- 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: Books
The ‘other’ bees: Steven Falk workshop
A few months ago, the news was filled with stories about intelligent bumblebees. New research showed that they could learn to pull strings and play football. As a ‘bee’ person I was interested, but I had a strange feeling that … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Ecology, Uncategorized
4 Comments
The Bee Meeting: North Tawton and South Leigh
In 1962 Sylvia Plath wrote The Bee Meeting, a poem in which she describes her experience of attending a meeting of beekeepers in North Tawton, a village in Devon. Last weekend, fifty-five years later, the Oxfordshire Natural Beekeeping Group gathered … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Event, Hives, Meetings, ONBG, Publications, Uncategorized
Tagged "Bee Meeting", Plath, poetry
1 Comment
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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Pertwood farm visit, 13th August 2016
Eight of the ONBG headed to Wiltshire to visit the first tree hive to be setup in the UK. This is at Pertwood farm, a source of excellent muesli. Lower Pertwood Farm is a 2,100 acre farm that has been organic for … Continue reading
Posted in Apiary visits, Books, Hives, ONBG, pollen, Publications, Skeps
Tagged tree hives, Zeidler hive
3 Comments
Keeping bees in trees – new article, book and hive
The ancient art of tree-based beekeeping, whether that is in a hollow tree or in a log hive, is becoming more popular. This article in today’s Telegraph online newspaper gives a good basic introduction to the subject, talking with the … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Hives, Log hive, Newspaper articles, Publications
Tagged book, Hives, log hives, tree hives
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Book review: Michael Bush on “organic” beekeeping and varroa control
The Practical Beekeeper – Beekeeping Naturally by Michael Bush The author runs 200 Langstroth and a few Top Bar hives in Nebraska and has become known as something of a guru in US circles, where he follows an “organic” beekeeping … Continue reading
Book review: the Bad Beekeeper’s Club, by Bill Turnbull
Insights into conventional beekeeping Overall: readability 8/10, usefulness to natural beekeepers 2/10 – not recommended – but some interesting bits of info, abstracted below An account of how TV presenter Bill Turnbull took up the hobby of beekeeping and learnt … Continue reading
