Run by bee farmers for bee farmers. The only association to represent the interests of the commercial and semi-commercial bee keepers of the U.K. The slide-show below shows some of the visits and activities we make, members of the association, equipment and processes that we use. Please browse the site for more information about commercial beekeeping and the B.F.A. We recommend you register to gain a fuller experience...

“It is with much sadness that we report that Dr Eva Crane, founder of IBRA and inspirational bee scientist, passed away peacefully on the afternoon of Thursday 6th September 2007 at the age of 95. She had become increasingly frail over the past few months and was admitted to Wexham Park Hospital in Berkshire on Monday. An obituary will appear in Journal of Apicultural Research".
 
“The funeral of Dr Crane will take place at 1.45pm on Friday 14th September at Amersham Crematorium. By request there are no flowers. A lasting and tangible tribute will be established to honour Dr Crane and her contribution to the world of apiculture. Therefore, please send any donations, made payable to "The Eva Crane Memorial Fund", care of IBRA. It is hoped that a service in celebration of her inspirational life will be held in the coming months. Details have yet to be finalised”.

Photograph taken in 1989 by Mary Fisher.

More details will appear on the IBRA site: http://www.ibra.org.uk/

BEEKEEPING

How many of us have thought how nice it would be to keep bees for a living?

How many have seen the initial one or two hives escalate into ten, then twenty, then more? Me, for one! After a couple of years in the school beekeeping club, my interest lay dormant until almost twenty-five years ago when my eldest lad, then in his school beekeeping club, asked if he could have a beehive in the garden. Instead of saying “no” I said - in the best tradition of positive parenting, “We need to find out more about it.” We went to an open day at Sparsholt Agricultural College, and that was that. I now run something over one hundred colonies and call myself a bee farmer. Read More...