Healthy bees from Gower to the valleys
Croeso! We're the beekeepers of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot: a friendly community with a training apiary in Penllergaer, a popular beginners' course and expert advice, whether you're new to bees or have kept them for decades.
About usAmdanom ni
Nearly 150 years of beekeeping in West Glamorgan
Founded in 1878, the West Glamorgan Beekeepers Association supports beekeepers across the County of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, the Upper Amman Valley and the surrounding area, formerly West Glamorgan. Our aim is to promote the craft of beekeeping by educating both beekeepers and the public. Most of us are amateur beekeepers, and membership is open to anyone with an interest in bees. We are proud members of the Welsh Beekeepers' Association.
Learn
Our well-established beginners' course combines winter theory classes with a full season of hands-on practical sessions at our training apiary.
Share
Regular members' meetings, guest speakers, practical courses and an annual honey show, plus a members' marketplace for buying and selling kit.
Protect
We collect honeybee swarms, help track Asian hornet sightings and raise awareness of the vital role bees play as pollinators. Teachers can invite a beekeeper to their school.
More photos from the club
Our patchEin hardal ni
Beekeeping in West Glamorgan
From the heather commons of Gower to the wooded slopes of the Swansea, Neath, Afan and Upper Amman valleys, our members keep bees in back gardens, allotments, farms and hillsides right across the old county.
- Swansea
- Gower
- Mumbles
- Gorseinon
- Penllergaer
- Morriston
- Clydach
- Pontardawe
- Swansea Valley
- Neath
- Neath Valley
- Port Talbot
- Afan Valley
- Upper Amman Valley
- Briton Ferry
What our bees forage on through the year
Early spring
Willow and blackthorn along the river valleys, gorse on the commons and dandelions everywhere.
Late spring
Sycamore, hawthorn hedges and fruit blossom in gardens and allotments, before the June gap.
Summer
Bramble, white clover and the lime trees in Swansea's parks.
Late summer
Heather on Cefn Bryn and the Gower commons, and Himalayan balsam along the Tawe and Neath.
Autumn
Ivy flowers give the colonies one last boost before winter.
Winter
Bees cluster in the hive to keep warm. On mild days they visit winter heather, mahonia and early snowdrops.
Our mild, damp coastal weather means bees can fly on bright winter days, but a wet summer can cut the honey crop short. Local knowledge matters, and that's what our members share.
This monthY mis hwn
This month in the hive
What our bees are up to, what beekeepers should be doing, and what's flowering around Swansea and Neath Port Talbot right now.
Learn to keep beesDysgu cadw gwenyn
Beginners' course
Ten weeks of evening classes from 30 March 2027, then a season of hands-on sessions at our apiary in Penllergaer. £110 including your first year's membership. Not sure yet? Come to a free taster session.
Where to find usBle i ddod o hyd i ni
Venues
Training Apiary, Penllergaer
🐝 Taster sessions
Free, Sundays 10am to 12pm, late April to September, weather permitting. Open to everyone, no need to be a member. Please contact us to arrange your visit first, so we can make sure someone is at the apiary to meet you.
We run beginner and taster sessions every Sunday from 10am to 12pm, from late April through September, weather permitting. It's a unique chance for complete beginners to see a working beehive up close, and you don't have to be a member to come to a taster session. Just get in touch first so someone is there to meet you.
Protective suits are provided. Please bring your own gloves (Marigolds are fine) and wellington boots. You can drive to the apiary entrance, but please wait for an instructor to arrive before going in.
Directions: leave the M4 at junction 47. At the Penllergaer interchange take the A48 towards Gorseinon, then the first exit at the roundabout onto Swansea Road. Turn left onto Clos Ty Mawr and carry straight on through the steel barrier. The apiary is about 200 yards on the left. Postcode SA4 9DH (open in Maps).
Llangyfelach Church Hall
2 Heol-Y-Geifr, Morriston, Swansea, SA5 7JD
Home to our beginners' theory classes, members' meetings, guest speaker events, practical courses and our annual honey show. See the events calendar for meeting dates.
What's onBeth sydd ymlaen
Events calendar
Shows, courses, apiary days and socials for 2027. Visitors are welcome at most events.
- Nov–Dec30–1Show
Royal Welsh Winter Fair
Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd · 30 November to 1 December 2026
- Jan19AGM
Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 19 January 2027 · Llangyfelach Church Hall · 7.15pm · All members welcome
- Feb20Show
The Beekeeping Show
Saturday 20 February 2027 · Telford International Centre date to be confirmed
- Mar7Apiary
Apiary maintenance day
Sunday 7 March 2027 · Training Apiary, Penllergaer · 10am · Help get the apiary ready for spring
- Mar27Show
WBKA Annual Convention
Saturday 27 March 2027 · Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd date to be confirmed
- Mar30Course
Beginners' course begins
Tuesdays from 30 March to 1 June 2027 · Llangyfelach Church Hall · 7pm · Class 1 is registration
- Apr16–18Show
BBKA Spring Convention
16 to 18 April 2027 · Harper Adams University, Shropshire date to be confirmed
- May30Apiary
Practical sessions start at the apiary
Sundays from 30 May 2027 · Training Apiary, Penllergaer · 10am–12pm · Taster sessions welcome
- Jul3Social
Members' BBQ and apiary visit
Saturday 3 July 2027 · Venue to be announced
- Jul19–22Show
Royal Welsh Show
19 to 22 July 2027 · Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd · Including the national honey show
- Aug1Show
Gower Show
Sunday 1 August 2027 · Penrice Castle Park date to be confirmed
- Aug22Open day
Apiary open day
Sunday 22 August 2027 · Training Apiary, Penllergaer · 10am · Come and see inside a hive, everyone welcome
- Oct21–23Show
National Honey Show
21 to 23 October 2027 · Sandown Park, Esher
- Nov29–30Show
Royal Welsh Winter Fair
29 to 30 November 2027 · Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd date to be confirmed
📅 Never miss a meeting: subscribe to our events calendar (iPhone, Mac, Outlook) or add it to Google Calendar. New dates appear on your phone automatically.
MembershipAelodaeth
Join us
Membership runs from 1 January to 31 December. Every beekeeping membership includes Bee Diseases Insurance (BDI) for 3 colonies against American and European foulbrood until 31 December.
Full
- BDI cover for 3 colonies
- Members' meetings and talks
- Apiary sessions and advice
- Voting rights
Family
- One beekeeping member with BDI cover for 3 colonies
- Other family members join as associate members (no voting rights)
Junior
- BDI cover for 3 colonies
- Must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times
Beginners' course
- 10-week theory course
- A season of practical sessions
- First year's membership included
All colonies must be insured against disease. When you join, include any increase in colonies you expect during the year (including swarms), or the insurance may be invalid.
For the publicI'r cyhoedd
Do you have a honeybee swarm?
Stay calm and keep your distance. Check it's honeybees, then report it and a local volunteer beekeeper will help.
Bee healthIechyd gwenyn
Asian hornets (Vespa velutina)
The Asian, or yellow-legged, hornet is an invasive species and a serious threat to honeybees. It is smaller than our native hornet: workers are about 25mm long and queens about 30mm. The abdomen is mostly black, with a single yellow band on the fourth segment, and it has distinctive yellow legs and an orange face.
Do not disturb an active nest.
Report a sighting with a photo
- Use our sighting form
- Use the Asian Hornet Watch app (iPhone and Android)
- Report online at nonnativespecies.org/alerts/asianhornet
- Email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
Beekeepers: please register your apiaries on BeeBase so you receive alerts about pests and disease nearby.
Get in touchCysylltwch â ni
Contact us
Use the right form and your message goes straight to the right person.
We only use your details to deal with your report or message. See our privacy notice.
Found a swarm? Please use our swarm report form, which alerts our swarm collectors straight away.
Report an Asian hornet sighting
Please don't disturb an active nest. Also report your sighting to the national alert service using the Asian Hornet Watch app or nonnativespecies.org.
Join / register for the beginners' course
Fill in your details and choose your membership. We'll be in touch about payment, or to arrange your free taster session.
General enquiry
Questions, talks for schools or groups, or anything else.