tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37894180413998026542012-01-27T19:20:24.506ZThe Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.comBlogger531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-35756574775941229092012-01-04T19:02:00.011Z2012-01-07T01:51:52.204Z

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 Christmas (

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-43725263619562027732011-10-18T15:01:00.003+01:002011-10-18T15:14:56.688+01:00

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/

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-72011326499563787392011-10-11T12:28:00.007+01:002011-10-11T14:01:16.373+01:00

Last night The Hive Honey Shop were awarded one of the top honey awards, the Regional Honey Award at the London Honey Show. Entries from all the London regions were entered and The Hive scooped the top prize.James, our veteran bee expert, was there to accept the award, a beautiful silver plated honey dipper. The event has hosted at the prestigious Lancaster London Hotel W2, organised by Jo

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-33105932835010555862011-10-06T23:41:00.004+01:002011-10-07T00:14:24.541+01:00

Ever wondered why London Honey is so great? Want to meet London Beekeepers and learn how you can keep bees yourself? Well wonder no more, its here! Bring your friends and family- Free entry for all! The London Honey Show with the support of the London Beekeepers Association will take place at the Lancaster London Hotel in the Westbourne Suite on the 10th October 2011. Opens 6pm-9pm. The Address

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-25988735405508626912011-09-17T19:23:00.002+01:002011-09-17T19:34:05.494+01:00

Just out yesterday picking apples in the sunshine! Wow what a great day! Picked another 10 apple varieties from the 80 we have. Can't describe the feeling of biting into a rare apple, say a Pitmasons Pineapple, tiny apple that tastes like a pear/pineapple. Then a strawberry/loganberry taste of the Bloody Ploughman and on and on...The apple trees were planted as a food source for the bees on site.

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-11526533865924589812011-08-07T20:48:00.004+01:002011-08-07T21:17:47.870+01:00

If you are anything like me I despair when I slightly tear a perfectly good piece of foundation while making up brood frames. Once you tear or badly distort the foundation your bees will avoid this area when drawing out the cells. This will result in either holes or distorted areas on the finished face of the comb. These holes in time can hide queen cells or the queen and will in a short time

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-92001575917482789942011-07-30T18:51:00.002+01:002011-07-30T19:13:36.835+01:00

Dear James, I have a question that I would appreciate your advice on. Following the collection of the nuc from you 5 weeks ago, I have been regularly feeding the colony with syrup by way of a frame feeder. Now that I have a Ashforth feeder, I note that by using this type of feeder the roof ventilation will be shut off. Is this correct or is there an alternative means of providing ventilation at

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-53958657153628486562011-07-28T16:46:00.006+01:002011-07-28T16:55:31.308+01:00

Here's a question that just came in!This is an old post, so you probably are no longer there. If you are, can you tell me how you keep the trap from capturing your bees as well as the wasps? Thank you. emBy Anonymous on Danger-WASPS!- protect your hives on 26/07/11Answer: Because you will be making a liquid bait that consists of Beer, Jam and Water- Honeybees & Bumblebees will not be interested

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-80443398609044045342011-07-26T12:28:00.008+01:002011-09-02T12:50:13.832+01:00

You can keep bees just about anywhere really. Here's a few photos of our London Roof Top Beekeeping. We have been keeping bees in central London for over 25 years with great results and lots of honey! The key point to a successful urban apiary is- Buy bees from a professional bee breeder. Pedigree bees mean calm, docile lovey bees, that make for a lovely beekeeping experience for both you

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-82684373437068806042011-06-14T11:16:00.005+01:002011-06-14T11:58:53.601+01:00

Dear JamesJust a note to say that the bees are doing amazingly well, they`ve built out almost 5 frames already and the queen is certainly doing her thing!!!Unfortunately our colony from last year (not from you) is sadly in fast decline, so we were wondering if we`re too late for another nuc. I`ve reccommended you to several people on my practical course so you`ve probably sold out.Many thanks in

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-41831693466017125042011-06-07T18:46:00.007+01:002011-06-08T11:17:54.417+01:00

There are many ways to collect and clean your beeswax. A simple solar beeswax melter is a handy hobbyist solution. It consists of a simple box with glass double glazing in the lid. Angled towards the sun it uses the suns rays to melt and naturally bleach the colour of the wax back to its light golden colour. Many large wax refineries use acid to bleach the wax which is not great if you wish to

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-57402701967873419002011-05-09T19:01:00.003+01:002011-06-07T19:40:34.771+01:00

From: oliver Subject: Date: 9 May 2011 14:41:52 BSTHello I have a question to ask you about your NUCS, is it possible for you to do them with commercial frames or do they just come in national? my second question is do you sale just NUCS or do you sale colonies also? many thanks. oliver.Hi OliverWe only do nucs on standard national frames. They will fit your commercial brood box of course.

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-19829043714222539742011-04-09T10:14:00.009+01:002011-04-09T10:38:17.470+01:00

Every year I am caught out by the sudden change in weather and the sudden arrival of warm days. Yesterday was the first real warm day of the year and all the trees blossoms seemed to have exploded into life.As a result the pollen is flowing and honeybees are working fast at building up their colonies. Many calls to the shop have reported beekeepers having their bees swarm. So work fast and do

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-83442079766356958162011-04-05T12:37:00.007+01:002011-04-05T14:36:12.399+01:00

On 5 Apr 2011, at 09:56, Rob wrote:Hi James, Wondering if i could pick your brains for some advice please ? I brought a nucleus from you last year, which is now a thriving healthy colony that i am looking to split this spring. I keep the hive on my roof in Earlsfield. So far it’s worked really well but I’m keen to try and avoid them swarming and the problems this might cause in an urban area.

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-9934142722917189502011-03-11T14:22:00.008Z2011-03-11T15:31:20.104Z

Its amazing bees can survive at all with all the things out there preying on the poor little honeybee! Take the case last week. We went out to one of our apiary sites to find the hives had been attacked by woodpeckers. We have had this site for over 20 years and never a woodpecker to be seen, but no longer.We really take care and look after our bees well and every autumn we put the bees in newly

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-13293501059062592682011-01-26T22:14:00.001Z2011-01-26T22:16:54.179Z

Wow! Bet you didn't know this!!! Shocking!read:http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/beekeepers-fume-at-associations-endorsement-of-fatal-insecticides-2182243.html

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-67348538302706401232010-11-13T00:04:00.003Z2010-11-13T00:18:25.976Z

Hello MikeNice to hear from you. When your next passing the shop pop in and say hello.To answer your questions >Q- Do I continue to feed them?A- they will keep taking syrup if they need it or have room to store it. We had unusually warm weather for October and bees were still flying out and consuming food stores -hence the continued feeding. But as I write this the weather has turned, the

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-14820392465898425282010-11-08T22:42:00.006Z2010-11-08T22:59:41.043Z

With the beekeeping season at an end and the weather getting colder, now is the time to put your 'mouse guards' in place. A mouse guard is a long metal strip with holes big enough for your bees to come and go, but small enough to keep mice out.At this time of year your bees will cluster together to keep warm and are less likely to be on the defence. Bees are cold blooded insects that find it hard

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-1889859971246279662010-10-10T17:30:00.003+01:002010-10-10T17:44:36.539+01:00

Ever wonder what to do with the wax cappings after you extract your honey? Here's a little tip: Place your cappings in a mesh straining sieve over a large bowl. Leave this covered with shrink wrap over night to allow the extra honey to filter through the sieve into the bowl. The following night remove the roof of your hive and place the wax cappings in a large circle around the top of the cover

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-40782511522558806832010-09-23T09:39:00.008+01:002010-10-05T23:16:46.134+01:00

Wax moth infestation We are getting lots of calls to the shop asking what products can be used to destroy wax moth eggs & larva and what can be done to prevent moths getting into your stored wax combs over the winter. Wax moth Achroia grisella are a pest that plague beekeepers throughout Britain. Feeding on honeycombs, they can quickly reduce a weak or unattended beehive to a webbing black mess

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-58359956185535432642010-09-14T22:37:00.004+01:002010-09-21T00:40:40.282+01:00

The weather is just on the change and Autumn is just around the corner. Now is the time to get all your hive parts in shape. Over the next few blogs we will cover what to do with old worn bee hive parts and how to keep them serviceable.Here we will talk about your hive roofs. It's easy to forget these and they are the important over all protector of your hive, so they need a little TLC ever so

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-57009373642424506862010-09-02T10:30:00.007+01:002010-09-02T11:39:35.548+01:00

It's a funny thing, the most commonly asked question about beekeeping is 'how much time does it take to look after a beehive'. I was thinking about how much time I actually spend INSIDE a beehive compared to the 'beekeeping' I do without the bees. In other words beekeeping related tasks for the welfare of a beehive. This involves the maintenance cleaning, repairs, renewing frames, brood/super

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-80949785911966231702010-08-24T19:18:00.004+01:002010-08-24T19:56:28.455+01:00

At this time of year wasps have expanded to their largest nest population and are looking for food. Wasps are sugar junkies and as the season comes to an end, so do their natural food resources, hence they turn their attention to robbing. Your beehives offer the perfect solution- sweet honey and sweet honeybees!Wasps will not only sneak into a hive to steal the honey but will also bite a bee in

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-11064238526773752472010-07-26T19:34:00.003+01:002010-07-26T19:41:03.707+01:00

Hi James The bees are doing really well.I saw the queen yesterday, she’s laying well and they’re very busy; they’re enjoying the lovely weather. They’re filling up their first super having almost filled the brood box - I was thinking I might leave the super on over winter to make sure they have enough stores. Is that a good idea? Thank you so much for such a healthy productive colony. Hope

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-48822257610718118882010-07-22T12:29:00.003+01:002010-07-22T12:37:41.873+01:00

Can I infer from your location in Battersea that people with small surburban gardens can keep bees without posing a risk to neighbours? Our small end of terrace garden backs onto a school playing field, so I have assumed that the risk of children (not to mention others who live nearby) getting stung would be much too great. Is that so? Thanks Francis Dear FrancisGood question. The answer is that

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-61864084905705590392010-06-15T23:31:00.007+01:002010-06-16T00:26:01.701+01:00

It's the June gap now. This means that in most parts of England there will be a natural break/ shortage of nectar producing flowers. It's at this time of year that your bee population will have increased considerably during the last nectar flow. Now there are many mouths to feed and short supply of food to go around. If the weather has a turn for the worst then you could find your bees are in

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-77276610845319868382010-06-06T11:40:00.006+01:002010-06-08T09:49:50.433+01:00

I live in Sheffield and a colony of honey bees have moved into the wall cavity by the bedroom window. I would like to move them without killing them.Any ideas please?I enjoyed Jack Watkins' article in the Telegraph and would to call into your shop in Clapham sometime soon.Kind regardsChris Reply- from The Hive Honey ShopHi ChrisThe bees can be removed without harm, but in a case like this it will

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-38504469510755519472010-06-01T23:21:00.007+01:002010-06-02T00:08:55.615+01:00

What a great weekend! The weather was just glorious, hot sunny & dry-just perfect for The Hive Honey Shops open air beekeeping weekend course. Sat was off to a great start with a lovely student group of beekeeping enthusiasts. The food was catered by the Hives own chef -Ute throughout the day.Sunday was even better with the surprise appearance of a prime swarm! The students were introduced to the

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-90548865873134454682009-10-26T10:31:00.004Z2009-10-26T11:38:37.623Z

Well the weather is just now turning a little colder, a reminder that winter will be here soon. The clocks have now been set back for daylight savings time. So now it's time to begin closing down your hives in preparation for the long winter months ahead.If you have feeders on, now is the time to remove them. Pour any unused sugar syrup into a container and tighten the lid. This can be used for a

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-32178716178766412732009-10-16T09:36:00.004+01:002009-10-26T01:09:12.379Z

Well the weather is noticeably cooler now and that means your bees will begin to huddle together to keep warm. Their movements will be considerably slower to conserve their energy and food supply. This is when an inquisitive mouse looking for a nice warm place to spend the winter will crawl through the entrance of your beehive.Not only will they find warmth but a very nice food source to last

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-28527893288682253792009-09-26T20:11:00.003+01:002009-09-26T21:27:34.528+01:00

Hi,I bought, last week a plastic bee feeder, from your shop.I was told to put in the cooled sugar solution and then close the lid and place the container upside down near the area the bees were feeding.The solution just pours out!Have I misunderstood ?Help!Mike NathanAt The Hive Honey Shop we get this question quite often. Here's the answer again.After you make your sugar solution (1 kilo cane

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-89690811710516218112009-08-16T23:11:00.002+01:002009-08-16T23:16:45.916+01:00

Hello,It was very interesting listening to your slot on BBC London this week, and it has left me with a question I would like to ask you.For the past couple of years in the springtime we have had some masonry Bees nesting in our wall above our patio door, at least I am told they are masonry Bees They get in and out via spacers left by the builders when the house was built. They are only there for

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-23039102517647325262009-08-08T17:30:00.004+01:002009-08-08T18:48:25.473+01:00

This is the wasp season when populations are at their highest and available food supplies are short. So wasps turn to robbing just about anything and everything! The general public will be targeted by wasps for any morsels of food they drop, hold or are in the middle of eating!My daughter was stung today by a wasp. She is very at ease with bees and wasps, yet it slowly flew up to her and stung

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-16879017143692507842009-07-04T20:25:00.003+01:002009-07-04T20:40:02.044+01:00

Well the honey season is truly under way and its been a delightful surprise. The warm weather has been a big help and our honey boxes are filling up very quickly. The reports from other beekeepers throughout the country are the same. So this year should help to make up for the dreadful past three years. The Lime trees are in full blossom so we expect a good yield of lime (linden blossom) honey

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-30696803891203228552009-06-21T12:21:00.004+01:002009-06-21T13:51:44.951+01:00

Aside from losing your valuable bees it could cause a nuisance to your neighbors. So be a responsible beekeeper. Here are a few tips.1. Clip one wing of your queen.Simply clip off half of one wing of your queen bee. She will not feel a thing. Its like clipping a finger nail. The queen will be unable to fly and when your bees decide to swarm and take her with them, she will drop to the front of

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-5452933995337615342009-05-19T12:42:00.006+01:002009-05-19T13:08:19.746+01:00

Swarming season is truly underway. We have collected quite a number. The key to success is FEEDING. A newly developing colony needs a surplus of food to convert into beeswax and honey. If they have a continuous supply then the workers will feed the queen who will in turn increase her egg laying. So you get a faster, stronger developing colony who are able to draw out all your new foundation. A

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-70601073655845563822009-05-05T11:21:00.002+01:002009-05-05T11:44:11.595+01:00

Wow, last week was full of calls for picking up swarms. Best swarm activity in years! Around 11am on Monday in Tooting I was about to get in my car when I heard a loud roar overhead. I thought to myself, that sounds like a swarm of bees? I looked up and there was a prime swarm of bees in flight passing among the chimney breasts of the Victorian terraced houses. I jumped in my car and gave chase,

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-20239479200663194952009-04-23T09:56:00.005+01:002009-04-23T10:09:58.209+01:00

Well the pollen is going in fast and thick. We have tried a new kind of pollen trap, one that attaches to the front of the hive entrance. Its quick to attach and remove and the bees fill it up quite quickly. The photos show it in action. The tray was filled within one day.

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-9379181467917047682008-10-06T00:51:00.012+01:002008-10-06T02:16:46.063+01:00

  If you put off fixing old tired bee feeders, your not alone! I get caught out too. I have a list of beekeeping repairs to do and the list gets bigger and bigger. So the pile of feeders I was looking at repairing last spring are now needed and I am slapping myself on the wrist!- should have done this earlier James.So here's a few tips on bringing your old feeders back to life and what to avoid

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-91304525780658370582008-09-06T16:03:00.006+01:002008-09-06T18:03:35.458+01:00

This is one of the last of my annual harvests. I did manage to get a bit of spring honey. The city sites in and around Wandsworth produced well. I can always count on my city sites each year as there is an abundance of nectar producing flowers in the city and the temperature is warmer and more consistent.Just a few tips about extracting honey and hygiene: keep your extracting room spotlessly

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-55938939672176087712008-08-29T23:50:00.004+01:002008-08-30T01:39:26.379+01:00

Now is the time to take any surplus honey off your beehives and feed your bees. This year has been a relatively poor year and your bees could starve to death if you do not feed them now!Late August if a perfect time to feed your bees and take any measures to rid your bees of Varroa. Remember-NEVER feed your bees with supers (honey boxes) on! Remove all your supers and only feed when you have the

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-47282823642017050012008-08-19T19:06:00.011+01:002008-08-30T01:42:10.644+01:00

                                                              Now in its 5th year Custom Timber Build are makers of bespoke period beehives. They specialise in reproduction period beehives, but are happy to quote to build a beehive from your own personal drawings.Some of the beehives built for clients are the Stewarton Hive. Invented in 1819 the Stewarton possed a unique management system.

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-70489713440116312202008-08-10T21:15:00.005+01:002008-08-12T17:56:00.626+01:00

I was really disappointed  to see that my original film concept of the last 12 years appeared in the form of 'Jimmy and the Wild Honey Hunters, BBC1'! I have spoken to so many corporate and freelance film makers over the last decade trying to convince them to tell the story of The Honey Hunters of Nepal, after my trek there in 1996, sponsored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-2798343536711603892008-08-07T10:30:00.009+01:002008-08-07T11:12:15.614+01:00

I was in at the orchard all day yesterday pruning the apple trees. Quite a job considering there are over 200 trees! One of my jobs is to cut away diseased wood, primarily Canker. Canker is like cancer to trees and if you leave the infected wood, it will continue to spread throughout the healthy wood. So today I have blisters!I noticed that wasps are now out in force. Time to put out the wasp

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-72611287085882371542008-08-03T17:48:00.006+01:002008-12-09T07:09:19.202Z

Here are a few photos of my removing a colony of honey bees from a garden in London. They swarmed into a pine tree and the home owners were both amazed and alarmed! The garden was a typical small London terrace house garden and not suitable for 50,000 + bees! So with a little smoke and balancing on a ladder I was able to coax the bees into a box. The bees were really claim and good natured. I

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-69627008392546860452008-08-02T10:41:00.002+01:002008-08-02T11:13:54.934+01:00

Its Saturday, weather does not look great. Overcast and windy. However this is England and we should not be surprised by now. I tell people most of my beekeeping is done in either the rain, at twilight or sunset and not by choice. Sometimes you just need to inspect your bees and you know if you don't they could swarm, starve or they need more room, time to re-queen, add clean frames etc. So I'm

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-32684730316886585172008-08-01T00:28:00.009+01:002008-12-09T07:09:19.709Z

Well I have just got back from my bee call out. I get calls to rescue bees from weird and wonderful places. Today a building firm called because their builders, while removing the lead roofing sheets, disturbed a bees nest. The roofers got stung and abandoned the job until help could be found.Calling The Hive Honey Shop! I spoke to the lovely Natasha, the firms company secretary. She was keen

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-11297565029478655662008-08-01T00:09:00.004+01:002008-08-10T22:51:32.941+01:00

I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Tim Kirby for helping me to set up this blog. Tim is in IT and a Beekeeper! I met Tim & his wife Julie on one of my beekeeping courses. I run Adult beginner beekeeping courses each year from April to Sept. Tim and Julie signed up for my weekend course and it was soon apparent that they were serious about beekeeping. They excelled during the course showing

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-52240590870414743152008-07-31T18:30:00.002+01:002008-07-31T18:33:44.994+01:00

I'm off to Norwood to save some bees from a roof. The roof of the building is being repaired and I have been contacted to safely remove and rehouse them. I'll see if I can take a few photos and post them tonight!

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-57437578437048777322008-07-31T17:47:00.002+01:002008-07-31T18:30:19.959+01:00

I was just called by a researcher for BBC Newsnight. They are doing a piece on CCD and the decline of British bees. I will keep you posted as to the out come.

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-14790676215049184932008-07-30T17:06:00.004+01:002008-12-09T07:09:20.118Z

I've been very aware of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) in the US, but reports from my beekeeping friends here around the country this year tells another story. Many have had wonderful harvests with their bees going from strength to strength. This year I have been called out to remove swarms of honeybees like that of ten years ago. This tells me that bees are healthy, growing and multiplying to

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-9964360171571519942008-07-30T16:13:00.004+01:002008-12-09T07:09:20.305Z

Here is one of our National Pollen Traps. There is nothing like the taste of fresh pollen. You can smell the sweet honey/blossom aroma as you near the hive. The trap drawer is accessed via the back of the hive. No need to get in protective gear. Just pull the drawer out and empty. I freeze the pollen and use it in our HayfeGUARD product. I eat spoons full each day. Lovely taste!If you use a trap,

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3789418041399802654.post-48129166548374011082008-07-30T13:10:00.000+01:002008-12-09T07:09:20.500Z

It's sunny weather and we've been out at 'Bee Heaven Farm' gathering honey. My Son of 9 is a big help! He supervises and is quality control. I have a mix of hives, this one is a Langstoff hive. The bees have done well this year, strong, healthy and gathering 3-4 supers of honey each! Like I always say, look after your bees well and they will look after you!

The Hive Honey Shopnoreply@blogger.com0