Bee news

The latest alerts and headlines from the National Bee Unit and the BBKA

Bee news for beekeepers in Hastings, Rother and East Sussex: the latest alerts, pest and disease warnings and headlines from the National Bee Unit and the BBKA, all in one place.

This page brings together the latest headlines from the National Bee Unit (pest and disease alerts and yellow-legged hornet updates) and the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA news). It refreshes automatically every few hours. Each headline opens the original website in a new tab.

Hastings and Rother Beekeepers’ Association is a local division of the Sussex Beekeepers’ Association, affiliated with the BBKA. Not a member yet? Join us, or see our swarm collection service and upcoming events.

Honey bee on a flower: bee news and alerts for Hastings and Rother beekeepers
Keeping up with bee news helps every beekeeper protect their colonies.

Why bee news matters to beekeepers

Good bee news can protect your colonies. Notifiable pests and diseases such as American and European foulbrood, small hive beetle and the yellow-legged (Asian) hornet spread quickly if they are not spotted early. The National Bee Unit publishes alerts as soon as there is something local beekeepers need to know, and the BBKA reports on research, training, forage, legislation and the wider beekeeping world.

We collect those bee news headlines here so you do not have to look in several places. If you keep bees in Hastings, Rother or anywhere in East Sussex, check this page regularly through the season, especially in spring and late summer when swarms, hornets and brood diseases are most likely to appear.

Think you have seen a notifiable pest or disease, or an Asian (yellow-legged) hornet?
Hornets: see our Asian hornet page for how to spot one and how to report it.
Bee pests and diseases: see our Bee Inspector contacts and report it through BeeBase and the National Bee Unit.

Latest bee news headlines

More bee news and advice for beekeepers

Our members share local bee news and practical advice all year round through our WhatsApp group, winter talks and summer apiary days. If you are new to bees, see how to tell a honey bee from other insects, or find a beekeeping course.

Useful links