BIBBA encourages the formation of local groups for the identification, conservation and improvement of native bees in any part of the British Isles or elsewhere. A local group can pool expertise of different types
(bee management, record keeping, queen raising, equipment making, morphometry, etc. etc.) and maximise the number of bee colonies under management and study. Groups can liaise with one another and
with scientific institutions. They can spread the message of BIBBA, and distribute genetic material beyond their own confines to wider circles of beekeepers.
BIBBA Groups Secretary Sandra Unwin is available for advice and assistance in starting up a Local Group.
Two particularly active BIBBA local groups are the Galtee Bee Breeders’ Group, Ireland and the East Midlands Group, as shown by the following reports: