38 thoughts on “Subscribe”

  1. Hi Rog,
    Whatever you do – don’t flap your arms around!
    I think I mentioned to you – we keep bees here (at work) in the City. One hive at the moment – but believe we’re bringing a second one in. I’m going to forward your blog to the brave guys who wear the suits…….
    Take Care and see you in a couple of weeks,
    N xxxx

  2. I like my peas with honey,
    I’ve liked it all my life,
    It makes them taste quite funny,
    But it keeps them on the knife!

    Look forward to keeping up with your blog,

    Ruari

    1. Great! That’s a Spike Milligan poem isn’t it?
      I think the actual words are these…

      I eat my peas with honey
      I’ve done so all my life
      It makes the peas taste funny
      But it keeps them on the knife

  3. It made me feel so much better to discover I’m not the only one who has a hard time trusting there’s someone in that winter hive. I still have several weeks to wait before I’ll be able to open my northern Indiana hive to check. The suspense is killing me.

    There’s a new title I’ve been reading, The Thinking Beekeeper : a Guide to Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives by Christy Hemenway.

    1. I live in southern White Pigeon, MI. 3 miles north of the Indiana border. What do you do to winter your bees? I am new and started a hive last spring and lost them this last Fall. I’m going to try a new nuc this coming Spring. Hope to hear from ya…

  4. I love bees. I have kept bees a long time. My wife mad at me about bees.

  5. Just stumbled across your site when researching winter preparations. I like it and the advice is clear and concise. Thank you, very helpful to an inexperienced beek like me.

  6. Hi, I’m brand new to this, and your blogs have been really helpful re housing a swarm, thanks

  7. Thanks for the information on feeding the bees, ours bees in Spain are lacking stores, so about to feed the thin syrup. Also the advice on flowers for bees.

  8. If cought a swarm that came from one of hives in bee yard. It is late in the season i know, july.” What would be your thoughts o combining to weaker hive, or feeding to build for the winter months?

    1. It depends if you want bees or honey. If you want more bees for next years honey crop then feed them up, if you want honey then combine with another hive. Personally, I’d go for more bees!

  9. Hi,
    I have a top bar hive in an enclosure in a public wildflower meadow. I was looking for a photo to show how the bees build their wax comb inside the hive to put on an information board. Your photos are really clear and I wondered if we could use one please?
    Thanks,
    Alan

  10. I live on Albuquerque’s west side near Unser in the area called Rinconada Mesa between St. Joseph and western trail. Bees are apparently appearing in numbers in the area. I’m assuming these are common honey bees. Some neighbors are feeding them and giving them water and are starting to complain about too many bees, saying that they can’t set out on their patio. They are saying that the bees are a swarm. I have not seen a swarm and I’m guessing that most of the neighbors would not really know a true swarm if they saw one. I’ve read that bees will be looking for food and water if their stores, where ever their hive is, is low. What could be other reasons for the bees to appear in numbers?

    1. If people are providing feeding bees … the bees will tell their mates and comes in greater numbers. The bees have probably always been their but its just now people are feeding them that they can see them.

  11. Hello there (new person, got your details from Thornes newsletter, the Bailey comb exchange video). Thanks that was good to see. I have a query. It may be out of date now, but in one of your articles (the one about beekeeping and children, which is harder) you seem to say that you think over feeding in autumn contributed to a poor winter survival rate. How so? Stores blocking brood cells so not enough winter bees? That’s the only thing I can think of . . . Or maybe I misinterpreted?
    Best, JD

    1. You’re right in your assumption. But on reflection – I think it was just because I moved them over the winter on rough ground. I fed my colonies about 8Kg of sugar each last autumn and 5 out of 6 survived. The one that failed was due to lack of laying queen. I could not see link in Thornes newsletter to my blog – could you send me a link? Cheers, happy beekeeping.

  12. newbee no pun intended,really interesting piece on plastic frames and looks easy to strip and put back together,where do you get them from,would love to purchase them. most grateful thanks p.s. lives in hampshire uk.

  13. Hi Roger,
    I found your site whilst browsing for info about the Beehaus! How lucky to find yours! I’ve had my beehaus for a couple of years. I look forward to following your adventures! The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is: the bees definitely don’t read the bee books ? I’ve joined my local association but no one has even heard of the beehaus! Nice to see a fellow Omleteer!
    Karen

    1. Hi Karen. How are you getting on with Beehaus? Do you find the boards on the top slide around and it’s a challenge to make Bee tight?
      Roger

      1. Hi Roger,
        Yes the supers do move about a bit, normally I put the roof back on then squeeze everything together and check for gaps. Last season wasn’t great and I took a small colony through winter, they’ve expanded well, however they won’t move upstairs into the supers, I checked this weekend and think I’ve found the problem, it’s very very wet up there! The frames were going black with mould, so I’ve removed everything and replaced it with some brand new spare kit and fresh foundation. I’ve emailed Omlet to ask for advise and am awaiting a reply. Have you had any issues with damp? Earlier this year I found some queen cells so I did a chequerboard artificial swarm. I put some queen cells and a few frames of workers in a poly hive and woo how they raised a new queen! She’s mated and appears to be laying well! It’s a challenge keeping bees and I’m unsure it’s my lack of experience, where I’ve sited the hive or the fact that I’m using the beehaus, my bee friend that started the same time as me using a wooden hive has been much more successful, thank you for responding, karen

  14. Really love your website and fellow beekeepers comments.Year 1 disaster with wax moth and raiding wasps. Learnt a lot the hard way!
    Am into year 2 of beekeeping with some very feisty bees. Hope to start hive 2 in Spring 2021 with a Buckfast colony.

    Will follow you with great interest . Thank you

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