This year sees introduction of the Honey Show within the Horticulture Marquee at the 138th Driffield Show taking place today.
As well as encouraging Beekeepers to prepare and display honey and wax to the very highest standards the Show will also give non Beekeepers the opportunity to see the different types of honey and products of the hive at their best and to learn of the great value of honey as a food and the honeybee as a pollinator.
In years gone by every local honey association would have had an annual honey show and the Driffield Show organisers are hoping that the Yorkshire Beekeepers Association organised Honey Show will once again encourage this tradition and ensure that the skills of the Beekeepers are carried on.
All the classes at the Show are open to any Beekeeper for wax and honey as the products musts have come from the Beekeeper’s Bees, but the confectionary classes can be entered by anyone who is interested as any honey may be used. The organisers are hoping that there will be lots of jars and honey, some wax and candles, mead and cakes made from honey on display and for the judge to select the winning entries from.
It is often reported in the media that ‘bees are in trouble’. One issue that causes debate is the ongoing use of pesticides and although this may be a contributory factor there remains much uncertainty. However, what is known is that there are other significant actors that cause problems with bee health and the survival of colonies such as our weather, poor summers, long winters and cold springs, the lack of forage and the parasitic mite Varroa destructor.
Due to the above factors the organisers are concerned that this year the entries in the Honey Show may be lower than hoped this year as the Beekeepers have been feeding the bees over winter and unfortunately, not always with success. Subsequently, it is thought that the number of colonies lost during this last winter is in the region of 35% resulting in poor honey crops.
However, if this is the case the organisers are ensuring that visitors will not be disappointed as they will be producing a display including information about bees, what we can all do to help sustain them and an observation hive with live bees for the public to see. In addition there will also be Beekeepers at the Honey Show throughout the day to answer any questions .