https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-walrus-and-the-honey-bee/id1788182933?i=1000706136759 There are plenty of bad things to say about losing swarms from honey production colonies, but I’m particularly interested in the big one – loss of honey crop. Many people cheer themselves up after losing swarms by reflecting on how a brood break will benefit the bees, and how it’s a wonderful natural phenomenon, … Read more
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
I have been able to do some actual beekeeping recently, which is a wonderful thing. Suddenly, the Mole (my son, Alex) and the Walrus are back in the game; we have been reversing boxes, cleaning/changing floors, and marking/clipping queens. The land is boggy and wet, but the bees are mostly strong and raring to go. … Read more
The temperatures here have been about normal, I reckon, but the rainfall seems worse than usual. Nevertheless, there will be strong colonies somewhere in my apiaries which will be getting into ‘swarming mode’ in the upcoming weeks. From a honey production as well as a ‘good neighbour’ perspective, swarming is something to be avoided. So … Read more
Some beekeepers are always thinking ahead. They have a plan. They keep records, so they know what’s going on with their bees, and they take time to think about what they will be doing next, and then what next after that. I suppose personality type might come into it; not all folks are wired the … Read more
One of the best things about being the editor of a beekeeping magazine is that I travel the land meeting commercial beekeepers, recording our chats on my phone, and turn them into articles. I am just a fledgling, barely formed editor, and the number of such interviews is small, but I have already learned a … Read more
You could write a book on the subject of ‘how to handle swarm season’, and several people have. In the one thousand or so words allotted to this blog post, I shall therefore have to miss out quite a bit. Nevertheless, given the popularity of this subject and the time of year, I shall dive … Read more
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 varied. However, I did find my first charged queen cell today, so the season is well and truly underway for me. Swarming … Read more