Please report sightings of Yellow-legged hornets (YLH), also known as Asian hornets, on this online form or download the free Asian hornet Watch app for Apple devices or android devices.
Suffolk Beekeepers' Association is a thriving community of over 700 beekeepers, with 6 branches in Suffolk. Its purpose is to promote good beekeeping. This involves crop pollination and the collection, sale, showing and use of honey and wax. Read more
Special Notice
- Winter Feed Orders
The bee feed team are again offering winter feed with bulk feed price 20% lower than last year. Feed quantity is limited and orders will be taken on a first come first served basis.
The only days for collection of bee feed this year are Saturday 2nd and 9th August. Collection is from Deben View, Back Lane, FALKENHAM. IP10 0TL What3words. - All you need to do is turn up between 9am - 2pm (except for big orders of +200kg which should be collected with prior agreement.
- Suffolk BKA Conference 2025 This year we are planning to hold a conference day
on Saturday 6th September 2025 at Great Barton Community Centre, Elms Close, Bury St. Edmunds, IP31 2NR between 9.30 am to 4.00 pm. The conference will cover 4 subjects:
- Nectar: What's Best for the Bees?
- Do Beekeepers Make Effective Use of Acaricides?
- What is Honey Bee Immunity and Does it Matter?
- Fat Bees and Winter Preparations
- Suffolk BKA AGM The AGM was held on Wednesday 14th May 2025 and the agenda with reports still available to view.
- Training Plan for the Ipswich & East Suffolk Branch - Details of the training planned at their training apiary and sign-up sheet
Join Us
Interested in becoming a beekeeper?
Contact your local branch:
Ipswich Suffolk Coastal Stowmarket Waveney West Suffolk Norwich & District Bee Keeping AssociationHot Tips
Seasonal advice for the beekeeper
- Swarming should be over by early July, allowing the colony to concentrate on collecting nectar.
- Set up wasp traps a few metres from your hives (jam jars containing water and a spoonful of jam work well).
- Honey can be harvested in early August allowing the bees to keep what more they make for themselves.
- After the honey has been harvested, remove the queen excluder, and put a crown board below any supers that you are leaving on to be cleaned out.
- Treat the brood box for varroa (Apiguard gel or ApiLife Var strips are recommended). Record the varroa drop in the following two weeks so that you know how badly your colonies are infested.
- In early August reduce the size of the entrance so the diminishing colony can defend itself against wasps.
- Time to feed the colony for the winter, replacing the honey taken. Feed continuously with standard strength sugar syrup (1 kg added to one pint of water). The colony will need at least 15kg of syrup (more for the bigger hives) to take it through the cold months ahead.
- Feeding needs to be completed before the end of the month to give the colony time to drive off the excess water.
- varroa treatment should be considered.
- Fit a mouse guard to the hive entrance.
The Association
The Association is a thriving community of over 700 beekeepers, with branches in Ipswich, Suffolk Coastal, Stowmarket, Waveney, West Suffolk and the Norwich & District Beekeepers Association.
It's purpose is to promote good beekeeping. This involves crop pollination and the collection, sale, showing and use of honey and wax. We provide instructions and demonstrations in these subjects, leading to an understanding of these fascinating insects and how to keep them healthy. There are facilities for courses in beekeeping and nationally recognized examinations can be taken. There are also branch libraries with beekeeping books. Come and meet us at the Suffolk Show and other local agricultural shows.
Regular indoor meetings are held at Kesgrave, Barsham and Bury St Edmunds with practical apiary meetings, social gatherings and events at other locations in the county during the year. Attendance at these events is open to non-members and more information about these meetings can be found on the events page.
The annual subscription is about £26.00 but may vary from branch to branch. This includes affiliation to The British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) which provides representation, help and expert advice at a national level and a public liability insurance cover for up to £10 million. There is also cover in case of the more serious bee brood diseases.
Beginners and those who are just curious are particularly welcome. There are one-day events for those who are interested to find out more about bees and beekeeping. The best way to find out what beekeeping entails is to have a closer look.
Regular indoor meetings are held at Kesgrave, Barsham and Bury St Edmunds with practical apiary meetings, social gatherings and events at other locations in the county during the year. Attendance at these events is open to non-members and more information about these meetings can be found on the events page.
The annual subscription is about £26.00 but may vary from branch to branch. This includes affiliation to The British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) which provides representation, help and expert advice at a national level and a public liability insurance cover for up to £10 million. There is also cover in case of the more serious bee brood diseases.
Beginners and those who are just curious are particularly welcome. There are one-day events for those who are interested to find out more about bees and beekeeping. The best way to find out what beekeeping entails is to have a closer look.
Officers
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President
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Jeremy Quinlan
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president@suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk
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Chairman
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Jane Corcoran
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chairman@suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk
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Hon Secretary
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Helen Davies
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secretary@suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk
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Hon Treasurer
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Ian McQueen
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treasurer@suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk
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County Examinations Secretary
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Mark Dua
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examsec@suffolkbeekeepers.co.uk
Documents
The Constitution of the Suffolk Beekeepers' Association can be found here.
Supporting Documents for the Management of the Suffolk Beekeepers' Association:
Minutes
Minutes of the Suffolk Beekeepers' Association county meetings:
- Wednesday 10 October 2022
- Wednesday 26 January 2022
- Wednesday 16 June 2021
- Wednesday 4 November 2020
- Wednesday 17 June 2020
Minutes of the Suffolk Beekeepers' Association AGM:
Contact the secretary for access to minutes not shown
Beebase News
Update on the small hive beetle in Italy
Small hive beetle found in Sicily
The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida, is a bee hive pest native to sub-Saharan Africa. The SHB has been accidentally introduced into many countries across the globe, including the USA, Canada, Australia, China and many countries in Latin America. SHB was found in Calabria and Sicily in Italy in 2014 and has become a persistent problem there. There is a risk that the SHB could be accidentally transported and introduced into the UK. If SHB invaded the UK, it would be a major threat to the long-term sustainability of UK beekeeping. SHB larvae damage honey bee colonies by burrowing through brood combs and consuming the brood and stores. In heavy infestations, they cause colonies to collapse or abscond and spoil the honey.
Scotland - Bee Health Report
Scotland’s Asian Hornet Contingency Plan and the Bee Health Improvement Partnership (BHIP) Annual Report 2022-2023 were both published online this morning and can be accessed via the following news release: Bee Health Report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
New study published using NBU annual husbandry data
A new study examining data from the National Bee Unit’s annual husbandry survey to better understand Varroa treatment practices throughout the UK has just been published. Thomas O’Shea-Waller from the University of Exeter along with colleagues from Newcastle University and Fera Science Ltd assess the relative importance of treatment adherence, location, climate, and Varroa management practices in determining colony survival and honey production at the national level. The key finding from this study is that the correct timing of application of Varroa treatments reduces overwintering losses. You can learn more about the findings of this study by downloading the paper, which is open access:
New apiculture programme published
The England Apiculture Programme for 2025-2028 has been published on BeeBase. The programme provides measures to support beekeepers and bee farmers by training events on bee health and husbandry practices as well as improving identification of pests and diseases through hive-side advisory inspections. The programme is delivered by APHA’s National Bee Unit. It is jointly funded by Defra and HMT following EU Exit. The programme starts on 1 August and lasts for 3 years.
