirely yellow-orange, brown legs with yellow ends, a black head and an orange-yellow face.
• Asian hornets – the story so far in the UK:
  2016 – first nest discovered in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
  individual sightings in Somerset
  2017 – nest discovered in Woolacombe, North Devon
  2018 - individual sighting in Bury, Lancashire
• In Europe:
  2004 – first mated queen discovered in France
  Progeny have spread across Western Europe including the Channel Islands destroying hundreds of millions of honeybees

 

Master beekeeper Lynne Ingram from Somerset is working with scientists from Exeter University and Jersey beekeepers this week in the fight against deadly Asian hornets which are wreaking havoc on honeybees in the Channel Isles.
Lynne, from East Huntspill, is part of a team using ground-breaking radio telemetry to track the deadly and invasive Asian hornets back to their nests where they can be destroyed.
“This trip is an opportunity to observe Asian hornets at first hand so when they are found here I can provide support to local beekeepers,” said Lynne.
“Asian hornets are a massive threat to our honeybees and other pollinators and if they get established here could have a massive impact on our insect population.”
The first Asian hornet was spotted in Jersey two years ago and they have spread so rapidly that last week alone they destroyed seven honeybee colonies. In France the first Asian hornet was spotted in 2004 and so far this year thousands of nests have been removed.
“Asian hornets would cause irreparable damage to our environment by decimating pollinators which are responsible for one in three mouthfuls of the food we eat.”
The UK’s first Asian hornet week will be held on September 10-16 and is timed to coincide with the last chance to prevent the emergence of new Asian hornet queens. The public is urged to join beekeepers to look for the non-native and highly invasive insect and report any sightings, preferably with a photo, to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
Asian hornets are slightly smaller than native European hornets, have a distinctive black/dark brown thorax; brown abdominal segments with the fourth segment almost entirely yellow-orange, brown legs with yellow ends, a black head and an orange-yellow face.
Ends
 
Note to editors:
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is made up of 12 divisions and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.
 

The Somerset equivalent of the Olympic Games for beekeepers attracted a record number of entries at this year’s County and Taunton Division honey shows held at Taunton Flower Show on Friday and Saturday (August 3 and 4).
Axbridge beekeepers Christine and Mark Guillick were awarded the blue ribbon for the best exhibit in show for their exceptional cake of wax.
Christine said: “Winning this trophy is wonderful - especially as it was awarded on my birthday! It’s great to get recognition from the judges and makes me feel better about all the work that goes into looking after the bees and preparing the entries for the Show.”
Taunton beekeepers Jenny and Sid Gammon were presented with three trophies including the Taunton Perpetual Challenge Trophy awarded to the local member to gain the most points.
Show success was particular poignantly for the couple who have decided to give up beekeeping after 33 years. Jenny said: “We’re giving up the bees but I have plenty of honey and wax ready to enter the show again next year.”
Taunton Division chair Peter Maben said the two-day show had attracted many thousands of visitors and 15 per cent more exhibits than usual from all over the county.
“It seems that everyone is talking about bees!” he said. “There’s so much interest in the health and welfare of bees and pollinators generally that our marquee was literally buzzing with people talking to us about honey bees.”
Amongst the beekeepers there was optimism about the coming harvest. Anne Pike, Chairman of Somerset Beekeepers, said: “Our honeybees are making the most of this year’s hot weather and are packing their hives with fragrant honey made from nearby flowers.
“The heat and sunshine is giving us a delicious and substantial crop, which is just what we need after several very poor years.”
Taunton Division is running a taster day next month for anyone interested in finding out more about keeping bees which includes a talk as well as chance to put on a bee suit and take a look inside a hive.
The taster day costs £25.00 per person and takes place at 2.30pm on Saturday, September 8 at Heatherton Park apiary near Bradford-on-Tone. To book a place, priced £25.00, contact:  Julie Husband at tauntonbeginners@somersetbeekeepers.org.uk or call/text on 07867 782435.
Also, taster days will be run by other SBKA divisions www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk
2018 Somerset Honey Show results:
The Blue Ribbon for the best exhibit in Show – Christine & Mark Guillick
 Taunton – trophies, cups & awards:
The Taunton Perpetual Challenge Trophy - Sid & Jenny Gammon
The Priscott Perpetual Skep Plate - David Pearce
The Stoker Perpetual Trophy - Sid & Jenny Gammon
The Pat Barter Trophy - Sid & Jenny Gammon
The Andy Coles Memorial Trophy for Mead – jointly to Mary Adams and Graham Welfare
The Tom Tucker Trophy for Cookery – Mary Adams
The Downes Perpetual Cup – jointly to Lyndsay Stone and Graham Welfare
The Gammon Perpetual Trophy – Mike Shaw 
The Taunton Honey Show Plate – Maggie North
The Taunton Honey Show Perpetual Trophy - David Pearce
The John Spiller Mascot – Anne Pike
 
Somerset County Cups:
Jubilee Cup – David Pearce
Miss M.D Bindley Cup – David Pearce
Terry Arnold Perpetual Challenge Trophy – Mary Adams
The Duffin Challenge Trophy – Christine & Mark Guillick
The Clifford Langford Award for Mead – jointly to Mary Adams and Graham Welfare
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Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA) raised awareness of the threat to pollinators from Asian hornets by addressing the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on Monday (June 25).
SBKA chairman Anne Pike spoke to MPs as part of the first Evidence Week run by campaigning charity Sense about Science which seeks to promote evidence-based policy making.
“Asian hornets pose a very real threat to honeybees in the UK and I am delighted that we were given this opportunity to highlight how our approach is guided by the latest scientific research,” she said.
Speaking in response Mary Greagh, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, gave a personal assurance that her Committee would keep across the Asian hornet issue.
“Part of what I want the committee to be looking at is how we watch out for Asian hornets, that invasive species which is coming into our country and potentially wiping out populations of bees.”
She admired the passion people have for honeybees and described them as ‘these magical creatures that wonder around our gardens doing this incredibly important, but mostly, invisible work’.
The yellow-legged Vespa velutina is colonising parts of Europe, killing honeybees and other insects. Although instances of Asian hornets in the UK have only been recorded on a few occasions in the last two years, beekeepers and environmentalists fear numbers will inevitably increase. 
Anne added: “As a result we have developed links with Exeter University, who are conducting research in Europe where the Asian hornet has become widespread. Based on their findings, we have chosen to take a ‘recognition and reporting’ approach.”
Sightings reported to the Non-Native Species Secretariat trigger the deployment of bee inspectors who track the hornets back to their nests and destroy them.
Anne Pike was one of 28 speakers from national and regional community groups which took part in a week of briefings and events to remind MPs and peers that reliable evidence matters in many walks of life.
“In the case of beekeepers, evidence matters to us because it has allowed us to be prepared and identify the best strategies to protect our bees,” she said.
Asian hornets are most active between April and November (peaking in August/September). Somerset Beekeepers has published an identification guide on their website along with how to report sightings.
www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk
Ends
For further information contact: Anne Pike, SBKA Chairman, on 07971 275840
About Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA):

• SBKA is a volunteer-run members' organisation and Registered Charity that represents the interests of beekeepers in the county.
• Founded in 1906, SBKA educates, advises and brings together more than 850 beekeepers and raises awareness of issues affecting honeybees.
• SBKA is made up of 12 affiliated Divisions; many Divisions run taster days and courses for beginners each year
• Most of our members have just a few colonies producing modest amounts of honey
• SBKA and some of the Divisions take part in annual events including: Royal Bath & West Show; Taunton Flower Show; Mid Somerset Show
• www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk

 
 

Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA) will raise awareness of Asian hornets at the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee on Monday (June 25).
SBKA chairman Anne Pike will address MPs as part of the first Evidence Week run by campaigning charity Sense about Science which seeks to promote evidence-based policy making.
“Asian hornets pose a very real threat to honeybees in the UK and I am delighted that we have been given this opportunity to highlight how our approach is guided by the latest scientific research,” she said.
The yellow-legged Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is a non-native species which is colonising parts of Europe, killing honeybees and other insects. Although instances of Asian hornets in the UK have only been recorded on a few occasions in the last two years, beekeepers and environmentalists fear numbers will inevitably increase. 
“As a result we have developed links with Exeter University, who are conducting research in Europe where the Asian hornet has become widespread. Based on their findings, we have chosen to take a ‘recognition and reporting’ approach,” she added. 
Sightings reported to the Non-Native Species Secretariat trigger the deployment of bee inspectors who track the hornets back to their nests and destroy them.
Anne Pike is one of two dozen speakers from national and regional community groups taking part in a week of briefings and events to remind MPs and peers that reliable evidence matters in many walks of life.
“In the case of beekeepers, evidence matters to us because it has allowed us to be prepared and identify the best strategies to protect our bees,” she said.
Asian hornets are most active between April and November (peaking in August/September). Somerset Beekeepers has published an identification guide on their website along with how to report sightings.
www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk
Ends
Pix caps:
SBKA Chairman Anne Pike

• SBKA is a volunteer-run members' organisation and Registered Charity that represents the interests of beekeepers in the county.
• Founded in 1906, SBKA educates, advises and brings together more than 850 beekeepers and raises awareness of issues affecting honeybees.
• SBKA is made up of 12 affiliated Divisions; many Divisions run taster days and courses for beginners each year
• Most of our members have just a few colonies producing modest amounts of honey
• SBKA and some of the Divisions take part in annual events including: Royal Bath & West Show; Taunton Flower Show; Mid Somerset Show
• www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk

 
 

Beekeepers from across the South West started the season at an equipment auction held in Taunton on Sunday (March 25).
Eager to get prepared and grab a bargain, they bid for more than 120 lots during a two-hour sale run by Taunton Beekeepers.
 Auctioneer Chris Harries, in his 32nd year presiding on the podium,  said: “At this time of the year beekeepers are getting ready for the coming season.
 “There was some strong interest in complete hives and we sold scores of hive parts and useful equipment,” he said.
 The lots were varied and included top bar hives, equipment to extract and bottle honey, decorative honey pots, protective suits, back copies of beekeeping magazines and an observation hive.
Peter Maben, Chair of Taunton Beekeepers, commented: "Once again, our annual auction was extremely well supported by buyers, sellers and a great team of volunteers led by our auctioneer Chris.”
The auction raised hundreds of pounds for Taunton Beekeepers to spend on educational activities for its members and to promote beekeeping at local schools and events.
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Notes to editors:

• Taunton Division, which has 165 members, works to advance the craft of apiculture and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.
• Taunton opened its new teaching centre at the apiary in 2014.
• Heatherton Park apiary is a designated sentinel apiary for detecting the small hive beetle and the Asian hornet.
• Taunton is staging the County Honey Show will be held on August 5 and 6 within Taunton Flower Show.
• www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk