I don’t use foundation in my frames as I prefer to let my bees build their own comb. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, the combs are essentially the bees’ internal organs, where they raise their young, store their food, rest, groom, and carry out their communications. Sheets of foundation (beeswax with cell-shaped indentations for the bees to build from) are completely … Continue reading Foundationless frames
This is the current view from my back gate: oil seed rape in full flower. I am an artist as well as a beekeeper and part of me is enthralled by the expanse of bright yellow right outside my back door – and fortunately I don’t suffer with hay fever! Sadly though, this is a controversial crop for two reasons. Firstly, this is not an … Continue reading Oil Seed Rape
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 medium. The hive needs to be off the ground by … Continue reading Setting up your National hive
I was going through some of my files and discovered this: 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 need to cluster together to increase the temperature of the wax … Continue reading Comb building
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 the moment so I am taking off top supers when … Continue reading Cross comb
