Honeybee core gut taxa have been found critical in fighting pathogenic microorganisms; however, gut microbiome studies fail to account the eusocial and superorganism nature of these vital pollinators. This project utilises honey as the indicative medium to characterize the whole hive microbiome and identify health-promoting bacteria. DNA was extracted from raw honey, collected from hives across numerous apiaries, in southeast England, across seasons in 2024; 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and ITS2 amplicons were sequenced, and thereafter analysed using DADA2. Colony forming units were counted from the honeys, serial diluted across different media agar, and a preliminary selection were sequenced (16S amplicon). Hive monitors installed across repeat hives this spring recorded health and productivity data. Shotgun-metagenomic and whole-genome sequencing is being conducted on this years’ honeys and serially diluted isolates, respectively, to inform strain level differences and compliment phenotypic laboratory tests.  Whilst apiary site was not found to influence microbiota, a significantly higher richness and evenness of bacterial diversity were observed in autumn than in summer, coinciding with the period honeybees interact with the environment. Although numerous gut taxa and environmental bacteria were identified within the honeys, Apilactobacillus kunkeei was the most abundant species detected across both seasons, a symbiont demonstrated to protect against pesticides and American foulbrood. Overall, the identification of certain microbes in honey and their fluctuations over seasons can help inform the health status of individual hives. Further research, specifically on the promising A. kunkeei could characterise its probiotic potential and association with plants and other beneficial microbes.