Category: Beekeeping

Members: Swarm Collection Guidelines

If you are called on to help with collection of a swarm please consider:

  1. Do I have the training and capability to do this?
    Normally those with a basic assessment or higher qualification who have kept bees for more than 5 years are automatically qualified.
  2. Do I have the equipment needed for this situation?
    Steps, Ladders, Bee suit etc, Bee equipment (skep/nuc/hive/box/sheeting/rope or tape etc.), secateurs, loppers, means to securely transport the bees.
  3. Do I need assistance to undertake this safely?
    Will I need an assistant, can the homeowner/occupier help safely?
  4. Are the conditions appropriate (weather/ground/surrounding risks/access restrictions/people present?)
  5. What is the ultimate destination for the bees?
    Where will their new home be? Can I transport them safely?
  6. What are the benefits of this action?
    Just the bee colony gained, or can the association receive a donation in recognition of a service performed? [The owner/occupier may be relieved to see the back of the bees and the time/energy/materials involved in their removal may be significant.]
  7. Am I insured?
    The current Insurance Policy FAQs for NBKA/BBKA members state:
    [9.] I am called by a member of the public to collect bees that have swarmed – am I covered?
    What happens if I charge for my services?
    You are covered provided, it is part of your normal beekeeping activities. If you charge reasonable expenses to cover fuel costs then this will not affect your cover. However, if you make a business out of swarm collection this would be viewed differently. You would need normal Commercial Insurance for this business activity which is not covered by the BBKA policy.
    [10.] Is there any restriction on working at height?
    No. The Aviva policy does not have a specified restriction for working at height. Broadly speaking, you should not attempt any work for which you do not have adequate equipment, training or experience.  The policy does not cover reckless acts, so if you are in doubt seek guidance from someone with the relevant experience or training or, preferably, use an alternate method that would avoid you having to climb to height.

Beginners Beekeeping Course 2026

We will be running a course for those interested in beekeeping. This will be of interest to the spectrum of people from those with hives who have not had training, through those keen to start keeping their own bees, to those who are not sure if beekeeping would be for them.

The course will run on Monday evenings in Newent starting at the end of February. To read more or apply to join please see our training page here.

Your Bees This Winter

Several of our beekeepers are reporting the loss of colonies due to the recent spells of cold weather.

Have you lost a colony (colonies)?

In order to gauge the severity of the problem, and try to define the most probably causes of colony loss we would like to hear from you.

Please email newentbees@googlemail.com or burrowsadrianj@gmail.com indicating how many colonies you keep and how many have died. One of us will follow up with a request for further details. We will hope to identify a major cause and (possibly) methods to avoid losses in future years.

BeeConnected: Connecting beekeepers and farmers

BeeConnected is a new way of undertaking a long-standing practice: farmers informing beekeepers of an intention to apply an insecticide.
To join please create a logon at the BeeConnected website.
Farmers can register on the system and then identify a field they are planning to spray with an insecticide by dropping a pin in the on-screen map. Then, using the drop down menus, they simply enter the insecticide they will be using, the crop they are spraying, and the date they are spraying, and a basic notification will be sent out to neighbouring beekeepers registered on the system.
Beekeepers can register on the system and simply map the location of their bee hives by dropping a pin in the on-screen map. They will then receive a notification by email when a spray event is due to take place within the vicinity of a hive.

National Honey Monitoring Scheme

Dr Anna Oliver and the NHMS Team at https://honey-monitoring.ac.uk aim to use honeybees to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the UK countryside. For the scheme to work they need the help of beekeepers to collect honey samples from across the UK and intend to continue to do this for many years.
These samples will analysed using advanced DNA barcoding techniques to identify the species of plant pollen present. This will tell what bees are feeding on in different parts of the country and at different times of year. This information will help identify possible threats to the floral resources of pollinating insects.

To join in you need to create a log in at the honey monitoring website and then visit the ‘Taking part’ tab, click on ‘request a sample pack’ and follow the instructions to create a submission. They only ask a couple of questions, importantly location, to enable a pack request. This needs to be done every time you desire a new sample pack. Sample packs for this year’s honey crop can be ordered until October 7th.