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Where this comes from. The record card is the National Bee Unit’s, from its best practice guideline on handling and examining a colony, reissued in October 2026. The records the law asks for are from its Starting Right with Bees. Sources at the foot of the page.
Why write it down
Keep a record for each colony. Reading last time’s notes before you go means you take what you need, and write the new ones before you leave the site. 1
The National Bee Unit’s record card
The record card at the end of the guideline has the apiary name and place, the date, and for each colony: 1
- Its number.
- The queen: what you found of her.
- Frames of brood.
- Frames of adult bees.
- Frames of honey.
- Frames of pollen.
- The varroa count.
- Comments: temper, general health, what you did, and what to bring next time.
What the law asks
- Medicines. A full record of every veterinary medicine used on your bees in the past five years. Only medicines authorised for honey bees in the UK may be used. 2 The veterinary medicines record shows what goes in it.
- Notifiable diseases and pests. European and American foulbrood, the small hive beetle and Tropilaelaps mites must be reported to the National Bee Unit if you know or suspect them. 2
- Varroa. Its presence in your hives must be reported. 2
Keep a record of bees you buy, too. 2
What else helps
- Notes on the bee and brood population, and on the colony’s general condition. 1
- A photograph of anything that looks wrong, to study indoors or show a mentor. 2
- Anything out of the ordinary, whatever the visit was for. 1
The short version
- One record per colony. Read it before you go, write it before you leave.
- Queen, frames of brood, bees, honey and pollen, varroa, then temper, health, actions and kit for next time.
- The law: five years of medicines, and report foulbrood, the exotic pests and varroa.
- Photograph anything that worries you.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change - always check the current guidance on GOV.UK before relying on it.