Why Join Us
There are many reasons to join a Beekeeping
association and ours in particular if you live anywhere within striking
distance of Petersfield.
P & DBKA has a wide range of members
with ranging in experience from over 50 years of beekeeping to beginners,
juniors and family members. Some are Associate members because they belong to
another Beekeeping Association and want to join in some of our activities.
One of the reasons many people join is to gain from the wealth of
experience that can be tapped while learning about beekeeping. This can be
particularly valuable before buying any equipment. There are many expensive
items that can be borrowed, such as a honey extractor, which until you have
many hives is an expensive item of equipment.
Some join to get hands
on experience at our own apiary. You can come along even before you join to see
if you want to cope with handling bees, or whether it is just too uncomfortable
getting stung. Yes, you will get stung occasionally if you become a beekeeper,
but after a while it won't bother you. You can see what different types of
equipment are like to handle and borrow some protective clothing. This helps
you to make informed choices before buying your own.
Another good
reason to join is to benefit from some of the more formal education available
on many aspects of beekeeping. There are courses from basic beekeeping right up
to advanced levels. There is also access to courses on bee diseases and
microscopy. We also have a library of more than 200 books on beekeeping
subjects and access to the Hampshire Beekeepers' Association (HBA) library of
books slides and videos.
The social side of the Association is also
most enjoyable. We meet every three or four weeks in the winter for slide
shows, videos and talks on all sorts of subjects linked to beekeeping. In the
Spring and Summer we meet at the Association's apiary to work with the bees and
learn from each other as well as have a good chinwag. We also attend several
country shows with our small marquee to show the educational side of beekeeping
and to sell some of our Honey and wax products. Once a year, in the Autumn, we
have a Honey Show , to show not only honey but wax, mead, cakes and
confectionery. In addition many of the members also show at the Hampshire
Beekeepers' Convention and the National Honey Show
We produce a
monthly newsletter. As a member of our Association you are automatically a
member of HBA and the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA), you get quarterly
newsletters from HBA and BBKA . Becoming a member also gives you an inexpensive
way of insuring yourself from public liability claims. Your hives are insured
against loss from disease for only £2.00 per year for the first three
colonies. This group buying is also available for other products such as honey
jars and varroa treatment.
How to Join
Easy! Just contact our membership secretary. If it is Spring or Summer
he will arrange for a member to show you where our apiary is, so you can come
and meet us; or direct you to the next country show we are attending. If is is
Autumn or Winter you could just come along to one of our social events. Have a
look at our Diary . You can download and print the Membership Form,
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