Author Archives: Paul

Convergent theories

Posted on September 17, 2019

A potential problem with a natural beekeeping group is: members never talk to conventional beekeepers. So 14 of us visited a large (80 hive) commercial apiary… with a twist. It’s run by the Swindon Honeybee Conservation Group, headed by Ron … Continue reading →

Posted in Apiary visits, Experimentation, Honey bee research, ONBG, Pests, Research | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Learning from the Bees, Berlin – bees au naturel!

Posted on September 11, 2019

The second international Learning from the Bees conference featured a recurring theme: bees in trees. It left two lasting impressions on me: It will influence German beekeeping for years to come, catalysing the spread of natural beekeeping; A paradigm-changing insight … Continue reading →

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ONBG+ meeting, August 2019: insulation, cavity size, Golden Hives

Posted on August 19, 2019

The Oxfordshire group invited members from the neighbouring Hampshire and Wye Valley natural beekeeping groups to join us for a joint meeting at Gareth’s apiary – 34 people from 7 counties converged for the session. These annual co-events allow for … Continue reading →

Posted in Apiary visits, Event, Experimentation, Hives, Honey bee research, Meetings, ONBG, Research | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

ONBG meeting, July 2019 – what makes a good hive?

Posted on July 25, 2019

19 of us converged on the beautiful village of Long Crendon to discuss and admire a variety of hives built by Eric. This led to a wide ranging discussion of a plethora of hive types and their tradeoffs. Background – … Continue reading →

Posted in Apiary visits, Hives, Meetings, ONBG, TBH, Warré | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

At the village fete

Posted on June 30, 2019

We were asked to demo “bees” at our local village fete, so Keith and I obliged with a stand displaying various Stuff for people to touch, smell etc and answered Questions. The organisers had originally assumed that we were going … Continue reading →

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Learning from the Bees Conference, Berlin

Posted on June 24, 2019

A quick plug for the next LfB conference! – When: August 30th – September 1st Where: Berlin What: an international symposium of natural beekeepers and like minded individuals Why: Hear cutting edge research from top bee scientists. Network with fascinating … Continue reading →

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ONBG meeting, 15th June 2019 – TBHs, Freedom hives and a surprise swarm

Posted on June 16, 2019

Fifteen of us met in a beautiful cottage hidden near the middle of Oxford. The plan was to have lunch, inspect Top Bar Hives and see a nearby Freedom Hive, and we managed to meet these targets due to skillful … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspections, Meetings, ONBG, Swarms, TBH | Tagged | Leave a comment