If you’ve passed a hedgerow in August, you would not fail to notice that the blackberries. I love picking and eating handfuls of sun warmed blackberries while out beekeeping to keep the energy levels up. But did you know that Blackberries or brambles are extremely good for honey bees and other pollinators?
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Are Blackberry Brambles Good for Bees?
Why White Clover is the Best Clover for Honeybees
White clover is renowned as the best clover for honeybees, but it only yields nectar under ideal conditions. Have you ever noticed a field or lawn blanketed in white clover yet observed only a few bumblebees and no honeybees visiting the flowers? That’s because honeybees require the right temperature to access the nectar. Why the …
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Why do Bees Swarm?
When bees swarm they don’t all leave the hive. Instead, they split the colony into two or more groups, and one will remain in the hive: it is a way not just to find a new location, they do it to make more colonies and keep the species alive.
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Why are Bees Attracted to Swimming Pools?
If you have an outdoor swimming pool, chances are you often find bees in it, either dead, or barely alive struggling on the surface of the water. They may be a nuisance to you or your family, buzzing around as you’re enjoying a swim. There might even be other water sources nearby, but it is your pool that seems the most attractive option for bees looking for water. Let’s explore why this is…
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Queen Rearing for Beginners – Breeding Quality Queens
Queen rearing is something that all beekeepers should do as part of summer management. The benefits of raising our own queens far outweigh the effort we put into it. Here is how to do it if you want to give it a go!
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How to Get Your Bees to Draw Comb
Drawn comb is gold dust to beekeepers. Frustratingly, it is sometimes as difficult to obtain as it is valuable. In this extensive article, originally published in the Irish Beekeeper’s Magazine, An Beachaire, we will look at comb and discuss how best to get the bees to build it.
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Bee Pollen – Health Benefits & How to Harvest
There is a growing market for pollen products for human consumption as a health food and performance booster. In this article we explore the health benefits of pollen and how to harvest, process and store bee pollen.
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How to use a Testframe
Many beekeepers jump the gun when they suspect that a colony is queenless and introduce a new queen without verifying that they are in fact queenless and in need of a new royal. Introducing a new queen into a colony that is queenright will lead to the killing of the newly introduced queen. In this practical blog I will discuss how to correctly use a testframe to check if a hive is queenless or not.
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DIY Water drinker for bees
Making a DIY water drinker for bees in your garden is a great way to provide a source of clean water for the bees to drink from. Here you will learn how to make a simple bee watering station for your garden. It is a great and fun DIY project for children, and they will be able to observe the bees and other insects when they come to drink.
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