What happened after the swarm
The brown hive girls swarmed at 11.00 a.m. on a hot sunny day. Looking back, they’d been warning me of
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the day the bees left
On the previous inspection I was excited to see how fast the colonies had developed. It was the fifth week
Read morelessons learned in the first month of beekeeping
When it comes to preparing for an inspection, I still haven’t mastered the art of getting suited and booted (good
Read moreKeeping it in the family
After the second solo inspection, I felt more confident. The hives were looking well with capped brood and stores. I wasn’t
Read moreOn gaining confidence
The bees arrived three weeks ago but I don’t feel like a beekeeper. When does the confidence kick in? After
Read moreFirst solo inspection
It still takes ages to get booted and suited. There must be an easy way to wear double nitrile gloves
Read morespotting the unmarked queen and learning to read a frame
During the transfer from nuc to hive, I’d only seen the pink queen. She was marked but the brown queen
Read moreTransferring bees from nucs to hives
Three days after the nucs arrived on the allotment, it was time to transfer the bees to their new homes,
Read moreBees arrive on the allotment…
The bees have arrived. Locked in their nuc boxes the previous night, they travelled a couple of miles to their
Read moreMeeting my bees for the first time…
I’ve met my bees! Two overwintered nucleus colonies are on a friend’s allotment. Booted, suited and masked, alongside keeping social
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