Category: Beekeeping

Sealed queen cells on a grafting frame
7 Jul 21 Walrus

Laws of Physics

Queen cells not far from emerging I may have discovered some laws of physics hitherto hidden from me. The obvious one that I have suspected for some time is that the weather will always turn rubbish when lime trees flower. It's…
Beekeeping
Kyles of Bute with sky reflected in water
14 Sep 20 Walrus

The best laid plans…

Kyles of Bute This summer I was going to be staying with Mike & Lesley Palmer in Vermont, followed by a road trip to Toronto via Niagra Falls. Alas COVID intervened. Instead, we bundled into the car (farting beagle too)…
Beekeeping
Steve Donohoe At the Artisan Fair on Red House Farm
27 Oct 19 Walrus

Keeping us on our Toes

At the Artisan Fair on Red House Farm I'm back from my holiday in Lanzarote. I have seamlessly adjusted from blue skies and 26 deg Celsius to whatever ridiculous weather we have here in Manchester. My bees are not flying;…
Beekeeping
Sacks of sugar in back of car
17 Aug 19 Walrus

Beekeeping in Three Charts

Beekeepers are easy to spot by what's in their car Over the years, I have figured out a few things about beekeeping in my area. Every area will be different, but the one that I care about is the one…
Beekeeping
The Fool
18 Jul 19 Walrus

Mistakes!

The Fool In beekeeping, as in life, everybody makes mistakes. Even bees occasionally make them. The hard part is owning up to them. Douglas Adams said, "a common mistake that people make when trying to design something foolproof is to…
Beekeeping
Wind Gust Chart from Dark Sky
10 Mar 19 Walrus

Local Knowledge: Weather

Wind Gust Chart from Dark Sky What a difference a few weeks makes, weather-wise, in this crazy country I live in. As I munched my way through two slices of malted grain toast with butter and orange marmalade, I looked…
Beekeeping
hand drawn walrus
14 Oct 18 Walrus

7 Lessons from Beekeepers

I have been lucky enough to meet, interview, hang out with and in some cases work with people who have kept bees for most of their lives, and who are at the top of their game. Surely even I, a…
Beekeeping
Bees on Ivy
29 Sep 18 Walrus

Inconsistency

Firstly, my dear Dad died last week. Apart from being a Dad, which is a pretty big thing to be, he was a loyal reader of this blog. Dads are meant to be supportive of their son's endeavours, and mine…
Beekeeping