Yorkshire Beekeepers Association -YBKA

Stolen: 4 hives from Thorpe Willoughby

4 x Abelo sage green 12-frame hives stolen today from a Barkston Ash Association member's apiary near Thorpe Willoughby.

Taken in broad daylight, full of bees, with a blue 4x4 seen nearby. Reported to police.

If you're offered hives for sale, please ask questions. Full details and photos in the link below.

https://ybka.org.uk/3w5v

BBKA - The British Beekeepers Association

NBU is responding to a credible YLAH sighting in Immingham. Beekeepers, please stay vigilant. More to follow when there's news.

Members of the public wishing to help could go to www.ybka.org.uk/help to find out about registering on CATCH.

We want to say a genuine thank you to the Animal and Plant Health Agency's National Bee Unit for the speed of their response to what was thought to be a credible YLAH sighting in Ripon.

Bait stations were out within hours and a monitoring team was ready to deploy the next day, all on the strength of what looked like a credible sighting.

That's exactly the kind of rapid action that keeps this invasive species from getting a foothold in the UK, and it's reassuring to see it in action.

A special thank you to Dhonn Atkinson, Regional Bee Inspector and his team.

Thank you to Mark Millard and Wakefield & Pontefract Beekeepers Association for hosting the YBKA Honey Show at the Emley Show on Saturday. A report will follow in due course, but we wanted to share some photos from the day.

Congratulations to all our winners and exhibitors.

The National Bee Unit has stood down from the credible YLAH sighting in Ripon.

After further investigation, it was a misidentification.

The National Bee Unit are taking no further action.

Members of the public are still encouraged to join the Catch Map in order to offer their services should a credible or confirmed sighting be made locally to them.

www.ybka.org.uk/help

Why Every YBKA Member Should Get Themselves to a Healthy Bees Day

I went along not quite knowing what to expect from a day billed as "Healthy Bees," organised by the Bee Farmers Association and run by the National Bee Unit. What I got was two hours with Jack Silberrad, Regional Bee Inspector for Eastern England, that left me rewriting half of what I thought I knew about disease management, and a hands-on afternoon workshop to go with it. If you get the chance to attend one of these yourself, take it. Here's why.

Why Every YBKA Member Should Get Themselves to a Healthy Bees Day Why Every YBKA Member Should Get Themselves to a Healthy Bees DayA report from Richard Senior, YBKA member, on attending a Bee Farmers Association-hosted Healthy Bees Day, run by the National Bee …

Just dropped our Great Yorkshire Show 2026 report, written by Linda Schofield! 🐝

Four brilliant days at the showground with Look North's Amy Garcia getting suited up for a bee handling demo, our Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet awareness stand busier than ever, a blind honey taste test (74p supermarket "honey" vs the real deal), and of course the observation hive drawing crowds as always.

Huge thanks to everyone who helped plan, build, staff and pack down the stand this year. Read the full report here 👇

https://ybka.org.uk/gys-report-2026/

Have you registered on CATCH yet?

By registering, you can help protect our bees by receiving alerts if a Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet is spotted in your area. It only takes around 30 seconds to register as a "Watcher".

Register here: https://catch.asianhornetalert.org.uk/register

Want to find out more about how you can help? Visit: https://ybka.org.uk/help/

Every extra pair of eyes makes a difference. Thank you for supporting the early detection of Yellow-Legged Asian Hornets.

Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Update (10/05/26)

Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Update (10/05/26) Yorkshire Beekeepers Association members may find the recent BBKA Yellow Legged Asian Hornet (YLAH) coordinators’ meeting particularly useful, especially given the growing concern around confirmed northern sightings and increasing awareness work across Yorkshire. The discussion focused heavily on practical local action, public engagement, monitoring strategies, volunteer coordination, and concerns around communication from national agencies. Key updates and points relevant to Yorkshire members…...

Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Update (10/05/26) Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Update (10/05/26) Yorkshire Beekeepers Association members may find the recent BBKA Yellow Legged Asian Hornet (YLAH) coordinators’ meeting particularly useful, especial…

🐝 Beekeeping Opportunity in the Yorkshire Dales 🐝

An exciting opportunity has come up for a beekeeper to join a growing team working within the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The role involves managing four colonies (initially), with payment provided, a great chance to earn a little extra income while doing what you love.

This opportunity comes via Buckleys Bees, a well-established business run by Emma Buckley and her father David Buckley, who is celebrating 60 years in beekeeping. Their work focuses on supporting beekeepers across the country and creating opportunities to make beekeeping more sustainable and rewarding.

They regularly deliver talks to beekeeping associations nationwide, including popular queen breeding sessions at the BBKA -Spring Convention 2025.

If this sounds of interest, or you would like more information, Emma is very happy to answer any questions.

You can also find out more about their work here: https://www.buckleysbees.com/beekeepers

Please share with anyone who might be interested!