Tag Archives: Swarms

ONBG meeting April 2022 – swarm prep

18 bee-folk gathered at Paul’s out-apiary to discuss catching and hiving swarms, inspect TBHs and picnic and gabble about bees. Other topics were winter losses, the 2023 Learning from the Bees conference and mushrooms.

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ONBG meeting June 2021 – another Bee Tea at Dee!

Once Covid lockdown rules were relaxed to allow up to 30 people to gather outdoors, it took Jane 6 microseconds to arrange a garden meeting at her amazing “country cottage in the middle of Oxford”. 13 of us gathered to … Continue reading

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Preparing for swarm season

Swarms begin around late April in Oxfordshire, first in the warmer southern part and the heat islands of the towns and cities, then a couple of weeks later in the rural parts. In earlier years we’ve written on this blog … Continue reading

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Covid-19: evolution in action

I can’t help wondering if the lockdown will make people reassess high-intervention beekeeping. This lockdown is going to exert heavy selection pressure for colonies that can fend for themselves.

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Spreading the Bee Buzz #8 – Apis, Bombus, and many more

The latest in our series on beekeeping for a village magazine – written for non-beekeepers, and to suit the broad range of ages and knowledge among the readers. The poor spring seems to have both delayed and reduced the number … Continue reading

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My first fortnight of beekeeping (and the two-swarm, one-hive mystery)

I had only half-believed that it was possible to attract a swarm. I knew about it in theory, but it just seemed so unlikely that a swarm of bees, with a whole world of hollow-trees and unsealed roof-spaces to call … Continue reading

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Catching a swarm

morning – I have aswarm in my garden & am trying to catch it – but need some advice…. – they have gathered at chest height in a bush.  Ive put an upside down bucket over the top of the … Continue reading

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