B4Project, 1% for the Planet, Not for profit partner.

11/06/2026

Free living honey bees in log hive

11/06/2026

Matt Somerville https://beekindhives.uk/

10/06/2026

REMINDER FROM Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust: please do join us :)

Conservation organisation Buglife is working with Small is Beautiful – landscape recovery in the Isles of Scilly, on a feasibility study to investigate the possibility of reintroducing one of the islands lost species, the Scilly Bee, and we would really like to hear your thoughts.

🐝 Following the success of our on island drop-in events Buglife Senior Conservation Officer, Laura, is now offering an online session for those who were unable to join the conversation in person.

🗓️ Thursday 11 June 2026
🕙 19:00 - 20:00
📌Online via Teams

Come along and discover more about this iconic island bee, why it went extinct in Scilly and what could be done to help it return.

🎟 Book your free place and find out what the buzz is about
➡️ https://trybooking.com/uk/GMWP

📝 Just want to complete the short survey?
Head to ➡️ https://bit.ly/ScillyBee

Buglife is working with Small is Beautiful (SiB) – landscape recovery in the Isles of Scilly on a feasibility study to investigate the possibility of reintroducing one of the islands lost species, the Scilly Bee, and we would really like to hear your thoughts. The Scilly Bee (Bombus muscorum scyll...

05/06/2026

Help find the South West's hidden free-living honey bee colonies

B4 is supporting a University of Plymouth research project asking people across Devon and Cornwall to help record free-living honey bee colonies in old trees, walls, roof spaces and other natural or man-made cavities.

17/05/2026

University of Plymouth are mapping wild (AKA free-living) honey bee colonies across SW England as part of a research project.
If you spot honey bees repeatedly entering a hole in a tree, wall or other cavity, it could be a wild colony.
Follow this page for updates as they discover more wild colonies!

10/05/2026

Wild living honey bees. B4 2026 symposium.

The B4 Project is a Community Interest Company representing a group of beekeepers whose aim is to protect the UK’s native dark honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera.

25/04/2026

The B4 Project 2026 Symposium.
Saturday 11 April Calstock Arts
11 April: B4 Symposium
A free-living honey bee project.
10:00 -Norman Carreck – “What’s new in the world of honey bee conservation?”
10:30 - Dr Ollie Visick – "Free-living honey bees: colony density, survival and potential limiting factors”
11:45 - Dr Jonathan Ellis, Dr Ollie Visick- “Citizen science, how to get involved with University of Plymouth free-living honey bees research.”
13.00- Norman Carreck – “Biosecurity: Lessons from the Isles of Scilly”
13:30 - Filipe Salbany, Matt Somerville. “Lessons from Blenheim Palace and ancient woodlands.”
14:15-15:00 Current B4 work, free living bees, biosecurity and biodiversity. A round table discussion about how the community can get involved with observing and assisting with research into free-living honey bees
What Delegates Should Expect
Delegates should expect a dynamic and highly focused morning delving into the cutting-edge science of free-living honey bees. The symposium bridges the gap between academic research and public action. You will hear from leading experts like Norman Carreck and Dr Ollie Visick on the latest global threats to bees, the unique genetic importance of wild colonies, and the practical limitations they face in finding nest sites. The session will then shift from theory to practice, showcasing the groundbreaking citizen science project from the University of Plymouth, which invites the public to actively participate in locating and monitoring these free-living populations. The afternoon will feature real-world case studies in conservation and biosecurity from the Isles of Scilly and Blenheim Palace, culminating in an open roundtable discussion to brainstorm how the community can directly support ongoing research.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbQSZ5IFAZKusbGMcbcIK7LntgYe_2MFx&si=k-JwZLOmbANLj7ck

22/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1JBEirAPTf/

Well done to the for clearly stating their stance on bee imports.

For every beekeeper in the UK—hobbyist or commercial—the risk of importing exotic pests and diseases (including tropilaelaps)is genuinely frightening. Once something like that gets a foothold, it’s not “someone else’s problem” — it’s all of ours.

The uncomfortable truth is this: we don’t currently breed enough UK bees in the UK to meet demand, so imports keep filling the gap.

But here’s the good news: we can change that.

We already have:
- the skills (across bee farmers, hobbyists and association apiaries)
- the local knowledge
- and the bee stock here in the UK

What we need now is momentum and coordination—especially at local level.

A challenge (and an invitation) to every local association
If your association doesn’t have a breeding programme yet, push for one. Ask the question at meetings. Volunteer to help. Encourage your association apiary to make it a priority. Even small, consistent steps—queen rearing, selection, drone flooding, record-keeping—add up quickly when lots of groups do them together.

Because imports won’t stop until demand stops.

We’re continuing our own breeding programme, and we’re going to share more of the journey than ever before—what’s working, what isn’t, and what we’re learning along the way.

We’re proud to stand with BBKA and BIBBA in supporting UK-bred bees and reducing reliance on imports.

If you’re already involved in local breeding efforts, tell us what your association is doing. If you’re not—this is your nudge to start the conversation.

05/04/2026

Thinking about getting bees? 🐝

👉 https://beginner-beekeeping.co.uk/start-beekeeping-uk-beginners-guide

Start smart. Your bees will thank you.

31/03/2026

Free living honey bees, 11th April Calstock Arts or on line.

Saturday 11 April Calstock Arts 11 April: B4 Symposium 10:00 – 15:00 A free-living honey bee project. 9:30-10.00 Coffee- registration   10:00 -Norman Carreck – “What’s new in the world...