Category Archives: Hives

Meditations on the Learning from the Bees conference

Posted on November 8, 2018 by

At the end of August the world’s first major international gathering of natural beekeepers, Learning from the Bees, took place in the Netherlands. The atmosphere had a festival vibe and concentrated on healthy bees and improving the environment, rather than … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Experimentation, Honey bee research, Log hive, Pesticides, Research, Skeps, Sun Hive, TBH, Warré | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hive insulation using cork

Posted on October 27, 2018 by

There has been considerable interest over the years in the use of hive insulation to provide an environment for the bees that is closer to their natural habitat of the interior of a hollow tree trunk. Reported benefits include reduced … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimentation, Hives, Research | Tagged , | Leave a comment

ONBG meeting, 22nd Sept 2018 – hive hacks and natural selection

Posted on September 30, 2018 by

16 beekeepers clustered at Gareth’s house (warm and dry) and his experimental apiary (damp and chilly) to discuss bees and eat cake. Gareth, who’s kept bees since at least the 1970’s, recounted experiences from the recent Learning for the Bees … Continue reading →

Posted in Apiary visits, Experimentation, Hives, Honey, Honey bee research, Local lore, Meetings, Pests, Stings, Warré | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

ONBG meeting, 22 Aug 2018 – TBH special, wasps, and insulation

Posted on September 7, 2018 by

10 beeks gathered at Helen’s on a sunny Saturday afternoon for heaps of cake and biscuits (thank you Helen, Jane & Anne!), a bit of bee nattering and a peer at Helen’s hives. The attendees were mostly TBH users, so … Continue reading →

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

Fanning

Posted on June 25, 2018 by

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

Posted on May 30, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Apiary visits, Ecology, Garden plants, Meetings, ONBG, Swarms, TBH | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted on April 25, 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Meetings, Swarms, Warré | Tagged , | Leave a comment