South Kildare Beekeepers Association

Kudos to Bridget Lynch who commented on a recent post with this wonderful poem.

🍯 IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR ALL BEEKEEPERS – NEW HONEY LABELLING RULES NOW IN EFFECT 🍯

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has introduced new honey labelling requirements that came into force on 14th June 2026. If you sell honey at the farm gate, local markets, online, or through shops and cafés, these rules apply to you regardless of whether you have 2 hives or 2,000.

✅ What must be on your honey label?

Every jar of honey must clearly display:

🍯 The legal name: Honey

🌍 The country of origin in the main field of vision:

"Ireland 100%" or
"Country of Origin: Ireland"

If your honey is blended from different countries, you must state each country and its percentage contribution:

Ireland 80%, Spain 20%
Countries must be listed in descending order by weight.

⚠️ Important reminders

❌ "Hot Honey" is no longer an acceptable product name.

If you add ingredients such as chillies, cinnamon, ginger, lemon, or other flavourings, the product is no longer legally honey and must be described accurately, for example:
✅ "Honey with Chillies"
❌ "Hot Honey"

❌ Do not make health claims about honey.

You cannot claim that honey:

Cures illnesses
Prevents disease
Treats medical conditions

This applies to:

Labels
Websites
Social media posts
Advertising material

📋 Traceability is a legal requirement

Beekeepers must be able to identify:

Which apiary produced each batch
Any blends used
Where each batch was sold (shops, markets, cafés, etc.)

🔍 Check your labels now

Before printing new labels, make sure they include:
✅ Product name (Honey)
✅ Net weight
✅ Best before date
✅ Producer/packer name and address
✅ Country of origin (Ireland 100%)
✅ Batch or lot number
✅ Any other mandatory food labelling requirements

For most Irish beekeepers already labelling their honey as Irish honey, the changes will be minimal. However, now is a good time to review your labels and ensure they fully comply with the latest legislation.

South Kildare Beekeepers encourages all members to check their labels before their next honey run. A few small changes now could help avoid problems later.

🐝 Have questions about the new rules? Ask them in the comments and we'll do our best to point you in the right direction.

🐝 The June Gap – A Challenging Time for Bees and Beekeepers 🌼

Many beekeepers are enjoying strong colonies and busy hives at this time of year, but it's also the period when we can encounter what is known as the "June Gap."

The June Gap is a period when many of the spring flowers have finished blooming, but the main summer nectar sources have not yet come into full flower. As a result, there can be a sudden shortage of nectar and pollen available to our bees.

🔍 Signs that your colony may be affected:
• Reduced nectar coming into the hive
• Bees becoming more defensive or irritable
• A noticeable slowdown in brood rearing
• Bees robbing weaker colonies
• Colonies consuming their stored honey reserves

✅ What can be done?
• Regularly check hive stores, especially during poor weather.
• Lift the back of the hive to monitor its weight.
• Ensure colonies have enough food reserves to sustain brood rearing.
• If stores become critically low, consider feeding sugar syrup until forage improves.
• Reduce hive entrances if robbing becomes an issue.
• Keep an eye on newly made nucs and smaller colonies, as they are often most vulnerable.

The June Gap doesn't affect every area equally, and local forage can make a big difference. Bramble, clover, lime trees and wildflowers will soon help bridge the gap, but a few checks now can prevent colonies from struggling later.

Have you noticed the June Gap in your apiary this year? Let us know what forage your bees are working on at the moment! 🐝🌸

Bees just landed in your Chimney !!

here is some great advice of what you can do ( Immediately )
https://swarms.ie/chimneys/

🐝💛 Telling the Bees 💛🐝

Did you know that for centuries beekeepers followed a tradition known as "Telling the Bees"?

In Ireland, Britain, and many parts of Europe, bees were considered part of the family. When an important event occurred—such as a birth, marriage, or death—the beekeeper would visit the hives and gently share the news with the bees.

It was believed that if the bees were not informed, they might become unsettled, stop producing honey, leave the hive, or even die. During times of mourning, hives were sometimes draped with black cloth, while happy occasions such as weddings were celebrated by tying ribbons to the hive or leaving a piece of wedding cake nearby.

While modern beekeepers may smile at these old customs, many still enjoy keeping the tradition alive. There is something special about recognising the deep connection between beekeepers and their bees—a partnership that has existed for thousands of years.

So, have you ever told your bees about a new baby, a wedding, or the loss of a loved one? We'd love to hear your stories and traditions in the comments below.

🐝❤️ From all of us at South Kildare Beekeepers, here's to the wonderful bond between beekeepers and their bees.

1 sleep to go !

🐝 Thank You from South Kildare Beekeepers 🐝

A sincere thank you to everyone who came along to our recent talk on Climate Change presented by John Sweeney.

It was a fascinating and thought-provoking evening, giving us all a greater understanding of how our changing climate is affecting the environment around us, including the plants, pollinators, and ecosystems that are so important to beekeeping.

We are especially grateful to John for sharing his knowledge, experience, and insights in such an engaging and accessible way.

It was wonderful to see such a great turnout and to enjoy the lively discussions and questions afterwards. Events like these help us all become better informed and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Thank you once again to everyone who attended and supported the event. We look forward to seeing you at our future talks and activities.

🐝 South Kildare Beekeepers 🐝

🐝🌼 JUNE JOBS AROUND THE APIARY 🌼🐝

June is one of the busiest — and most exciting — months in the beekeeping calendar! Colonies are building quickly, nectar flows are underway, and swarm season is still very much active. Here are some important jobs to keep on top of around the apiary this month:

✅ Continue weekly swarm inspections
Look carefully for queen cells and signs of overcrowding. Colonies can swarm very quickly in warm weather.

✅ Add supers when needed
Strong colonies can fill supers fast during a good nectar flow. Give the bees plenty of space to avoid congestion.

✅ Watch for signs of disease
Keep an eye out for unusual brood patterns, chalkbrood, or signs of varroa problems.

✅ Check colony temperament
June is a good time to assess queen performance and colony behaviour.

✅ Make up nucs if required
Strong colonies can often spare brood and bees for nucleus colonies.

✅ Ensure good ventilation
Warm weather and crowded hives can lead to overheating. Good airflow is important.

✅ Keep water nearby
Bees need plenty of water during hot weather, especially when raising brood.

✅ Record your inspections
Good notes now make management decisions much easier later in the season.

✅ Enjoy your bees!
Take a few moments during inspections to appreciate the incredible work your colonies are doing at this time of year. 🐝🍯

As always, if you spot a swarm locally, please send us a WhatsApp message with photos/videos, an address and Eircode so we can respond quickly.

Happy beekeeping everyone! 🌸

🐝 Another Swarm Safely Rescued! 🐝

What a sight! This large swarm of honey bees had decided that an electricity meter box would make the perfect temporary home. While it may not seem like an ideal location to us, swarming bees are simply looking for a new place to establish their colony.

Thanks to a quick response by one of our members and some careful beekeeping, this swarm was safely removed and relocated to a hive where it can continue its important work pollinating our flowers, crops, and gardens. 🌼🌸

A reminder that during swarm season, honey bee swarms are usually very calm and focused on finding a new home. If you spot a swarm:

✅ Keep a safe distance
✅ Do not spray them with water, insecticide, or any other substance
✅ Take a photo or short video if possible
✅ Send us the location, address, and Eircode as quickly as you can

Our swarm collectors will do their best to rescue and rehome them.

Thank you to everyone who contacts South Kildare Beekeepers when they spot a swarm. Every rescued swarm helps support our local honey bee population and gives these remarkable insects a second chance in a proper hive. 🍯🐝

🐝🍯🌻

🐝 SWARMING SEASON HAS STARTED 🐝

Honeybee swarming season is now underway, and over the coming weeks you may notice large clusters of bees gathering on trees, fences, hedges, walls, or even around houses and gardens.

If you spot a swarm of honey bees, please:
📍 WhatsApp us the details as quickly as possible to 083 374 4907
📍 Include the full address and Eircode
📍 Send us a short video or photo of the swarm

⚠️ Please DO NOT interfere with the swarm.
Swarming bees are usually very calm and are simply looking for a new home. Please do not spray them with water, chemicals, foam, or anything else.

Our members will do their very best to arrange for a local beekeeper to safely collect the swarm and relocate it.

🐝 Members of the public are also encouraged to put up swarm traps. Swarm traps are often very attractive to passing honeybee swarms and can encourage them to settle somewhere easy to access and remove.

This can save homeowners from the much more expensive and disruptive problem of bees moving into roofs, chimneys, walls, or attics — where removal can sometimes involve opening parts of the roof or structure of the house.

Thank you for helping to protect our pollinators and support local beekeeping 💛🐝