Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

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Second inspection of the year

It’s been a cold week, but today seemed to mark a turning point in the weather here. I took my coat and gloves back off; my gloves had been put away for the summer two weeks ago, only to be … Continue reading

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First inspections of the spring

In sunny Cornwall I’ve just done my first inspections for 2021 inside the hives. It’s been warm enough for some people to walk about in just t-shirts and for me to wear a t-shirt and cardigan, so it was time. … Continue reading

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