What is the NBU?
The National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), delivers the Bee Health Programmes on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Welsh Government in England & Wales. We deliver an apiary inspection programme, participate in honey bee research projects and provide specialised training on many aspects of beekeeping, which all encompass an ethos of promoting good husbandry. For more information about the NBU's remit please visit the Healthy Bees Plan 2030. We also provide support for the Scottish Government and their Inspectors, and, in June 2010, the information for the Scottish inspections programme was also incorporated into our database. For more information on the Scottish bee health programme, please visit our Beekeeping in Scotland page.
Apiary inspection programme
The NBU inspectorate is made up of a network of fully trained APHA Bee Inspectors who deliver statutory disease inspections and an apiary surveillance programme for exotic pests.
Bee Inspectors provide free advice and assistance to beekeepers on a range of bee health issues, deliver lectures, and run training courses on disease recognition, disease control and good husbandry, often in conjunction with Beekeeping Associations. To learn more about training offered by NBU please visit our beekeeping training and education page.
The NBU has been involved in the management and control of bee pests and diseases, along with training and education for beekeepers for over 60 years. In October 2014, the NBU was divided into two; all staff involved in laboratory and research work moved into the newly formed commercial enterprise, Fera Science Limited, while the inspectorate moved over to the Government-owned APHA. Laboratory diagnostics and research support is provided by Fera Science Limited.
BeeBase
BeeBase is full of useful information on many topics of bee husbandry including how to manage pests and diseases and the best practices that should be observed for successful beekeeping. In the ‘Resources for Beekeepers’ section, you can find a wealth of materials including advisory leaflets, fact sheets, best-practice guides, training videos and pre-recorded scientific lectures. There is a media gallery providing free downloadable images, which can be used to help learn how to recognise the most common bee pests, diseases and disorders. You can also find a list of answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) received by the NBU.
BeeBase is a vital tool in the control of bee disease and pests. When statutory pests or diseases are confirmed, the NBU uses BeeBase to identify apiaries at risk in the local area and conduct surveillance and target control measures effectively. By knowing where colonies are, we can help you manage disease risks in your apiaries. The more beekeepers who are registered, the more robust our bee health surveillance is, and the better our chances are of effectively managing pests and diseases.
If you sign up to BeeBase, you can register your colonies and apiaries with the NBU. You can view and edit your apiary records and receive email alerts if there is an outbreak of EFB or AFB in your area.
Having reliable records of beekeepers and their apiaries across the country helps the NBU to conduct surveillance and control the spread of serious honey bee pests and diseases. If you are not yet registered, please consider signing up to BeeBase.
Research
The NBU is a recognised centre of excellence in the provision of advice and research in bee health. The NBU draws on the diverse scientific expertise across Fera Science Limited, the APHA and more widely with collaborating Universities and Institutes, to achieve the delivery of the Bee Health research. All our projects are supported by the provision of honey bee colonies and trained apiary staff at Fera Science Ltd who work all year round to ensure the NBU has healthy stocks of bees each season. To learn more about the scientific research that the NBU is involved with please view our honey bee research projects page.
Confidentiality and Data Handling
All the information that you provide for the purposes of registration on BeeBase is covered by the Public Service Guarantee on Data Handling. In addition, all data will be handled according to rules stated in the UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018. Our obligations to protect the privacy of individuals (e.g. under GDPR) prevent us from directly publicising the location of apiaries with foulbrood in a way that might identify the beekeepers concerned. However, we encourage all beekeepers whose bees are affected by disease to tell other local beekeepers about the problem. For information on how we handle personal data collected through these pages and during inspections please see the APHA’s Personal Information Charter.