What a contrast in the weather compared to a month ago! The bees don’t know whether they’re coming or going! But at least they’re not going like they were last month –...
Well, what a difference a day makes! One minute it was freezing cold and not possible to examine the bees’ nests to check for hygiene and swarming preparations; the next it was...
I feel so frustrated! It is now almost May and I haven’t had the opportunity (or weather!) to open up my hives and check what is going on inside. Judging by the...
Well, at long last we are getting a little more sunshine. It’s still relatively cold, especially from about mid-afternoon onwards when the temperatures seem to plummet. This is very confusing for the...
Hooray! At long last the bees are getting a chance to get out and about. One of the problems with long, damp winters is that there is greater potential for disease build-up...
This winter has been unusually warm, resulting in the bees not being sure whether they should stay in cluster or get out and gather pollen and nectar. Both are available, witness the...
With all the mild weather we’ve experienced this autumn, it looks very much like a repeat of last year at this time. The bees, instead of cuddling together to make a tight,...
I knew we’d be taken by surprise when winter finally came – and then went again! The poor bees are quite confused! Winter is supposed to be a cold period during which,...
I don’t have much to report on my beekeeping activities this month as things have been very quiet. I have been extracting honey, of course, and the bees have been bringing in...
It has been a disappointing beekeeping season across the whole of the UK this year. Many beekeepers have harvested no honey at all, others have been feeding their bees to get them...