who does what
Associations and bee health
National and county associations, breeding societies and the official bee health services: the people who train beekeepers, represent them and keep an eye on colony health.
15 listings, checked one by one
Mutual bee disease insurance
Bee Diseases Insurance (BDI)
Insurer owned by the beekeeping associations that join it. It compensates beekeepers in England and Wales for equipment lost when colonies are destroyed or treated under the statutory foulbrood orders.
England and Wales
Trade association of professional beekeepers
Bee Farmers' Association (BFA)
UK trade association for professional beekeeping, representing around 450 bee farming businesses, from part-time operations to farms with a dozen or more staff.
The whole UK
Bee breeding charity
BIBBA – Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association
Charitable incorporated organisation working to conserve and improve Apis mellifera mellifera, the native dark bee of Britain and Ireland, and to encourage locally adapted bees elsewhere.
The whole UK
National beekeeping charity
British Beekeepers Association (BBKA)
Charity representing around 30,000 hobby beekeepers in England and Wales through its area associations. It runs education programmes, keeps a directory of local associations and is based at the National Beekeeping Centre, Stoneleigh Park.
Stoneleigh, West Midlandsthe whole UK
County beekeeping association
Devon Beekeepers' Association (DBKA)
Registered charity (no. 270675) that supports beekeepers in Devon through local branches, with courses, honey awards and a members' magazine.
South West England
Bee science charity and publisher
International Bee Research Association (IBRA)
UK charity founded in 1949 that shares information on bee science and beekeeping worldwide. It publishes the Journal of Apicultural Research and Bee World; its Eva Crane Library is held by the National Library of Wales.
Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire and the Humberthe whole UK
County beekeeping association
Lancashire & North West Beekeepers' Association
One of the oldest beekeeping associations in England, founded in 1882 and affiliated to the BBKA, with nearly 900 members in eight branches across Lancashire and parts of Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
North West England
Government bee health service
National Bee Unit (BeeBase)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency's bee health unit, which delivers the bee health programmes of Defra, the Welsh Government and Scotland. Its website, BeeBase, holds the voluntary register of beekeepers and apiaries.
The whole UK
Government bee disease laboratory
SASA – Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture
Scottish Government science division that analyses the samples taken by Scotland's bee inspectors for notifiable diseases and pests, and advises on how confirmed infections are dealt with.
Scotland
National beekeeping association for Scotland
Scottish Beekeepers' Association (SBA)
Scottish charity (SCIO SC009345) that supports honey bees and beekeepers in Scotland, runs its own examinations and links the affiliated local associations across the country.
Scotland
Bee health inspectorate for Scotland
Scottish Government Bee Inspectors
The Scottish Government's bee inspectors examine colonies for notifiable diseases and pests in Scotland; samples are analysed by SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture).
Scotland
Native bee conservation society
Scottish Native Honey Bee Society (SNHBS)
Society working to identify and conserve the Scottish native honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera. It runs a conservation project begun in 2018 and supports small queen rearing groups.
Scotland
Federation of beekeeping associations in Ulster
Ulster Beekeepers' Association (UBKA)
Federation of local beekeeping associations across Ulster, formed in 1942. It runs courses with CAFRE and an annual conference at CAFRE Greenmount Campus.
Northern Ireland
National beekeeping association for Wales
Welsh Beekeepers' Association (WBKA)
Cymdeithas Gwenynwyr Cymru, a charity founded in 1943 and run by volunteers. It is the umbrella body for 19 local associations in Wales and takes part in the UK beekeeping education system.
Wales
County beekeeping association
Yorkshire Beekeepers Association (YBKA)
Association founded in 1882 and affiliated to the BBKA, with around 2,000 members in 22 district associations across Yorkshire.
Yorkshire and the Humber