Bees and Honey
Bees buzz to Builth Wells
BRECON and Radnor Beekeepers (B&RBKA) is a charitable organisation founded in 1941 to "encourage, improve and advance beekeepingexchange and disseminate information and ideas and arrangelectures, demonstrations and exhibitions."
In keeping with our constitution, we regularly open our apiaries to members of the public who have expressed an interest in beekeeping. We also organise beginner's courses for novice keepers, provide a mentorship scheme for all new members of the association and support local community and national shows by displaying both our bees and their products.
Mindful of the importance of beekeeping to the GDP of the UK (the value of commercial crop pollination by bees has been estimated at between £120 and £200 million), and the positive environmental impact of bees more generally, B&RBKA have devised an outreach scheme for primary schools. It is designed to dovetail with the National Curriculum, it aims to encourage children to appreciate honey, as well as the significance of the bee in an environmental context. The association also sends speakers to other interested organisations.
B&RBKA also supports beekeeping efforts in the developing world. Through regular donations to Bees for Development, the association assists indigenous beekeepers to capitalise on their honey, wax and other products, and to improve future yields.
The vast majority of beekeeping in Wales is managed by "hobby" beekeepers, and indeed, it is suited to small-scale production. Initial start-up costs are relatively low, and it doesn't require much space. Beekeeping is a largely outdoor activity that takes place mainly during spring and summer, and there are many avenues of specialisation, in addition to putting honey into jars, such as making candles, cosmetics, polishes, mead et. B&RBKA's winter lecture programmes cover such topics, from the basics to the experts' top tips, and each talk or demonstration is followed by tea and cake and the opportunity to meet other like-minded folk.
If you would like to know more about beekeeping, get in touch with us at this year's Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival (May 17-18), where a warm welcome awaits. At this event, for the first time, B&RBKA in conjunction with the Welsh Beekeepers Association (WBKA) will be promoting an exciting and varied insight into the art and science of beekeeping.
Located on the balcony of the Floral Hall, this year's enlarged stand will incorporate an observation hive that allows the visitor to examine the heart of a community of bees in complete safety. Volunteers are available to point out different bee behaviours and processes going on, and there is always great fun to be had spotting the queen'.
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