2025 has broken historical climate records, with provisional Met Office figures showing it has been both the warmest and sunniest year on record for the UK. www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...

When natural pollen is scarce, beekeepers use protein supplements, but their effectiveness varies. In this study, we compared six protein sources to see how they affect the development of the hypopharyngeal glands in worker bees. www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/17...

A hobbyist beekeeper on the Isle of Wight died after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, an inquest has concluded. www.countypress.co.uk/news/2573349...

Our findings reveal that rising temperatures and reduced precipitation decrease the diversity of foraging resources across Europe, pushing many plants beyond critical limits. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list 2026, in recognition of his outstanding services to the environment www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/craig-b...

Strathallan School is delighted to announce that David Barnes has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his long-standing voluntary work supporting children and communities in Perthshire and Kenya. www.strathallan.co.uk/news/stratha...

The National Bee Unit's 2025 National Hive Count closes today. Please update your BeeBase records before midnight tonight! Hive count provides important data about UK beekeeping. Just login to BeeBase & make a note of the total number of colonies thus winter www.nationalbeeunit.com/bees-and-the...

2025 saw an unusually early spring and strong, prolonged swarming, good honey crops in some areas, record yellow-legged Asian hornet nest destructions, above average winter losses, changes to neonicotinoid legislation and Tropilaelaps emerging as a potential threat. What are your highlights?

Stingless bees from the Amazon have become the first insects to be granted legal rights anywhere in the world, in a breakthrough supporters hope will be a catalyst for similar moves to protect bees elsewhere. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The Oliveira do Hospital council [Portugal] is distributing five tons of bee feed to nearly one hundred beekeepers in the municipality to address the food shortage facing the sector. www.theportugalnews.com/news/2025-12...

“It’s the only honey in the world where collectors risk their lives in the den of the mighty Bengal tiger to gather it. Sometimes, they also face the danger of poisonous snake bites.” www.arabnews.pk/node/2627675...

An eight-year-old girl has raised over £2,000 for a hospice through her skills … as a beekeeper. Ula Samms sold dozens of jars of honey to make the cash. She and her family gave it all to St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood, near Harlow in Essex. www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

“I studied about beekeeping and honey production and earned a certification. I started conducting training sessions, teaching beekeeping in schools, foundations, and private and government institutions she is also a 'Bee Ambassador' for UAE beekeeping. www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/emirati-...

Greece is developing “e-honey“, a digital platform designed to ensure full traceability across the honey production & distribution chain. The system aims to strengthen import controls, combat adulteration, and protect consumers while supporting transparency. www.argophilia.com/news/greek-h...

Maggie Gill of the UK talks about the latest info on the Tropilaelaps mite which has spread from SE Asia to mainland Europe. youtu.be/m_IFUdXzsGk?...

This study proposes a comprehensive mathematical model to describe the spread of nosemosis within honey bee colonies, simultaneously incorporating the effects of agrochemical exposure, pharmacological treatments, and hygienic measures applied inside the hive. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A new research initiative aims to safeguard Malta’s honey bees and support beekeepers in the face of climate change. timesofmalta.com/article/proj...

A bipartisan group of US senators recently introduced new legislation aimed at supporting American honey producers affected by unfair trade practices. The bill focuses on helping beekeepers who face long-term pressure from low priced imports m.farms.com/ag-industry-...

Please record all honey bee veterinary treatments on a Veterinary Medicines Directorate from This is a legal requirement. Forms need to be kept for 5 years www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...

This simple calculator allows you to estimate the mite population within a colony. www.varroaresistant.uk/mite-calcula...

Please monitor your hives for Varroa and compare mite levels with National Bee Unit guidance. If control is required then consider an appropriate licenced treatment as part of integrated pest management. www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...

Under four months to go before the BBKA Spring Convention. Bookings open in one month on Sunday 25 January at 8pm www.bbka.org.uk/pages/catego...

Some sources speak of wassailing honey bees & apple trees on Boxing Day

Revd. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth was born on 25th December 1810. Working as minister and teacher, he took up beekeeping to help with depression. Langstroth contributed to rapid developments in beekeeping during the nineteenth century that led to the modern style we know today.

The Bee Carol - Carol Ann Duffy Silently on Christmas Eve, the turn of midnight's key; all the garden locked in ice – a silver frieze – except the winter cluster of the bees. www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/the-be...

A team of biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf identified a genetic factor that determines the begging behavior of drones, which they use to obtain food socially. phys.org/news/2025-12...

This study provides critical data to improve V. v. nigrithorax [yellow-legged Asian hornet] control and supports the development of more effective and environmentally sustainable control strategies against this invasive species. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

2025 likely to be UK's hottest on record, says Met Office www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Continuing a family legacy, Dafydd was inspired by his grandfather to get involved with beekeeping and now aims to encourage other young people to give it a try. nation.cymru/feature/inte...

This study provides the first evidence of the acaricidal efficacy of lithium chloride (LiCl) against this emerging parasite [Tropilaelaps]. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... Left Varroa - Right Tropilaelaps Photo courtesy Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright"

By selling jars of honey produced from her family’s own bee hives and donating the profits to St Clare Hospice, Ula has helped support specialist care the hospice provides to local families facing life-limiting illnesses www.yourharlow.com/2025/12/20/y...

Hive tools come in a wide variety. It's an essential item when bees glue boxes and frames together with propolis. Maybe buy two as they tend to vanish when most needed! Prices vary from £5 - £20 A J tool makes a good frame lifter A standard tool a good general frame separator

There are over 270 BBKA beekeeping area associations & branches who serve their local community with support and education. The majority offer beekeeping experiences and training courses, support local events and sell honey. The map in link helps find the nearest. www.bbka.org.uk/find-beekeep...

The winter solstice is at 3.03pm today. The days start getting longer from tomorrow.

However you keep your hive records, this time of year can be an opportunity to review them and start a plan for next season. What are your priorities?

The Australian beekeeping industry adapts to this new challenge, building trust, developing practical methods, sharing knowledge & reducing boundaries between research, policy & practice to find effective sustainable short and long term solutions link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The [New Zealand] Government has announced a major expansion of its response to the yellow-legged hornet incursion in Auckland, committing $12 million in additional funding to eliminate the destructive invasive species before it can establish a foothold. www.devdiscourse.com/article/scie...

The National Bee Unit's National Hive Count closes on 31.12.25. It's time to update your BeeBase records Please login to BeeBase and make a note of the total number of colonies you will be taking into the winter. This task is quick and simple www.nationalbeeunit.com/about-us/bee...

The Defra contingency plan for the notifiable pests, Tropilaelaps & Small hive beetles, can be found here. Please note, neither species has been recorded in Great Britain to date. www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...

This Nation Bee Unit leaflet on the notifiable pest Tropilaelaps is available on the BeeBase website. A revised version is expected soon. www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...

Tropilaelaps have the potential to cause significant economic losses, which could potentially impact pollination services, particularly to crops... Efforts to prevent the mite from arriving in the UK should be a priority www.nationalbeeunit.com/assets/PDFs/...

Martin Lindauer was born this day in 1918. A colleague of Karl Von Frisch , he was one of the greatest and most influential behavioural biologists and sensory physiologists of the twentieth century. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Defra have produced a Rapid Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) to re-assess the risk posed to UK apiculture by Tropilaelaps mites, a notifiable pest. www.nationalbeeunit.com/about-us/bee... Photo courtesy The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright

In the December 2025 Bee Health Advisory Forum, Defra confirmed that they will not ask APHA’s National Bee Unit to carry out Spring trapping activity for yellow-legged hornet (YLH) in 2026..... www.nationalbeeunit.com/about-us/bee...

Queen Mary bee expert Professor Lars Chittka praised for his performance as an “unhinged and uncompromising scientist” in acclaimed film. www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2...

"The USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Unit is one of Louisiana's best-kept secrets for more than 97 years, with some of the best scientists in the world collaborating with LSU to help solve honey bee problems.” www.lsu.edu/blog/2025/12...

Over the coming weeks many beekeeping suppliers will have sales. It can be a good time to stock up on lower priced kit ahead of the coming season. A list of what you need or ran short of last year can help