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Beekeeping: Safety

Asked by Mr Angus MacDonaldLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 22 July 2025UIN 67753

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum public safety requirements for beekeepers operating near (a) residential and (b) publicly accessible land.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Defra provides guidance to beekeepers advising that apiaries should be sited away from neighbours, footpaths or public areas to minimise the risk of members of the public being stung. Beekeeping groups also encourage beekeepers to work with their bees in such a way that risks to the general public are kept to a minimum.

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