Omlet bee-hive

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-bee-business-an-amateur-apiary-revolution-1752307.html
Looking forward to seeing this!!!!

Harvest continues!

Just back from a fabulous Druidic weekend in Glastonbury, and have spent the day getting round our 7 hives. Today, we have extracted 31lbs of honey, making our total 42lbs for the year so far! We still have 2 supers to come off at some point this week, however, we're feeling pretty proud of our girls! The harvest should have been much larger, but we missed our 'window of opportunity' and found many frames crystallised. We can't complain, as it was our choice to go to the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids Summer Gathering in Glastonbury. As practising Druids, we're not in it for the money (so to speak), but more for our own personal use......and Mead of course!
For instance, today, we had our first experience of melted cut comb on toast, simply sublime! We urge everyone to do the same!

Relocation of a BumbleBee nest to our home apiary!

Short video of Steve relocating a nest of BumbleBees to our apiary. They had moved into a colleagues garden, and taken up residence in an old bird box! However, they were causing a bit of a problem for the family and, as beneficial as they are, they had to move.

Swarm

A little compilation of our day at the allotment with an errant swarm!!!!

Oxfordshire Beekeepers pay us a visit

Yesterday afternoon we had the pleasure of hosting Oxfordshire beekeepers (OBKA)at our allotment apiary.
Like a flight of angels, our new, white bee-suited friends arrived at our lotty to a rather entertaining start! Not only did we have a top-bar hive (TBH), two National hives and a 2-week old nucleus of bees to show them, we also had a swarm!!! A few minutes prior to the first people arriving, I thought I would have a quick check around our allotment (which is immediately adjacent to our bees). Whilst admiring our fruit bushes, I began to wonder why the ground beneath was 'moving'! Quickly I realised that it was in fact a mass of bees, clinging to the now broken off top of our small apple tree!! Needless to say, our swarm was quickly claimed, and we were glad to hand them over to a newly starting beekeeper!! We are ever obliging!!!!!
N.B. In above photo, swarm is under the box at the base of the tree in the foreground - above rhubarb leaves.
Steve hosted the day and took the group of beekeepers through the hives. Most of the group had never seen or looked inside a TBH and enjoyed seeing the bees making 'chains' to shape the comb. All our bees looked in good health and behaved themselves by having a mellow attitude!!
The hi-light of the afternoon was hearing new Queen bees 'pipe' in one of Tim and Julie's hives http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_bee#Piping
Most people in the group managed to hear it and it was a most magical moment!!!
The afternoon was completed with tea served from our allotment shed and fine fruit-cake supplied by Julie.
All in all a most splendid day!!!

Hiving our little rascals!