Author Archives: Emily Scott

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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.

Bee Health Day

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Emily Scott

Went down to a Bee Health Day held at Roots & Shoots (a wildlife garden and base for the London Beekeepers’ Association) in Kennington, south London, today. It’s run each year by the London bee inspectors to give beekeepers information on looking after their bees well … Continue reading →

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Inside the nuc

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Emily Scott

Today was beautiful, proper summer weather, and I had the day off, so I went down to see the bees before the rain predicted tomorrow arrives. On Saturday we split our hive into two because we had sealed queen cells … Continue reading →

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A royal break-up

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Emily Scott

On Tuesday Caroline Washington, our local bee inspector, had found a queen cell in our hive. Yesterday we decided what to do about it. Caroline hadn’t been able to find Queen Rose on Tuesday. Possibly she was wisely hiding at … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Queens, Uncategorized | Tagged | 4 Comments

A bee inspector calls…

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Emily Scott

Today I have been down at the apiary watching Caroline Washington, our local FERA Bee Inspector, go through our hives. She was taking samples of bees as part of a nationwide analysis FERA are doing of the diseases present in … Continue reading →

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The double brood box is on…

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Emily Scott

So this week I was supposed to make up ten frames and take them down to the apiary. What actually happened was that I realised I had everything to make up ten frames except the nails and couldn’t find quite … Continue reading →

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Not so super after all

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Emily Scott

Yesterday my hive partner, Emma, had put a super on our hive as we thought it wouldn’t do any harm to have one on there ready for all the loads of honey we’re going to get this year. Today I … Continue reading →

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Three weeks after shook-swarming & swarm collecting tips

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Emily Scott

London has been basking in a heat wave this week. I can’t remember the last time I looked at the BBC weather forecast and saw three dazzling consecutive days of suns up there. It’s been 21C today and the bees … Continue reading →

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Two weeks after shook-swarming

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Emily Scott

It’s now two weeks since I shook-swarmed my bees. Doing either an annual shook-swarm or the Bailey comb exchange is compulsory for all hives kept at the Ealing Association apiary, to help prevent disease. I think some new beekeepers are … Continue reading →

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A week after shook-swarming

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Emily Scott

Had a quick peek in the hive today, a week after shook-swarming them. I had been a bit worried before I lifted the crown board up because lots of them had managed to drown themselves in the sugar syrup yet … Continue reading →

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A successful shook swarming

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Emily Scott

Yesterday I shook-swarmed my hive at the apiary, with the help of Alan Gibbs, one of the very experienced beekeepers down there. It’s a spring clean for the bees, removing all their old comb with larvae cocoons/faeces, varroa and possibly … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management | Tagged | 7 Comments