Buckinghamshire is a county of two halves — the beech-wooded Chilterns in the south and the arable Vale of Aylesbury in the north. Honey bees do particularly well on the chalk-and-clay border, and swarms in hedges, chimney pots and garden trees are common in May and June.
The Chiltern beech hangers produce an unusual honeydew flow some years; lime, field maple and sweet chestnut are the more reliable June flows through Marlow, High Wycombe, Amersham and Chalfont. In the Vale, oilseed rape dominates the spring and field beans support early June. Bramble is dense on the commons; rosebay willowherb fills every beech-clearing on the scarp. A strong late ivy flow runs across the flint-walled villages and ancient churchyards of the scarp foot.
Buckinghamshire Beekeepers' Association has active branches in Aylesbury, Chesham, High Wycombe, Marlow and Milton Keynes. Collectors in the Chilterns often find themselves retrieving swarms from beech branches and flint cottage chimneys; in the Vale, farm building eaves and modern estate gardens are more typical.
We prioritise coverage county-wide. Towns with a dedicated page below; more town pages rolling out soon.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations that support swarm collection in this area.
HP22 5TE· approx. 2 km
Visit websiteHP11 1BJ· approx. 20 km
Visit websiteHP9 2XG· approx. 24 km
Visit websiteMK9 3EP· approx. 27 km
Visit websiteWD3 1FA· approx. 29 km
Visit websiteAL1 1BY· approx. 32 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Report it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
