Beautifully filmed and directed by Oscar nominated Markus Imhoof (The Boat is Full, Les petites Illusions), winner of numerous Best Documentary Awards across international film festivals and stunning cinematography by Jörg Jeshel and Attila Boa, More Than Honey brings sharply into focus our current bee crisis where numerous colonies of bees have been decimated throughout the world with 50% to 90% of bees having disappeared over the past 15 years. With one in three mouthfuls of the food we eat and 80% of plant species dependent on pollination, the honey bee is as indispensable to the economy as it is to man’s survival.

The decline of bees could have an enormous impact on the environment, which is dependent on the insects for pollination. If there is no pollinating – insect life, fruits, vegetables, and field crops would be obsolete, leaving the future of much of the world’s food supply in question. Are parasites, new viruses or travelling stress to blame? The film embarks on a world journey to discover the answers. More Than Honey is the provocative yet touching tale of what may happen if our bees become extinct.

Ian Sadler, Sales Director for Eureka Entertainment commented: “Globally, bee populations are declining significantly and this is an issue for both commercial and non-commercial bee-keepers. Ultimately, if bee populations continue to decline, the impact on just about everything we eat will be enormous. Powerful, beautiful and tragic, More Than Honey demonstrates the global nature of the problem, and in doing so captures everything from the awe inspiring emergence of the queen, to the death of a colony.”

More Than Honey will be released theatrically in key cities around the UK and Eire on 6th September 2013.

“Bee Improvement for All” – A whole days learning how to improve your bees.

Saturday November 9th 2013 at Bracknell, Berkshire

In conjunction with Wokingham and District BKA

Bee Improvement should be of interest to all beekeepers for a number of reasons including; temper, quietness on the combs and suitability to the locality. The queen is an important factor in the characteristics of a colony so colony assessment and queen selection need more attention than many beekeepers give them. This does mean queen rearing, but the bees give us many opportunities during the summer to raise queens with little effort needed by us.

“Bee Improvement for all” is a one day course that is designed to help beekeepers use these opportunities to improve their bees, as well as giving information to those who wish to raise more queens. Some speakers and books don’t serve the beekeeper with a few colonies very well, as they often use methods that are beyond the needs of the ordinary beekeeper. This course is organised to help and encourage beekeepers of all abilities to improve their bees, using simple techniques without the need for specialist equipment.

Amongst the topics covered will be:

• Setting the criteria you want in your bees.
• How to assess your own and other people’s colonies.
• Recording assessments using simple methods.
• Rearing queens from local bees to avoid relying on buying them.
• Deciding which colonies to use queen cells from and which queens to cull.
• Using natural queen cells the bees build.
• “Artificial” queen rearing for those who want more queens.
• Changing queens in colonies.
• Making up mating nuclei.
• Getting queens mated.
• Working with other beekeepers and the local BKA.

There will be plenty of information on colony management, with emphasis on understanding what is happening inside colonies and keeping things simple.

This course will help beekeepers to rear their own queens from local stock and not rely on imports. “Bee Improvement for all” courses are organised by the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) on a nationwide basis, in conjunction with local BKAs or bee breeding groups. They are all day events, but the timings and cost will depend on local arrangements.

Further details can be found on http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/beeimprovementforallday.html

Venue: Bracknell Leisure Centre, Bagshot Road, Bracknell, Berkshire. RG12 9SE

Uffington White Horse Show

The Uffington White Horse Show is a traditional two day country show which takes place every year over August Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday. It offers a wide range of attractions for families and people of all ages including arena events, craft stalls, animals, historic vehicles and much, much more. The Vale & Downland Beekeepers’ Association is once again taking our usual stand so if you are interested in Beekeeping or just need to stock up on some honey come along and join in the fun!

The Show is located in farm meadows overlooked by the famous bronze age chalk stone figure of the Uffington White Horse, which is over 3,000 years old.

For more informaiton on the show CLICK HERE

Sunday 25th and Monday 26th August 2013

What's Killing Our Bees? A Horizon Special

BBC Two – Horizon, 2012-2013, What’s Killing Our Bees? A Horizon Special, What’s Killing Our Bees?
2012-2013 Episode 18 of 17

Duration: 1 hour

Bill Turnbull investigates one of the biggest mysteries in the British countryside: what is killing our bees. It is a question that generates huge controversy. Changes in the weather, pesticides and even a deadly virus have all all been blamed. It is a question that Bill is all too familiar with as a beekeeper himself. He meets the scientists who are fitting minute radar transponders on to bees to try to find answers.