Category Archives: Honey

‘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

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

Honey on the BBC’s Food: Truth or Scare show

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Emily Scott

Thanks to Mark Patterson from the London Beekeepers Association for posting about this – bee expert Professor Dave Goulson featured in a segment about pesticides in honey on the BBC show Food: Truth or Scare last Wednesday (available to UK … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey | Tagged | 8 Comments

Are rhododendrons toxic to honey bees?

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Emily Scott

Short answer: It depends on the species of rhododendron – and also on the sub-species of honey bee visiting the rhododendron. The common rhododendron, Rhododendron ponticum, certainly does produce toxic nectar.  However, Irish research suggests the nectar may only have a negative … Continue reading →

Posted in Foraging, Honey | Tagged | 24 Comments

London Honey Show 2015

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Emily Scott

Today I went to the fifth annual London Honey Show at the Lancaster London hotel. The Show includes the honey competition, talks and stalls to visit. This was the first year it’s been held at the weekend rather than a weekday evening. It seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Honey | 16 Comments

The path to honey

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Emily Scott

The path to honey is a long and arduous one. Arguably it starts in September after you’ve extracted your summer honey. Then the beekeeper can treat for varroa and prepare the colony for winter. As the cold nights draw in mouse-guards go on, insulation … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey | 55 Comments

Case of the disappearing queen: mystery solved

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Emily Scott

It is always satisfying to solve a mystery. Even when you turn out to be the culprit. You may recall me mentioning that Queen Andromeda has been missing in action since I combined her colony with Queen Cassiopeia’s on 6th … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey, Queens | 24 Comments

Will the honey flow for you?

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Emily Scott

Everyone who uses the internet has probably heard about the ‘Flow’ hive by now – www.honeyflow.com, “It’s Literally Honey on Tap Directly From Your Beehive!”. As I’ve never made a poll before, I thought this post would be a good chance to … Continue reading →

Posted in Hive types, Honey | 85 Comments

Happy news and a honey tasting

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Emily Scott

Yesterday I came home to find a letter waiting. It had a nice surprise – I passed Module 2, which means I now have the BBKA’s Intermediate Theory Certificate. Please forgive me for posting about this, but I have so little … Continue reading →

Posted in Exams, Honey | Tagged | 40 Comments

1st Honey bee products and forage revision post: a list of floral sources of unpalatable honey;

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Emily Scott

I have decided to take the BBKA’s Module 2 exam, ‘Honeybee products and forage‘ in November. If I manage to pass, I’ll have passed Modules 1,2,3 & 6, which means I’ll be awarded the BBKA Intermediate Theory Certificate. Woo hoo! But … Continue reading →

Posted in Foraging, Honey | Tagged , , | 38 Comments