Spring – The Walrus and the Honey Bee

Swarming Time and Solving the Space Problem

The mini-plus tower was split into two This is a time when some large discrepancies show up between colonies. One of my apiaries was absolutely booming and nearly every hive bursting with bees. In other places, the picture is more…

20 Mar 23 Walrus

Equalisation is great, but be careful

A Buckfast out-apiary in the 1960s Just as I was about to launch into a list of beekeeping tasks to carry out in spring, I felt a metaphorical tap on my shoulder. Taking the excess out of booming hives and…

20 Feb 23 Walrus

Spring Fever: Beekeeping Activities for the New Season

Fondant applied to the tops of frames I’m writing this on 19th February and my bees are based in Cheshire, UK, just south of Manchester. We have a mild climate, without extremes of cold in winter nor extremes of heat…

11 Mar 22 Walrus

Get It Right In Spring

Pussy willow (Salix family) What do people do with their bees in March in the UK? Not much! Everyone is different, and bees, climate and available forage vary enormously from place to place. Crocuses are blooming, snowdrops are still about,…

Pollen in January (Photo by Mark Phillipson)

7 Jan 22 Walrus

Do They Need Feeding?

Pollen in January (Photo by Mark Phillipson) I will write about feeding bees sugar and pollen substitutes in late winter and early spring. It's very much a 'beekeeping is local' situation; timings vary from region to region and from year…

2 May 21 Walrus

In a bit of a tizzy

Bee Wagon Some weird stuff is going on. There I was, getting on with my life and feeling great when the Gods decided to remind me of my insignificance. Admittedly I'm one of those who tend to see the negatives…

Lanzarote Coastline showing cacti and sea

5 Mar 20 Walrus

My March

Lanzarote Coastline I have been keeping a low profile of late because I have a touch of walrus flu. I don't think it's anything exciting like that Covid-19, but who knows? A couple of weeks ago I got back from…

17 May 19 Walrus

I’m far from Idol this Spring

Hawthorn In Flower Before I get into bee stuff, I must say something about a show on Netflix that has blown me away this season: American Idol. I think I have previously written about how it makes me cry, which…

28 Feb 19 Walrus

Hot February Bad for Bees?

plum tree blossom Hotter than Athens A couple of days ago we had a Winter heatwave in the UK courtesy of air being brought up from much further South. On 26 February the Evening Standard reported, "UK February temperature record…