Newbattle Beekeepers Association

January Webinar - Wednesday 7 January 19.30

The Scottish Beekeepers Association welcome Prof Stephen Martin, a familiar face to many who attended the last Scottish Beekeepers Association convention. Prof Martin will be discussing our native hornet, the European Hornet.

Prof Martin has studied social insects (bees, wasps, termites and ants) for most of his career. His areas of specialisation are the ‘hornet ecology’, ‘pest and diseases of honeybees’ and ‘chemical ecology of ants’. He holds a Chair in Social Entomology in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at Salford University, Manchester. Prior to that he spent 12 years working at Sheffield University, 7 years with the National Bee Unit and 7 years in Japan conducting research into hornets.

These beekeeping webinars are free to SBA Members, you just need to register your attendance beforehand for access on the night. To book your place, please click on the link below

BOOK PLACE

The 2025 second and updated version of this book is now available to borrow from the Bee Academy Library.

The book is aimed at beginners and more experienced beekeepers alike. The book contains the basic information needed as a starting point for planning the response needed to this new threat to the health and wellbeing of our colonies of honeybees.

There is increasing use of the term Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet.

There are two copies available to borrow. 

A trade show for beekeepers held at the Telford International Centre, International Way, Telford, TF3 4HJ.

Find out more about the show:

Here

From 2 - 9 December every donation made to two Bee Charities will be doubled through "The Big Give" which is itself a registered charity.

Bees For Development is fundraising for:

                                                                                        "Help Make Beekeeping Disability Inclusive"

They are delivering this programme in Uganda and Ghana to empower programme participants to make a living and earn respect.

Bees Abroad is fundraising for its project:

"Pollinating Progress"

This is a project being delivered in Nigeria to build beekeeping capacity for participating families.

If you wish to give or read more about the campaigns visit:

The Big Give 

The National Bee Unit (NBU) has opened its annual poll and asks all beekeepers to update their entry or register the the number of hives they have. Each apiary should have its own entry.

The information recorded helps the NBU tackle disease outbreaks and will help them in monitoring the spread of the yellow-legged Asian Hornet.

The survey is open until 31 December.

Enter your hive/apiary details:

Update or Register Here 

Following the November monthly meeting when those members attending were able to watch a virtual presentation given by Maggie Gill on the parasitic mite, Tropilaelaps spp.

It is extending its range globally and may be coming to an apiary near you!

We now have copies of the book co-authored by Maggie in the Bee Academy Library.

Click Here to take you to the Library

Martin V came across a Facebook post (see below). 

It reads

"Galicia on high alert after three deaths from Asian hornets"

The text in the photograph states

"Alert in Galicia three dead in two weeks due to attacks by velutina wasps"

A timely reminder that the sting is not like a wasp.

For your information a general comparison relating to hornet v wasp venom.

Feature	Asian Hornet Venom	Wasp Venom
Pain level	Often more painful due to higher levels of acetylcholine, a pain-intensifying chemical.	Pain is generally described as sharp and prickly.
Toxicity	Contains neurotoxins and cytotoxins, which can cause localized pain, swelling, and in severe cases, nausea, headache, and muscle damage.	Contains enzymes, amines, peptides, and other compounds that can cause allergic reactions, from minor skin irritation to anaphylactic shock.
Stinging behavior	Can sting multiple times and their stingers are not barbed, so they can withdraw them easily.	Can sting multiple times.
Allergic reactions	If you are allergic to wasp venom, you will likely be allergic to Asian hornet venom.	Can trigger allergic reactions from local irritation to anaphylactic shock.
Danger	Multiple stings from certain hornet species can be fatal due to highly toxic venom.	Multiple stings are rarely fatal, except in the case of allergic reactions.

National Honey Day is just around the corner, and is a day for celebrating honey produced by UK hobby beekeepers and bee farmers. Lets celebrate the bees and raise a glass of Mead on Tuesday!

It is estimated that we produce no more than 10% of the honey consumed in the UK.

Let us try and do our best to change that 

Yellow-legged (Asian) Hornet Advice

With the yellow-legged (Asian) hornet being confirmed in Belfast, Scottish beekeepers are becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility of the Yellow-legged (Asian) hornet making an appearance here.

The Scottish Government’s 'Yellow-legged hornet: pest-specific contingency plan' sets out the official response that will be made by the relevant authorities. Click here to view the plan.

Scotland's beekeepers can play an important part by making sure they are able to correctly identify the Yellow-legged hornet and then report any sighting without delay. There is a handy guide which you can view and circulate by downloading here.

The Scottish Government has advised that the preferred mechanism for reporting a potential sighting is to use the Asian Hornet Watch App because it provides clear guidance on species differentiation and records location and contact detail information.

The app is available for both iPhone and Android operating systems and can be downloaded from the usual app providers or below

For iPhones click here

For Android click here

Members are encouraged to download the Asian Hornet Watch App and ensure that they are familiar with its content and use.