We are often asked how to carry out swarm management and to help we have two videos on our YouTube channel Swarm Management Part 1 and Swarm Management Part 2 these show the Pagden or Artificial Swarm Method which is the one I prefer, especially...
Read moreWhen you see a picture of a queen bee you will often see a mark on her head but why does a queen bee have a coloured dot on her head? The first thing to say is that unfortunately nature does not put that dot on the queen’s head. It is a...
Read moreAt this time of year many people will be collecting their first nuc of bees ready to begin the wonderful world of beekeeping. It is therefore vitally important to know what to do when you first get your bees. For those of you who like videos then...
Read moreBees are very good at looking after themselves and don’t need human intervention in the same way as dogs or cats so why do beekeepers inspect hives? We will leave aside the arguments of the so called natural beekeeping movement here as they...
Read moreIt’s obvious that stinging is bad news for the bee as she will die as a result, but what about the beekeeper? Are bee stings good for you? In an age when so many people are so risk averse and seem to think that even being close to a bee...
Read moreWe have always said that when it comes to bees and beekeeping then temperament trumps production. Far better to have nice calm bees that are a joy to work than a hive of aggressive bees, even if they produce a lot of honey. If you have gone out...
Read moreThere has been a lot of publicity in the press this week about the adulteration of honey and so it is very reasonable to ask how do I know if my honey is real? If you have your own hive and bees then unless you accidentally get some feed into the...
Read moreWe are often asked “how much honey will I get from my hive?” and this is a very difficult question to answer as it depends upon so many things. It’s a bit like asking “how much rain will we get next year?” Having...
Read moreOne of the things that concerns people thinking of taking up beekeeping is does beekeeping take a lot of time? The short answer is no, and actually beekeeping is one of the few hobbies involving animals that fits well with modern life, especially...
Read moreBees are generally pretty tolerant when it comes to the position of their hive but some things will help them survive better and hopefully produce more honey. Here are five things to consider when siting your beehive. Sun & Shade If you can...
Read moreClimate change is definitely upon us and the speed of change is rapid. Anyone who works with nature in any form can see this and beekeeping is no different. Those of us who have been keeping bees for a long time (in my case nearly thirty years)...
Read moreThe price of everything seems to be going up every time you look and beekeeping equipment is no exception. It’s never been a cheap hobby to set up, although it is cheap to run, and so many people are looking to buy second hand equipment...
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