In the hidden world of beehives, an extraordinary process occurs, converting pollen into a nutritional marvel known as bee bread. This transformation isn’t just a survival strategy; it’s a fermentation masterpiece that sparks curiosity and offers potential health rewards for humans.
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What is Bee Bread – Health Benefits and How to Harvest
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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How to Harvest Propolis
Are you curious about using propolis and want to have a go at harvesting your own? Join us as we explore propolis traps, scraping frames, and effective techniques to ensure a successful propolis harvest.
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Bees in Chimneys: Identification, Removal and Prevention
Discovering bees in your chimney can be a cause for concern. While bees are beneficial to the environment as pollinators, having them in your chimney can pose risks to your home and family. In this comprehensive blog post, we will cover various aspects of dealing with bees in chimneys.
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How to find the queen bee
As a beekeeper, there are very few things as frustrating as not finding a queen when you really have to. In this article I will offer a few tricks how to find the queen bee and go through some tried and tested methods for finding elusive queens.
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Honeybee removals & cut-outs
As a beekeeper, I often get called on to do removals. It has taken me to some pretty strange places, from a chimney on a three-storey house, numerous compost bins and a boat. as well as to the top window of a 600-year-old castle and a buzzing ESB substation! Not your average working day! Here I share some of my methods for bee removal and give some tips for how to do a cut-out using a modified Maisemore poly nuc.
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Soft Set Honey – What is it & How is it Made?
Ever wondered what gives soft set honey its irresistible texture and unique flavors? In this blog, we’ll demystify the process behind this delectable delight, from the role of glucose and fructose sugars in natural granulation to the distinct nuances of spring set, summer set, and Ivy honey varieties. I’ll even tell you how to make …
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Beehive Insulation, Condensation & Ventilation
In winter and spring you will often hear beekeepers talk about beehive insulation, condensation and ventilation, and the different ways in which a hive can be set up to deal with the issue of dampness in the hive. While many novice beekeepers worry about the cold, more experienced beekeepers know that it is the dampness that can cause real damage to a colony of bees in the winter. But why is this and how can we deal with it?
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Spring preparations and first inspection
For many beekeepers, the start of spring is usually one big, long, drawn out wait for good weather. Weather warm enough and calm enough for the beekeeper to spring into action for the first inspection of the year. It may come at the end of March, but it may equally be April until the conditions are right, and we can finally don our bee-suits. Read this article to find out how to get your spring preparations underway and all you need to know for that all important first inspection of the year.
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