York is a walled city on the Ouse — one of the great beekeeping towns of the north, with a long river-plain season of limes, sycamore and the famous Museum Gardens white clover. Swarms are a reliable June event in the historic streets and the Victorian suburbs.
Collectors regularly attend swarms on the city walls, in the medieval street eaves off Goodramgate and Gillygate, in the Museum Gardens limes and on the allotments off Haxby Road. River Ouse flood-plain hedgerows produce a swarming population that moves into city gardens.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
YO19 5UF· approx. 5 km
Visit websiteLS25 6HH· approx. 18 km
Visit websiteYO61 3AG· approx. 19 km
Association data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The Vale opens on oilseed rape, hawthorn and sycamore; the Dales add hedgerow bramble and lime around Ripon, Harrogate and Skipton; but North Yorkshire is defined by its heather. The North York Moors and the eastern Dales give long, reliable ling flows from late July into September — still commercially worked, still producing some of the finest heather honey in the UK. Bilberry on high pasture adds a quiet early-summer supplement, and rosebay willowherb flushes every managed forestry clearing.
More on beekeeping in North YorkshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
