I know that beekeepers and domesticated honeybees are often thought to be going against ecological norm by introducing thousands of extra mouths to cater for, artificially feeding them to promote productivity, introducing alien pests and unnatural genes with imported, inseminated queens, and generally encouraging a skewed balance of nature. However, my apiary where the are … Continue reading …other than honeybees
Trees at West Rise School Apiary
We have been planning to increase the tree cover at the Marsh, to provide both shelter from the wind and better foraging opportunities for our small colony of honeybees. The black poplars were the first to go in, and all six seem to have rooted and survived the worst of the winter: The mulch seems … Continue reading Trees at West Rise School Apiary
More on Plants, Pollination and Bees
Bees talk to flowers. Talk isn't strictly correct, as this is not verbal communication, but communicate they definitely do. And if we witnessed the conversation, we would think of it as talking. Plants carry a very weak negative electrical charge, because although they are rooted in the ground and are therefore earthed, they are exposed … Continue reading More on Plants, Pollination and Bees
Intermediate Beekeeping Course
I always enjoy the Introductory courses as it's great to see the wonderment and interest as people begin to understand the workings of a bee colony, but these Intermediate courses are equally enjoyable as it's a chance to evaluate what our bees are doing and share observations on behaviour and experiences. This course gives beekeepers … Continue reading Intermediate Beekeeping Course
First flights
It was a positively balmy 10ΛC this morning, and returning home from running errands, I noticed the snowdrops are also out in number, and the crocuses are endeavouring to get their heads up and catch some of the fleeting sunshine. Tiny hazel flowers hold enough nectar to tempt an insect in need of sustenance. I … Continue reading First flights
Comb building
I was going through some of my files and discovered this: https://youtu.be/821uVRAcZ1I I think it brilliantly shows how the bees build their comb, and why I don't use foundation. Worker bees exude little flakes of wax from glands in their abdomen, and mould them with their mandibles in to the familiar hexagonal cells. The bees … Continue reading Comb building
Plants, Pollination and Bees
I am a member of my local(ish) beekeeping group, and last night we were given a fascinating talk by the extremely knowledgeable Malcolm on the finer points of pollination, and the adaptations the honeybee has evolved to facilitate this relationship between flower and insect. This is a huge topic, so here is the first instalment... … Continue reading Plants, Pollination and Bees
Sustainable Beekeeping course
There were 5 attendees on this course, who had travelled from across Sussex to learn about how to keep bees sustainably. We start off by discussing the hive itself (I work with Nationals and WBCs), and how the bees operate within it. We don't look inside occupied hives on this course - it's actually much … Continue reading Sustainable Beekeeping course
Squash court bees
I rescued these bees with a friend of mine from the panelling of a wall in a social club that was going be demolished, on April 10th, 2016. It was a cold day and a bit drizzly, and the location of the colony was near the car park for a popular bridleway/public footpath, and it … Continue reading Squash court bees
Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping
Would you like to know how to keep bees sustainably, on a small scale? Many people would like a colony of honeybees in their garden, and on this course I will show you how a hive works, and how to keep your bees happy and healthy with minimal intervention. Topics covered include:What type of hiveWhere … Continue reading Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping