The bees are really hunkered down now …..

The good late summer September weather has been replaced with the first of the Sussex gales.

From the sieved honey, a tap is opened, and the honey pours into a jar ……

August is upon us, so it’s time to prepare for the Honey Harvest and reap all the efforts of challenging work ….

The ‘bait’ hives had been put around the barns to try and catch swarms that were passing ….

June has arrived and for the beekeeper, this can be known as the June-gap. This usually refersa to the time during the summer when there is a lack of forage available to the bees.

I have purchased four Buckfast queens which duly arrived ……

It’s been a difficult winter for the bees, the weather was inclement and cold. Only very recently has there been any respite with it turning dry and warmer ….

Inspired by You Tube, I have decided to have a crack at Queen rearing this year and have bought an incubator ….

For a beekeeper, January is a quiet month, nevertheless there are still several jobs that need doing …

We’ve now passed the end of British Summer Time, and for most beekeepers this means there will be five months of ‘not beekeeping’ before it restarts.

The wet weather has allowed the woodland canopy to develop cutting much of the light to the hives. As a result, the Apiary has remained ‘cool’ and dark. The seasonal temperatures have been lower, and the rain has meant that it was always either damp or wet!

The Bees seem to be building up slowly, in their hives. Unfortunately, with the changeable weather brood is lite and they are consuming a lot of the stored honey. I fear the harvest will not be good this year.

At last, the sun is out, the bees are flying, and we are getting busy checking the hives, splitting the beehives to induce a swarm before it happens and collecting a few swarms ….

This month we have seen the bees bringing in lots of pollen. From those warm sunny days, looking through the clear, glass crown boards, I have seen evidence of the bees building was on the frames, inside the hives.

At this time, the colony is at its smallest and consequently the queen should be easier to find.

Summer has ended, and Autumn is now with us. Temperatures are dropping, the leaves are turning, and the rain and wind are upon us. It’s time to prepare for the winter and ensure the hive is in the best possible condition to survive the colder months ahead.