The basics are not always as basic as they seem. This category covers the foundational knowledge that underpins everything else in beekeeping — colony biology, bee behaviour, the role of the queen, how bees communicate, and why colonies do what they do at different times of year. It is also where you will find posts that examine what “good practice” actually means and where the received wisdom of UK beekeeping holds up under scrutiny and where it does not.
These posts are written for beekeepers who want to understand what is happening in the hive, not just follow a checklist. That said, beginners who are serious about learning the biology alongside the practice will find plenty here. A beekeeper who understands why a colony behaves in a particular way is a better beekeeper than one who has simply memorised the right response. Understanding the fundamentals is how you develop judgement, and judgement is what beekeeping actually runs on.
I am going to write about some things which I have found surprising since taking up beekeeping. It could be that I did not talk to the right people or read the right books, but for whatever reason, these are things that were either unknown to me, or maybe they just weren’t stressed strongly enough: … Read more