Welcome to the County Louth Beekeepers Association (LBKA) websiteOriginally founded in the summer of 1910, our association works on behalf of member beekeepers, providing opportunities to learn the craft and science of beekeeping. Equally important, we provide a social outlet for members to meet with fellow beekeepers - opportunities to share tips and tales. We are blessed to have many excellent beekeepers who are always willing to share their knowledge and experiences.
Our association is committed to supporting the native dark bee, Apis mellifera mellifera. We are affiliated to our national body, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations (FIBKA). We provide our members with classes and support to attain FIBKA academic and practical certifications. Read more about us here. SWARMS!Louth Beekeepers Association is not in a position to handle swarms directly, so we recommend that you contact https://swarms.ie for help. There are many beekeepers from Co. Louth registered on this website, as well as beekeepers from all corners of the country, so you should be in good hands.
The best course of action is to send an email to [email protected] with good clear photos showing the bees as well as the location where they are - height, access, etc. Remember to include your phone number and Eircode. Bees From Our ApiaryFees for bees and Nucs can be paid in the Online Shop
Remember that purchases must be arranged with the Apiary Manager Asian HornetIn 2025, a number of Asian Hornets (a.k.a. Yellow-Legged Hornet) were trapped in Cork. Also, a single Asian Hornet was photographed in Dublin. Two nests were found in Cork and were destroyed.
Above is an Asian Hornet at a bait station near City Hall in Cork city. This should help you to identify the hornet. Note the yellow lower legs, as well as the yellowish stripe at the end of the abdomen. Not shown here is its orange face with large eyes.
For more information on the Asian Hornet, see here, and for information on traps, see here. There are a number of different insects in Ireland which are sometimes thought to be the Asian Hornet, in particular the Giant Woodwasp (a.k.a. the Greater Horntail), so please make sure you are familiar with the characteristics of this invader. If you think you have seen an Asian Hornet, report it to Biodiversity Ireland's invasive species page. It's better to report something that turns out to be innocuous rather than miss the chance of reporting a real threat. Hornet traps & monitoring stationsIf you have an Asian Hornet monitoring station consider registering it at asianhornets.ie - the location is anonymised on the map to protect your privacy/security so please mark it in the correct location.
Education - BeginnersOur beginners' course will kick off with Meet the Beekeepers on Saturday 9th Jan 2027 at 11:00 in the M1 Apiary. The lectures will start on Tuesday 12th Jan 2027 at 7:30PM at Teagasc in Dundalk, and the lectures will continue every Tuesday after that.
Looking after your beesAbout this websiteThis website is a work in progress, if members have interesting articles, stories, pictures, videos etc. that they'd like to submit for inclusion, please get in touch. We would be delighted to publish a blog post from anyone who has something to say. If you would like to share something but you're unsure about any aspect, we'll be delighted to help where we can. You can contact us at: [email protected], or through the contact form.
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Donate to Louth BeekeepersDid a member help you with a swarm or some other aspect of bees and beekeeping? If so, please contribute to cover the costs of managing our apiaries and our education work.
Membership FeesWe've all been victims of the increase in the cost of living the past couple of years. Unfortunately, LBKA also has experienced increased costs for expenses. Because of this, we expect to have to increase membership fees by €20 in 2026. This will push membership from €80 to €100 before 31st January and €120 after 31st January.
Remember that you get liability insurance, 12 copies of An Beachaire, online copies of BBKA News, access to the association apiary and the learning opportunities there, as well as the monthly lectures, so it's a real bargain. All new members must complete the LBKA membership form. Note: The service provider of our online shop charges €5 so the prices are slightly higher. However, the normal prices apply if paying by direct debit or personally. Note: Please make sure the secretary has your address, including your Eircode! Payments:
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