I&ESBKA Newsletter - June - August
Here is our June Newsletter - with many thanks to Gemma who produced it.
26_06_Newsletter Bonus.pdf
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26_06 Newsletter.pdf
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Ask a Beekeeper Zoom Call with Ipswich and East Suffolk Beekeepers
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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82097999607?pwd=6zYagY8wgRFLqzS6wjPmaCV5Mg7wRb.1
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Ipswich and East Suffolk Beekeepers are hosting a zoom call to chat about Honey, Swarms and How to become a beekeeper on the Tuesday evening after the Suffolk Show - 2nd June 7.30pm
Suitable for anyone who has always thought about keeping bees, or if you simply want to know more about real honey or why bees swarm - this is the call for you !
Ask a beekeeper!
An Introduction to Beekeeping Course - Calendar of events 2027
Annual Calendar (course events in blue)
| Event | Date & Place | Content | Comment / Ten Minute Talk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly I&ES BKA meeting | Wed 6 Jan 7:30pm Scout Hall, Kesgrave | Hawk Honey: Wasps | David Parrott - Hive tool hygiene |
| Monthly I&ES BKA meeting | Wed 3 Feb 7:30pm Scout Hall, Kesgrave | David Evans, The Apiarist: Raising queen honey bees | I&ES BKA AGM |
| Course 1st session | Mon 1 Mar 7.30 - 9:30pm, Dallinghoo Village Hall | General overview of bees and bee behaviour. | Mostly about Honey Bees – a scene setter for understanding |
| Monthly I&ES BKA meeting | Wed 3 Mar 7:30pm Scout Hall, Kesgrave | Helen Fincham: Fincham Fine Flowers | Phil Ramsey – The Teaching Apiary |
| Course 2nd session | Mon 8 Mar 7.30pm | Beekeeping equipment – what to buy and what not. | In the end, you have to make up your own mind. We will be giving you some suppliers’ catalogues. If you want advice, please ask. |
| Course 3rd session | Mon 15 Mar 7.30pm | The beekeeping year – centred, naturally, on flowering plants. | What happens and what you need to do. |
| Course 4th session | Mon 22 Mar 7.30pm | An overview: forage, honey, wax & stings. | Bringing things together |
| Course 5th session | Mon 5 Apr 7:30pm | Pests and diseases. Sources of information. Want a beekeeping mentor? | Problems. How to get started |
| Cambridge One Day Seminar | Not yet decided | 4 speakers; a very good day; includes lunch | The Old Divinity School, St. John’s College; ‘early bird’ discounts available. Parking extra! |
| Easter | Sun 28 March 2027 | ||
| Monthly I&ES BKA meeting | Wed 7 Apr 7:30pm Scout Hall, Kesgrave | Kevin Thorn: The Abberton Native Bee Group | Helen Thorne – Beekeeping in Uganda |
| BBKA Spring Convention | 9 - 11 Apr | Many excellent talks; many suppliers of bee equipment; first class social. | Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire TF10 8NB Accommodation very limited – book early! www.bbka.org.uk/springconvention |
| Course 6th session | Sat 17 Apr 2:00–4:00pm | Handling bees | In our Wherstead teaching apiary. Location map provided. For ½ the group |
| Course 6th session | Sun 18 Apr 2:00–4:00pm | Handling bees | In our Wherstead teaching apiary. Location map provided. For the other ½ of the group |
| Course final session | Sun 25 Apr 10:00–4:00pm | Bee Health Day, practical bee handling, meet our Bee Inspector. | Please tell Jeremy if you cannot attend. There may be another similar event elsewhere. |
| Wherstead Teaching Apiary opens | ? Sun 25 Apr 14:00-16:00 | See website: I&ESBKA Training Apiary | |
| SUFFOLK SHOW | 26-27 May | All hands to the pumps! | |
Other regular Activities
| Event | Date & Place | Content | Comment / Ten Minute Talk |
|---|---|---|---|
| I&ES BKA WhatsApp Group | Whatever! | To join, call Richard Allen: secretary.iesbka@suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk or 07889 028573. | |
| Felixstowe Beekeepers | See comment | Discussion group | Meets 3rd THURSDAY of each winter month (except December) in the Kirton Pavilion, 2 Back Rd, Kirton, IP10 0QQ, What3words location ///florists.twitchy.cartoons. starting at 7:30. All are welcome. Contact: Chris Stephens chris.stephens@btinternet.com |
| Saturdays @ The Anchor, Stratford St Mary | 2nd Saturdays of month | Bees, breakfast, coffee & chat 10:00 – 12:00. | A chance to stop and chat informally about bees, or anything else, with other beekeepers. The Anchor, Stratford St Mary CO7 6LW. Only in winter months. Please tell Sal Thurlow: salthurlow@gmail.com by email, WhatsApp or 07721 625313 if you are coming so we have enough seats (or cancel if we don't). Everyone is welcome. |
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An Introduction to Beekeeping
“The best introductory beekeeping course in East Anglia!” Begins 1st March 2027
The aim of the course is to allow those with no previous knowledge or experience to start keeping bees. This is a very short course so, if you take it and wish to keep bees successfully, you can’t afford to miss a single session. To underpin the instruction, within reasonable limits, we offer advice and assistance afterwards.
Since most of the course will take place before bee colonies can safely be opened (April to September), it is important that, if you can, you make arrangements to look into a colony of honey bees in the season before the course starts; if it isn’t already too late in the year when you read this, we can help; please ask. I cannot emphasise too strongly that there is no substitute for opening an active colony of honey bees with an experienced beekeeper. You might try being stung too!
When and where
This year the course will run on five Monday evenings from 1st March between 7.30 and 9.30pm. Easter is early in 2027 so our last session will be 5 April. This is the classroom, theoretical, part and will be held in the Dallinghoo Jubilee Hall IP13 0JX. The dates and brief details are
The fee for our Course is currently £60.00. For a second person at the same address, we offer the course at half price, but the pair will get
Continued learning
The handouts provided will not cover all you need to know. While you are encouraged to borrow books from either public libraries and/or this Association’s, you will need one of your own to refer to when uncertain what to do. At least one general book on beekeeping is essential - start reading and absorbing this as soon as possible. Two books are not better than one as different viewpoint may clash.
Recommended reading:
We suggest you buy yours from Northern Bee Books, Scout Bottom Farm, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge HX7 5JS; Northern Bee Books. You will also need a notepad; A4 is best since this is the size of the handouts. Our library also has some good
Don't delay!
If you are thinking seriously about taking our course, please do not wait until nearer the day but get in touch; places are li
About our instructors
Jeremy has been keeping bees since 1985 and is a BBKA Master Beekeeper, currently one of only four in Suffolk. Brett Bayliss has been keeping bees since 2018. He is a BBKA Qualified Beekeeper and holds the BBKA Intermediate Theory Certificate. In his ‘spare time’ Brett runs a small beek
As far as we know, our local agricultural college, Suffolk Rural, does not currently offer an introductory beekeeping course.
The British Beekeepers' Association
Those intending to keep bees in Suffolk are strongly advised to join one of the six beekeepers’ associations allied to the Suffolk BKA. Membership provides £10M third party insurance cover via the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) and a ready source of advice and help. Members are most welcome to attend any Suffolk beekeepers’ meeting. See: https://www.suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk
Any introductory course can only be the very early beginnings of your grasp of the practical, complex arts of bee husbandry – you should plan to continue to study. If you are not eager to continue to learn, we course tutors will have failed!
If you have any queries, or a disability which requires some special consideration, please contact Jeremy Quinlan:
More details
Be sure to check out the course calendar of events 2027 for more details
Ready to sign-up? Use our online form and register now!