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Steve Donohoe

I'm Steve Donohoe. I've kept bees commercially in Cheshire since 2012. I'm the editor of Bee Farmer magazine, co-author of Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives (Northern Bee Books), and author of Interviews with Beekeepers (ZunTold). I've kept up to 100 colonies, raised queens commercially, and written about honey bees for many years.

A Tale of Two Apiaries

27th September 202520th June 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Pumpkin Patch in USA

Yeah, that’s right, I’m a big shot with two apiaries. None of that amateurish one apiary nonsense. My second apiary, which is in an orchard at Red House Farm in Dunham Massey, is only just getting going. It currently has just three colonies on it; two good sized hives and a nucleus hive (nuc). The … Read more

Categories Apiary Planning & Design Tags Apiaries Leave a comment

A Legendary Bee has Died

27th September 202512th June 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Mating apiary at Denrosa apiaries

In the Winter of 2017, I met Murray McGregor, owner of Denrosa Apiaries, based in Coupar Angus, Scotland and was delighted to be able to spend over a day with him. He carefully chooses his words and takes his time answering questions, making sure that his encyclopaedic knowledge, based on decades of experience, is passed … Read more

Categories Queen Rearing & Genetics Tags denrosa, queen bee, Queen Rearing 2 Comments

Interesting view from Stateside on feeding

26th September 20256th June 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Syrup Feeder

via Honey Bee Feeding Considerations during Nectar Dearth

Categories Seasonal Management Tags feeding bees, june gap Leave a comment

Argyle and Walrus

27th September 20253rd June 2018 by Steve Donohoe
English Cream Tea with scones and jam

I’m sat in the luxurious lounge of Anchorage House, Tighnabruaich, gazing across a narrow stretch of blue/grey sea to the rolling hills of Bute, with my laptop perched upon a cushion on my knee. It is a favourite family holiday location; the natural beauty of Argyle and Bute is staggering. The house where we stay … Read more

Categories Stories, Interviews & Philosophy Tags tighnabruaich 5 Comments

Are Your Queens Majestic?

27th September 202528th May 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Actors from the Crown and Victoria

Are Your Queens Majestic? Anybody who has been reading my blog for a while will no doubt form the view that I am obsessed with queens. I’m talking about queen honey bees, not what you were thinking, you smutty vermin. The queen bee is not the ruler of her hive, as some may think. I … Read more

Categories Queen Rearing & Genetics Tags cell builder, Michael Palmer, Queen Rearing, Richard Noel Leave a comment

Busy as a Beekeeper

27th September 202521st May 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Horse Chestnut Tree In Flower by Renoir

Busy as a beekeeper: Here in my part of England, the weather is currently absolutely perfect, and we have shaken off the oppressive depressed state induced by a long cold Winter followed by a miserable Spring. It is incredible how rapidly Nature responds to such changes. We went from skeletal trees and frozen ground to … Read more

Categories Seasonal Management Tags Beekeeping, Springtime, Swarms Leave a comment

Velutina has a touch of Latina

27th September 202513th May 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Penelope Cruz Getty Images

On my recent trip to Brittany, I saw my first Asian Hornets (Vespa Velutina). They were queens trying to establish nests early in the season, and even though I’d only seen photographs before I instantly recognised the large dark insects, which dart about making a deep hum as they fly. I think I saw four … Read more

Categories Hive Health & Diseases Tags asian hornet, Richard Noel 1 Comment

Vive Le Morse!

27th September 20256th May 2018 by Steve Donohoe
Treguihe near Corseul in France

Oh, the power of Google (other search engines are available, and some of them don’t track your every move and send adverts to you). I just used it to find out what the French word is for “walrus” and apparently it is “morse”. I like it! Je suis un morse. I am staying in beekeeper … Read more

Categories Stories, Interviews & Philosophy Tags Richard Noel 1 Comment
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  • Apiary Planning & Design (13)
  • Beekeeping Fundamentals (57)
  • Hive Health & Diseases (39)
  • Honey & Hive Products (6)
  • Plants, Forage & Habitat (4)
  • Queen Rearing & Genetics (50)
  • Seasonal Management (42)
  • Stories, Interviews & Philosophy (84)
  • Swarming & Colony Reproduction (17)
  • The Bees Already Know How: Simple Queen Rearing14th April 2026
  • What Queen Quality Actually Means, and How to Measure It31st March 2026
  • Don’t Overlook Honey Bee Nutrition9th March 2026
  • How to Recover from Colony Losses and Make Increase21st February 2026
  • Honey Bee Research vs. Reality29th January 2026
  • The Cult Of Local Bees18th January 2026
  • Varroa Resistance In The UK11th January 2026
  • Changing The Queen1st January 2026
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