Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a sudden and significant shift in global costs, driven largely by the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
This has had a direct impact on:
- Energy prices
- Raw material availability and cost
- Freight and transport
As many of you will know, polystyrene manufacturing is heavily energy-dependent, so these changes feed through quickly into production costs.
What This Means
Our manufacturing partners have now been forced to introduce a temporary surcharge on production due to these rising costs.
While we always do our best to shield our customers from increases, the speed and scale of this change means we can no longer absorb it in full.
Timing
- ✅ Current stock – price held
Any stock we currently have will remain at the existing price. - ⚠️ From end of April 2026
Incoming stock will reflect a price increase linked to this surcharge.
A Temporary Situation
It’s important to be clear —
👉 This is expected to be a temporary measure, not a permanent price restructure.
The surcharge is directly tied to:
- Volatile energy markets
- Increased fuel and freight costs
- Rising raw material prices
If (and when) these stabilise, we would expect pricing to follow.
Industry-Wide Impact
This isn’t isolated to us.
These pressures are already affecting:
- UK-made poly hives and nucs
- European manufacturers
- Imported products (often even more so due to shipping costs)
Our Position
We’ve:
- Absorbed earlier cost increases where possible
- Delayed passing anything on until absolutely necessary
- Chosen to be upfront and transparent about the situation
We’d much rather explain things clearly than quietly adjust pricing without warning.
Final Thought
If you’re planning on expanding this season, there is a short window to secure current pricing before the end-of-April adjustment.
We’ll continue to monitor things closely and will always keep you informed.
Thanks, as always, for your continued support — it genuinely means a lot.
—
Daniel & Tristan
BS Honey Bees Ltd 🐝
