On behalf of the Scottish Government’s Honey Bee Health Team:
As the new beekeeping season gets underway across Scotland we’d like to remind all beekeepers to take a few minutes to log into BeeBase and check that their records are up to date. BeeBase is our best tool to monitor and control the spread of honey bee pests and diseases. However, BeeBase is only as good as the information it is given. Up‑to‑date information also helps to build a clearer national picture of colony numbers and distribution across Scotland.

What to update this spring
As you prepare for the season ahead, please check:

Your contact details – name, address, email and phone number
Apiary locations – including any apiaries that have moved to rapeseed for example, closed, or been newly established
Colony numbers – to reflect winter losses, splits, or new colonies
Activity status – if you are no longer keeping bees or are taking a break this season.

You cannot be alerted of a disease outbreak in your area if BeeBase does not know that you have bees there. If you are no longer actively beekeeping, please mark your account as “non-current” on BeeBase.

If you need help updating your BeeBase record, or if you have forgotten your username or password, please get in touch with us by email at Bees_Mailbox@gov.scot

All the information you enter into BeeBase is confidential and secure.

[Photo: BeeBase]