tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37894180413998026542024-02-07T04:40:11.106+00:00Beekeeping with The Hive Honey ShopUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-91803156529188186872015-10-13T23:47:00.001+01:002015-10-13T23:47:06.247+01:00Great beekeeping year! Bees happy, healthy and growing.
Many reports back from beekeeping friends is that this year for them was very poor with bee disease of all kinds. The latest bee health problem that stuck out was Paralysis Virus. Beekeepers finding dead bees all over the ground of their apiaries and bees clustering on the hive front ‘shivering’ hardly moving.
We did not experience any problems this year, in facts the hives were Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-15510563939473247272015-05-08T18:40:00.000+01:002015-05-15T18:14:17.974+01:00Beehive Stands- The Good, Bad & Ugly
Here are a few tips we believe work and we want to share them with you.
Hive stands are not just a way to keep your beehive off the wet ground but much more. We have given a lot of thought to this over the years and yet few books or beekeeping article address this. So here it is- our list of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
The Good
Single, individual beehive stands!. Their cost Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-6523290131719879392015-04-30T00:05:00.000+01:002015-05-08T10:43:31.460+01:00Do your honeybees have a water source near by?
It's important that you have a good water source for your bees set up within your apiary. At this time of year your bees will need to eat their winter stored honey which is likely to have crystallised over the winter months. They need water to dilute it back to a base that they can consume easily.
That is where you come in! Set up a nice water source near your hives in full sun. This isUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-9362761908352505492015-03-11T21:51:00.000+00:002015-05-08T10:43:50.714+01:00Bees are waking up. Bee ready!
Sorry for the gap in these blogs, wow time does fly when your a beekeeper!
So the weather is on the change and a few sunny days have brought out some flowers, The trees are now budding and our bees are bringing in the first pollen on 2015. Our advise is to BEE PREPARED!
Now is the time to make a concise list of all the equipment you need to either replace or upgrade. Get all your frames Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-31892940845876564812014-12-25T13:46:00.000+00:002015-05-08T10:44:04.331+01:00Go tell your bees- MERRY CHRISTMAS!Don't forget to give your bees a little Christmas gift to show your thanks for all their hard work in keeping the eco system working and providing the worlds most natural food.
It has been our family tradition since 1924 to go out to each beehive and give them back a full frame of honey with a tiny bit of holly. We quickly open each hive and remove an empty brood frame and replace it with a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-38000492888336349032014-08-06T18:24:00.001+01:002015-05-08T10:44:23.147+01:00Bees find our Shop Nature HabitatIf you have bought one of our many Insect Habitats and wondered if they really do attract insects- the answer is YES1 They need a bit of time to wear in, mellow, and for the insects to find them. The photos below show one of out Solitary Bee habitats now in full swing. It took a year before the tiny little stingless bees found it and took up residents.
The first thing they do is lay a single eggUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-63130370710910684372014-07-30T18:46:00.001+01:002014-07-30T22:26:17.987+01:00CRAZY BEE MAN! You have to see this! Do not try this at home!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBZokYNQCdAUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-36343786751959709962014-06-16T23:24:00.001+01:002015-05-08T10:44:53.665+01:00My Bees are acting AGGRESSIVE?- Don’t worry it’s the JUNE GAP
I am being contacted by a number of concerned beekeepers that they are finding it hard to work with their bees. They tell me that their bees have become more aggressive, seem to swarm around a lot more, and after opening the beehive all their other hives near by seem to become active?
Don’t worry- it’s the JUNE GAP. What is the June Gap I hear you ask. Well it’s traditionally the time of yearUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-49270078148980895292014-03-05T15:50:00.000+00:002015-05-08T10:45:08.693+01:00Honeybee Flood & Starvation Alert
Flood
You will be aware that heavy rain throughout the UK has meant flooding in areas and riverbanks overflowing. The UK Bee Farmers Association have circulated a questionnaire to find out the extend of those members affected. It goes without saying that all bee apiaries that could be near a potential flood risk area should be moved now. It is generally known that moving bees in the winter is aUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-26478330993454917702013-11-20T00:18:00.000+00:002014-01-16T16:00:59.180+00:00One- Day Introductory Beekeeping Session May 10th 2014. Book Now Online
Want to keep your own bees and bottle your own honey? Well this one day special beekeeping session is just for you! Now in its 20th year, with many ex-students having gone on to write books about bees, head beekeeping associations around the country and abroad, after taking our course.PREFECT GIFT IDEA! Gift Vouchers AvailableThe course will take place one Saturday in May 2014. This unique Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-54162465619032953902013-11-03T15:33:00.002+00:002015-05-08T10:45:38.715+01:00BUYERS BEWARE! The TRUTH about Buying Beekeeping Equipment
This article is long overdue. We have gathered evidence and the facts surrounding the pitfalls, cheats and cons in buying beekeeping equipment. Buying quality hive parts is a minefield, particularly for the novice, and we hope to help you navigate your way though the process with experienced advice, so your beekeeping experiences are happy ones!
We will show you what a mess you mayUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-16402644616662537312013-10-24T16:55:00.001+01:002013-10-24T16:55:54.831+01:00Time To Protect Your Hives!- 5 tips keeping them safe.
Photo copyright© The Hive Honey Shop 2013
There are so many things that bees need to fight off, just to stay alive. You can help these little ones by providing some added protection in October. Heres a brief check list.
1 Wire Mesh Protection
Woodpeckers love beehives. They see the insects flying out and will peck the thin areas of the wooden hive ( mainly the grooved out finger Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-69314867297052916032013-10-15T18:33:00.000+01:002013-10-18T22:40:44.480+01:00October Beekeeping Advice- Plan for next year now!
You should have your beehives just about closed down for the winter. We always change the brood box, floor and coverboard for nice clean dry ones. We also change over as many frames with drawn new foundation that we prepared in the summer. We like to collect full brood boxes of honey and keep these back to feed to our hives in the run up to winter. They do really well with a full fresh honey Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-82822392048695519912013-09-26T14:10:00.000+01:002015-05-08T10:46:01.340+01:002 Most Important Bee Items to Keep Clean
The Beehive is obviously the main item that gets all the cleaning but I have noticed over the years two important items that get very overlooked. So its time to highlight these and in doing so I hope it will make your bees and beekeeping a more happy event.
Smoker
This is one of your most personal items, used every time you open a beehive. Whatever fuel you use to make your smoke, be Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-41107449559118342022013-07-12T18:36:00.001+01:002015-05-08T10:46:31.545+01:00Hot Weather- bees need water too!
All photos & text copyright protected The Hive Honey Shop Ltd- 2013©
Don't forget to top up your water source for your bees. If you don't have a water supply then shame on you! Get going now as your little bees get hot and thirsty too.
It's simple to make a water source. we found a disused child's sand pit lid, unturned it and filled it with gravel, old bits of wood, bit of soil and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-26964389068181506462013-04-26T16:51:00.000+01:002013-04-26T18:33:01.151+01:00TAKING ORDERS FOR LIVE BEE NUCS 2013We are breeding a small amount of nucs this year and as always it is on a first come first served until stocks last basis. See our products pop down menu on the home page and navigate from there to Live Bees For Sale. There you will find all the details and prices.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-43717787362164246422013-03-11T20:54:00.001+00:002015-05-08T10:46:55.203+01:00What is the difference between a Swarm and a Colony of Bees?
All photos & text copyright protected The Hive Honey Shop Ltd- 2013©
A common question we get asked is, ’I want to buy a swarm, do you have one?' Over time we began to realise that many new comers to beekeeping were confusing a Swarm with a Colony. So here's a quick guide.
1 SWARM OF BEES
This is a wild cluster of unknown bees that have left an established colony of bees. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-82226641613364182262013-02-14T16:02:00.001+00:002013-10-15T18:35:40.101+01:00Happy Valentines Day! ♥ Sunny in SW Londonphoto copyright ©-The Hive Honey Shop
Happy Valentines Day! ♥ It's so nice to see blue sky and the SUN again! Even our bees look happy. The hives have bust into action with 1000s of bees having a bit of a ‘stretch of their wings’ after being stuck in the hive because it was so cold.
Remember Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-54314116534265355982013-02-08T21:26:00.002+00:002013-10-15T18:35:51.358+01:00'Feb' Top 5 Keep Your Bees Alive -Tipsphoto copyright ©-The Hive Honey Shop
Here we are in Feb 2013 and wow is it cold. So here’s The Hive Honey Shops Top 5 Tips to keep your bees alive!
Tip1:
Check that your hives are secure, roofs have not been blown off, vandals have not disturbed your hives but that they are safe and secure.
Tip 2:
Snow! In many parts of Briton. So go check each hive and remove any snow blocking the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-84955195286568553962012-07-20T16:32:00.001+01:002013-10-15T18:36:38.320+01:00Great Car Reg Plate!
I was walking in Balham London, just dropped off a delivery order of HayfeGUARD Local Honey to As Nature Intended when my eye caught this car registration plate. I stopped dead and grabbed my mobile to take a photo. The driver looked worried as I did this. I popped over and told him I work for The Hive Honey Shop in Clapham, family run honey shop and loved his licence plate. He smiled broadly Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-21804842351128681012012-06-26T19:11:00.000+01:002013-10-15T18:36:57.321+01:00Urban Beekeeping- Time to keep your own honeybees!
There has never been a better time to keep your own honeybees and inner city sites are the best! Why? There are more flowers per square mile within city areas as opposed to the the countryside which is made up mostly of grass meadows, fairly useless to honeybees. To give you an idea, the average countryside beehive can gather approx. 50 jars of honey per year, where as a city beehive can Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-43324075875251684762012-03-08T15:12:00.003+00:002013-10-15T18:37:37.751+01:00Feed your bees if necessary! March a dangerous time.
March is a dangerous time of year for bees. It really is the make of break time for many hives. Healthy lively bees can dropped dead unexpectedly from one day to the next. One main issue is lack of food.
The months of March-April are unpredictable. We get warm days followed by wet cold days. These weather spikes really disturb honeybee development. The workers feed the queen in times of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-65361286759953114222012-02-08T12:09:00.002+00:002013-10-15T18:37:49.930+01:002010 Bees are alive and well, with the same queen!
On 8 Feb 2012, at 11:24, Iain wrote:
Hi James,
I am pleased to say that the bees that you sold me back in the spring of 2010 are alive and well, with the same queen!
Just thought you might like to know.
All the best
Iain
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Hi Iain
Great to hear- no doubt due to your compassionate beekeeping! WellUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-35756574775941229092012-01-04T19:02:00.011+00:002013-10-15T18:38:31.827+01:00Happy New Year!!!- January Beekeeping Maintenance Tips.
What a wet start to the year! But let's not dwell on that. Time to have a quick peek at your hives to see they are still weather/water tight. Last night there were gail force winds and this could blow hive roofs off. So a quick apiary site inspection is in order.
Hive Food?
We always give each of our beehives a Christmas gift of a block of honey/sugar fondant. This we do the week of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-43725263619562027732011-10-18T15:01:00.003+01:002013-10-15T18:38:53.057+01:00If you like us-please nominate us for London's Best Food Shop awards!The Hive Honey Shop has been nominated by readers of LONDON Magazine for the 2011 London's Best Food Shop awards. So if you like what we do then please support us with a quick nomination click of the button! Its takes just 3 seconds and you will help support our little local shop!
Go to : http://www.thelondonmagazine.co.uk/London-Villages/London-Directory/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0