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The National Bee Unit is pleased to launch the 2022 National Hive Count today, 1st of November.
The hard slog of summer beekeeping is done so make yourself a nice cup of tea, grab your laptop and sink into your favourite chair. It’s time to update your BeeBase records!
We would like to ask all beekeepers to please login to BeeBase and make a note of the total number of colonies you will be taking into the winter as of 1st November 2022. This task is quick and simple, just click here, login and fill in the short form. Even if you have no overwintering colonies this season it is still important to update your BeeBase record to reflect that. This survey will run until 31st December 2022.
For more information about the Hive Count click here.
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Mae'n bleser gan yr Uned Wenyn Genedlaethol lansio Cyfrif Cychod Gwenyn 2022 heddiw, 1 Tachwedd.
Mae'r haf hir o gadw gwenyn wedi mynd heibio felly gwnewch baned o de, estynwch eich gliniadur ac ymlaciwch yn eich hoff gadair. Mae'n amser i chi ddiweddaru'ch cofnodion BeeBase!
Hoffem ofyn i wenynwyr fewngofnodi i BeeBase a gwneud nodyn o gyfanswm nifer y nythfeydd a fydd gennych dros y gaeaf o 1 Tachwedd 2022. Mae'r dasg hon yn un syml a byr, cliciwch yma, mewngofnodwch a chwblhewch y ffurflen. Hyd yn oed os nad oes gennych nythfeydd sy'n gaeafu y tymor hwn, mae'n dal yn bwysig eich bod yn diweddaru eich cofnod BeeBase i gadarnhau hynny. Bydd yr arolwg hwn yn para tan 31 Rhagfyr 2022.
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am y Cyfrif Cychod Gwenyn cliciwch yma.
National Bee Unit inspectors carried out enhanced surveillance in Dover after a member of the public took a clear photo of an Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) before it flew away. No further insects were seen.
Local Asian Hornet Teams have been alerted and are continuing to observe forage and monitor insects in the area.
The National Bee Unit is encouraging beekeepers and the public to remain vigilant, especially near ivy in full flower which is particularly attractive to Vespa velutina.
Please report sightings of Vespa velutina using the ‘Asian hornet Watch’ app for iPhone and Android, or the online reporting form. Please direct all media enquires to Defra Press Office: 0330 0416560
A local Asian Hornet Team member in the Rayleigh area of Essex captured three hornets and reported this using the Asian Hornet Watch app. National Bee Unit inspectors were dispatched to the location to carry out enhanced surveillance and the hornets were confirmed as Asian hornet (Vespa velutina).
An Asian hornet nest in a sycamore tree was killed in the Rayleigh area of Essex on Friday the 30th September and removed the following day. Monitoring will continue in the area supported by local beekeepers.
The ‘Asian Hornet Watch’ app is free to download from the Apple and Android app stores.
Further information regarding the Asian hornet can be found on our Asian hornet page of BeeBase and on Defra's news page. Please direct all media enquiries to the Defra Press Office: 0330 0416560.
The National Bee Unit currently has a Seasonal Bee Inspector (SBI) vacancies advertised in:
• Wales: Whole country, but particularly north and Ceredigion.
• South West: Whole region
• West: Avon, Staffordshire, Shropshire
• East: Norfolk, but particularly north
• North East: Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire
• North West: Greater Sheffield area (SW Yorkshire, NW Derbyshire)
• Central: Northamptonshire, North Buckinghamshire, Hampshire
• South East: Kent, East Sussex
If you are interested in applying for these jobs, full details can be found on Civil Service Jobs
If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact the Regional Bee Inspector for the region.
Ar hyn o bryd, mae gan yr Uned Wenyn Genedlaethol swyddi gwag ar gyfer Arolygwyr Gwenyn Tymhorol yn y rhanbarthau canlynol:
• Cymru: Y wlad gyfan, ond Ceredigion a'r gogledd yn bennaf.
• De Orllewin: Yr ardal gyfan
• Gorllewin: Avon, Swydd Stafford a Swydd Henffordd
• Dwyrain: Norfolk, ond ardal y gogledd yn bennaf
• Gogledd Ddwyrain: Swydd Lincoln a Swydd Dwyrain Efrog
• Gogledd Orllewin: Ardal Sheffield Fwyaf (DO Swydd Efrog, GDd Swydd Derby)
• Canolbarth: Swydd Northampton, Gogledd Swydd Buckingham, Hampshire
• De Ddwyrain: Caint, Dwyrain Sussex
Os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn gwneud cais ar gyfer y swyddi hyn, gellir dod o hyd i'r holl fanylion ar Swyddi'r Gwasanaeth Sifil.
Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau am y rôl, cysylltwch â'r Arolygydd Gwenyn Rhanbarthol ar gyfer y rhanbarth.
National Bee Unit inspectors carried out enhanced surveillance near Chelmsford, in response to a compelling report of Asian hornet (Vespa velutina). No further insects were seen.
Local Asian Hornet Teams have been alerted and are continuing to observe forage and monitor insects in the area.
Further information regarding the yellow-legged Asian hornet can be found on Defra's Asian Hornet sightings page and on BeeBase’s Asian hornet page. For media enquiries, please contact the Defra Press Office: 0330 0416560
We ask beekeepers to remain vigilant, record monitoring trap locations on BeeBase by logging in and updating their my apiaries page, report suspected sightings using the ‘Asian hornet Watch’ app for iPhone and Android, or the online reporting form.
During the period Midday 12th August to Midday 17th August, some automated emails from BeeBase will not have been sent.
Therefore, if you did not receive an email when expected please re-submit your request.
Some systems affected included:
Many beekeepers are reporting the presence of large numbers of wasps in apiaries and around their bee hives. Please refer to the National Bee Unit factsheet on how to manage wasps: Wasp facts.
Mae llawer o wenynwyr yn cofnodi presenoldeb nifer enfawr o wenyn meirch mewn gwenynfeydd ac o amgylch eu cychod gwenyn. Cyfeiriwch at daflen ffeithiau yr Uned Wenyn Genedlaethol ar sut i ddelio â gwenyn meirch: Ffeithiau gwenyn.
The NBU were called to a consignment of queen bees that were being imported through Dover Port without the Health Certificate. This led to action being taken resulting in the Queen bees being humanely destroyed.
Information on how to legally import honey bee Queens can be found on the imports/ export page at https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageId=126
We are currently experiencing some issues with outbound emails from Bee Base. The issue is being investigated.
However, please note that you may not receive the following emails:
The National Bee Unit is carrying out enhanced monitoring and awareness raising together with local beekeepers after a single insect, confirmed to be Vespa velutina was killed at a sentinel apiary, reported by a beekeeper.
Laboratory analysis has shown that the Asian hornet was a female but as it was dried out and damaged it couldn’t be ascertained if it was a queen or worker. Additionally it is highly likely to be from the European population rather than a new introduction from Asia and is highly unlikely to be the offspring of either of last year’s nests in the UK.
Further information regarding the yellow legged Asian hornet can be found on Defra's Asian Hornet sightings page and on BeeBase’s Asian hornet page. Please direct all media enquiries to the Defra Press Office: 0330 0416560
We continue to ask beekeepers to remain vigilant, record monitoring trap locations on BeeBase (guidance here) and report suspect sightings here.
We are currently experiencing an error with our registration page which is preventing beekeepers from registering. We are working hard to find a fix and will update this News items as soon as a fix is found.
To register, please come back in a few days or give the NBU a call on 0300 3030094 and we can process your registartion for you.
UPDATE: This has now been fixed.
During the 2021 season, two Asian hornet nests were located and successfully destroyed by NBU inspectors and APHA colleagues, following sightings reported via the Asian Hornet Watch app.
The nest found in Ascot, and destroyed on 11th October, was 35 cm in diameter and contained six combs. Results from genetic analyses suggest that all Asian hornets collected in the surrounding area were likely to have come from this nest, and that the nest hadn’t reached the stage of producing adult sexual stages.
The nest found in Portsmouth, and destroyed on 31st October, was 31cm in diameter and contained 4 combs. Results from genetic analyses suggest that all Asian hornets collected in the surrounding area were likely to have come from this nest. The nest had reached the stage of producing sexual stages but was highly inbred and a large proportion of the offspring were triploid.
The queen and drones for both the Ascot and Portsmouth nest were highly unlikely to be direct offspring of the Gosport nest from 2020.
Further information regarding Asian hornet can be found on Defra’s Asian hornet sightings page and on our BeeBase Asian hornet page. Please direct all media enquiries to the Defra Press Office: 0330 0416560.
Use the Asian hornet Watch app for Android and iPhone to report sightings.
Yn ystod tymor 2021, cafodd dau nyth cacwn Asiaidd eu darganfod a'u dinistrio'n llwyddiannus gan arolygwyr yr NBU a chydweithwyr APHA, yn dilyn golygfeydd a adroddwyd drwy'r ap ‘Hornet Watch’ Asiaidd.
Cafodd y nyth a ganfuwyd yn Ascot ei ddinistrio ar yr 11eg o Hydref. Roedd yn 35 cm mewn diamedr ac yn cynnwys chwe adran i atgenhedlu. Mae canlyniad y dadansoddiadau genetig yn awgrymu bod yr holl gacwn Asiaidd a gasglwyd yn yr ardal gyfagos yn debygol o fod wedi dod o'r nyth hwn, ac nad oedd y nyth wedi cyrraedd y cam lle y caiff ffurfiau rhywiol llawn dwf eu cynhyrchu.
Roedd y nyth a ganfuwyd yn Portsmouth, a'i ddinistrio ar 31 Hydref, yn 31cm mewn diamedr ac yn cynnwys 4 adran i atgenhedlu. Mae canlyniad y dadansoddiadau genetig yn awgrymu bod yr holl gacwn Asiaidd a gasglwyd yn yr ardal gyfagos yn debygol o fod wedi dod o'r nyth hwn. Roedd y nyth wedi cyrraedd y cam lle y caiff ffurfiau rhywiol llawn dwf eu cynhyrchu ond roedd wedi mewnfridio i raddau helaeth ac roedd cyfran fawr o’r epil yn driploid.
Roedd y frenhines a'r dronau ar gyfer nyth Ascot a Portsmouth yn annhebygol iawn o fod yn uniongyrchol o’r nyth darganfyddwyd yn Gosport yn ystod 2020.
Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am y gacynen Asiaidd ar gael ar dudalen golygfeydd cyrn Asiaidd Defra ac ar ein tudalen cyrn Asiaidd BeeBase. Dylech gyfeirio pob ymholiad gan y cyfryngau at Swyddfa'r Wasg Defra: 0330 0416560.
Defnyddiwch yr ap Gwylio Hornet Asiaidd ar gyfer Android ac iPhone i roi gwybod am olygfeydd.
Join regional bee inspectors John Geden and Maggie Gill and seasonal bee inspector Eleanor Burgess to find out about the common causes of colony losses over the winter and what can be done to prevent them. A hive autopsy will look at the signs and symptoms of starvation, varroosis, failing queens and other issues your overwintering bees can experience.
Tuesday 15th March from 7:30pm – 9:00pm via Teams - Register here
Questions and photos can be submitted in advance to beekeepers@apha.gov.uk
Almost 9,000 beekeepers updated their details on BeeBase during the 2021 hive count. There are currently more than 46,000 beekeepers registered on BeeBase, meaning that around 20% participated.
This 2021 hive count produced a figure of 272,631 colonies in the UK. This is slightly higher than the 2020 figure of 260,268. It is necessary to make a number of assumptions in the calculation, and so the figure is classed as an experimental statistic.
The Hive Count provides a very useful indication of the number of managed colonies in the UK, and helps to ensure that BeeBase records are kept up to date. Information about numbers and location of hives is very important for the National Bee Unit and Scottish Government inspectors in terms of preparing and planning for outbreaks of disease and exotic pests.
Thank you very much to everyone who has taken time to ensure that their BeeBase information is up to date.
We are pleased to announce the temporary appointment of Dhonn Atkinson as the National Bee Inspector (NBI) whilst the current NBI Cristina Ruiz is on maternity leave. Dhonn has held a variety of roles across the National Bee Unit and Animal and Plant Health Agency where he held the role of Regional Bee Inspector for the North East of England.
Following the retirement of Keith Morgan, Colin Pavey, and shortly Frank Gellatly and the temporary promotion of Sandra Gray, we are pleased to confirm the following movements and appointments:-
Regional Bee Inspector for Western England – Jonathan Axe has been promoted from the role of Seasonal Bee Inspector.
Regional Bee Inspector for Eastern England - Pete Davies, an experienced manager has moved from the Central England Region.
Regional Bee Inspector for Central England - John Geden. John joins the National Bee Unit as an experienced bee farmer.
Regional Bee Inspector for South East – Daniel Etheridge a seasonal bee inspector has been offered a temporary promotion to manage this area.
Regional Bee Inspector for Wales – Maggie Gill has been promoted from the role of Seasonal Bee Inspector.
Regional Bee Inspector for North East England – David Bough a seasonal bee inspector has been offered a temporary promotion to manage this area.
For full up to date details please visit the contacts page
