Category Archives: Swarms

Swarming from the bees’ perspective

Posted on October 15, 2019 by

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 | 13 Comments

Maximising your honey crop – tips from Tony Harris

Posted on September 23, 2019 by

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

Surrounded by bees: a tale of four swarms

Posted on May 14, 2019 by

What happens when a beekeeper gets behind on their inspections in May? SWARMS. This was the first: It was rather high up… The hives underneath are my comical attempt to tempt the bees down. I smeared lemongrass oil inside the empty … Continue reading →

Posted in Swarms | 15 Comments

How I came to have bees again

Posted on June 13, 2018 by

This weekend I was still beeless, as there has been an outbreak of American Foul Brood (AFB) in my supplier’s area and movement of bees and hives has been suspended. “Let me know if any swarms come your way”, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Swarms, Uncategorized | Tagged | 42 Comments

Getting my bee-jo back

Posted on May 3, 2015 by

I didn’t post about the bees last weekend because I felt especially down about my beekeeping skills after an intense catalogue of failures on Saturday. First, I failed to find Queen Stella in my allotment bees, which would have been particularly useful … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony management, Swarms | Tagged | 32 Comments

A wedding present from the bees

Posted on June 1, 2014 by

I see the last time I posted was April 21st. Since then I have become a married lady named Emily Scott and met the wildlife of Borneo. And in Beeland… the bees have been equally busy. The day of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Swarms | 42 Comments

Our queens come in eights

Posted on May 25, 2013 by

Last week Emma and I split our hive into two. Today we returned to check the progress of the two colonies – luckily the rain storms of Friday had subsided and beautiful sun ruled the skies. At the time we … Continue reading →

Posted in Queens, Swarms | Tagged | 46 Comments

Some naughty bees cause an unexpected procedure at the apiary

Posted on May 19, 2013 by

Yesterday the apiary was buzzing… with beekeepers. Lots of chatting and laughing over tea, and buying of frames for rapidly expanding colonies. Emma and I got to show three completely new prospective beekeepers inside our hives – the first time … Continue reading →

Posted in Swarms | Tagged , | 27 Comments

Three weeks after shook-swarming & swarm collecting tips

Posted on April 9, 2011 by

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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