Set up your account
Tell us a little about how you keep bees, then add your first apiary.
About you
Your first apiary
You can edit slab positions and postcodes later from the Apiary map screen.
Hives
Recent inspections
Hive & date
Conditions
Queen
Brood & colony
Varroa
Management
Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011 (SI 2159) — all treatment records must be kept for a minimum of 5 years. Proof of purchase must also be retained. VMD: 01932 336911
| Date | Hive | Product | Batch | Qty purchased | Qty used | Duration | Withdrawal | Supplier | Administered by |
|---|
Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3LS
Queen colour code: W (years ending 1,6) · Y (2,7) · R (3,8) · G (4,9) · B (5,0)
Apiary status — 2026 season
Click a slab to assign or change a hive. Positions update automatically when colonies are split, merged, or moved.
↓ DOOR — enter here ↓
Left stand
Right stand
▼ FAR END (empty equipment) ▼
▲ DOOR (entrance) ▲
Active colony
Nucleus / new colony
Empty equipment
Bare slab
Slab position
Fixed address for this slab — doesn't change when colonies move
Regulatory requirements
BeeBase — NBU registration
All beekeepers in England & Wales are strongly encouraged to register every apiary with the National Bee Unit. Registration is free and enables rapid contact in the event of a disease outbreak near your site.
Register at nationalbeeunit.com →
Notifiable diseases — legal duty to report
Under the Bee Diseases & Pests Control Order 2006, you must notify the NBU if you suspect AFB or EFB. Do not wait for confirmation — notify on suspicion. Your regional bee inspector will visit within days.
Report a notifiable disease →
Vet medicines — 5-year record keeping
The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011 (SI 2159) require records of all veterinary medicine purchase, administration, and disposal to be kept for a minimum of 5 years. ColonyBook's vet register covers this.
VMD guidance for beekeepers →
Varroa treatment — integrated pest management
Oxalic acid (OA) treatment is most effective during the broodless period (typically Dec–Jan). Spring and summer monitoring with natural drop or alcohol wash informs whether intervention is needed. Record all mite counts in your inspections.
NBU varroa guidance →
National Honey Monitoring Scheme
Contribute to UK-wide bee health research
Run by UKCEH and Fera Science, the NHMS uses honey samples to monitor what bees are foraging on and what pesticides they're exposed to. You get back a confidential pesticide residue report for your hive. Sample pack requests typically open in spring — up to 2 packs per beekeeper per year, one hive per pack. Each pack contains 3 collection tubes (pollen DNA, pesticide analysis, archive).
Your submissions
No submissions logged yet
Swarm reporting
BBKA swarm line
If you've lost a swarm, or someone near you has a swarm and needs a collector, the BBKA maintains a national register of swarm collectors.
Find a swarm collector →
Are you on the swarm collector list?
Experienced beekeepers can register as local swarm collectors via their local association or the BBKA. It's a good way to increase your colony count for free.
BBKA swarm information →
BBKA qualifications pathway
The BBKA provides a structured progression of assessments and exams. The Basic Assessment is a prerequisite for all others. You need to be a BBKA member to sit any assessment — membership is via your local association.
Needed to access BBKA Learning Online
Useful links
National Bee Unit
Disease alerts, BeeBase, inspector contacts
BBKA
Exams, news, swarm line, association finder
Honey Monitoring Scheme
UKCEH / Fera — submit honey samples
Gov.uk — bee disease guidance
Legislation, notifiable diseases, pest control
WBKA (Wales)
Welsh Beekeepers Association
SBA (Scotland)
Scottish Beekeepers Association