Varroa: reportable since 2021
Since April 2021, the presence of varroa in a colony has been reportable in England, Wales and Scotland. That sounds alarming, but the duty is light: you report that varroa is present at your apiary - once - via your apiary record on the government’s BeeBase service. It exists for statistics and planning, not enforcement; nobody visits because you reported varroa (nearly every colony in Britain has it).
- What to do:register on BeeBase (free) if you have not already, and tick varroa as present on each apiary’s record. See the official varroa reporting page.
- How often: once per apiary is the core duty - it is a presence record, not a diary.
- Keep monitoring anyway: mite counts through the season are what actually protect your colonies, and they justify your treatment decisions in your medicine record.
Foulbrood: notifiable - act the same day
American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) are notifiable diseases. If you suspect either - sunken or perforated cappings, a ropey test result, sour smell, melted-down larvae - the law requires you to notify the authorities and stop anything that could spread it.
If you suspect foulbrood:close the hive up, wash your tools and gloves, do not move bees, combs or equipment off the site, and contact your local bee inspector via the government’s BeeBase service the same day. Inspection and any destruction orders are handled officially - and there is no charge for the inspection.
Suspicion is the trigger, not certainty. Inspectors would far rather check ten healthy colonies than find one concealed infection a year later. Registering on BeeBase also means you are alerted when foulbrood is confirmed near your apiaries - one of the best reasons to register.
Asian hornets: report sightings too
The yellow-legged (Asian) hornet is treated separately - sightings should be reported with a photo via the Asian Hornet Watch app or the online form. Our hornet identification guide covers it.
The record-keeping that backs it up
None of these duties is onerous if your inspections are written down: varroa counts with dates show a monitoring history, disease checks show diligence, and treatments feed your veterinary medicines record. If an inspector ever visits, your records do most of the talking.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change - always check the current guidance on GOV.UK before relying on it.