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Join CBKA and enjoy our:
Regular newsletters
Talks and practical demonstrations
Friendship and social events
Honey sales opportunities
Bulk jar purchase
Throughout the country there are many beekeeping associations most of which
are affiliated to our national body, the British Beekeepers' Association.
Members of affiliated associations become indirect members of BBKA and enjoy the
benefits arranged on their behalf.
For over 120 years Cambridgeshire Beekeepers' Association, which is affiliated
ro the BBKA, has represented and assisted beekeepers in Cambridgeshire. CBKA is
a registered charity with more than 200 members ranging from commercial
bee-farmers to small-scale hobbyists and others just interested in honeybees.
Our objectives include promoting beekeeping to the public and providing advice
and assistance to beekeepers through an educational and social programme of
meetings, talks, shows and demonstrations.
# Newsletters - our regular Newsletters and annual
Yearbook keep you up to date with latest developments.
# Insurance - vital Third Party Public Liability cover and
some disease insurance is included in the cost of your subscription.
# BBKA Affiliation - CBKA is affiliated to the British
Beekeepers' Association - you get all their newsletters as well as the insurance
benefits mentioned above.
# Annual Show - Try your skill at producing show-quality hive
products (and maybe win a trophy!) at our annual Honey Show.
# Equipment Loan - free loan of the items of expensive
equipment you may not have.
# Talks and Meetings - monthly throughout the year, on
practical, and scientific topics, plus top speakers at our annual One Day
Meeting.
# Swarm notification - CBKA members are notified of hundreds
of local swarms a year - join our Swarm List if you would like some.
# Practical Advice - Even the most experienced beekeeper
faces new problems every year. Come to our meetings and ask - you will probably
find someone else has already faced and solved your problem!
# Library - Cambridge Central Library maintains our large
private collection of old and new books on beekeeping. Only CBKA members can
borrow them.
# Social Events - Our Annual Dinner is the major social event
- but we chat over tea after virtually even- apiary and evening meeting.
# Beginners' Courses - Our annual course for newcomers to
beekeeping. allied to beginner-oriented practical sessions in tlie apian'.
Varroa Destructor This mite has the potential to
kill even- unprotected hive and every wild colony of bees in the country. In
many cases, pests and diseases have wiped out those colonies whose owners can't
be bothered to look after them properly. If you believe that your bees don't
have varroa. you are almost certainly wrong.
Two things are certain. If you do not take steps to protect your bees. they will
die. Even though you treat your colonies regularly for varroosis, if you have a
'can't be bothered' beekeeping neighbour, his bees will spread the infection
back to your apiary'.
Varroa Destructor has spread thoughout the UK and as in Continental Europe mites
are now becoming resistant to the recognised and approved treatments.
Integrated Pest Management New ways of controlling the mite are
being sought so that beekeepers can protect their colonies using alternative
substances and management techniques that are being developed.
Small Hive Beetle .. .The latest threat to the health and survival of our
bees is the Small Hive Beetle (SHB) that is causing serious damage in the USA
and has already appeared in Portugal due to illegal importation.
Keeping up with developments The best way to keep abreast of
current thinking on successful colony management is for even- beekeeper to join
a local beekeeping association - and if you live in and around Cambridge and the
Fens, that's us.
What's in it for you? We have the up-to-date
information on disease treatments, whether you prefer to treat by chemical means
or use alternative 'greener' methods. You can exchange advice and tips with
other beekeepers; hear me best speakers, and get the most topical news.
Beekeepers and environmentalists have the same issues and priorities at heart. We take an active interest in promoting the same diverse, residue free habitat for our own colonies that will benefit all wild life. We have a special concern for our bee's wild cousins, the bumble bees.
Even if you are not an active beekeeper, CBKA has much
to offer you. Non-beekeepers may join at a reduced rate as Associate or Junior
members, and receive most of our member-ship mailings, including our quarterly
Newsletter, Yearbook and News Sheets, There's also the opportunity to come along
to all of our interesting talks and demonstrations, which take
place throughout the year. Teachers, scientists and others involved in education
will find membership especially useful. Our members come from many walks of
life, but they are united in their love of bees and their friendliness to
newcomers. You are assured of a welcome at any of our meetings.
Lastly, we will encourage you to help in our work of showing bees and
beekeeping to a wider public. CBKA's 'Beemobile' trailer attends many country
shows and other events throughout the year, where we sell our own hive produce,
show live bees, and generally enthuse visitors with our craft and our products.
Manning our purpose-built travelling exhibit is an enjoyable way of spending a
summer afternoon.
www.britishbeekeepers.com www.cbka.org.uk
How to join
Fill out a membership application form you can join CBKA by completing it and sending it to the address shown on the form.
Otherwise, please contact either of these CBKA members:
John Rayner
John Witter
Springwell Old Farm
177 Hills Road
Little Chesterford
Cambridge
Saffron Walden CB10 1EU CB2 2RN
01799531014
01223247228
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Mail Me
We can help with
Practical advice
Beginners' courses
Equipment hire
Hands-on experience
Friendship and social events
Questions you might ask:
I'd like to keep my own bees - but how do I find out if it's right for me?
We can give all the help you need. We run an annual series of classes in
Cambridge for beginners, and every month in the summer you can get hands-on
experience at our own teaching apiary. We help lots of beekeepers to get started
every year.
Isn't it very expensive to start? You'll need some basic protective equipment
and tools - budget £50 - £100. We buy hives for beginners at bargain prices,
and we'll even help you to build your first hive!
Where would I get my bees from?
The best way is our Try-a-Hive' plan. Join our Beginners' Classes, and we will
provide you with your own hive and a starter colony of bees to look after for a
season. You only pay if you decide to keep them at the end of the year. If not,
return them to us and there will be no charge.
How much honey will I get? It depends on the weather and the apiary site, but
thirty to fifty pounds per hive in your second season is a fair expectation.
Experienced beekeepers often get two or three times as much.
Will I get stung? Is that dangerous? Every beekeeper gets the odd sting. It is
very rare for a sting to give more than a couple of days' irritation; if you
have a serious allergy you probably know already. We teach responsible
beekeeping which protects the beekeeper and the public from risk.
Where can I keep my bees? Many gardens can be made suitable for one or two
hives, although you must take some simple precautions to avoid inconveniencing
your neighbours. Alternatively, farmers are often pleased to have some hives on
their land - a better course if you intend to have several hives. We can advise
on individual sites.
How do I start? It's simple. Join the Cambridgeshire Beekeepers' Association,
where you will get all the help and advice you need. Just fill in the
application form or contact one of the names shown at the end of this leaflet.
For more than a century, CBKA has represented and assisted beekeepers in
Cambridgeshire. A registered charity with more than 200 members ranging from
commercial bee-farmers to small-scale hobbyists, our objective is to promote
beekeeping to the public and to provide advice and assistance to beekeepers
through an educational and social programme of meetings, talks, shows and
demonstrations. CBKA membership provides every member with benefits no beekeeper
can afford to ignore
# Newsletters - our own and those of the British Beekeepers' Association - to
keep you up to date with latest developments.
# Insurance - vital public liability cover and disease insurance is included in
the cost of your subscription.
# Equipment Loan - free loan of the items of expensive equipment you won't want
to buy at first.
# Talks and Meetings - monthly throughout the year, on practical, and scientific
topics, plus top speakers at our annual One Day Meeting.
# Practical Help - our series of winter Beginners' Classes, together with our
Mentor scheme (which links you with an experienced beekeeper who is always on
call to assist) ensures that beginners get all the help they need. In addition,
we hold monthly apiary meetings in the summer to give you hands-on experience.
# Library - We have an unrivalled private collection of old and new hooks on
beekeeping. Only CBKA members can borrow them from Cambridge Central Library.
Why Keep Bees?
Beekeeping is an ancient and fascinating art. Perhaps nearly as old as
agriculture itself; beekeeping is a craft which provides you with endless
interest as well as the satisfaction of producing, eating' and maybe selling the
produce of your own hives. Our interests mirror those of the conservation
movement, as our bees need the varied forage and clean environment available in
the fields and hedgerows of a well managed countryside, and our produce is
renowned for its purity and freedom from any additive. Our bees, together with
their wild cousins, play a vital role in pollinating farmers' crops and wild
flowers. Beekeepers are a diverse lot too, but united in their love of bees and
their friendliness to newcomers to the craft. You are assured of a welcome at
any of our meetings, and of all the assistance you could wish for as a beginner.
Together with friendship and practical guidance, we will also provide you with
the training to equip you to take a national beekeeping qualification, should
you wish to do so
Throughout the country there are many beekeeping associations, most of which
are affiliated to our national body, the British Beekeepers' Association.
Members of affiliated associations become indirect members of BBKA, and enjoy
the benefits arranged on their behalf.
For over 120 years Cambridgeshire Beekeepers' Association, which is affiliated
to the BBKA, has represented and assisted beekeepers in Cambridgeshire. CBKA is
a registered charity with more than 200 members ranging from commercial
bee-farmers to small-scale hobbyists and others just interested in honeybees.
Our objectives include promoting beekeeping to the public and providing advice
and assistance to beekeepers through an educational and social programme of
meetings, talks, shows and demonstrations.
Websites
www.britishbeekeepers.com www.cbka.org.uk
For a membership application form, you can join CBKA by completing it and sending it to the address shown on the form.
Otherwise, please email a CBKA Committee member: