Category Archives: Uncategorized

Book review – Cooking with Honey, by Deborah de Long (2012)

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Emily Scott

I should say that I have met Deborah in real life, I love her blog (Romancing the Bee) and she has dedicated one of her recipes, Honey Lavender Gelato, to Emma and me, on account of one of our past … Continue reading →

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Bella Italia: visits to Italian bees and their keepers

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Emily Scott

Last week I spent a few days in Italy, near the little village of San Constanzo, in the Italian region of Marche. Drew’s Scottish aunt Alison lives there with her Italian husband Pino, and they kindly let us stay in one … Continue reading →

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3rd Honey bee pests, diseases and poisoning revision post: the lifecycle of Varroa destructor and monitoring & treatment techniques

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Emily Scott

B3 a) describe the life cycle and natural history of Varroa destructor & b) how does it develop within the colony?  Varroa is the number one killer of colonies in the UK, so it’s really worth studying. Whereas European/American foul broods … Continue reading →

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Book review – The Urban Beekeeper: A Year of Bees in the City, by Steve Benbow (2012)

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Emily Scott

Steve Benbow is a professional beekeeper who runs the London Honey Company. He runs courses for beginners, sells high-end honey and beeswax products and looks after hives for prestigious companies around the capital, the likes of Fortnum and Mason and … Continue reading →

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Syrup for the bees, cakes for us

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Emily Scott

It’s dangerous going down to the Ealing apiary. Not because of the bees, but because of the amount of cake on offer. This week I made pecan pie, Claire made a honey show recipe cake, Matwinder brought prunes soaked in … Continue reading →

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Secret passages for bees

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Emily Scott

During the winter whilst bees are clustering, sometimes they can find it hard to move from one frame to another to feed on their stores without getting too cold. On John Chapple’s suggestion, yesterday we gouged a hole in the … Continue reading →

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Winter is coming

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Emily Scott

Lots going on down at the apiary this weekend. Mysterious objects to identify, tea to drink, cake to eat, gossip to catch up on… What, for instance, is this? John Chapple brought this object back from his travels abroad. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Nothing hotter than an otter

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Emily Scott

No bees in this post, sorry. This weekend got madly busy and I didn’t go to see the bees, though I did meet several slow worms, a grass snake, lots of cute ducks and mock wrestling otters to make up … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 30 Comments

Bees, flowers and sculpture at Chelsea Physic Garden

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Emily Scott

In 1673 the Society of Apothecaries of London founded a Physic Garden at Chelsea, so that their apprentices could learn to grow medicinal plants and study their uses. Yesterday I visited the garden, for the second time this summer, and … Continue reading →

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What’s flowering now: mid August 2012

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Emily Scott

It’s been a bad year for the bees. They have endured the very worst of British weather: rain, floods and grey skies have been passing for a spring and summer. But just in time for the Olympics, the weather has … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 35 Comments