Keeping bees healthy in the UK means, above all else, managing varroa. The mite and its associated viruses — deformed wing virus in particular — remain the most common cause of colony loss for both hobbyists and professionals, and yet the advice on managing them continues to evolve as resistance patterns shift and new research emerges. This category covers varroa monitoring, treatment options, and the evidence behind them, alongside posts on other diseases and pests that affect honey bees in the UK.
The aim is not to repeat the official guidance — the National Bee Unit does that well — but to examine it critically, to look at what the research actually shows, and to consider how it applies at the scale most beekeepers are working at. Posts here tend to be analytical rather than prescriptive, because hive health rarely comes down to a single cause or a single fix. If you want to understand what is happening to your bees rather than just react to it, this is the right place.
Gosh, it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog post. Perhaps I have some sloth DNA somewhere in me. Maybe long ago a wayward walrus mated with a sloth and generations later the characteristics of our three-toed slow-moving friends popped up in me. It’s surprising how many people like sloths, perhaps because we … Read more
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
It’s been a while since my last blog post, so sorry to anybody who has been struggling to get through their days without hearing about life, the universe, and bees from this corner of the internet. I am obsessed with bees and beekeeping. I have found that I am prone to the odd obsession, and … Read more
Apparently we should never discuss religion, politics or money at the dinner table, or probably anywhere else. I think this must have its origins in etiquette, and if so we have the French to blame, although it is no doubt a ‘faux pas’ to even suggest such a thing. It is not polite to upset … Read more
Typically, when I tell somebody that I am a beekeeper I get a big smile, then I get told how wonderful it is that I’m doing my bit to save the bees, because they are really struggling at the moment aren’t they? It seems churlish to tell them that the reasons I keep bees are … Read more
As we are now in the middle of the summer holiday season there are plenty of opportunities to use my word for the day, “vulgar”. What a delicious word. Just saying it makes my walrus moustache curl up and sends a quiver down my tusks. Defined as, “lacking sophistication or good taste”, the opportunities for … Read more
To me, the bee season never seems to last very long. I’m already thinking about winter holidays and it’s still August. Perhaps this has something to do with all the rain we have had in my area over the last few weeks. As a well padded walrus I have plenty of insulation about me but … Read more