Farnham Beekeepers Association

06/06/2026

A fun, if slightly rainy, day today — and we still managed to get lots of jobs done. Thank you! 🙏☔️🎉

Whilst dodging the raindrops, we carried out our usual colony inspections, including a quick peek at the top bars to see how much comb has been drawn.

With the blackberries coming into flower, we started looking at creating some honey rainbow comb experiments 🌈🍯.

We also popped in the varroa boards, as next week's focus will be on monitoring varroa levels.

Julie gave us an update on the movement of the YLH and monitoring too 👍.
A busy day, but we didn’t forget the tea and cake 🧁 😊

30/05/2026

What a beautiful day down at the FBKA Apiary today!

Thank you to our volunteers who helped to lead each group and serve tea and homemade cakes.

29/05/2026

Have you ever seen a bee ride a broomstick? Meet Ginny Bee-sley 🐝 🧹

23/05/2026

Believe it or not, despite looking very different from workers (females) and drones (males), the Queen bee is extremely elusive and it can take many attempts to find and mark her, especially for newer Beekeepers. Second year beekeeper and fellow member Angus Stuart Hart has had a fantastic day today, having finally found and marked a Queen that emerged last July. 👑🐝

A second year beekeeper myself, I too have had many inspections in which I have not located the Queen, so I know the elation you feel when you do find her. Well done Angus!

N.B. If a Beekeeper doesn't see the Queen during an inspection as long as we see eggs we know she's there 😉

20/05/2026

18/05/2026

With BBKA - The British Beekeepers Association – we have just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

10/05/2026

🐝 Have you spotted a cluster or seen a swarm of honey bees? Don’t panic!

When honey bees swarm, thousands of bees may take to the sky in a loud swirling cloud. Although it can look alarming, swarming bees are usually calm and non-aggressive at this stage.🐝

Within minutes, the bees will often settle nearby in a cluster — commonly on tree branches, bushes, sheds, or pub signs 😊.
This is the best time for a beekeeper to safely collect and relocate them quickly and easily.

The cluster is only temporary while scout bees search for a new permanent home, so they can move again quickly.

Before swarming, bees fill themselves with honey, which helps keep them calm. However, as their food reserves run low, they can become more defensive, so early removal is always best.

If you notice:
✅ A hanging cluster of bees — contact a beekeeper as soon as possible ⬇️ link below. These beekeepers are local to the area and are recommended by BBKA, they will also have a list of beekeepers who are ready to take house the swarm.

❌ Please avoid spraying or disturbing them unnecessarily.

🐾 Keep pets and children safely away from the swarm 🐝

https://fbka.org.uk/swarms/

09/05/2026

Rural Life Living Museum
Our Bees behaved very well today amongst the sights, sounds, and smells of 1944 Britain.

08/05/2026

Wishing Sir David Attenborough a very happy 100th birthday today! 🎂

A truly inspiring human with his wonderful calm tone who has taught us all so much about the World, nature and the science behind it all.

To celebrate his special day we thought it was appropriate to share this very interesting video about how flowers 'talk' to bees 🌸🐝 🌼

https://youtu.be/ee381dCP6JM?si=S1f6gpMIh0TQpetj

David Attenborough explains how plants communicate with bees by creating small electric fields.