Author Archives: Emily Scott

About Emily Scott

I am a UK beekeeper who has recently moved from London to windswept, wet Cornwall. I first started keeping bees in the Ealing Beekeepers Association’s local apiary in 2008, when I created this blog as a record for myself of my various beekeeping related disasters and - hopefully! - future successes.

Tom Seeley on Darwinian Beekeeping

I was very lucky last week as the Exeter Beekeeping Association had some spare spaces for a Zoom talk by Professor Tom Seeley. If you’re a beekeeper yourself you have probably heard of him – he’s well known for his … Continue reading

Posted in Colony management, Events | 27 Comments

‘Honey – but not as we know it’

Recently my beekeeping club, the Cornwall Beekeepers Association (CBKA), has started running meetings via Zoom. I’m happy about this, as I can listen along curled up at home, without having to get lost among remote country lanes in the dark. … Continue reading

Posted in Events, Honey | 10 Comments

Midwinter beekeeping in a pandemic

At the weekend I did my winter oxalic acid anti-varroa trickling – about 2-3 weeks later than is often recommended. But I did it, which I’m pleased with. Having two children under 5 (and Holly’s birthday just before Christmas!) has … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Winter is coming: embracing the dark nights

As the days shorten, the bees are still managing to find yellow pollen – probably from ivy? On the warmer days, they zip frantically in and out, bringing home as much as they can. As increasingly darker, rainy days come, … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Last flowers of summer

I’ve suddenly realised that summer has come to an end. The vibrant wildflowers below in my local park are now dying back. Berries have taken over in the hedgerows – shiny blackberries, dusky blue sloes, the red of hawthorn. Green … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

When will you be finished?

“When will you be finished?… The kids are getting hungry”… Drew’s voice reached me as I stood surrounded by bees, gingerly trying to put boxes back together as bees poured out from every direction. It hasn’t been easy to keep up … Continue reading

Posted in Colony management | 15 Comments

What’s flowering now – Cornish clifftop

A trip to Chapel Porth on the north Cornish coast, where the wind batters anyone who meets it. Drew enjoyed the wild effect it had on his lockdown hair. I enjoyed the views but not the earache I got from … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Book review: Interviews with Beekeepers by Steve Donohoe

Steve must have amazing persuasive powers, for somehow he got a book deal for travelling the world chatting to fellow beekeepers about their techniques. What beekeeper wouldn’t want to do that? The beekeepers Steve met are: Murray McGregor, Michael Palmer, … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 10 Comments

What’s flowering now in Cornwall: late May to early June

In a different lifetime – perhaps simpler, happier times – I used to walk the wild paths to find out what was flowering in Hanwell, my area of London. There was a surprising amount of green space there, connected up … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 21 Comments

A shortage of eggs

For weeks now both my hives have had no eggs or brood. So I’ve been reading about queenlessness and asking the advice of other beekeepers recently. People said things like ‘Be patient. Bees won’t deliberately make themselves queenless’. So, rather … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments