Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kacper Here in Devon, we usually have most of the nectar coming in July but this year has been a little bit different so far. The summer crop looks like it will be good this year. When clover and bramble started flowering, we still had warm and sunny weather for a few days but it quickly changed to wind and rain which we have had for a couple of weeks now and the bees haven’t been able to forage as much as they usually do. Hopefully, in the next week or so the weather will turn warmer and the bees will be able to collect some more nectar before the flowers go o ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kacper After the cold and wet spring, we have had plenty of sunshine from around the middle of May until now and June started well for us at NBS. We have had lots of spring honey coming in and a few swarms. The Hawthorn has flowered exceptionally well this year and the bees have managed to collect plenty of nectar from it. We’ve had lots of customers talking about swarming this year. One beekeeper told me, this year is worst for swarming since 1998. Make sure you are on top of swarm control in your hives to prevent it. I would recommend checking the hives for ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper The Beekeeping season started early this year thanks to the warm and sunny weather in Spring. White clover is already flowering in Devon, and blackberry is full of buds that are starting to open. In June, hives still need to be checked for swarm control. I am checking hives every 9 to 14 days for swarm cells, knocking them down if I see any. Using two brood chambers with a queen excluder can help you deal with old frames and diminish the swarming instinct by adding more fresh undrawn frames and foundation for the bees to draw out and the queen to lay in ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kacper By the end of April, the swarming season has begun, so I am checking the hives on a regular basis throughout May. I am looking for any swarm cells and destroying them when I see them, this will prevent the colonies from swarming but it needs to be done regularly and you must be careful not to miss any Queen cells. In order to give the colonies more space and something to do so they can focus on work rather than swarming, I add frames of foundation to the hives. Making splits from the hives that want to swarm is also a good idea. I often add another bro ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper Bees are starting to rear more brood as the weather slowly gets warmer. Willows, gorse and blackthorn are starting to flower this time of year, providing bee colonies with fresh pollen and nectar. Bees don’t fly far away from their hives in the early spring (only around a 500m radius), so it’s a good idea to make sure your bees have a supply of fresh clean water near the hives. On a warm day, I’m checking on the bees by hefting the hive to get an idea of how much food is in there before I open the hive. Using a gentle puff of smoke, I am lifting the crow ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper There isn’t much to do in the apiary in Winter months, mainly preparing for the next season. However, here is my advice for what to do in the apiary at this time of year. Make sure entrance blocks and mouse guards are set in place correctly. This will prevent any rodents from getting into the hives and destroying or weakening our stock. As the winter weather is approaching us, I would advise strapping the hives down with our ratchet strap or weighing them down with heavy stones or concrete blocks. Make sure hive stands are in good condition. Winter is ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper At this time of the year, the bees should be feed and treated for varroa before the winter. We are getting first frosts and there isn’t much for the bees to forage on. By the beginning of this month, we should make sure the hives have enough food for wintering. I am wintering hives on double brood. The top brood box should be pretty much full of stores, if that’s not the case, I am feeding bees with liquid feed before the weather turns cold and the bees won’t take syrup from the feeders very well. If you are wintering on single brood boxes, make sure the ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper While the weather can be still mild and fairly sunny in September, it is starting to feel like autumn. We should make sure our bees have plenty of food for the winter and are treated for varroa. After taking the honey off in August, I’m feeding the bees small portions of sugar syrup to make sure the queen is laying lots of eggs. This will help build a strong colony by springtime, ensuring health and a good harvest next year. I’m doing final checks of the colonies in September, whilst the weather is still warm. When I open the hive, I am looking for all s ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper For most of us, the honey flow ends at this time of year and we should start preparing our bees for winter. In Devon, most of the honey stopped coming in by the end of July, so we are busy taking honey off at the National Bee Supplies Apiary. Hemp-agrimony supplying bees in late summer pollen and nectar August is the time to take your summer honey off. We use clearing boards to clear the bees out of the honey supers. I add the clearing boards in the morning and go back to the hive after at least 24 hours to brush the few remaining bees off the combs and ..read more

Exclusive Advice with Beekeeper Kasper The summer honey flow in Devon started by the end of last month. We have had a few days of warm and sunny weather which has allowed the bees to bring in a fair amount of nectar to the hives. We did have a week or so of rain which was much needed as the ground was getting pretty dry. Bees are collecting nectar from clover and bramble mainly, but we also have lots of rosebay willowherb and other plants in our Devon hedgerows out in flower in July. At the NBS apiary, I am still inspecting colonies for swarm control. Swarming season is coming to an end but ..read more