Baldragon Beekeepers' Association

15/05/2026

13/05/2026

The team are up at Kinnordy.

07/05/2026

05/05/2026

**Swarm Management Workshop – Limited Spaces Remaining!**

We’ve had a fantastic response to our upcoming **Swarm Management Workshop with Tony Harris**, and we now have a *small number of spaces left*—so we’re opening these up to **non-members**.

This one-day course is ideal for anyone looking to gain confidence in managing swarming and improving their beekeeping. Tony brings a wealth of experience and a practical, no-nonsense approach that really helps you understand and work *with* your bees.

📅 **Saturday 20th June 2026**
⏰ **9.30am – 4.30pm**
Tickets are £40 and include a buffet lunch.
📍 **Blackness Road Fire Station**
Blackness Rd, Dundee DD1 5PA

The day will cover:

* Understanding swarm behaviour
* Prevention and control techniques
* Bait hives and collecting swarms
* Practical tips for finding the queen

Whether you’re just starting out or have a few seasons under your belt, this is **essential training** that will make a real difference in the apiary.

If you’d like to join us, please get in touch to secure your place—once they’re gone, they’re gone.

01/05/2026

Today’s apiary spotlight is Fraser Johnston.

From where it all began… to where it is now.

Fraser’s current apiary is set in a cracking location, surrounded by open fields, blackcurrant crops and a large orchard — plenty of forage to keep the bees busy and thriving.

In Fraser’s words:
“A few ups and more downs, but with great support from our illustrious leaders, I’m on the right track”

That’s what Baldragon Beekeepers' Association is all about — supporting through hands-on beekeeping and helping facilitate newcomers into this wonderful pastime.

29/04/2026

Apiary Spotlight – Home from Home!.

Next in our apiary focus is Fiona, who keeps her bees at home in a beautiful, expansive garden setting.

Working mainly with polyhives, Fiona’s colonies are surrounded by an incredible variety of forage at this time of year. The bees are making the most of cherry and apple blossom, along with honesty, fritillary, and plenty of dandelions scattered through the grass.

It’s a great example of how a garden apiary can provide a rich and diverse food source — and how important these everyday plants are for supporting thriving colonies.

28/04/2026

Apiary Focus 🐝

This week we’re shining a light on apiaries.

Simon Mortlock, our Vice Chair & Website Editor, began beekeeping in 2017. His apiary is beautifully positioned—south-facing and sheltered from the northerly winds by trees, creating a productive environment for his bees.

The forage here is rich and varied throughout the seasons, from early snowdrops and bluebells, through to tree sources like lime, nearby OSR fields, and even heather later in the year.

A great example of how thoughtful positioning and diverse forage can support a thriving colony

25/04/2026

Apiary update from our members

This week we’ve been asking for a look into everyone’s apiaries.

This one comes from Sara, who looks after the hives for Webster’s High School. It’s a brilliant setup where pupils get properly involved in beekeeping and can work towards a qualification

If you work within a school setting and are interested in how honey bees could be part of your curriculum, find out more by getting in touch with:
[email protected]

Here’s her update:

“Webster’s pupils were buzzing today as colony 2 is thriving and we added a super. We found one queen cell with larvae which we’ll need to keep an eye on, along with a few play cups. Lots of brood and plenty of honey stores.”

The hives are in a great spot at Pathhead Stables too—really lovely position.

Great to see strong colonies and young folk getting stuck in. We may be biased but beekeeping is a wonderful pastime!

Keep the updates coming!

21/04/2026

For all our new beekeepers…

Buying a nuc is an important decision for beekeepers. This National Bee Unit best practice guide gives guidance for buyers & sellers.

https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/3_Resources_for_beekeepers/Best_practice_guidelines/BPG08_Sale-of-nuclei.pdf

20/04/2026

Weekend Beekeeping!

A real mix of conditions out there this weekend — some lovely bursts of sunshine, but with temperatures a bit up and down - jacket on, jacket off.

A few of our members have been out and about and kindly sent in some great photos of their bees making the most of the brighter spells. It’s encouraging to see a bit of activity when the weather allows.

We’re curious… how many of you managed to get into your hives for an inspection this weekend? Or was it a case of watching and waiting for things to warm up?

Pop a comment below and let us know how you got on.

18/04/2026

Beginners Practical Sessions Underway!

Today marked the first of our practical sessions for the beginners’ beekeeping course at the Baldragon School apiary — and what a fantastic start it was!

A huge thank you to all our new members who came along. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and willingness to get hands-on with the bees made the session!

I’ve shared a few of your comments in the images below — it’s wonderful to hear your thoughts and first impressions.

Well done everyone, and thank you again for such a great first session. We’re looking forward to seeing your confidence grow over the coming weeks!