swarming – The Walrus and the Honey Bee

New queens – the season has taken off!

This will be my new honey processing room This is what I’ve been waiting for. Those long winter nights and short days are past, new life is bursting forth everywhere I look, and proper beekeeping is back. It all happens…

8 May 23 Walrus

How To Handle Swarm Season

Three swarms last year 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…

17 Apr 23 Walrus

Swarming Time and Solving the Space Problem

The mini-plus tower was split into two 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…

10 Aug 22 Walrus

Murphy’s Law Applies To Bees

Kieler mating nucs Some Of My Beekeeping Mistakes Murphy's Law - "If anything can go wrong, it will" - comes from a chap in the US Air Force in the 1940s. He was involved in testing new engineering designs. Perhaps…

2 May 21 Walrus

In a bit of a tizzy

Bee Wagon Some weird stuff is going on. There I was, getting on with my life and feeling great when the Gods decided to remind me of my insignificance. Admittedly I'm one of those who tend to see the negatives…

13 Jun 20 Walrus

Darth Walrus

Darth Vader I have just completed a Star Wars marathon, which involved watching all of the Star Wars movies and stories in the correct chronological order on Disney+. One film per evening, for eleven straight evenings. In order, they are:…

28 May 20 Walrus

Loving it!

A 2017 queen in 2020 The bees don't care about COVID-19; in fact, they seem to be having a great time. I don't know if it's the reduced air pollution, the beautiful weather or something else, but my bees are…

24 Dec 19 Walrus

Swarm Predictor

2013 Swarm As I was thinking ahead to next spring and summer, and reflecting on seasons past, I decided to check my records to look at swarming. In the season just gone swarming kicked off much earlier than I'd seen…

9 Jul 19 Walrus

Science Vs. Experience

The Kyles of Bute I love science. I've even got a chemistry degree, but don't ask me about it because that was over thirty years ago. As soon as I left university, I went to the City to do accountancy.…

8 Jan 18 Walrus

Why do bees swarm and what do worms do?

A swarm of honey bees Before I get all technical on the beekeeping front I must share with you that I have just started a dog poo (or poop as our North American friends would say) wormery in my back…

1 Jan 18 Walrus

How are Bees like Turkeys?!

A turkey Now that the days are getting longer bees in healthy colonies will have swarming on their minds, except that they don’t have minds, but you know what I mean. Obviously they have to build up to it, so…