- 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
Sunday 19th July 3-5PM, Oxford
Twitter: @OxNatBees
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Recent Blog Posts
- Winter survival surveys show ‘treatment-free’ works August 5, 2020
- ONBG meeting, July 2020: a Bee Tea at Dee Cottage July 20, 2020
- Book Review – Interviews with Beekeepers by Steve Donohoe July 1, 2020
- Look up during lockdown May 1, 2020
- Preparing for swarm season April 4, 2020
- Covid-19: evolution in action March 31, 2020
- A new hive design: the Drayton hive February 27, 2020
- Victorian Twitterstorms February 4, 2020
- Top Bar Hives, warts and all January 4, 2020
- ONBG meeting, October 2019: Hive envy! November 9, 2019
- Convergent theories September 17, 2019
- Learning from the Bees, Berlin – bees au naturel! September 11, 2019
- ONBG+ meeting, August 2019: insulation, cavity size, Golden Hives August 19, 2019
- ONBG meeting, July 2019 – what makes a good hive? July 25, 2019
- At the village fete June 30, 2019
- Learning from the Bees Conference, Berlin June 24, 2019
- ONBG meeting, 15th June 2019 – TBHs, Freedom hives and a surprise swarm June 16, 2019
- Swarm stories June 2, 2019
- Grow, shake or drum? Transferring bees between hive types April 26, 2019
- ONBG meeting, 6th April 2019 – TBHs April 12, 2019
Tag Archives: Inspections
Top Bar Hives, warts and all
This article first appeared in BBKA News, January 2020. Background Over the 9 years I’ve been using horizontal TBHs (HTBHs), I’ve seen many experiments in design and use. This article is intended to help those considering one find their way … Continue reading
Posted in Experimentation, TBH
Tagged BBKA News, HTBH, Inspections, Low intervention, Non invasive, TBH, Torben Fischer, Warts and all
12 Comments
ONBG meeting & apiary visit, 30th July 2016
On a lovely calm day at the end of July, 20 of us gathered at Gareth’s place in West Oxfordshire to share a meal and see a large happy apiary. Gareth has not treated his hives for ~5+ years now … Continue reading
Posted in Apiary visits, Inspections, Meetings, ONBG, Warré
Tagged Apiary visits, Inspections, Meetings, ONBG, Warré
2 Comments
ONBG meeting & apiary visit, 15th May 2016
14 of us met on a lovely late spring day at Carolyn’s home apiary in Fringford. We started as usual by sitting in a ring and introducing ourselves, our experience and where we live – this latter helps people link … Continue reading
Posted in Apiary visits, Inspections, Meetings, ONBG, Swarms, Warré
Tagged Apiary visits, Inspections, Meetings, ONBG, Swarms, Warré
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Hive records – why and how to keep them
Natural beeks often do not conform to many of the practices of more conventional beeks, one example being that intrusive hive inspections are much less frequent. Observations made at the hive entrance and through windows normally provide sufficient information to … Continue reading
To smoke or not to smoke !
I opened up my hive for just the second time this morning. I had my first swam – a cast – around 6 weeks ago. All looked fine through the windows – lots of comb being built & no slowdown … 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
2 Comments
Good news, bad news, robber screens and bee stings
Hello All, Well its been an interesting time indeed. First of all my hive was robbed of honey in less than two days by bees from a group of 5 hives placed on the farm near me. I am told … Continue reading
Posted in Hives, Inspections, Members, ONBG, Stings, TBH
Tagged chalk brood, Drones, Hornets, Inspections, pollen, Queen Cells, robber bees, Robber screens, TBH, Wasps
2 Comments
