Scottish Beekeeping • approx. 3,500 hobby beekeepers • Scottish Beekeepers’ Association • 2,000 members • 43 Local Associations around Scotland • Bee Farmers’ Association, UK wide • 5.4 million people in Scotland • approx. 15 commercial beekeepers • run an apprenticeship scheme www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Challenges Scotland’s weather ! Four seasons in one day! www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Challenges Scotland’s weather! • Winter months - October to March/April • cold, wet, damp, frosty, snowy • honey harvest removes most of the honey • bees need to be fed - fondant • expensive and must keep looking at colonies • starvation can happen • feeding can be into March / April • small colonies don’t do well • urban bees may have some forage – parks gardens • countryside bees hardly any forage www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Challenges Pests • came and stayed Varroa destructor, in Scotland since mid 1990s Wasps Green Woodpeckers • coming soon? England not yet Scotland Yellow legged hornet (Asian hornet) Vespa velutina • e xpecte d 2 notifiable pests not yet in the the UK: Small Hive Beetle Aethena tumida (SHB) Tropilaelaps mite • always present! Beekeepers! www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Challenges Disease – Foulbroods, Viruses • American Foulbrood and European Foulbrood Brood • both notifiable diseases • The Scottish Government’s Honey Bee Health Team • EFB cases in S cotland confirmed from 2021 to 2023 • Viruses - several but Deformed Wing disease signiffcant www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Good stuff! Scotland’s forage Spring / Summer - Oil Seed - Rape, fruit blossom, Lime / Linden, wild flowers, Sycamore sp , Phacealia sp , Heather Autumn Ivy www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk More good stuff Education for beekeepers young and old! • The Scottish Beekeepers Association, SBA • 43 Affiliated Beekeeping Associations, ABAs • Young Beekeepers may be members of ABAs • Schools Beekeeping Clubs • Community groups, gardening, www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Beekeeping in Secondary Schools • school Bee Clubs , some with apiaries, we don’t know how many, no registration • very few teachers are beekeepers, so they rely on SBA and LAs for help and training • Scottish Qualifications’ Authority theory modules, not practical • SBA practical assessments, talks • Citizen Science , working with the Royal Society • Curriculum, environmental studies, biology www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Beekeeping in Nursery and Primary Schools • not many nursery or primary schools keep bees • SBA and local beekeepers give talks to nursery and primary schools • Scottish Government less funding for beekeeping • Royal Highland Education Trust ‘Farm to Fork’ education days, includes beekeeping www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Out of School Beekeeping Education • SBA , practical and theory exams, talks, mentoring, IMYB • community groups • gardening groups • Duke of Edinburgh’s Award • Scouts, Guides www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Beekeeping Events for Children • Royal Highland Show honey tent, honey competition for YBs and schools • Scottish National Honey Show YBs and schools ’ competition • LA Honey Shows classes for YBs • Royal Highland Education Trust farm days for schools www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk But ....... more Bad Stuff! • Funding???????? • Sponsors • Royal Highland Education Trust • Just Giving • Full time job! www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Despite that..... A New Beekeeping Initiative – Apiscotia May 2024 www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Thank you for listening www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Forage wild flowers Ivy www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Forage wild flowers Ivy www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk