Author Archives: Paul

Washboarding

Posted on July 7, 2018

Two of my hives (packed with bees) have currently got two things going on in parallel at their entrances. This picture shows them both; click on the image for more detail. On the horizontal landing board, bees are fanning to … Continue reading →

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Fanning

Posted on June 25, 2018

Hottest day of the year so far (27C), and I saw bees fanning at the entrance to this hive, though not the others near it. This colony was smaller and a while ago, I put a block of wood across … Continue reading →

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Where are all the swarms this year?

Posted on June 7, 2018

The bees in this area have been acting very unusually this season: firstly high mortality at the end of winter, and now far fewer swarms than usual. We’ve been discussing this amongst ourselves and here are some preliminary conclusions.

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ONBG meeting, 20th May 2018 – TBHs and tall tales

Posted on May 30, 2018

An anarchic group of beekeepers met on a very sunny day at Shadiya’s farm near Oxford to celebrate International Bee Day with a picnic and a peek at her Top Bar Hives. We began by discussing winter losses, which were … Continue reading →

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ONBG meeting, 21 April 2018: swarms, and learning from mistakes

Posted on April 25, 2018

Lured by chocolate brownies, ten of us gathered at Brian and Faith’s house  in Summertown to prepare for the impending swarm season, view their hives, and meet like minded enthusiasts. Below, are our checklist for swarm catching, descriptions of Brian’s … Continue reading →

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ONBG meeting, 10th March 2018 – overwintering, pests, crime and apps

Posted on March 29, 2018

Our first meeting of the year was at the Marsh Harrier pub in Oxford: 16 people dropped by to chat. Discussion ranged over how our hives had fared over winter; floor debris advice for newbees; problems with badgers; Small Hive … Continue reading →

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