We have had a week now where the temperatures are 30°C or so. This has sent the bees into overdrive, with lots of Blackberries and white clover to forage on, and they are filling supers really fast. https://youtu.be/-tq2tX5aJXI Almost all my hives have 3 supers on now, and 2 of those are virtually all capped … Continue reading Heavy Flow
New out-apiary
I set up a new out-apiary at Lytchett Minster today, I think I melted into my suit it was so warm. The bees were so placid it was amazing, despite having been closed up for almost a day, transported in a car and then moved from nucs into hives - they seem to have a … Continue reading New out-apiary
Castles on a rainy day
It's a rainy day here in Dorset today, so I set about taking care of a few jobs I'd been putting off. The first task was to change out the metal runners in my honey supers for 10 frame castellated spacers. This means I need one frame less per super, and the extra space between … Continue reading Castles on a rainy day
Honey
Why Do Bees Make Honey? Honey bees are special in that they overwinter as a colony, unlike wasps and bumblebees. The colony does not hibernate but stays active and clusters together to stay warm. This requires a lot of food, which is stored during the summer. Although a hive only needs 20-30 lb of honey … Continue reading Honey
Better than expected
When you travel to one of your out-apiaries expecting to be disappointed, and you find this - Plenty of brood in all stages, capped honey and stacks of very busy bees.
How Bees Make Honey
1. Nectar Collection Honey bees collect pollen and nectar in the spring when most flowers and plants are in bloom. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws (called proboscis) to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their stomachs and carry it to the beehive. This is called foraging. … Continue reading How Bees Make Honey