Budding Cottage

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 […]

Well, the first sting was on the wrist, and through a glove, from Hive G.  That was okay, a tingle, some redness which faded rapidly leaving just a faint sensation.  However the second sting was not the same. The second sting is from a bee probably from the same Hive – I popped over to […]

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, we did our annual trip to the three counties show, to wander around, look at stuff and eat various things from local sources.  Just before I was due to take my stint as a science ambassador, helping out on the education stand, we drifted by the bee tent.  There we sort of got caught […]

As if all the bees we had were not enough…. I have finally located the source of bee noise that I always heard around the back of the house.  It is not bees working local vegetation…it appears to be a nest of bees in the chimney cavity who have gained access about 12 ft up […]

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 […]

The more I learn, the more I read, the more I think…the more I have questions and moments of indecision. When  I first started I was happy to peek into a hive and pull it apart frame by frame, having a good nose about.  Now I am stalled by questions, questions, questions. This week I […]

Before I went over to check the new hives on Thursday morning, I checked my apiary.  After Dave Sutton’s visit on Tuesday I had carried out a Wednesday morning Pagden on my Gloucester bees (the 6 frame nuc that I got in early May) because they had built about 6 queen cells (more cobbling together […]

There is an option to buy 3 hives from a beekeeper who has developed an allergic reaction to bee stings.  Currently I have said yes, on the basis that we can put them in my neighbour’s orchard.  Is this a good idea??? Maybe, maybe not.  We shall see. Pros – additional hives, isolated from my […]

Today I nipped into the apiary for a quick check on sugar syrup levels – to discover that both Hive A and Hive B had guzzled their way through the best parts of around 3 pints each of sugar syrup.  Time for a quick top up. I then pulled out the varroa boards to see […]