Beekeeping - Short and Sweet

I n this week's Podcast: With the nights cooling and Autumn upon us, I’m getting short on time to make sure all my newest nucleus colonies are prepared for the Winter ahead. One such colony, with a new queen has only a cup full of bees. Listen into hear how I hope to help them through to next Spring. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 412 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Ple...

I n this week's Podcast: It’s time to consider feeding colonies for the Autumn and Winter ahead. I do have quite a number of boxes of fondant still and I would use these but I find myself mixing up sugar syrup. Listen in to find out why and my thoughts on the type of syrup I’m using and why. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 411 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please suppo...

I n this week's Podcast: The weather has calmed down somewhat, we’ve even had some rain! I’ve been adding treatments to nucs and found some very small queen right colonies, if you can call them that, and I need to decide what to do with them before the Autumn sets in. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 410 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate...

I n this week's Podcast: It’s been another scorching week and our honeybees seem to be taking everything in their stride. Positives this week are, lots of mated queens from our own raised queen cells and I’ve also been in the honey room, it’s sweltering once more! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 409 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate lin...

I n this week's Podcast: It’s been a busy week with checks on our recently emerged virgin queens, have they mated and have they started to lay eggs. Listen in to hear the latest beekeeping news from around my apiaries. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 408 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us co...

I n this week's Podcast: Bad Beekeeping Advice. I’m sure we’ve all been offered advice as we’ve progressed through our beekeeping journeys, but how do you know what advice to take and what to leave? If you take my advice, you’ll listen to today’s podcast to find out more or maybe you won’t!! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 407 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please suppo...

I n this week's Podcast: It’s almost the time of year when you might hear a lot of talk about supers, particularly wet or dry supers, today I’ll explain what they are and how you can store them ready for reuse next time. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 406 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us...

I n this week's Podcast: Time drifts on by, and the end of the Summer nectar flow draws ever closer for me. Time for a quick apiary summary and then off to the honey room to look at this year’s extraction set up. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 405 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue...

I n this week's Podcast: Brood Breaks, The end of the nectar flow, and the first sighting of wasps in the apiaries. All mean one thing, for me, here in Norfolk, it looks likely the Summer honey production phase of the season is over. Maybe it’s time to turn my attention to extraction. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 404 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us t...

I n this week's Podcast: July is a great time to make up any splits that you want for overwintered nucleus colonies. For me, I’m taking a slightly different approach this year. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 403 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content. Old Castle...

I n this week's Podcast:  It won’t have gone unnoticed that this week has been quite warm! The UK’s Hottest June day ever, set not so far away from me, and, on that day, I had to carry out several inspections. It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of hot water over me while I was wearing my bee suit! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 402 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet....

I n this week's Podcast: Happy Father’s Day, and, I have a question for you, and it’s one not just for the Dad’s out there. Have any of your colonies become hopelessly queen less this season, more than in previous years? We’ve had quite a number of nucs that have now become hopelessly queen less. Luckily, I’m queen rearing! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 401 of my podcast, Beekeep...

I n this week's Podcast: Episode four hundred, who would have thought it. And we celebrate by being chased away from the apiaries by some very heavy rain showers. It’s all going to change though as we head into some warmer weather and with it the start of the Summer nectar flow. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 400 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us through...

I n this week's Podcast: We're well on our way towards the Summer solstice, now that we're in the month of June and colonies in all apiaries are building well. Nucleus colonies have surprised me over at the fishing lakes, but I've also found a number of colonies that are on a brood break, could this be as a result of the June Gap? Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 399...

I n this week's Podcast:  Lots of beekeeping happening this week, the weather has cooled, just a little, and I’ve been asked some questions about my preferred method of queen rearing and asked my views on Summertime moving of bees. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 398 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing a...

I n this week's Podcast: It’s all change, the colder weather of just a week ago has suddenly shifted into a weekend heatwave and that could put beekeepers at risk. Time to be sensible and avoid opening up our bee hives during those very hot periods in the day. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 397 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links b...

I n this week's Podcast: The cooler weather has definitely caused our colonies to slow down the wax production, that’s had a knock on effect in getting foundation drawn as comb, and the downturn in temperature has also meant grumpy bees! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 396 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you not...

I n this week's Podcast: Wouldn’t you just know it, on the one day I really needed to carry out some inspections, it’s rained. It was cold, and it just kept raining all morning, the result, next day, yep, swarming! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 395 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us contin...

I n this week's Podcast: The weather has been typically Spring like, warmer days, but with chilly nights. The double brood method has worked well in managing Spring growth and the Spring Honey Crop is growing nicely. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 394 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us cont...

I n this week's Podcast: It’s been yet another swarmy week with another two collected from my own apiaries. We have a nectar flow at the farm, and I’m using that to draw out more frames of foundation. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 393 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce...

I n this week's Podcast: Swarm number two safely collected, and it was a big one! If you’re collecting swarms, always go with a bigger box than you think you’ll need, stay tuned to hear why! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 392 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our conten...

I n this week's Podcast: We’re off and running and in April, that means very changeable weather, intermittent showers, and some chilly inspections days. I had this just yesterday and although the bees behaved themselves, they certainly let you know you’re not welcome.  Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 391 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliat...

I n this week's Podcast: My plans for a gentle stroll into Spring were thrown off track this week when I received a call telling one of my colonies had swarmed. It was just the 2nd of April, too late for an April Fool’s joke, and so my season begins! Listen in for the full story and my surprise at feeling my first, new season sting! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 390 of my podcast...

I n this week's Podcast: Well the week of warmer weather has suddenly turned cold and with it, a halt to my early inspections. We’re always busy though and with that in mind, I’ve been back to the workshop catching up on Spring preparations. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 389 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you...

I n this week's Podcast: First inspections, such an exciting moment in the season. An opportunity to have a quick look, at how our colonies have coped with the long winter months. This is just what I did during the week and it was a mixed bag as ever! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 388 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Please support us throught affiliate links below, the...