Category Archives: Uncategorized

What’s flowering now: July in Cornwall

It’s been a long time since I last blogged. There’s been a lot going on. But my house and garden is now pretty much how I want it, and I feel ready to write again now and then. Maybe even … Continue reading

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What’s flowering now: early-mid June in Cornwall

There’s been a starvation alert sent round by the BBKA this week – “ I don’t think anyone can have failed to notice that the weather has not lived up to expectations so far this season. We have heard from … Continue reading

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Bee maths infographics

I’ve been doing some more playing around with the Visme infographic maker and produced these as a little reminder for myself of some ‘bee maths’. Memorising the number of days it takes for an egg to hatch, the larva’s cell … Continue reading

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Bee hives infographic

I’ve been playing around with Visme and made this infographic, based on hive count data from the National Bee Unit. This data is based on voluntary data supplied by UK beekeepers, so is likely to be an underestimate – but … Continue reading

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Back to beekeeping

It’s been a long time. A lot has happened. I’ve moved house. I’ve sold my bees, caught a swarm, given that away, nearly given up on bees completely, and then started going to meetings at my local association apiary, about … Continue reading

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What’s flowering now – Cornwall, April 2022

Some photos of the flowers I’ve seen out and about in Cornwall and in my garden over the last couple of weeks. I like to see what’s in flower and available for the bees. Below is my miniature apple tree. … Continue reading

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Bees in January

And so we’re in 2022… another year for us… but the first and only winter for my bees. Huddled in their nest, resting their wings, winter bees tend to live longer than summer bees. But still their life-span is measured … Continue reading

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An unexpected arrival

I’d left some equipment behind in the old location I used to keep bees, and hadn’t got around to moving it yet. Some new visitors took advantage of this des res – a brood box with a few frames in, … Continue reading

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Moving bees

A few weeks ago I moved my two little colonies in nuc boxes to a new location nearer to home. I’d never had to move bees before, so asked other beekeepers for tips beforehand and as luck would have it … Continue reading

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

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