Talking With Bees

There’s a moment in beekeeping that most people don’t really talk about. It’s not your first sting – that’s almost a rite of passage. And it’s not even your worst day. It’s the moment when something shifts in your head. For a long time, you accept the compromises. The beekeeping suit that’s a bit too hot. The one that’s slightly loose at the wrists. The one that probably isn’t quite as…

There are very few occasions where I feel like a princess when I’m beekeeping. Sweaty. Swollen. Smelling like woodsmoke and propolis. It’s hardly the vibe of royalty. But then I stumbled across the PollenMaid Bee Suit and suddenly, I got it. Why Kate Middleton donned one on World Bee Day and looked like she was off to tea at Highgrove rather than into a hive full of angry bees. It turns out……

Founder of BJ Sherriff Beekeeping Clothing  It is sad news about a beekeeping legend. The innovator Brian Sherriff has passed away at the age of 94. Celebrated for the protective beekeeping clothing which bears his name, Brian Sherriff was born into a family of British corset-manufacturers, his grandfather having set up his first factory in Bristol, UK in the late 1800s. Brian was apprenticed…

Never Lose a Queen Again

Never Lose a Queen Again I wanted to let you all know that BJ Sherriff, a sponsor of this blog, have recently launched an innovative QueenSafe™ bag. QueenSafe Bag – BJ Sherriff New Queen bees are either expensive to buy, or take time to rear, so you don’t want her to go missing! The bag allows beekeepers to safely and securely manipulate their queen bees with ease: transferring queens between…

Festival Of Bees 2021 – Kent, Bath, Yorkshire

Festival Of Bees 2021 – Kent, Bath, Yorkshire The Festival Of Bees is for beekeepers and those who are interested in becoming beekeepers.  More information can be found here: Festival Of Bees They are looking for Stewards and Ambassadors.  Please contact Kerry if you are able to offer your services: tel. 01227 831220; [email protected]. Festival Of Bees 2021

Bee Suit Warranties And Repairs

Bee Suit Warranties And Repairs Many of us will be getting out our beekeeping suits and discovering holes in the veil or the knees. This is a timely reminder that some of the beekeeping clothing manufacturers offer warranties and have in-house repair services, so do use these services if available. A sponsor of this blog and the bee suit I use: BJ Sherriff garments carry a 5 year warranty on all…

Part 2: Failed Queen Leading To Wax Moth

Part 2: Failed Queen Leading To Wax Moth

The answer to Part 1 was “no”:  it was a swarm from someone else’s hives.

Lockdown beekeeping: what’s happened since I last wrote?

The new, mated Queen I bought and introduced was killed

At the time, I assumed either (A) they just didn’t like her; (B ) poor beekeeping or (C) there was a virgin Queen in the hive at the time

A few weeks later I started to…

Part 1: Are An Introduced Queen & A Swarm Related?

Part 1: Are An Introduced Queen & A Swarm Related?

I introduce a queen to a colony and a swarm goes over my garden a few hours later.  Are these incidents related?  I don’t know the answer to this question, yet.  I’ll post next week.

The Inspection

I am down to one hive after 2 seasons of weak colonies, wax moths, wasps and lets be honest, some bad beekeeping, so it was with crossed fingers I…

New Food Supplements For Bees

New Food Supplements For Bees

I have written much already on Feeding Bees but I just wanted to let you know that Vita (blog sponsor) have launched two new bee feeds onto the market (and is now available in retailers in the UK and other countries):

VitaFeed Patty: Pollen-rich feed that is best used in autumn to create strong winter bees

VitaFeed Power: A liquid nutritional supplement packed with…

Season 7 – I Still Don’t Know What I’m Doing

Season 7 – I Still Don’t Know What I’m Doing Background

2 colonies in total:

1 colony is either drone laying queen or laying workers

And 1 good colony

2 new queens bought in the post and ready to pop in

Plan

Hope bad colony was drone laying queen, find her and pop in a 2019 queen

Artificially swarm the good colony and pop new queen in the new colony so it gets motoring straight away (leaving…

Beehaus Review – Season One

Beehaus Review – Season One

The Beehaus has been an object of desire for me since I started beekeeping and the Omlet team kindly provided me with one to experience and review. I set it up and populated it with honey bees in May 2018.

Here is my first season review – and I would be really interested to hear the experiences of other beekeeper’s who use the Beehaus.

Summary

The bees have thrived ……

Thermosolar Hive – Guest Review

Thermosolar Hive – Guest Review

John in Ireland has very kindly provided a review of his first season with the two Thermosolar Hives:

29th May 2018: Purchased 2 overwintered nuc’s from a friend and brought them to my site in the countryside where I already had 2 Poly Hives.  There are no other Bee Hives within 2 miles of these so they have free range.

30th May: The following evening I transferred…

Wax Moth Infestation Greater Wax Moth Infestation (Galleria mellonella)

I didn’t have my camera, so I can only describe the extent of the infestation.

Upon taking off the roof I was presented with a few hundred wax moth larvae in the polystyrene that I used in the roof. I could see larvae spilling out of the two Porter bee escapes in the crown board.  I was met with resistance when trying to…

Buying & Introducing A Buckfast Queen Bee

Buying & Introducing A Buckfast Queen Bee

It always seems hilarious to friends that one can buy a Queen and it gets delivered by post within a couple of days.

In mid-August, I identified a Queen-less hive and bought a 2018 Buckfast Queen from a local bee breeder.

I bought a Buckfast as it scores well against all traits, particularly, low aggressiveness and tendency to swarm and high calmness,…

A Respectable Honey Yield?

A Respectable Honey Yield? The Hot Weather & Honey Production

2018 has given us an extraordinary summer in the UK. Since May there has hardly been any rain and temperatures have regularly been 25C plus.  Rain dilutes nectar and the UK is not as hot as other countries … so I assume this has been a good honey production year for all UK beekeepers.

My Numbers

It’s been my best season – doubled my…

BEE Fayre – 11 & 12 August – Cornwall

BEE Fayre – 11 & 12 August – Cornwall

If you are near Enys House and Gardens, Penryn, Cornwall on Saturday 11th or Sunday 12th August 2018 it is worth going to this charitable and educational BEE Fayre.

BJ SHERRIFForganise this event to help raise awareness of the plight of the bee. There will be interesting short talks and demonstrations, including Skep Making, build an Insect Hotel throughout…

Beehaus Up & Buzzing

Beehaus Up & Buzzing

In May 2018, I set-up my Beehaus (very easy), dragged it up the farmer’s field and installed bees.  Exciting times.

Before The Beehaus

Two 14×12 colonies, back to back, lots of bees.

Beehives Back-To-Back After Beehaus Installing Bees Into Beehaus

Key points:

Turned  14×12 wooden hives 90 degrees and moved them 1m away (see photo above)

Allowed flying bees to enter the Beehaus