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Veterinary medicine record for bees

Every beekeeper in the UK must record the medicines they buy, give to their bees and dispose of, and keep the record for 5 years. Keep yours here, hive by hive, then print it or export it for an inspector or your vet.

This tool helps you keep the record; it does not change your obligations. Keep receipts and invoices with the printed version, and use only medicines authorised for bees by the VMD in your part of the UK, or prescribed by a vet.

Your data stays on this device. Nothing is sent to World Beekeeper: the logbook is saved in your browser. Export it regularly to keep a backup.

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Veterinary medicine record

Printed on

Beekeeper and apiaries

Your details, printed at the top of the record. They save as you type.

Purchases

At the time of purchase: product, batch number, quantity, date and supplier. Keep the receipt or invoice with the printed record.

Add a purchase
Printed on the pack.

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Administration

At the time of administration: date, hives treated, quantity used, length of treatment, withdrawal period and who gave it. One entry per apiary and treatment.

Add a treatment

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Disposal of unused medicine

For any medicine not given to the bees: date, quantity, and how and where it was disposed of.

Add a disposal

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How it works

What the law asks for

Regulation 19 of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 requires the keeper of a food-producing animal, and honey bees are food-producing animals, to record the medicines they acquire, administer and dispose of. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s guidance for beekeepers lists the details: when buying, the product name, batch number, quantity, date and supplier; when treating, the date, quantity used, hive identifier and withdrawal period; when disposing, the date, quantity and how and where. Records are kept for 5 years after the medicine is given, even if you no longer have the bees.

This record follows the columns of the National Bee Unit’s Veterinary Medicine Administration Record (fact sheet 28): supplier and date of purchase, product, batch number and quantity, then date of administration, hive numbers, duration, withdrawal period, person administering, total quantity used and disposal. The product list offered as you type is the one in our guide to varroa mites; check each product’s territory (Great Britain or Northern Ireland) on the VMD database.

Where is my data?

In your browser’s local storage, on this device only. It disappears if you clear the site’s data or change browser: export a JSON backup after each important entry, and import it on another device. The CSV export opens in a spreadsheet, and “Print or PDF” gives a clean paper copy, which you can save as a PDF from the print dialogue. Five years is a long time for a browser: keep the printouts or the exports somewhere safe.

BeeBase registration, varroa reporting and the rest of a beekeeper’s legal duties are explained in our guide to registering your bees.

Frequently asked questions

Do beekeepers have to keep medicine records in the UK?

Yes. Honey bees are food-producing animals, so the Veterinary Medicines Regulations require you to record every medicine you buy, give to your bees or dispose of. The VMD’s guidance is plain: bees are a food-producing species, and beekeepers must keep records of all the medicines they buy and administer, and regulation 19 applies to every keeper, however few hives.

How long must I keep bee medicine records?

For 5 years after the medicine is given to the bees, according to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and even if you no longer have the colonies. A varroa treatment applied in August 2026 must therefore be on record until at least August 2031. Keep the proof of purchase with it.

What do I need to record when I treat for varroa?

The date, the product, the hives treated, the total quantity used, the length of the treatment, the withdrawal period and the name of the person who gave it. When you buy the product, record its name, batch number, quantity, the date and the supplier’s name and address.

Is there an official form for bee medicine records?

There is no compulsory format. The National Bee Unit publishes a ready-made Veterinary Medicine Administration Record (fact sheet 28) with the columns the law asks for, and this online record follows the same layout. Paper, a spreadsheet or this tool are all acceptable if the information is complete.

Can I use oxalic acid or thymol bought from a chemist?

No. Only products authorised by the VMD for bees, or a medicine a vet prescribes under the cascade, may be used. The NBU states that giving bees unauthorised products such as raw oxalic acid crystals or self-made thymol solutions is an offence. Authorised oxalic acid products include Api-Bioxal, Oxybee and VarroMed.

Do medicines authorised in Great Britain apply in Northern Ireland?

Not always. Products are now authorised separately for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, although those authorised before January 2021 may hold a UK-wide authorisation. Check the territory on the VMD Product Information Database before buying, especially from an overseas website.

Sources

  1. Bee medicines availability in the UK, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, GOV.UK
  2. The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, regulation 19: records of acquisition and administration, legislation.gov.uk
  3. Veterinary Medicine Administration Record (Fact sheet 28), Animal and Plant Health Agency, National Bee Unit
  4. Handling and examining a colony of bees (Best Practice Guideline No. 2), Animal and Plant Health Agency, National Bee Unit
  5. Legal responsibility of beekeepers, Animal and Plant Health Agency, National Bee Unit
  6. Varroa medicines, Animal and Plant Health Agency, National Bee Unit

Online logbooks