At last: some Spring-like weather! Lots of swarms around so I had planned my day to visit the Thermosolar bees remarkably well. They were looking bonny – here’s a slo-mo: I didn’t do a particularly invasive check as there were people on site and the bees aren’t the friendliest colony, so I checked the board and under the lid. They haven’t started building in the … Continue reading Spring Thermosolar Check
I have had a couple of swarm calls and a few bumble/solitary bee queries, but nature seems to be rather on hold at the moment. We’ve had strong winds and more wet, cold weather but the bees are foraging well when they do get the chance: lots of pale yellow pollen and at least the flowers have an abundance of nectar with all the rain. … Continue reading Darling Buds of May
I am still looking out of the window to see frost on the ground, and the wind has been brisk and cold for a sustained period. We have had a handful of days where the sun has persisted for more than a few hours and although it is warm when the wind drops, it’s by no means springlike. It’s meant to start warming up to … Continue reading All quiet…for the moment
It’s been really cold – down to freezing overnight – but I was aware the Thermosolar hive is very well insulated and the bees might be needing more room as the cold may not have checked their progress in the way that other hives would. Bees need to expend a lot of energy keeping their nest at 38ºC and colonies in poorly insulated hives are … Continue reading Thermosolar Beehive
I was recently interviewed for the TES regarding my involvement with the bees at West Rise Junior School. You can read the article here: https://www.tes.com/news/world-bee-day-environment-create-buzz-around-climate-change-your-school Continue reading Beekeeping and Schools
If you’ve been watching my recent vlogs, you’ll know that there have been a few changes with the poultry here at Shawpits. Since the lifting of ‘Cluckdown’, I have moved the pens over to one corner of the garden, and will be fencing off an area of north-facing garden for the chooks to have for their free-range time. I have one hen who has gone … Continue reading Poultry Update
I guess when most people consider keeping bees for other-than-honey purposes, it’s the connection with pollination and plants that springs to mind. This is a really powerful aspect of regenerative beekeeping, helping us to evaluate what is flowering and where, and when, and whether or not the bees regard it as a favourable source of food, be that pollen or nectar. To recap: honey bees … Continue reading Regenerative Beekeeping: Forage
I last went to see these bees in August last year (read about them here) and I was really hopeful that they’d made it through the winter. The landowner had said she hadn’t seen much activity, and the cold snap we had a week or so ago had doomed a few colonies I know, so I was wondering how the hives had fared, given that … Continue reading Spring Check of the Selmeston Bees
The Thermosolar hives at Berwick are based on a standard National hive, but with some modifications. I have a video below showing the basic organisation and construction: The Thermosolar ceiling is only used during mite treatment hence why I just have the roof at the moment. The occupied hive was flying well considering how chilly it was – we seem to have been stuck with … Continue reading Look inside the Thermosolar Hive
I’ve had a fascination with hedges for many years, and feel profound dismay at the sight and sound of the annual flailfest along the roads and lanes here in Sussex. I still have my “The History of the Countryside” by Oliver Rackham which was a course textbook for my Agriculture and the Environment degree at Wye College back in the 90’s. It’s one of those … Continue reading Regenerative Beekeeping: Hedges
