Category Archives: Queens

What are they up to now?

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Emily Scott

To my despair yesterday was a classic British summers day: dramatic grey clouds and rain coming down harder than a power shower. The week before we’d left five queen cells in Rose’s little hive. Me and Emma wanted to see … Continue reading →

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A quintet of queen cells

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Emily Scott

Everything was going so well. Both of our hives seemed fine. Until today. All was fine and dandy in Rosemary’s hive. It took a while to get in there – they had propolised down the entire queen excluder and it … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Queens | 10 Comments

Return of a queen

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Emily Scott

Yesterday was a overcast, cool day here in London. The bees were still flying regardless, bringing back large amounts of a grey coloured pollen. It looks like velvety mole skin. Any ideas about what it might be? I’m wondering about … Continue reading →

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Our flighty queen

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Emily Scott

Today has been rapturously lovely and sunny. When I arrived at the apiary there were already lots of eager beginner beekeepers being shown a few hives by Andy and Pat. Soon the apiary got busier and busier until it felt … 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 →

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3rd Honeybee behaviour revision posts: the queen’s egg laying behaviour & seasonal variations in the size of a colony

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Emily Scott

On with the revision posts for my BBKA Module 6 Honeybee Behaviour exam. I’m trying to work my way through the 21 sections on the syllabus, but the exam date is March 19th, so I’d better start doing more than one … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee behaviour, Bee biology, Exams, Queens | Tagged , | 7 Comments

2nd Honeybee behaviour revision post: honey bee mating

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Emily Scott

Revision post for this week: section 6.2 of the BBKA’s Module 6 syllabus – the mating behaviour of the honey bee queen and drone including an account of the pheromones involved and the concept of drone congregational areas Virgin queens … Continue reading →

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Michaelmas daisies, bees’ feet and pheromones

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Emily Scott

Another wet, damp day at the apiary yesterday. But my little bees were still out in force, carrying back swollen pollen baskets filled with a bright yellow and golden pollen. I asked John Chapple what they might be finding, and … Continue reading →

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5th June 2010

Posted on June 27, 2010 by Emily Scott

Went beekeeping today. The bee inspector came to the apiary three weeks ago; she split our hive into two as it had queen cells. Last week I frantically made frames to fill up the hives, not my favourite task as … Continue reading →

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