Terms of Service & Beekeeping Agreements

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PART 1: Hive Management Services (6 & 12-Month Contracts)

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1. Equipment and Colony Sourcing

• Provision of Hives: Clients typically provide their own hives and honeybee colonies. Alternatively, the beekeeper can source and provide the hives and colonies for you at cost.

2. Hive Placement and Safety

• Safe Distance: To ensure the safety of everyone on the property, all hives will strictly be placed at a safe, mutually agreed-upon distance from main thoroughfares, buildings, and high-traffic areas. The client must grant the beekeeper full, unhindered access to the hive site for routine maintenance.

3. Colony Loss and Hive Management

• Hive Mortality: Honeybee colonies can occasionally die out due to a variety of natural, environmental, or biological reasons. In the event of a hive loss, our primary approach is to attempt to split existing healthy colonies to replenish the loss at no extra colony cost to the client.

• Replacement Fees: If a colony split is not viable or successful, new colonies will need to be brought in, which will incur a replacement charge billed to the client.

4. Temperament and Queen Replacement

• Aggression Management: If a managed hive displays aggressive behavior that poses a safety risk, the queen bee will be replaced to restore a calm temperament.

• Queen Sourcing: Replacement queens will either be raised organically from our existing calm hives or purchased from reputable, high-quality breeders.

5. Contract Duration, Fees & Honey Entitlement

• Contract Options: Management services are bound by contract and are available on either a 6-month seasonal contract or a 12-month year-round contract.

• Minimum Order: A minimum of 2 hives is strictly required to qualify for this management service.

• Honey Entitlement (50/50 Split): As part of the management fee structure, the client is entitled to 50% of the total honey harvested from their managed hives. The remaining 50% is retained by the beekeeper.

• Mileage and Travel: Standard mileage and travel charges will apply to all scheduled site visits, emergency call-outs, and maintenance inspections.

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PART 2: Experience Days & Hive Tours

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6. Participant Requirements & Safety

• Age Restrictions: All experience days and hive tours are strictly limited to adults 18 years of age and older. No minors are permitted inside the apiary grounds.

• Protective Gear: Full protective beekeeping suits and gloves will be provided for all experience day participants. Participants must wear sturdy, closed-toe footwear (boots or high-top sneakers) and thick socks.

• Allergy Waiver: Honeybee stings are an inherent risk of interacting with live hives. All participants must sign a safety and liability waiver prior to entering the apiary. If a participant has a known severe allergy to bee stings (Anaphylaxis), they must notify the beekeeper in advance and carry their own prescribed EpiPen.

7. Fees, Deposits & Payments

• Booking Deposit: A £25 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking today.

• Remaining Balance: The remaining balance of £50 is due on the day of your practical experience. This can be paid via cash or card reader.

8. Cancellation & Weather Policy

a. Weather & Unforeseen Closures

• Weather: Because honeybees cannot be safely handled in rain, high winds, or unusually cold temperatures, if bad weather makes it unsafe to open the hives, we will try to notify you 24 hours prior to reschedule. If a mutually agreeable new date cannot be found, your deposit will be 100% refunded.

• 1A. Apiary Issues: In the event of an unforeseen issue such as an apiary shutdown due to disease or other unavoidable circumstances, we will try to notify you 24 hours prior to reschedule. If a mutually agreeable new date cannot be found, your deposit will be 100% refunded.

b. If You Cancel

• 7 Days' Notice: If you cancel or request a change with at least 7 days' notice, your deposit remains non-refundable but can be transferred to a new booking date.

• Less than 48 Hours' Notice: If you cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, miss the mandatory evening safety brief, or fail to show up on the day, your deposit is entirely non-refundable and non-transferable.

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PART 3: Product Sales & Market Stalls

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8. In-Person Stall Sales & Pre-Orders

• Product Availability: Our honey is raw, local, and harvested seasonally. Because of this, specific honey types, honeycombs, and small-batch variants are subject to seasonal availability and may sell out.

• Market Pre-Orders: If you place a pre-order on your website to collect at a specific farmers' market or community stall, your items will be held until the close of that market day. Uncollected items will be returned to inventory, and a digital store credit will be issued.

9. Product Returns, Safety & Disclaimers

• Infant Safety Warning: In accordance with health regulations, raw honey must not be given to infants under 1 year of age due to the risk of infant botulism.

• Natural Crystallization: Raw, unpasteurized honey will naturally crystalize (turn solid and grainy) over time. This is a sign of pure, quality honey and is not a product defect. To liquefy it again, simply place the jar in a warm water bath. Returns will not be accepted due to natural crystallization.

• Food Returns: For health and hygiene reasons, food products (including raw honey and honeycomb jars) cannot be returned or exchanged once they have left our market stall or have been delivered, unless the packaging is structurally defective or damaged at the time of purchase.