Advancing the education of the public and beekeepers in the craft of beekeeping.
Welcome
BKAs (Bee Keepers Associations) are centres of knowledge, advice and assistance. They hold the beekeeping knowledge and teach it to future beekeepers.
The North Dorset BKA is passionate about bees, honey and the enjoyment you can find through keeping bees and harvesting the produce. Our aim is to encourage the craft of beekeeping, provide high quality training, and advise, help support and encourage beekeepers.
We are a Registered Charity (Number 1193201), and we are fully affiliated with the Dorset County Beekeepers Association and the British Beekeepers Association. We had 137 members at the time of our last AGM.
If you are interested in keeping bees, find out about the courses and training we offer.
The New Apiary
The North Dorset Beekeepers Association (NDBKA) is launching an ambitious project to create an inclusive, educational space near Blandford which anyone will be able to visit to improve their knowledge of honey bees, how we can help them and how they affect us all.
The North Dorset Honey Bee Centre will provide a learning and community centre for training new beekeepers, developing skills, and education about the role of the honey bee in food production and the wider environment for visiting schools and other groups. It will also be a base for social and community activities.
We broke ground in late October 2024.
Key Dates for 2025
January 18th Skep Making 10am-4pm SCC
January 25th Skep making 1-4pm SCC
February 18th How to keep bees in a Skep talk by Diana Robertson 7-9pm SCC
March 18th Plants for bees talk by Lesley Gasson
March 22nd DBKA AGM in Dorford Centre, Dorchester 2.00pm
March 29th Apiary Tidy 2.30pm
March 29th Second Year Course start 2.00 SCC
April 5th Introduction To Beekeeping 10.00-4.00pm
May 11th Visit to Ron Briggs Honey House 2.00pm
May 24th Bee Experience Day 1-6pm
May 29-31st Bath and West Show
June 7th Bee Experience Day 1-6pm
June 8th Bee diseases safari with SBI Krysia Watson 2-5pm
June 21st Bee Experience Day 1-6pm
July 5th BBQ at Lesley's Apiary, THE WHITE HOUSE, CANDYS LANE, Shillingstone, DT11 0SF
July 19th Visit to Hurn Honey Farm 2.00pm
August 13&14th Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show
August 21st Melplash Show
August 26th Steve Toop Talk on Farming, Beekeeping and Forage 7.30pm SCC
August 30th Apiary Tidy 2.00pm
September 6-7th Dorchester Show
October 1st Pay your subscription
October 18th Dorset Convention Dorford Centre, Dorchester 9.30-4.30
October 23-25th National Honey Show
November 21st AGM and Supper
December 9th Christmas Record of the year