The Hive-Five Newsletter Archive

Every month we send a round-up of the beekeeping news that matters: Asian hornet updates, bee health and science, pollinator and environment stories, seasonal jobs for the apiary, and learning opportunities. Missed an issue? You'll find every full issue here, newest first.

A note on dates: news moves quickly, and figures such as hornet sightings were correct at the time each issue was sent. Check the date on each issue before relying on a number or an event.

October 2026

We're at the National Honey Show, and we've been thinking about apiary safety. We share what you told us in our lone-working safety questionnaire, plus the latest Asian hornet figures (including nests found in Royal Tunbridge Wells), a hornet nest tracked down in Cork, new guidance on amitraz-resistant Varroa, research on the genetic decline of the moss carder bumblebee, new Tropilaelaps research from a fellow Women in Innovation winner, and October jobs for the apiary.

Read the full October 2026 newsletter

September 2026: A Question of Safety

Asian Hornet Week, and a few honest questions about working alone at the apiary. Also in this issue: Asian hornet sightings passing 160 for the year, a hopeful study on California bees that naturally resist Varroa, France's pesticide reversal, the parliamentary inquiry feeding into Defra's Pollinator Action Plan, winter stores and mouse guards, autumn talks, and the cause of this year's severe US colony losses.

Read the full September 2026 newsletter

August 2026: We Won a Women in Innovation Award

Hive-Five was named a winner of the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards 2026, with a £48,000 grant to develop our new clearer board. Also in this issue: Asian hornet sightings passing the century mark, new research on glyphosate and honeybee foraging, a fall in UK hoverfly numbers, advice on taking the harvest and treating for varroa, and a talk on Vespa velutina.

Read the full August 2026 newsletter

July 2026: Heat, Swarms and Exciting News

Back after a June break, with summer in full swing. Keeping up with queen performance, colony health and ventilation in the heat, plus Asian hornet updates, heat stress research, CBPV, and an online talk on using AI to detect invasive hornets.

Read the full July 2026 newsletter

May 2026: Packed Newsletter and Packed Hives

Swarm season is here. Keeping entrances clear and balancing strong and weak hives, new European honey labelling rules, a supermarket honey that did surprisingly well in taste tests, and varroa resistance concerns.

Read the full May 2026 newsletter

March 2026: Drone Brood and Early Queen Cells

Early signs of the new season. Reports of drone brood and early queen cells, a reminder to remove mouse guards, Asian hornet monitoring ramping up, Europe's push for pollinator monitoring (including robotics), and varroa resistance in Australia.

Read the full March 2026 newsletter

February 2026: Early Spring Signals

Our inaugural news round-up. We were in the BBKA magazine, and we looked at a rare bee found on the Cornish coast, how honeybees and bumblebees share heather moorland, a first confirmed yellow-legged hornet finding in Wales, how pollen shortages affect colony behaviour, and what to check as brood increases.

Read the full February 2026 newsletter

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