Category Archives: Events

How to catch a swarm – advice from an expert beekeeper, Roger Patterson

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Emily Scott

A few weeks ago I listened into a zoom talk all about swarms by Roger Patterson. I last heard Roger speak in person almost a decade ago, back in 2012, when his talk was “Improve your bees and beekeeping – … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Swarms, Uncategorized | Tagged | 13 Comments

Swarm collecting tips from Tamsin Harris

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Emily Scott

This week I listened into a great talk for the West Cornwall Beekeepers Association by their member Tamsin Harris, she is a very experienced commercial beekeeper. She came across as a practical person with a quick, dry sense of humour. … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Swarms | 13 Comments

Tom Seeley on Darwinian Beekeeping

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Emily Scott

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’

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Emily Scott

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

Watching for Asian hornets

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Emily Scott

My notes from our final talk – by Phil and Karen Green – at our Cornwall Beekeepers Association/West Cornwall Beekeepers Association ‘Bit of a Do’ conference this September. Phil is the Asian hornet co-ordinator for the WCBA (this means he co-ordinates … Continue reading →

Posted in Events | Tagged | 4 Comments

Swarming from the bees’ perspective

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Emily Scott

My notes from our second talk by Scottish bee farmer Tony Harris at Cornwall Beekeepers Association/West Cornwall Beekeepers Association ‘Bit of a Do’ conference this September. I’ve read books on swarm behaviour and studied it for the BBKA’s module exams, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Swarms | Tagged | 15 Comments

Neonicotinoid pesticides and bees

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Emily Scott

The second speaker at our annual Cornwall Beekeepers Association/West Cornwall Beekeepers Association ‘Bit of a Do’ conference in September was Dr Ben Woodcock, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), on ‘Neonicotinoid pesticides and bees’.  Ben is an Ecological Entomologist … Continue reading →

Posted in Events | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Maximising your honey crop – tips from Tony Harris

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Emily Scott

At the weekend I heard Tony Harris, a Scottish bee farmer, give two talks at the annual Cornwall Beekeepers Association/West Cornwall Beekeepers Association ‘Bit of a Do’ conference. Here are my notes from his talk, which had plenty of jokes … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Events, Honey, Swarms | 19 Comments

Eden project bee exhibition – and a bee update

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Emily Scott

Last weekend we sheltered from the lashing rain under the Eden project’s enormous biomes. I had been drawn there by the current exhibition on bees. A set of three hives are placed in a prominent position up on a hill … Continue reading →

Posted in Events | 16 Comments

Notes from Cornwall ‘Bit of a do’ Beekeeping conference 2018 – Chris Park, Skep beekeeping (3.)

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Emily Scott

The final talk I’m going to write up from the joint Cornwall Beekeepers Association and West Cornwall Beekeepers Association ‘Bit of a do‘ day is Chris Park’s talk on skep beekeeping. Chris keeps bees on organic farmland around the Oxfordshire / … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Hive types | 10 Comments