Cafe Scientifique Henley

BEEKEEPERS are often seen as the guardians and saviours of honey bees and almost as often the enemy of honey bees, the latter by those who have absolutely no idea how hobbyist beekeepers really manage their colonies.

Beekeeping is a brilliant, interesting hobby but it’s hard work as it’s not all about plonking a hive in the garden, ignoring it all summer then stealing all the honey, which for the hobbyist beekeeper is far from reality.

Honey bees live as a massive colony and yet, by being capable of many different, incredible tasks, operate as a single organism for the good of the colony. They are fascinating, wonderful insects.

Our next speaker, Margaret Moore, at Henley Hockey Club on Wednesday (7pm for 7.30pm start), will tell you many interesting facts about bees and how good, hobbyist beekeepers always work with the needs of each colony, rather than against them.

Margaret has an animal science background and worked for more than 40 years in associated work, including lecturing to adults working towards professional qualifications.

She is the current chairman of the South Chilterns Beekeepers Association. She took early retirement 16 years ago so she could indulge in a long-term ambition to keep honey bees. This complemented her other main hobby of gardening with wildlife and diversity in mind.

Following theory then practical courses, she joined the beekeepers association and purchased a relatively large (and very frightening) honey bee colony from a beekeeping colleague.

Within a couple of years she was invited to stand for election on to the committee of the South Chilterns Beekeepers Association.

Three years later she was asked to stand for election as chairman and became the first female in the association’s
50-years-plus history.

The majority of regional beekeepers associations across the UK are affiliated to the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA).

The BBKA, a registered charity, provides many services, including education to beekeepers and is also a huge collective “voice” between hobbyist beekeepers and the Government via the National Bee Unit (NBU), the latter a scientific unit operating out of Defra.

The NBU also provides an inspectorate to beekeepers if, for example, a notifiable disease arises in honey bee colonies, or non-native insect or mite species are detected which will detrimentally affect honey bees or other native insect species.

Refreshments are available at the bar and the coffee/tea kitchen. To register to attend the talk, email cafescihenley
@gmail.com