Budding Cottage

Hive 1 – original  hive I think the bees have swarmed. The hive is just packed full of drones. I could’nt move for drones. There is no uncapped brood or BIAS but the cells are polished up ready indicating that someone is around and expected to start work soon. There are a couple of torn […]

There has been an outbreak of European Foul Brood in the area, and so the DEFRA national bee unit has swung into action, prioritising visits to apiaries within 5km or so of the outbreak.  My apiaries were on their list! Initial alarm that there might be something wrong in the hives, but a welcome opportunity […]

It has been two weeks since I managed to catch up with the girls – so time to check what they had been up to. First good news in the Pagden hive (Hive D) – there is brood and looks like a queen is in place and laying.  What a relief. They are busy filling […]

Before I leave Mr C in charge of the apiary for a week, time for a quick check of stores and space, among other things, principally to be relatively content that the little devils will have plenty to do and lots of space to do it in. We seem to be entering July, and according […]

Chris very kindly agreed to come over and give me the benefit of a second view on a couple of my hives.  Extremely generously, this second view extended to all 6 hives eventually and a marathon 3 hour beekeeping practical session… I am still playing around with advice on brood versus half brood; and trying […]

Well, I knew that a lot could happen in a week, but was taken aback by activity in Hive A and Hive C this week. Hive C As ever, being little gannets, the food had gone.  The surprise was that the bees have built wild comb linking the eke for the apiguard with the crown […]

Introducing two new hives from Lulsley, Worcestershire; and one optimistic Padgen maneouvre: Well, with the chance to gain additional hives with colonies, and help out a fellow beekeeper, I decided to buy from a keeper in Worcestershire. Night moves We turned up, Mr C, Mum, Dad and me, at 8pm with rope, ratchet straps, gaffer […]

As a beginner, it was with a small amount of trepidation and some excitement that I greeted the chance of having the LAN group come and visit my little apiary, and to meet the fabled Dave Sutton, Regional Bee Inspector. Hive B: We started by looking at the swarm I captured from Malvern on 8 […]

On 1 June my neighbour wandered over and asked if I was interested in a swarm of bees that was in his orchard.  An immediately dive to the bee suit, box and sheet and I was off. There used to be a beekeeper who kept bees in John’s orchard, but over the winter his bees […]

A visit to the bees today during a sunny patch of the day.  I wanted to check their sugar syrup levels, which I had topped up last week.  Sure enough they were guzzled dry. Hive A were busy drawing comb in their first super.  I didn’t check the brood box as they seemed very busy […]