Beekeeping

Becoming a producer

Now that you have set up your apiary, you need to set up essential registrations, insurances, and other administration before you can run an official beekeeping business.

Good record-keeping is key to successful beekeeping, and you should keep records of routine hive inspections, insurances and risk assessments. You’re legally required to keep financial records as a business, as well as record of any medicine administered to the bees (read more in ‘Bee Health’).  

Hive registration

You do not need a licence to keep bees, but it is highly recommended that you create an account on BeeBase to register your hives. BeeBase is the National Bee Unit’s website. Registering and keeping the location of your apiaries up to date on BeeBase is your best tool in order to get notifications from the Scottish Government Honey Bee Health Team regarding disease updates. When disease is found within 3kms of your apiaries you will receive a notification and disease inspectors will visit you to ensure your bees are free from disease.

Registering and keeping details up to date on BeeBase is the responsible thing to do in order to protect the health of your bees and the rest of Scotland’s honey bee population.

Membership

Membership of the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association (SBA) or the Bee Farmers Association (BFA) is recommended to stay up to date with latest news and training in the sector, as well as other benefits such as insurance.

Insurance & risk

It is essential to get public liability and product liability insurances to cover other people getting injured because of your operations or produce. Compensation insurance in case of equipment or colonies being damaged is also recommended, and you may also want to consider income protection/personal accident insurances. Liability and compensation insurances are most easily acquired as part of your SBA or BFA membership.

Setting up your business 

If you earn more than £1,000 per year from beekeeping, you will need to register as a sole trader, or set up a business partnership or limited company. You will also need to pay income tax on your profits and keep records. You might also want to draft a business plan to keep track of your accounts – this guide by the Landworkers’ Alliance is a good starting point.

Registering as a food business

If you intend to sell honey – whether at farm gate, a farmers’ marker, or via retail – it is recommended that you register as a food business at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free, and you can do it via your local authority. You can find more information on the Food Standards Scotland website here.

Some small honey producers may fall within exemptions that apply to direct supply of small quantities of products to final consumers, however, we recommend that you contact your local environmental health team or Food Standards Scotland for advice tailored to your circumstances.

Food safety

A Level 2 food hygiene certificate is recommended for being compliant with food safety regulations and can be achieved online. You may also want to develop a simple food safety management system, for which the Food Standards Agency’s MyHACCP is a useful free tool.