Navigation
Links
About Our Bees
It's impossible for us to know what breed our bees are. We purchased them as a 5 frame nuc, from a local beekeeper. They have an extremely good nature and almost gentle demeanor.
They are prolific collectors of pollen & nectar, indeed they managed to produce 10lbs of honey per nuc, from the end of May, to the 1st week of September 2010!
Hive Inspections
We perform regular weekly hive inspections. There are a few reasons that we inspect the bees at this interval, the main reasons is to prevent swarming, and to check that the colony is healthy & growing or expanding. A number of points to look for are as follows:
- A healthy queen
- Nectar or honey, For bee food
- Pollen - For raising brood
- Brood of all ages - This means eggs, larvae and sealed cells of pre-hatching juvenile bees
Checking Brood Frames
An essential part of our hive inspection, checking the brood frames for eggs, larvae and grubs.
Note the rugby ball shaped pattern on the frame. The photo above shows how the bees arranged cells in which the queen bee will lay eggs in the center spreading outwards, which are enclosed by a ring of pollen, where it is close to where it will be used, which is then enclosed at the top by stores of honey.