One of the most unnerving ideas for new beekeepers (me included) is the possibility of getting stung. As a beekeeper you’re in close proximity to your beehives on a regular basis. But you also have to consider other people moving around your hives. Neighbors, friends and family obviously need to be taken into account. This…
I know it’s captivating to watch your bees at work, so it’s very tempting to go and take a peek at your bees whenever you fancy. It’s very cold here at the moment and disturbing bees during the winter obviously isn’t acceptable. But that got me wondering what would be the best temperature to inspect…
Smoke has been used by beekeepers for centuries, even before the modern bee smoker was invented. Bees can feel threatened when anything which resembles an enemy approaches their beehive. That probably includes you! So no matter how docile your bees are, you need something to pacify them during hive inspections. Smoke has the effect of…
Winter is just around the corner and the coldest days are still ahead… brr ! I don’t do cold very well. I always have to put on multiple layers of clothes just to keep warm. Winter is also a strain for bees, especially if you live in a cool northern region. You may be wondering…
It’s gone very cold over the last few weeks and I don’t see any bees buzzing around the garden. Not that there’s much for them to feed on at this time of year. If you’re new to beekeeping like myself you’ve probably wondered what occurs to a bee colony during the cold winter months of…
Perhaps one of the most important things to consider when you begin beekeeping is where you are going to put your beehives. As a beginner it’s generally recommended to start out with at least two hives. An empty hive is easy to set up. But a full hive is heavy and full of bees… And…
Worried about your honey bees not getting enough food? Or maybe you’re just wondering what you can do to help bees in general? At certain times of the year, bee forage can be more difficult to find, forcing bees to fly further afield to seek nourishment. So why not create your own flower garden to…
Understandably, new beekeepers are incredibly keen to taste their first honey harvest… Right? I‘m sure you can imagine yourself proudly spooning honey onto your morning toast and saying to yourself “I did that”! (Well you did get a little help from your bees too…) If you’re new to beekeeping you’re probably wondering just how much…
Are you thinking of becoming a beekeeper but wondering what the risks are? This is one of the first things that came to mind when I first became interested in beekeeping. So I decided to do some research to find out what dangers might be associated with this fascinating hobby. Is beekeeping dangerous? Unless you…
Whatever your reasons for wanting to keep bees, you should know that beekeeping is fascinating and highly enjoyable, but it’s also vastly important. Some people do it for the delight of watching bees work. Then there’s the amazing crop of honey you can harvest which is probably better than anything you’ll ever find at the…