As many say in the beekeeping world, ask ten people about something, and you’ll get eleven different answers. I don’t think that’s entirely true, but beekeeping is undoubtedly a ‘broad church.’ A common way to start beekeeping in the UK is to buy a nucleus colony; a small […]
This week I did a Zoom talk for the Suffolk beekeepers, which was fun. Well, as much fun as it can be for an introvert. Maybe the virtual environment suits people like me who shy away from big crowds and do better in a one-to-one situation. However, sometimes […]
When Paul worked in IT over twelve years ago, he used to spend “far too long” gazing out of the window. “I’d had enough of office work; I was sick of it,” he told me. In 2008 he was enjoying a post-walk pint with Malcolm Thorpe and Janet […]
In 2005 some researchers studying matings in the Hope Valley (England) found out some interesting stats on mating distance. Mating distance is the distance between the hive from which the virgin queen flew and the colonies from which the successful drones came. 50% of matings were at a […]
Now is the time when I buy lots of bee stuff. It’s better to buy things when items are being discounted than wait until spring when suppliers run out of stock. I know that beekeepers are not well known for getting their wallets out, but I’m okay with […]
How to Buy If you want a signed copy: signed book (delivery may take a few weeks if you are thousands of miles away from the UK). Otherwise, there are lots of outlets throughout the world – please just search online or visit your favourite bookstore, being careful […]
There are some confusing messages out there in beekeeper-land regarding bee types, imports and so forth. In a world where the news that gets picked up is the one delivered in the loudest voice, sometimes accepted truths are just opinions. Nothing wrong with opinions, I have a few […]
Interview with Lorraine Muldoon This article appeared in New Zealand Beekeeper magazine recently, or it’s about to. It’s over two and a half years since my trip to the other side of our beautiful planet; I hope I get to visit again someday. When I was planning my […]
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) and drove up to Tighnabruaich, on the Kyles of Bute, Scotland. […]
