Bee Health

Bee treatments and the recording of veterinary medicines 

apiarymanager Bee Health, Education & Training, Foul Brood Diseases, National Bee Unit, Nosema, PBKA, Pests, Starting Beekeeping, Stories of Interest, Training, Varroa
Beekeepers should regularly check their bees for signs of disease and infestations.
Now is a good time to check and treat for Varroa, before Winter feeding commences. There are numerous permitted treatments available and you are required to keep records of treatment given.
See below the advice given by the National Bee Unit (NBU).

Record of Veterinary Medicines 

You must keep records of all veterinary medicines administered to colonies for at least five years, irrespective if the colony concerned is no longer in your possession or has died during that period.

The ‘veterinary medicine administration record’, is a useful template for you to use to meet these requirements.
Your medicines records can be requested at any time by the relevant authority and/or bee inspector. Failing to keep records of veterinary medicines applied to honey bee colonies, as set out in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR) 2013, is an offence.

NBU – Starvation Alert!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, PBKA

Over the last few days during routine inspections, we have observed honey bee colonies that are extremely short of food stores. We urge beekeepers to check the levels of food stores in colonies and monitor closely, particularly if apiaries have not been visited for some time or if a honey crop has recently been removed. Colonies need to be checked because they can succumb to starvation very quickly.

In addition, in many areas wasps are very populous and we have witnessed lots of beekeepers across the regions who are losing colonies to wasp attack. Please read our fact sheet on wasps for advice about how to prevent wasp related losses

Feed can be prepared from refined white sugar and water mixed at a 2:1 ratio, or ready mixed syrups may be acquired from beekeeping equipment suppliers. For more information on how to make a sugar syrup and feed bees, please read our best practice guidance: NBU best practice guideline for sugar feeding of honey bees.

If you have any questions, please contact your local Inspector. Contact details can be found at https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/contact-us/.

Varroa warning!

apiarymanager PBKA, Varroa

I found this report in the Guardian, it tells of the catastrophic effect VAROA mites are having on bee colonies. The report is very worrying. It says Varoa are becoming resistant to miticides. Hopefully this link I share works and you can read the article for yourself. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/08/record-us-bee-colony-dieoffs-climate-stress-pesticides-silent-spring-aoe

Peter Kirkup

PBKA Asian Hornet Coordinator

Asian Hornet Coordinator Report

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA, Pests

A brief comment on the Asian Hornet or Yellow Legged Hornet, it seems the new term is preferred, in June, Kent and East Sussex provided the only confirmed reports. PLEASE DO NOT try to deal with a nest if you find one, REPORT IT. https://risc.brc.ac.uk/alert.php?species=asian_hornet

Let’s talk about… WASPS, that time of year is upon us, time to reduce the entrance gap to one bee space. I am reluctant to kill wasps, they have their role to play in nature, perhaps my observations and ideas will be helpful to you when you inevitably face a wasp invasion. Putting out wasp traps I abandoned long ago, they cause the demise of wasps and other insects, even worse, the wasps that escape seem to tell other wasps they found a sweet drink and more start appearing. It is likely a wasp nest is near by, to find it can be tricky. Wasps are easy to catch so you can glue a bit of foil to one, release it and see where it goes. This year, if I get a problem (shouldn’t do as hives are big and strong) I will offer the wasps a sweet liquid treat away from my hives, they might choose the easy option and not harass my colonies. What do you think, do you have other solutions? If my attempt fails I plan to adopt a biological weapon, watch this YouTube video to see how organised wasps can be and what secret defense you can employ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9RfjS6rVoE&t=216s&pp=2AHYAZACAcoFFEFjcm9iYXRpY3MgbWluaXNjdWx

Peter Kirkup

PBKA Asian Hornet Coordinator