Today’s star is the beloved bumblebee. This furry friend is common all over the UK, and there are 24 species across the nation. They normally nest in bird boxes, behind the fascia board and around the guttering in houses. Very important pollinators, they are harmless and not aggressive unless disturbed. SIZE DOES NOT MATTER in the bumblebee world, even in […]
Our publicity officer Bruno Hannemann was invited for a quick chat about bees and beekeeping at Vale Radio, here is his interview in full:
If you are an experienced beekeeper, you might be interested in this course. This year it will be held for the first time in York, at Askham Bryan College. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seasonal-management-york-tickets-30126791043
During the first spring inspection, the queen was spotted looking for a place to lay eggs. Unfortunately, that part of the honeycomb already had eggs in it, so we couldn’t get footage of her actually laying. Nevertheless, an interesting video to see the queen bee in action.
By V A Cook. INTRODUCTION When nucleus colonies are formed in an apiary the bees have been prevented from returning to the hives from which they have been taken. For this reason, it is often recommended either that newly formed nucleus should be moved to another apiary, or that the hive entrances should be temporarily plugged with grass. Moving colonies […]
Hive tools are one of the most essential items for a beekeeper. Many different designs, styles, materials and finishing. You use the tool to open the hive, lift the frames, scrape odd bits of wax and many other tasks when inspecting you bee hives. Check the video below for an overview of what they are and and how they are […]
Bee Anatomy, Plants, Pollination and Products The anatomy of the bee is totally unlike our own. The external limbs and feelers and their brood structure resemble something from Star Wars and indeed was an inspiration for some of the costume design! The body comprises 3 segments; the head, the thorax and the abdomen. The head contains the compound eyes on […]
Happy New Year. As the winter has been very mild, thus far at least, please check the stores left in your hives as the bees have been active, and active bees use up their stores far more quickly than a clustered colony. A slab of fondant will provide for the colony’s needs, please see the winter edition of “Combings” for […]
Kindly shared by Michael Badger MBE 1. Your bee colonies will only swarm if they have a Queen present? They will not swarm without one … 2. Bee colonies must have their own.Drones present in the hive before they will swarm 3. Your Drones must be “marriage intent” … check by a simple test…The Drones must be seen to be […]