County Limerick Beekeepers' Association

Outside Our Region

Events and news from the rest of Ireland, Europe and Beyond:

FIBKA Constitution

A sub committee has been set up in FIBKA to review the Associations Constitution. Gus will be asking members at our AGM to review this and forward to him any comments. Details can be found via this link.

Wanted:Beekeepers - In New Zealand!

A company in New Zealand are advertising for Irish beekeepers to work there. Details can be found here.

FIBKA Exams 2014

Dates and other information about the next round of FIBKA beekeeping exams can be found via the following link.

Forthcoming events internationally:

June 2014: European Plant Biology Congress

The Plant Biology Europe FESPB/EPSO 2014 Congress is this year to be held in Dublin. For further details please follow this link

September 2014

The BIBBA 50th Anniversary Conference combined with the SICAMM Biennial Conference For further details please follow this link

Pesticide Update:

The European Food Safety Authority has come up with new guidance in relation to the use of pesticides toxic to bees and other pollinators such as bumble bees. The full text of this guidance can be viewed via the following link: Guidance

The goals of this guidance are summarised in a draft document and can be viewed by following this link:Draft

Neonicotinoid Update:

Many may have read in the lastest edition of An Beachaire about products containing neonicotinoids sold for domestic use for control of garden "pests". For convenience, here is the relevant link to the Soil Association list of these products.

Better news for the bees - a two-year partial ban. For an excellent brief summary from a pro-bee perspective of progress towards a ban on neonicotinoids please follow this link.

Related:

After researching the threat to bees from neonicotinoid pesticides, the European Food Safety Authority has proposed restrictions on their use. For the detail (from the horses mouth) see:

EFSA identifies risks to bees from neonicotinoids .

Conclusion on the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for bees for the active substance imidacloprid.

Conclusion on the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for bees for the active substance thiamethoxam.

Conclusion on the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for bees for the active substance clothianidin.

and......

Read about a proposal for a reserve for the native black bee on Colonsay Island, Scotland.