- 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 9th September, Steeple Aston – Warres, TBHs, feral colonies and preparation for winter
Twitter: @OxNatBees
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Recent Blog Posts
- Lore of the Honey Bee July 30, 2017
- ONBG meeting, 15th July 2017 – a rooftop apiary July 24, 2017
- OxNatBees exhibit at RSA Motivate July 14, 2017
- ‘Inspecting’ your bees – the low-intervention way July 5, 2017
- Neonicotinoids implicated again June 29, 2017
- 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
Tag Archives: Drones
Open mating and genetics – Drones
Conventional beekeepers aiming to maximise honey production suppress swarms, replace queens with ones from breeders, and cull drones as a “waste of resources”. This post covers some of the less discussed, subtle implications of drone genetics; and advantages of queens … Continue reading
ONBG meeting – and a Christmas quiz!
On a freezing November night, ten folk gathered in the Victoria Arms in Oxford to review 2016’s beekeeping and discuss our plans for the coming year. Paul unveiled a surprise test… er, quiz…
Wisdom from an old beekeeper – especially on varroa
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Ron Hoskins, who has been keeping bees since 1943 (over 70 years!). He has been on the BBKA executive committee, trained lots of new beekeepers, and is well known, firstly, for his conservation … Continue reading
Natural drone culling
Bees are clean creatures, and the bodies of those that die in the hive are removed by “undertaker bees”. I noticed a worker struggling to fly off while carrying a white pupa away the other day. Then there was a … Continue reading
Bees and Biosecurity: Simple measures to control infections and keeping the bees happy.
Trees and Bees, the obvious top bar link. I have been promising to write something up for the blog for a few weeks now. What with the recent furore over Ash Die Back and other tree diseases its been one … Continue reading
Posted in Apiary visits, Books, Ecology, Hives, Honey, Inspections, Meetings, ONBG, Products, Research, Swarms, TBH, Wax
Tagged Ancient Tree Forum, Ancient Tree Hunt, At the Hive Entrance, Bees, bio-secure, bio-security, biodiversity, chalk brood, climatic changes, cross contaminantion, diseases, Drones, Environment, fungal spores, Garden plants, H. Storch, Hives, Inspections, life cycles, Microclimate, nature, OBKA, Parasites, pathogens, pollen, robber bees, smocks, spores, suits, Swarms, TBH, Varroa Mites, vectors, weather
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Meeting on 10 November 2012
Today ten beekeepers gathered here in Headington for coffee and tea and biscuits. We introduced ourselves and our beekeeping experience, as Peter at least was new to the group, and then we had a very instructive talk by Gareth on … Continue reading
Drones out! and No more syrup!
I have been obediently following advice and feeding my bees as they really needed a lot of stores – everything was very lightweight in August when I last checked them. Every day a 750ml jar of thick syrup was emptied … Continue reading
