Encouraging and advancing Bee culture since 1882

With almost 500 registered beekeepers Hampshire is one of the largest Beekeeping Associations in the British Isles.

Hampshire has one of the most diverse ranges of habitat in Europe, from upland chalk to acid heathland, from yellow fields of oil seed rape to deciduous woodland. All these landscapes provide great foraging for the wild woodland honey bee. All the bees we keep for honey are really wild creatures whose natural habitat is deciduous woodland but who choose to accept the ready made 'hollow trees' we provide in the shape of hives. It would be difficult to find anywhere in Hampshire where woodland and oil seed rape were not within the three mile range of a honey bee. There are also about half a million households many with gardens even if they are only a window box for the bees to forage in. The woodland provides willow pollen in the early spring, to help the bees through the end of the winter and build up ready for the early nectar gathering, through to ivy nectar in the late autumn to store to keep them warm for the winter. In between there is dripping nectar from lime, honeydew from oak, pollen and nectar from sycamore and chestnut as well as many other trees. The woodland also provides the sticky resinous propolis that the bees use to glue things together and keep out the drafts. Oil seed rape provides a huge foraging source for nectar, producing a light honey. Heather nectar from the New Forest produces some of the finest strong flavoured, distinctly scented, thixotropic honey, loved by many in the form of cut comb.

Wherever you live in Great Britain or Ireland harvesting honey from your own bees is a very exciting and rewarding experience- why not learn to become a beekeeper?

email our secretary or look at our links page for information on your local beekeeping association