The other night I was rung by a local who had a swarm of bees just outside his house in a newly planted Hawthorne Tree. Trouble was that I was going up to London half an hour later! So I only had about 15 minutes to catch the swarm. But I gave it a go. [...]
Archive for May, 2009
How to catch a swarm of bees in 15 minutes!
Posted in Bee Law, Bee Present, Beekeeping on May 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Lifecycle of the Honeybee
Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Bee Present, Bee-ology, Beekeeping, Beetwixt & Beetween on May 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A great video on YouTube that gives the Lifecycle of the Honeybee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSk_ev1eZec
White Cuttlefish sited in Apple Tree!
Posted in Bee Present, Bee-ology, Beekeeping, Beetwixt & Beetween on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
When visiting the apiary yesterday I noticed a beautiful white cobweb glistening in an apple tree about 10 metres from the hives. As I drew closer, I saw it had a cuttlefish-like structure. On closer inspection it turned out to be a piece of pure white honeycomb – about 5 inches long by 4 inches [...]
Seven Foot Long Swarm!
Posted in Bee Present, Beekeeping on May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I was rung by the local police yesterday to say that a seven foot long swarm had settled in someone’s apple tree – and could I collect it! I was out at the time – and asked that the woman who had rung me get in touch. In the end I had to ring the [...]
Are British Black Bees part of the Answer?
Posted in Bee Present, Bee-ology, Beekeeping on May 19, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The bees in the first swarm that I caught last week were very black. Noticeably different from the brown and black stripes on most of the honey bees I have kept so far. So the article below encouraged me: From The Daily Telegraph By Ian Johnston Published: 7:00AM BST 18 May 2009 Britain could be [...]
Three Swarms in a Week!
Posted in Bee Present, Beekeeping on May 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
What a week! We have caught three swarms in four days and yesterday I turned 50! I even caught one of the swarms on my 50th birthday and got home tonight to find that a close neighbor had a friend with another one! It must have been the warm April that has made the bees [...]
The Space Between….
Posted in Bee Lore, Bee Present, Beekeeping, Beetwixt & Beetween on May 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu understood the power of the missing piece when he wrote this verse over 2500 years ago: Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub, It is the centre hole that makes it useful. Shape clay into a vessel, It is the space within that makes it useful. Cut doors and windows for a room, [...]
Visit by the Government Bee Inspector
Posted in Bee Present, Beekeeping on May 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Last Friday I was visited by the local Government Bee Inspector. I had met him the previous weekend at a local beekeeping gathering where we saw him covering bees in icing sugar to reduce varroa. After the demonstration he said he wanted to visit me and we arranged a time. I was not really sure [...]
Black or White?
Posted in Bee Law, Bee Present, Bee-ology, Beekeeping on May 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The flowers were blooming on the peach trees the first time I went out to photograph bees. After being told what I would need to do and where I would need to stand I was told to change into something white. But why? I asked. “Because you’re wearing black jeans and a dark sweater. To [...]
