Background and aims

Free-living honey bee colonies (also known as wild, wild-living and feral) are unmanaged colonies living in a nest site of their own choosing. Free-living colonies occur in most geographic regions where honey bees are managed, occupying cavities in trees, buildings and other man-made structures. A recent study by Visick and Ratnieks (2026, doi.org/10.1007/s13592-025-01234-4) showed that the free-living honey bee population in southern England is large and potentially self-sustaining. There may be sufficient isolation between free-living and managed colonies for genetic differences to accumulate. One might expect locally-adapted traits to be more prevalent in free-living colonies than managed, given that the former are exposed to natural selection. We intend to test this hypothesis in South West England where there is baseline data on the evolutionary origin of managed stocks. We also want to study free-living colonies in this part of the country more generally, and engage beekeepers and the general public in honey bee research. 

Methods

The project will run for a single field season from March to October 2026. With the help of citizen scientists, we hope to locate between 30 and 50 free-living colonies in the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, although sightings from neighbouring counties are also welcome. Nest locations can be reported here or via Honey Bee Watch (see below for more details on how to get involved). A member of the project team will then visit nest locations to collect samples of worker bees for genetic analyses. This will be done using either a handheld aspirator (bee vacuum) or an insect net mounted on a telescopic pole, depending on accessibility. 

How to get involved

The best way to contribute to this research project is by reporting the locations of free-living colonies in South West England. These might be established colonies that you already know of, or those of unknown origin which you have found this year (both are welcome). You can find useful information on how to find free-living colonies on our Resources page. If you are unsure of what a free-living colony looks like then use our Gallery to familarise yourself. Nest locations can be reported in two ways:

1. Report directly to this website by filling out the form on our Report page

2. Report via Honey Bee Watch (https://app.honeybeewatch.com/reporting). Be sure to select our project in the drop down menu. 

In both cases, you will be prompted to provide information about the colony such as its GPS location, status and accessibility. If the colony is located on private property, then you will be contacted later on to arrange sample collection.

Why participation matters

Free-living colonies are an important component of honey bee populations in England, but there is still much we don’t know about them. By reporting nest locations, you directly contribute to important research on the ecology and conservation of honey bees in their native range. The success of this project depends on your observations, without which we cannot build a comprehensive picture of the free-living population in South West England.