Worthing sits on the Sussex coast with the South Downs rising immediately to the north — a combination that gives honey bees exceptional forage from seafront lime avenues to downland chalk grassland. The Edwardian and inter-war back gardens of the town are a consistently good swarm landscape in May and June.
Worthing collectors are regularly called to swarms on the Broadwater and Tarring back gardens, in the mature trees of Beach House and Homefield Parks, along the Ferring boundary hedges, and in the chimney voids of the Downland villages of Findon, Clapham and Patching.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BN12 5JL· approx. 5 km
Visit websitePO18 0EE· approx. 25 km
Visit websiteRH14 0DS· approx. 25 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The county is carried by a long, staggered honey flow. Spring opens on the blackthorn and hawthorn of the Downs, followed by field maple and sycamore on the Weald, and the sweet-chestnut coppice still worked around the Arun and Rother valleys. Early summer brings white clover on the grazed chalk, bramble in every hedgerow, and the heavy lime flow that lines the streets of Chichester, Arundel and Horsham. Late summer leans on rosebay willowherb, balsam along the Adur, and a strong ivy flow into October on sheltered south-facing lanes. It is a long season, and hives work hard.
More on beekeeping in West SussexReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
