- ONBG (OxNatBees) is an informal mutual support network for beginners and experienced beeks who aspire to practise bee-centric, low intervention, and chemical-free beekeeping in Oxfordshire. To join the group and share ideas, questions, information and experiences, please use this site's Contact Us form.
Next ONBG Meeting
Saturday 15th July, Oxford – rooftop apiary
Twitter: @OxNatBees
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Recent Blog Posts
- Summer starvation warning June 17, 2017
- ONBG meeting, 13th May 2017 – swarms and exotic hives June 7, 2017
- Bees in trees May 29, 2017
- The ‘other’ bees: Steven Falk workshop May 22, 2017
- Cob beehive – an experimental top-bar hive adaption May 5, 2017
- Adapting to foundationless frames in a National hive May 2, 2017
- The Bee Meeting: North Tawton and South Leigh April 8, 2017
- ONBG meeting, 1st April 2017 – an emergency cut-out April 4, 2017
- Spreading the Bee Buzz #11 – Starting Beekeeping March 29, 2017
- Two swarms in the same hive: an update March 22, 2017
- ONBG meeting, 12 March 2017 March 14, 2017
- Beginners start here March 2, 2017
- Angry bees February 16, 2017
- Winter forage February 8, 2017
- Calm bees February 5, 2017
- Spreading the Bee Buzz #10 – Surviving Winter February 2, 2017
- Modelling a Beehive January 30, 2017
- “How many bees?” January 30, 2017
- Open mating and genetics – Drones January 14, 2017
- Bees nest in a tree (not quite) January 12, 2017
Category Archives: TBH
Cob beehive – an experimental top-bar hive adaption
One of the key pieces of advice for any new beekeeper is to have at least two populated-hives. In the event that a hive becomes queenless, brood-comb from another can be moved to it (so the bees can raise an emergency … Continue reading
Posted in Experimentation, Hives, TBH, Technology, Uncategorized
Tagged adobe, clay hive, cob
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Two swarms in the same hive: an update
Last summer, I wrote about the arrival of two swarms into the same hive. A wild swarm had settled in the empty top-bar-hive in my garden, and a week later a second swarm moved in. The arrival of this second swarm … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Hives, Swarms, TBH
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ONBG meeting, 12 March 2017
A Newbee special We gathered at the Marsh Harrier pub in Oxford on a Sunday afternoon to discuss beekeeping with some interested “newbees” who were seriously considering keeping bees themselves. It’s remarkable how bees spark discussion: just carrying in a … Continue reading
Posted in Apiary visits, Hives, Meetings, Members, ONBG, Pests, TBH
Tagged Beginner, Newbee
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Beginners start here
The first OxNatBees meeting of 2017 will be at the Marsh Harrier Pub in Oxford at 2pm on Sunday 12th of March. The main focus will be on discussing plans for the coming year. There will also be some ‘pre-beginners’ who … Continue reading
Modelling a Beehive
In the grey days between Christmas and the start of the New Year, I spent some time trying to develop a computer-model of a beehive. The first version had been very basic – it considered the egg-laying rate, the time that … Continue reading
Posted in Experimentation, TBH, Technology
2 Comments
“How many bees?”
“How many bees do you have?” “Just one hive.” “But how many bees?” It’s a question that I’m often asked, and one that I could never satisfactorily answer. I’ll usually explain that I don’t know exactly: “the population varies through the year – higher … Continue reading
Observations with an Infrared Camera
The seasons are turning: we have days of fireworks and poppies, of squirrels skittish on ripe conkers, and clock-hours turning back. I worry about the bees. As I walk, misty-breathed beside the Thames, I think of them huddled together in … Continue reading
Posted in Experimentation, Hives, TBH, Technology
Tagged heat, infra-red, Insulation, overwintering, temperature, thermal, Winter
3 Comments
