Our terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions are to protect you and us with a common understanding of what will be delivered.

Gift Vouchers

Honey

Training and Experiential sessions

Sale of Queens

Sale of nucs (nucleus colonies)

Sponsorship

Hiring and/or buying a hive

GIFT VOUCHERS

Gift Vouchers can be purchased for friends and family at any time. There are a range of voucher values which cover general and specific entitlements. Once a voucher has been purchased, it will be sent to the intended recipient detailing the entitlement. This can include:

1. a specific sum of credit to buy or contribute to any items from this website. Please understand that part or full refunds are not available for unspent vouchers
2. A specific entitlement such as a course, a queen bee, a hive or a nucleus of bees

HONEY

Honey has some legal requirements in terms of weight, labelling and cleanliness during production. These requirements shall be met.

Honey sold and distributed by us will:

• be 'raw' honey. It won't be pressure filtered, pasteurised or treated with chemicals or additives
• be from a mixture of local forage, depending upon season and location
• be variable in nature. Some will 'set' after time. This can be unset by standing the jar in luke-warm water. We will endeavour to understand and explain the main sources of our honey
• not be organic. It is so difficult to assure that every plant the bees visit are fully organic so we do not make that claim.

Training and Experiential Sessions

Our aim is to share and show our enthusiasm and respect for bees and their place in nature. All training and experiential events will be given as positively as possible. Much of the session will be outside and subject to the weather. This will not prevent many of the training and experiential elements but it may make it a little more challenging for the bees and/or us.

What we will do for you:

• Offer course dates and times
• Have a minimum and maximum number to justify a course or event. This is partly to help spread the costs and effort of the session but also to get a good balance between hands on time for you and seeing how other people approach the same task.
• Advertise a price and stick to it. A £10 non-refundable deposit will secure a place. If full payment is made, refunds will not normally be available for a no-show
• We will provide notes (handouts) and other resources needed for the day.
• Loan of protective clothing and gloves, if required.
• Provide light refreshments and access to a toilet.

What you can do for us and the others on the course

• Please bring any protective suit if you have one. We would appreciate it being washed before coming here to minimise any risk of disease sharing with the bees.
• Leave your protective gloves at home. We will provide some nitrile gloves for the session. Again, it's just a matter of hygiene. if you have new gloves, that should be fine.
• Follow the guidance of the beekeeper when working with the bees
• Ask questions but be open to some opinions which may not be entirely in line with yours. The bees will let you know if what you are doing is OK.
• Pre-declare any medical or mental condition, allergy, phobia or concern about bees, bee-stings and/or a tendency to panic around bees. ​ 

Some specific deliverables:

QUEEN REARING COURSE

• You will be able to take away six larvae you have grafted onto queen cups for growing at your home hives if you have one
• You will be able to place your grafted larvae in a queenless hive at the apiary if one is available

HIVE BUILDING EVENT

• You can take away your complete or part-completed hive.

HIVE SPLIT EVENT

• If you have paid for the 'take away the split colony' option, you can take these home with you that evening

QUEEN RAISING SESSIONS

• You can keep any queens you successfully raise. This process isn't guaranteed though so please don't depend upon attending the course for your queen bee.

SALE OF QUEENS

One of our primary aims is to sell Queens that are locally bred and mated and we have an understanding of the core genetics and some of the breeding (pedigree) history. Our bees mate with local drones which causes a fair degree of cross-breeding (mongrelisation) but we take some comfort in that the bees are used to the North West climate.

We will keep a note of batch numbers and dates of Queens we sell. We welcome any feedback about their productivity, calmness and temper to help us with future selective breeding choices.

If a Queen arrives to you and it is not alive, it will be replaced asap. You will be responsible for the successful introduction of the Queen to your colony.

We can provide non-native bees to you but these will have a bit of a premium cost because of transportation. We advise that you consider supporting the local bees as part of your approach to beekeeping rather than potentially importing any pests/diseases or a Queen that isn't suitable for our climate. Greece a lot different to Cheshire.

A £10 deposit prompts us to add your requirement to our breeding programme. Full payment enables us to log Queens for allocation. First come, first served. We think our Queens are excellent value for money and they do sell out quickly because we don't have to make a commercial profit and we limit ourselves to sensible numbers each year.

SALE OF NUCS (Nucleus Colonies)

One of our primary aims is to sell Queens and bees that are locally bred and mated and we have an understanding of the core genetics and some of the breeding (pedigree) history. Our bees mate with local drones which causes a fair degree of cross-breeding (mongrelisation) but we take some comfort in that the bees are used to the North West climate.

We will keep a note of batch numbers and dates of Queens and bees we sell. We welcome any feedback about their productivity, calmness and temper to help us with future selective breeding choices.

Our nucs can be delivered to you at an agreed time and date if you are within an acceptable range of our Cheshire base. 

We offer three, four, five and six frame nucs. All but one of the frames will have larvae and/or brood on. The other frame may have larvae on as well but it is primarily reserved for food (nectar/honey/pollen.

Your bees will have been treated for Varroa prior to delivery to you. The Queen shall be marked.

A £25 deposit prompts us to add your requirement to our breeding programme. Full payment enables us to log Nucs for allocation. First come, first served. We think our Nucs are excellent value for money and they do sell out quickly because we don't have to make a commercial profit and we limit ourselves to sensible numbers each year.

SPONSORSHIP

Bees In Our Community (BIOC) is run on a not-for-profit basis. Some staff are paid for core hours completed. Most costs are associated with purchase and maintenance of equipment, materials and consumable items. Any excess income from sponsorship shall be put into future investment for BIOC which may include upgrading facilities, number of events offered/delivered and improved support for the selective breeding of localised bees.

Sponsorship can come in various forms

INDIVIDUAL (ONE-OFF SPONSORSHIP) - this is ideal as a gift voucher to a loved one or to yourself if you have an aspiration to look after bees and want to know more.

INDIVIDUAL (ONGOING) SPONSORSHIP - this allows part or the whole of a specific colony to be funded by you. You will get updates on the specific successes and challenges with that colony and access to live CCTV footage if the internet availability permits in that location. You will receive honey from your hive knowing that the bees are being loved and nurtured with your support and an experienced set of hands at our end.

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP - similar to the one-off and ongoing sponsorship for individuals. Monthly updates and photos can be sent electronically to your organisation and honey can be supplied with corporate labelling if preferred. Depending upon the level of sponsorship there are options to:

• have the hive(s) sited and maintained at your premises
• have awareness and understanding events held at your organisation
• take part in hive inspections
• have a plaque on your hive thanking your for your sponsorship

HIRING AND/OR BUYING A HIVE

This is a great way to get into beekeeping. It is a contract between ourselves and you so we will invest in all the equipment and livestock up front for you to take full ownership after the final payment. Along the way, you will have a chance to observe, understand and join in on the joys of beekeeping with the knowledge that errors on your part will be minimised and that any issues with your bees will be addressed at our cost. A typical extract is as follows:

This agreement dated the _______ day of ____________, _________ is by and between [your beekeeping mentor] (herein after referred to as “The Beekeeper”) and [your name or company name/address] (herein after referred to as “The Host).

The Beekeeper hereby grants to The Host an exclusive option to purchase the property and support service described as follows:

• Risk Assessment for the Host (for corporate clients, where required)
• One new and complete beehive consisting of
  • Hive stand, hand-made and designed to suit your specific site needs
  • Inner hive (National style) consisting of open mesh floor, entrance block, brood box, queen excluder, two supers, crown board. Complete set of frames and foundation for the brrod and super boxes.
  • Outer hive (WBC style) consisting of base/entrance, four lifts and one roof. We can usually finish this outer hive in a colour of your choice from a range of suitable wood paints and stains
• ​A similar new and complete beehive for the second season of beekeeping.
• ​One rapid feeder.
• One colony of bees. If the colony is not successful during the lease period, one additional (nucleus) colony shall be provided at no charge.
• All bee and beehive treatments for the agreement period. Access will be required to the hive.
• All the honey yield, excepting the remains left in the uncapping and extraction equipment which will be removed from site for cleaning. Please note, the honey yield in the first summer is not usually very significant.
• Two complete inspections per year. All inspections will be appointed beforehand.
• At least six further visits per year. All inspections will be appointed beforehand.
• Hive records set up and record sheets produced.
• Photographs of the bees and frames during inspections when the host is not present.
• Visit explanations for up to two people at the time of the complete inspections.
• Hive tool and smoker.
• Protective bee suit and protective gloves for the host.
• One year's paid membership and insurance to the British Beekeepers Association.
• Registration and logging of the hive onto Beebase.
• Telephone, email, Whatsapp remote support.
• Assuming the site situations are acceptable, a second hive and colony will be provided with the second colony coming from a 'split' of the original colony.

(herein after referred to as the “Property and Service”) and subject to the following conditions by and between The Beekeeper and The Host

1. TERM OF OPTION.
This option to lease-purchase shall commence on the _______ day of ________________, _________and shall expire at 12 o'clock midnight on the _______ day of ________________, _________.

2. EXCLUSIVITY OF OPTION.
This option to purchase is exclusive and non-assignable. Any attempted assignment, delegation, transfer or conveyance of this option to purchase without the The Beekeeper’s express written permission is void.

3. NOTICE REQUIRED TO EXERCISE OPTION TO PURCHASE.
The Host will automatically exercise this option to purchase by completing the payment schedule for the duration of the agreement. No additional payments are necessary.

4. OPTION CONSIDERATION.
The Host can make a single payment of the remaining scheduled amount at any time and take on full ownership of the property. Unless otherwise agreed, the service provided by the Beekeeper shall be discontinued once payment has been confirmed. The paid amount is non-refundable. In the event that the Host exercises this option, is not in default of the Lease Purchase Agreement, full ownership of the property is assigned to the Host.

5. PURCHASE PRICE.

The total purchase price for the Property and service within this agreement is simply defined as_________ payments of £________ to an account specified by the Beekeeper. The Host can end this agreement early through two options

a. discontinue payments. All property remains the property of the Beekeeper and it shall be removed from site. Please note that the host is fully liable for the first twelve payments even if the payments are discontinued before this.

b continue the payments where the host automatically acquires full ownership of all the property listed.
Please note that the service discontinues after the agreement period and the Beekeeper is under no obligation to continue to manage and nurture hives owned by the Host. Paid amounts are non-refundable.

IT IS THE HOST’S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO ARRANGE FINANCING FOR THE TRANSACTIONS. THE BEEKEEPER HAS MADE NO REPRESENTATIONS TO THE HOST REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF FINANCING OF THE HOST’S ABILITY TO QUALIFY FOR FINANCING.

7. REMEDIES UPON DEFAULT.
In the event of any such default by The Host of this Agreement, The Beekeeper shall have the option to terminate this Agreement via written (electronic) notice and the Host is not entitled to any refund of payment or ownership consideration whatsoever.
 

8. COMMISSIONS.
There will be no commissions paid or received to the Beekeeper and/or Host as a result of this Agreement.

9. MODIFICATION. Any modification of any portion of this Agreement must be made in writing and signed by both parties.

10. ENTIRE AGREEMENT.
As written, this Agreement forms the final, entire agreement between the Host and The Beekeeper. They have made no further promises of any kind to one another, nor have they reached any other understandings, either written or verbally

11. DISCLAIMER.

The parties to this Agreement acknowledge the following:

a. Bees are livestock and are not tame. Every effort will be maintained to nurture and grow the colony. The colony may suffer infection, poisoning, starvation in a similar way to any pet or livestock animal. The Beekeeper shall make all practicable efforts to prevent such occurrence and to deal with incidents but cannot be held accountable for multiple colony failures caused by other parties or events.
 

b. Beekeeping is a wonderful hobby and pastime. Bees produce honey for themselves and some can be removed from time to time for human consumption. Amounts are not assured nor guaranteed.

c. The Host is expected to make an effort to learn about beekeeping, to join in on some inspections and to make observations of the hive entrance from time to time. Failure to do so and communicate any concerns to the Beekeeper cannot be the fault of the Beekeeper.
 

12. ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
The undersigned Host hereby acknowledges that they have read this Agreement, understand it, agree to it and have been given a completed copy. The Host was advised, and had opportunity to seek advice of legal, tax, technical expertise professionals of their own selection and any other counsel of their choosing concerning this Agreement prior to signing and for up to 10 calendar days after having signed the document.

We will be pleased to offer you personal and no-obligation advice. Simply contact us