Free Beekeeping Downloads (UK) – Printable Guides & Templates
Here you’ll find free BeezKnees downloads designed for UK beekeepers — practical, print-friendly documents you can keep in the shed or take to the apiary. Where relevant, we also link to official sources so you can check the latest guidance.
- Bee Health Checker (printable checklist: confirming checks + severity + mini callouts)
- Varroa treatment guides (chemical + non-chemical IPM)
- PPE checklist and safe handling notes for treatments
- Official veterinary medicine record form (linked to BeeBase)
- Apiary risk assessment template (PDF + Word)
- Landowner–beekeeper agreement template (Word)
- Year-in-the-apiary planning downloads (calendar + seasonal strategy)
- Links to key “read online” guides (responsibilities, insurance, swarms, honey regulations)
Bee Health Checker (UK) – Printable Checklist
A practical “symptoms → likely causes → actions” resource for UK beekeepers, designed to be print-friendly. This downloadable version adds confirming checks, severity, and mini callouts (especially for red flags and situations where you should isolate and seek official advice).
This checklist is not a diagnosis tool. If notifiable disease is possible (especially foulbrood), isolate the colony, avoid moving bees/frames/equipment between apiaries, and seek official advice.
Read online guides (recommended)
If you’d rather read the supporting guidance online (and then use the PDFs as a quick reference), these pages are the best place to start:
- Beekeeping Responsibilities (UK) (the main hub for safety, records and good practice)
- Beekeeping Insurance (UK) (public liability basics and what to check)
- Swarm Responsibilities (UK) (who does what, complaints, and calm next steps)
- Honey Regulations (plain-English overview + official references)
- Varroa Management (the hub page for monitoring + treatment planning)
Downloads
| Download | Format | What it’s for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bee Health Checker (UK) – printable checklist | PDF / Word | A print-friendly symptom checker with confirming checks, severity, and mini callouts for red flags and common UK issues. Designed to use at the apiary alongside inspection notes. |
Download PDF
Download Word Read online |
| Chemical varroa treatments (overview) | A plain-English overview of common treatment types, when they’re typically used in the UK season, and safety / planning considerations (including resistance awareness). | Download | |
| Non-chemical varroa control (IPM methods) | Practical biotechnical options like drone brood removal and brood breaks, and how they fit into an integrated pest management approach. | Download | |
| PPE for varroa treatments | What PPE is commonly recommended, why it matters, and a simple checklist for preparation, application, and clean-up when using treatments. | Download | |
| Veterinary Medicine Administration Record (official form) | An official record-keeping form for veterinary medicines (dates, product details, hive ID, batch number and notes). For convenience, we link to the official BeeBase / National Bee Unit PDF so you always get the latest version. | Open official PDF (BeeBase / National Bee Unit) | |
| Apiary risk assessment (template) | PDF / Word | A simple template to record site hazards and sensible controls (public access, livestock, gates, signage, working alone, weather and access). Useful for landowner reassurance and your own planning. |
Download PDF
Download Word Read online |
| Landowner–beekeeper agreement (template) | Word | A practical agreement template for hives on other people’s land (access, notice, responsibilities, contact details, expectations and basic ground rules). |
Download Word
Read online |
| Year in the Apiary – UK beekeeping calendar (planner) | A printable calendar-style planner to support the BeezKnees “Year in the Apiary” pages, so you can plan monthly checks, feeding, swarm control and seasonal tasks. |
Download
Read online |
|
| Year in the Apiary – monthly seasonal strategy (overview) | A higher-level seasonal strategy document (what to focus on each month, why it matters, and common pitfalls) designed to sit alongside the monthly pages. | Download |
These downloads are designed to support good practice, but they do not replace product labels, safety data, or current UK guidance. Always follow the instructions supplied with any treatment product and check up-to-date UK advice (for example via BeeBase / the National Bee Unit).
Related pages
- Beekeeping Responsibilities (UK) (safety, records and good practice hub)
- Beekeeping Insurance (UK) (public liability + what to check)
- Apiary Risk Assessment (simple site planning and documentation)
- Landowner–Beekeeper Agreement (access, notice, responsibilities and expectations)
- Swarm Responsibilities (UK) (public concerns and sensible next steps)
- Honey Regulations (plain-English overview + official sources)
- Varroa Management (monitoring, thresholds and planning)
- Varroa Chemical Treatments
- Varroa Non-Chemical Methods
- Varroa Monitoring Methods
- Varroa Treatment Calendar (UK)
- PPE for Varroa Treatments
- Veterinary Medicine Records (what to record and why)
- Bee Health Checker (UK) (symptoms → causes → actions)
- Hygiene (reducing disease risk through good practice)