Prefer a podcast? https://youtu.be/8S3AAW-ey9E I have returned from a holiday in Lanzarote – the Seaside Hotel Los Jameos Playa as usual – and I’m eagerly awaiting the Beekeeping Show at Telford. Snowdrops and hazel catkins have been out for some time, but there is still a cold bite to the air. It’s tempting to overreact … Read more
Who knows if this will be of any interest to anyone, but hey, I’m going to write about what we have been up to this winter and our plans for the new season. That kicks off for us in three weeks. As I write this, Wales have just lost to Italy in the rugby, which … Read more
Is there method in this madness? As you can see from the photograph showing part of one of my apiaries, there is plenty going on. One might even conclude, upon initial investigation, that the resident beekeeper is a raving lunatic. While this may be true, this smorgasbord of different types of hive actually works quite … Read more
I have my bees at ‘out-apiaries’ and have never risked keeping them at home. That’s a personal choice which works for me (and my neighbours) but I have far more hives than could ever fit in my garden anyway. I have recently grown my beekeeping empire, bringing my number of apiaries up to seven. So, … Read more
Moving New Bees Into Their Hive My three previous articles have been for prospective and new beekeepers because this is the time of the year when beginner classes get going. If you are enrolled on such a course, you don’t need me, but maybe you are not doing the classes and still want to start … Read more
Swarming Is Finished, Now What? Phew, it looks like the swarming season may have ended. I’m tempting fate, but that’s what it looks like to me. Also, after about three weeks of nothing much coming into the hives, there seems to be a flow again. Presumably, that’s the bramble – there’s plenty of it about. … Read more
It’s a busy time for bees and beekeepers in my little corner of Cheshire. Here’s a quick update from the Walrus Honey apiaries.
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 but perfectly formed colony of bees in … Read more