Category Archives: ONBG

ONBG meeting, 1st August 2021 – out-apiaries and TBHs

Posted on August 7, 2021 by Paul

20 of us picnicked at an out-apiary in rural Oxfordshire, to network, observe horizontal Top Bar Hive inspections and discuss the practicalities of out-apiaries. This out-apiary is sited in a corner of a small estate, whose owners are very committed … Continue reading →

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Horizontal hive types

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Paul

Andrew Bax, OxNatBees member and developer of the Drayton hive, has had an article published in January’s Beecraft magazine comparing different types of horizontal hive: their advantages and tradeoffs. You can read his review here: Andrew Bax article on horizontal … Continue reading →

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Winter survival surveys show ‘treatment-free’ works

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Paul

Each May OxNatBees surveys our members for information on winter losses. This graph shows losses year by year, compared with other surveys. The stand-out point is that our losses for untreated hives populated by local bees (blue “ONBG” line) are … Continue reading →

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ONBG meeting, July 2020: a Bee Tea at Dee Cottage

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Paul

This was the first ONBG gathering this year as our normal annual cycle of events was interrupted by lockdown. Our last meeting was in October last year! Precautions were taken: access to handwash, masks, social distancing, everyone took their own … Continue reading →

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A new hive design: the Drayton hive

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Paul

A new hive design has just been launched by OxNatBees member Andrew Bax – the Drayton Hive. His new design consists of a deep horizontal hive which combines some of the best features of modern apicentric hive design such as … Continue reading →

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ONBG meeting, October 2019: Hive envy!

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Paul

17 folk converged on a north Oxfordshire village to share lunch, view some stunning and unusual hives, discuss When Honey Goes Wrong, and view the feral colonies round the village. Well, that was the plan. The schedule was instantly junked … Continue reading →

Posted in Apiary visits, Experimentation, Hives, Honey, Meetings, ONBG, Warré, Wax | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Convergent theories

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Paul

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 →

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