A randomised sample of beekeepers registered on BeeBase will shortly be contacted via email and asked to complete a short survey. Beekeepers are selected at random and reflect the overall proportion of hobbyist and commercial beekeepers registered on BeeBase in England and Wales. Only beekeepers who are subscribed to email…
Update on small hive beetle in Italy
On the 8th June 2026, Aethina tumida (small hive beetle) was confirmed in an apiary in the province of Latina, Lazio region, central Italy. This represents a new detection outside the previously affected areas of southern Italy. Surveillance data show one positive apiary in Latina, and a positive sentinel apiary…
Miti-side-effects
Miticides kill Varroa. They also have detrimental side effects for the brood, workers, drones, and queen. Some of these side effects are more damaging than others, but many can be avoided (or at least mitigated) with proper colony management.
2026 Y Diweddaraf am Gacwn Melyngoes
Rhowch wybod os byddwch yn gweld Vespa Velutina, sef y Gacynen Melyngoes (a elwir hefyd yn Gacynen Asiaidd), gan ddefnyddio’r ffurflen ar-lein yma neu’r ap ‘Asian hornet Watch’ ar gyfer dyfeisiau Apple a dyfeisiau Android. Ar 29/05/2026: Er mwyn gweld lleoliad nythod a ddinistriwyd, ewch i’r dudalen mapiau a dewiswch haenen Cacynen…
Expression of Interest: BHAF Science Advisor
This is an unpaid, voluntary position that supports the work of the Bee Health Advisory Forum and the delivery of the Healthy Bees Plan 2030 (HBP 2030) in England and Wales HBP2030_English_language_version.pdf Healthy honey bees are essential to agriculture, food production and wider ecosystem health. Managed honey bees support crop…
Keep calm and carry on
The vagaries of the weather, compounded by unexpected events, are what make beekeeping so endlessly fascinating … and challenging. Don’t get flustered. Just keep calm and carry on and things should be OK.
Support for Weekend Events
APHA’s National Bee Unit recognise the important role that weekend events play in supporting training, engagement, and education across our primarily hobbyist sector and we are committed to working constructively with partners and stakeholders to maximise the value and impact of these opportunities wherever possible. However, our organisation operates within…
Orientation flights and ‘non-flying bees’
Bees spend more of their short lives learning about the environment during orientation flights than they spend foraging. Why are these flights so important, when do they start, and are bees that have yet to take them really ‘non-flying bees’?
Yellow-Legged Hornet Analyses
In December 2025 Defra confirmed that the NBU will not be asked to carry out spring trapping for YLH in England in 2026. This decision was taken in response to the high number and geographic spread of later season nest finds during 2025. At the BHAF meeting held on 5th…
Hive Count 2025 – Results
Over 10,000 beekeepers updated their details on BeeBase during the 2025 hive count compared to over 9,500 in 2024. The 2025 hive count produced a figure of 257,976 colonies in the UK. This is higher than the 2024 figure of 252,647. Responses indicated there was a decrease of 0.2 hive…