Sale Of Live Bees Policy
At Honeyfields Bee Farm, we are passionately committed to promoting sustainable beekeeping practices by providing healthy, high-quality queen bees, colonies, and nuclei. Our operations are carefully designed to comply with all UK legislation and guidelines, ensuring the well-being of our bees and supporting the broader beekeeping community. We adhere to all local legal requirements and safety standards pertinent to the promotion and sale of live animals.
Compliance with UK Legislation and Best Practices
Healthy Bees Plan
We fully embrace the initiatives outlined in the Healthy Bees Plan, a collaborative effort by the UK government and beekeeping stakeholders aimed at sustaining healthy honey bee populations. This plan focuses on:
Disease Control: Implementing effective strategies to prevent and manage bee diseases and pests.
-Education and Training: Providing resources and training to enhance beekeeper skills and knowledge.
Research and Development: Supporting scientific research to improve bee health and beekeeping practices.
Approved Varroa Treatments
Varroa mites pose a significant threat to honey bee colonies. To manage and control these mites:
Regulated Treatments: We use only Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)-approved treatments, ensuring they are safe and effective.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Our approach combines chemical treatments with non-chemical methods, such as breeding from varroa resistant bees, that maintain strong colonies to help minimize mite population.
National Bee Unit Guidelines
In alignment with the National Bee Unit (NBU) guidelines for selling nuclei:
Regular Health Checks: All of our honey production colonies and nuclei are regularly inspected for, and are free from notifiable diseases like American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB).
Quality Standards: Our nuclei contain healthy worker bees, a fertile laying queen, brood in all stages (BIAS) and sufficient stores of food.
Traceability: We maintain detailed records of each nucleus's origin and health history, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Importation and Inspection of Queen Bees
Government Import Notifications
To comply with The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations:
Import Permit and Certification: We obtain all necessary import health certification and submit required notifications to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before importing queen bees.
Legal Compliance: Our importation processes strictly follow UK laws to prevent the introduction of exotic pests and diseases.
National Bee Unit Inspections Upon arrival into the UK: Imported queen bees are visually inspected in their shipping packaging by the National Bee Unit. Samples of the packaging may be taken away for routine further testing.
Pest protection: These inspections help prevent the introduction of threats like the small hive beetle (SHB or Aethina Tumida) and **Tropilaelaps** mites into the UK bee population.
Shipping and Packaging
Royal Mail Live Bees Policy
We ship all queen bees exclusively through Royal Mail, adhering to their specialized policies for transporting live bees:
Authorized Courier: Royal Mail is equipped to handle live bees safely, ensuring timely and secure delivery.
Service Options: We use guaranteed next-day delivery services to minimize transit time and stress on the bees.
Compliance with Packaging Standards
Our packaging meets and exceeds Royal Mail's requirements:
Ventilated travel cages: Queen Bees are shipped in secure, well-ventilated travel cages that provide airflow and prevent escape. They are accompanied by several worker bees to care for the queen in transit. Each cage has more enough food for the duration of transit.
Protective Measures: Queen cages are packaged into sturdy large letter boxes to protect the bees in transit.
-Clear Labelling: Packages are clearly labelled as containing live bees, with handling instructions to inform postal workers.
References and Resources
We encourage you to explore the following resources for more information:
Healthy Bees Plan: [UK Government - Healthy Bees Plan](https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=41)
National Bee Unit Guidelines: [NBU - Selling Bees and Queens](https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/)
Royal Mail Live Bees Policy: [Royal Mail - Live Animals Policy](https://www.royalmail.com/sending/mailing-guide/prohibited-and-restricted-items)
Veterinary Medicines Directorate: [VMD - Authorized Veterinary Medicines](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/veterinary-medicines-register)
Compliance with Advertising and Safety Standards
We are committed to ethical advertising and compliance with all relevant standards:
Legal Compliance: Our promotions adhere to local and national laws governing the sale of live animals.
Safety Standards: We ensure that all marketing materials accurately represent our products and do not encourage unsafe practices.
Platform Policies: We comply with the policies of all platforms we use for advertising, including safety and ethical guidelines related to live animals.
We are here to assist you with any questions or concerns.
Thank you for choosing Honeyfields Bee Farm. We are dedicated to supporting your beekeeping journey with healthy bees and expert guidance. Together, we can contribute to a thriving and sustainable beekeeping community.