For those who start beekeeping, probably as a hobby, or to save the world, some will become obsessed for the rest of their lives, and many will give up within three years. When reality crashes into idealism, there are casualties. That’s actually a good thing; it makes sense to keep looking until you find your … Read more
It really is quite incredible how a supposedly intelligent creature such as myself, with years of experience – I am in my early sixties after all – can continue to have an endless supply of Walrus wobbles. Yet, this is the case. Some of my calamities stem from idiocy or carelessness, but others appear to … Read more
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
If ‘bee improvement’ is something that you are striving for, and I hope it is, then the thorny issue of introducing queens will inevitably arise. By this, I mean the situation where I have removed a colony’s queen, and have replaced it with a cell, virgin, or mated queen of my choosing. This goes against … Read more
We have arrived at the point in the beekeeping season when some re-queening of hives takes place. Given that it is very early for current-season UK raised queens to be available (I have a few), the queen to be introduced will likely be an over-wintered one, born last season, or a queen imported from somewhere … Read more
When I started interviewing beekeepers and passing on their stories and wisdom, I was not the first nor the last to do this; there are loads of people at it. In fact, it’s a growing phenomenon, particularly on YouTube, as content creators seek content (funnily enough) for their channels. After I release a book (it’s … 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