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Within these pages you will find general information on bees, beekeeping, honey and other hive products as well as more veterinary-specific topics including bee diseases, diagnosis and treatment. There is also a directory of resources for further
information.
Thank you for your patience while our site is under construction and we populate the various sections.
What is Royal Jelly? Royal Jelly is a milky secretion produced by glands of the worker bees and used to feed all larvae in the colony regardless of sex. After the first three days of life, the male larvae (drones) and female larvae (worker bees) stop being fed royal jelly. However, fascinatingly, when a colony [...]
We warmly welcome both veterinary and non-veterinary members to the Association. Ordinary Membership is open to Members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), or those holding an equivalent veterinary qualification which is registrable with the RCVS. Associate Membership is open to anyone who does not hold a veterinary qualification registrable with the RCVS. Bee Friendly Practice Membership covers all staff [...]
Please book asap to ensure a place as numbers are limited to 24. Lecture: Foulbrood: Past, Present and Future : Dr Giles Budge Followed by lectures from the lab run by Prof Geraldine Wright. The lab studies the behaviour, neurophysiology, and nutritional ecology of honeybees and bumblebees. Also studies how worker bees learn to identify [...]
The British Bee Veterinary Association (BBVA) was launched on 1st April 2015 in response to an increased demand for bee expertise from the veterinary profession. Full Membership is open to anyone holding a veterinary qualification registerable with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. We also warmly welcome student and non-veterinary Associate Members as well as ‘Bee Friendly Practice’ Membership. For information [...]
American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB), despite their names, both occur in the UK and both can lead to the death of infected colonies. Both foulbroods are statutory notifiable diseases and therefore, beekeepers are legally obligated to report any suspected diseased colonies under the Bee Diseases and Pests Control Order 2006 (as amended). Causes AFB [...]
Varroa destructor (Anderson and Truman) previously described as Varroa jacobsoni (Oud) is a parasitic mite of adult bees and brood. In the past hundred years or so it has become the most serious pest of Western honeybees across the globe, particularly for the European honey bee Apis mellifera which lacks natural defences to be able to deal with the mite [...]
There are no outward symptoms of the disease. Dysentery is often seen in association with N. apis infections; this may be seen as ‘spotting’ at the hive entrance or across the frames. The dysentery is not caused by the pathogen, but as a consequence of infection and can be exacerbated during periods of prolonged confinement during inclement [...]
Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)-infected bees are characteristically ‘shiny and black’. These bees in infected hives are often found isolated, motionless and/or shaking on the top bars. When the colony is smoked they do not tend to move down between the frames as the other ‘normal’ bees do. Abdomens may also be distended and the wings [...]
Hello bee-enthusiast friends! You may be interested to see these annotated photographs taken by BBVA member Chris Palgrave at a recent 'bee anatomy and dissection' NBD short course run by Dan and Ken Basterfield in East Devon.
Species of Bee in the UK
Bees in the average hive
honey harvested per year by a hive
Date: Friday 23rd June 2017 Venue: Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN19QG Lecture: “Neonicotinoid Insecticides – are they harming bee colonies in the field?” Professor Francis Ratnieks Workshop: “Breeding and Using Hygienic Bees.” Timetable: 10.30-11.00 Meet for Coffee and Tea. 11.00 -11.30 BBVA AGM 11.30- 12.30 Neonicotinoid lecture 13.-30- [...]
Autumn Meeting of the British Bee Veterinary Association on 12th October. This was e-hosted at E.H.Thorne (Beehives) Ltd., Rand, Market Rasen, LN8 5NJ and includes a tour of the factory. Our guest speaker for the day was Prof. Rose Cooper (Cardiff Metropolitan University). Rose is a microbiologist and an expert in wound healing, particularly the [...]
‘The Remarkable World of the Honey Bee’ by John Hill – 9th February 2017 “I will be describing the importance of honeybees as pollinators to the agricultural industry and some of the challenges they face. We will look at the natural history of the bee. Knowledge of its life cycle is fundamental to understanding the [...]