Sometimes unexpected things happen in beekeeping. What seems weird to me, or peculiar, or interesting, may not chime with you, but here are a few cases that caused a raised eyebrow or two. Welcome to my beekeeping twilight zone. Her Majesty Returns Recently, the Mole and I were inspecting a colony that had clearly swarmed. … Read more
I used to think that 60 yrs is quite old, but now that 2023 has arrived – the year in which I will have been alive for six decades (hopefully) – I’m thinking that it’s more ‘late middle-aged’ than old. My hair still looks mostly dark, in the right light, although the beard is grey. … Read more
Countless beekeepers are offering their thoughts and opinions on all manner of things (I’m one of them). There are books galore, not to mention Facebook and YouTube. Hence, as with so much modern life, the challenge is information overload and echo chambers, not a lack of resources. The spectacular popularity of beekeeping means that there … Read more
Beekeeping is Local Maybe I am naive or just positive and optimistic, but I’m sure that to many people I have some dangerously liberal ideas. For a start, I deliberately travelled all over the place to meet experienced bee farmers to see what I could learn. Then I wrote a book about the inspirational people … Read more
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 in which my beehives sit. Although seasons vary, they tend to follow a pattern which repeats each year. The changing levels of light and temperature, … Read more
People and Personalities I like to think of myself as a friendly easy-going chap, although family members might point out a slight tendency towards occasional rants and intolerance. Over the years, I have evolved. I used to hold the view that people are always out to get you. They stab you in the back or … Read more
I’m writing this in the evening, and the temperature is still around 30 Celsius (86 F). Luckily I’m in Manchester; my wife is in London where it’s 36 Celsius (97 F) and very humid. I don’t mind it. I can’t go away on holiday during the bee season, so it’s nice when the holiday weather … Read more