NHMS Newsletter: March 2020 Update

Important update:
Due to workplace restrictions arising from Covid-19 we are no longer able to dispatch or log in any returned sample packs. If your latest email concerning workflow status is for ‘pack sent’ your packs should be with you, or reach you soon.

Please read latest Newsletter below:

 

Dear Beekeepers,

On behalf of the National Honey Monitoring Scheme team at UKCEH (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology), I would like to again say a big thank you to those who returned honey samples to us in 2019. We have the results of the 2nd half of the year which are currently being prepared for uploading to the website. We anticipate they will go live in the next couple of weeks, however we cannot promise this as there may be a delay as a consequence of COVID-19.  
450 sample pack requests have been received so far which is amazing and almost all dispatched. A letter with full instructions of how to take samples is included in the packs. It can also be found on our website.
Please continue to sign up, particularly if you have hives in the North of England and Northern Ireland. Packs should be with you within 2 weeks from requesting. Please be aware that should we be restricted to home working due to COVID-19 we will be unable to dispatch sample packs. Your requests will be kept on file and we will send them out as soon as we are able.
We will also be unable to confirm receipt of samples should our site close so please bear with us. Again, as soon as we are able to, we will log them in and let you know. Obviously we find ourselves in a very unusual situation so our usual NHMS timeline is likely to be impacted.
If you have any further questions please email honey@ceh.ac.uk. You can also use the Contact Us tab on the website. We would ask however that you first please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page before doing so. We often experience a large volume of emails and reply in chronological order when we have time to do so. If we are very busy in the lab or with data analysis, you may have to wait a few weeks for an answer.  

Wishing everyone best wishes,

Dr Anna Oliver
Molecular Biologist, NHMS