apiculture n. beekeeping
apiarist n. one who keeps bees
apiary n. a place where bees are kept
© Okehampton Branch of the Devon Beekeepers Association 2022 - Registered Charity 270675
Not a member?
Non-members are welcome to come along to any of our winter meetings; just turn up and introduce yourself. The Village Hall in Whiddon Down is on the road exiting the A30 in the direction of Moretonhampstead. The Village Hall is next to the Post Inn pub and there is a good-sized car-park.
If you are considering taking up beekeeping and want to see what it's like to work with live bees then you will be welcome to join one of our summer apiary meetings. However, you will need to contact us beforehand so we can arrange for suitable protective clothing to be provided
Apiary Meetings
Okehampton branch doesn't have its own apiary. Summer meetings are held at members apiaries. One advantage of this is that meetings are held all over our area so there should be a meeting nearby to all members at some time during the summer. Another advantage is that we get to see different styles of beekeeping in action.
Okehampton Branch Winter Programme
2023
Our winter programme from October through to March is a series of evening meetings held at Whiddon Down Village Hall, on the second Thursday of each month, starting at 7:30 pm. These will normally include a visiting speaker or Branch Member discussing a beekeeping related topic. The November meeting will be our Branch AGM, where we select/elect our committee for next year. Planned events during the next couple of months are listed below:
Okehampton Branch Winter Programme
- Thursday October 12 - Our first meeting of our winter programme will be a talk and presentation by author and naturalist Brigit Strawbrige. Brigit’s book ‘Dancing with Bees’, explores in depth the behaviour and lifecycles of the many different species of bees which inhabit the British Isles. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at Whiddon Down Village Hall
- Thursday November 23 - Okehampton Beekeepers’ Annual General Meeting – at Whiddon Down Village Hall, starting at 7:30 pm. This is a vital mandatory event in the Branch’s annual calendar. It is our members’ chance to influence the way the branch is run. The primary purpose of the AGM is the election of branch officers and committee members who will undertake the running of the branch for the coming year
- Thursday December 14 - A talk by Liz Westcott on how to prepare Beeswax for the Show Table. Liz has experience as Show Secretary for the Bees and Honey feature at Devon County Show.
Details of further meetings in the New Year will be published once these are available.
Okehampton Branch are also planning to re-run the annual 8 session Basic Beekeeping Course from January to end April 2024. Course Sessions will be held at Whiddon Down Village Hall, alternate Wednesday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm. Course session dates are as follows: January 17th (joining details and introductions), January 31, February 14, February 28, March 13, March 27, April 10 and finishing on April 24. These sessions follow the syllabus of topics required for the BBKA Basic Assessment Exam. These evening theory sessions will be augmented during May and June with the opportunity to gain practical exprience of handing bees at trainers’ apiaries.