Buying bees

The Food and environment Research Agency (FERA) provide guidance on what to expect when purchasing a nucleus of bees. You should expect a nucleus of five frames, bees, brood at all stages, a laying marked queen and stores, and the supplier should be able to supply paperwork that verifies that the nucleus is disease free. Prices range from £140 to £240.

We recommend you obtain your bees from a local and trusted source where the origin of the bees of known provenance where the temperament is known to be gentle. Aggressive bees are undesirable and it is the beekeepers job to be sure they are not. Do not buy imported queens or other bees as these may introduce new pests and diseases into the London and UK bee population. Local beekeeping associations (such as ours) can recommend local beekeepers who adhere to these standards.

Once you have your bees, register them with BeeBase straight away. This helps the National Bee Unit (NBU) to monitor colonies, anticipate disease outbreaks and to plan for honeybee welfare.

Members can obtain bees through our Whatsapp groups, either as nucs (mini hives) or swarms (not recommended for beginners).