Mid Cheshire Beekeepers (MCBK) is one of five branches in the Cheshire Beekeeping Association (CBKA), the others being North Cheshire, South Cheshire, Wirral and Stockport. Established in 2012, MCBK is the youngest CBKA branch and now has around one hundred members, many of whom have just started beekeeping.
We aim to promote the craft of beekeeping and increase public awareness of the importance of honeybees and other pollinating insects to our well-being and existence. To this end we provide training and mentoring for new beekeepers, hold meetings on a range of subjects for both novice and experienced beekeepers, host apiary visits, organise stands at various shows throughout the county, and give talks to schools and local community organisations.
If you are interested in becoming a beekeeper, please come along to any of our branch meetings listed on the Events page of this website where you will be most welcome. If you wish to join MCBK then please download and complete the membership form shown on the About Us page of this website.
NEXT MEETING
Queenright Queen Rearing
David Evans (The Apiarist)
Monday 7th October (7:30 pm)
This will be an on-line Zoom meeting and open to all CBKA members but, owing maximum attendance restrictions, you must register in advance to participate in this meeting. Details of how to register have been circulated to all CBKA members but you can register now by visiting the CBKA Website at
(Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association (cheshire-bka.co.uk)
David Evans is Emeritus Professor of Virology in the School of Biology, University of St. Andrews. His research interests include the biology and control of both Deformed Wing Virus and Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus in honey bees. His talk is aimed at beekeepers with a year or two of experience who are interested in rearing a small number of queens each year. It is a gentle introduction to the subject and describes an effective and economical approach that employs methods that can be readily scaled as needs and experience increase. The talk does not try and cover the myriad of different queen rearing strategies, but instead focuses on methods achievable by beekeepers with as few as 1-3 colonies and limited additional specialist equipment.