At my introductory beekeeping courses, I always recommend using a British National hive, or its cousin the WBC, as they are readily available, and provide beginners with large boxes and robust, well-proportioned frames with which to handle the bees. Just because they are used commercially doesn't mean one has to manage one's bees in that … Continue reading Warré hive
Category: Beekeeping Principles
Feeding bees
People often ask me what "sustainable" beekeeping is, and one of the main tenets as far as I'm concerned is not giving bees sugar syrup. Ever. Feeding is generally done in the autumn in most beekeeping circles, as the bulk of the honey will have been removed for our consumption so of course the bees … Continue reading Feeding bees
Setting up your National hive
Lots of people are starting out with new hives and sometimes there is assumed knowledge, so here is a quick reminder about how to set up your hive. Everything needs to fit snugly so ensure all the boxes are flush on top of each other. Start with the floor, and the entrance block set to … Continue reading Setting up your National hive
First hive check
The past few weeks have been warm, sunny and mild here in the UK, and as such, the bees have been out looking for pollen and nectar. I don't normally check my bees until March or even April, but as they have been so active, I wanted to see what was going on and they … Continue reading First hive check
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
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
Refresher/intermediate beekeeping course
This course is designed for people who have either attended the Introductory course and would like more information, or those who already keep bees and need to understand more advanced management techniques and methods, but within the ethical/sustainable framework. This course is also aimed at those who have been keeping bees conventionally but would like … Continue reading Refresher/intermediate beekeeping course
Cross comb
It has been uncharacteristically hot and sunny here for weeks now and the bees have been making honey. I'm a bit mindful that we desperately need some rain otherwise the plants will reduce their nectar reward in order to conserve moisture, so the bees will need their stores. However, they are still producing prodigiously at … Continue reading Cross comb
Summer vs Winter honey
How and when bees store honey alters the composition and taste. In conventional beekeeping, all the honey from the preceding season is taken in late summer/early autumn, and the bees fed a sugar syrup to replenish their stores. I don't do this. Instead, I take honey little and often through the summer and leave the … Continue reading Summer vs Winter honey