Programme of Events 2026
January 2026
Both Apiaries closed
February 2026
Sat 14 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30 am Colonies checked for damage. Weather permitting, quick check for amount of stores in colonies. If required colonies fed with bee fondant or with dry sugar.
10:00 am Newly bought equipment assembled. Please bring suitable tools – power drills/screwdrivers. New hive parts painted with timber preservative, bring old clean brushes.
Sat 28 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am The apiary officially opens for the season.
Weather permitting, routine inspections commence.
Colonies checked for stores, health, viability, a note taken if stocks need equalizing. All live colonies given a pollen substitute food. In poor weather new frames made and fitted with foundation sheets.
March 2026
Sat 7 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am The apiary officially opens for the season.
Colonies checked for stores, health, viability, a note taken if stocks need equalizing. All live colonies given a pollen substitute food. In poor weather new frames made and fitted with foundation sheets.
Sat 7 – 167 Tower Bridge Rd., SE1 3LN
9:30am – 1:30pm: Introduction to Beekeeping, Theory part 1
Sat 14 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Weather permitting, routine inspections commence.
Colonies checked for stores, health, viability, a note taken if stocks need equalizing. All live colonies given a pollen substitute food. In poor weather new frames made and fitted with foundation sheets.
Sat 21 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Weather permitting, routine inspections commenced. If the season progressed well thus far, 2nd brood box or 1st super added. Suitable colonies for the queen and drone rearing selected and noted.
Sat 21 – 167 Tower Bridge Rd., SE1 3LN
9:30am – 1:30pm: Introduction to Beekeeping, (Beginners’ Course) Theory part 2
Sat 28 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am If the season progressed well thus far, 2nd brood box or 1st super added. Suitable colonies for the queen and drone rearing selected and noted.
April 2026
Sat 4 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention measures undertaken.
Supers added to the colonies if needed. 2nd best colony selected and prepared for raising the drones for the queen rearing program: it will be given a frame with drone foundation and fed with sugar and pollen substitute.
All other colonies will be given the Varroa entrapment frames
Sat 11 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention measures undertaken.
Supers added to the colonies if needed. 2nd best colony selected and prepared for raising the drones for the queen rearing program: it will be given a frame with drone foundation and fed with sugar and pollen substitute.
All other colonies will be given the Varroa entrapment frames
Sat 18 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention measures undertaken.
Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa frames checked. The colonies selected for queen rearing and for drone rearing given feed supplement: both sugar syrup and pollen substitute should be given.
Sat 25 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Routine inspection of colonies; swarm prevention. Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa frames checked. Old frames rendered down to retrieve beeswax.
Sat 25 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Introduction to Beekeeping, (Beginners’ Course) Part 3; 1st Practical session.
Please note: The Ruxley apiary will be closed to all members, except for those helping with the course. All other members are advised to come to the Baldwyns Apiary.
May 2026
Sat 2 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies; swarm prevention. Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa frames checked.
The colony selected for the queen rearing is to be prepared (demareed).
Sat 9 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies; swarm prevention. Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa frames checked.
10:30am Weather permitting, queen rearing (QR) part 1; Grafting.
Sat 9 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Introduction to Beekeeping, (Beginners’ Course) Part 4; 2nd Practical session.
Please note: The Baldwyns apiary will be closed to all members, except for those helping with the course. All other members are advised to come to the Ruxley Apiary.
1:30pm Weather and fatigue permitting, QR part 1; Grafting
Sat 16 – Ruxley Apiary:
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies; swarm prevention. Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa frames checked.
QR pt 2: Check on the grafting outcome, preparation of the mating nucs.
Tue 20 – Ruxley & Baldwyns Apiary
Time TBC QR pt 3: Distribution of ripe QCs into the mating nucs.
Sat 23 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies; swarm prevention. Supers added to the colonies if needed. Varroa frames checked. Check on the grafting outcome; QR pt 4. If QR not successful, the grafting process re-done.
Sat 30 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked. New queens checked if laying.
June 2026
Sat 6 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked. New queens checked if laying.
Sat 13 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked.
Sat 20 – Baldwyns apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked. The new queens marked and clipped.
Sat 27 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked. New queens checked if laying.
July 2026
Sat 4 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked. If needed, supers added.
Sat 11 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies, swarm prevention. Varroa entrapment frames checked. If needed, supers added.
Sat 18 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Routine inspection of colonies and the last swarm prevention. The last Varroa entrapment frames check.
Sat 25 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Tidying the kitchen shed and Mrs Brain shed, in preparation for the forthcoming honey harvest. Consolidation of frames with honey.
Sat 25 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Final consolidation of frames with honey in preparation for separating the bees from their honey.
Thu 30 – Baldwyns and Ruxley Apiaries
6:00pm Separation of bees from their honey. Boxes with honey transported from the Baldwyns apiary to the Ruxley apiary.
August 2026
Sat 1 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am – 4:00pm Setting up and extraction of honey harvest.
12:30 Lunch with drinks.
After completion, empty supers returned to Baldwyns apiary hives.
NB: Only those members, who will have indicated by Sat 25th July, that they will be coming to help and participate, will be allowed to enter.
Sat 8 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Check up on stores and colonies fed with 1:1 sugar syrup and with the pollen substitute.
Sat 15 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Check up on stores and colonies fed with 1:1 sugar syrup and with the pollen substitute. Should they need it, colonies treated for the Varroa infestation.
Sat 22 – Ruxley Apiary
9:00am Check up on stores and colonies fed with 1:1 sugar syrup and with the pollen substitute. Should they need it, colonies treated for the Varroa infestation.
Sat 29 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:00am Colonies fed with sugar syrup and with the pollen substitute.
September 2026
Sat 5 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Colonies fed as required, hedges inside perimeter trimmed. Elderberry bushes growth removed.
Sat 12 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Colonies fed as required, hedges trimmed.
Sat 19 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Colonies fed as required with 1.6:1 strength sugar syrup, hedges trimmed.
Sat 26 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Last check on the amount of the winter food in colonies and topped up if required.
October 2026
Sat 3 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Varroa treatment removed. Repairs to hive parts; tidying of the apiary. Bring suitable tools.
Sat 10 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30am Installation of mouse guards and chicken wire mesh protection against woodpeckers. Bring suitable tools.
Sat 17 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Installation of mouse guards and chicken wire mesh cages protection against woodpeckers. Bring suitable tools.
Sat 24 – Baldwyns Apiary
9:30 Cleaning of the equipment, repairs.
Sat 31 – Ruxley Apiary
9:30am Cleaning of the equipment, repairs.
November 2026
Sat 7 – Baldwyns Apiary
9.30am Early mince pies with mulled wine. Final check before the apiaries are closed for the winter.
Sat 14 – Ruxley Apiary
9.30am Early mince pies with mulled wine. Final check before the apiaries are closed for the winter.
Sat 21 – Baldwyns and Ruxley Apiaries – Closed
Sat 28 – Both apiaries – Closed
Apiaries closed for the winter.
December 2026
Both Apiaries are closed for the winter.