Beekeeping - Short and Sweet

In this week's Podcast: The sun has been shining and we’ve experienced much warmer weather than we would normally expect at this time of the year. Our bees are out scouring their range in search of food and still bringing back plenty of pollen. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 324 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equipment: Hand Held Creamer...

In this week's Podcast: It should have come as no real surprise, it is October after all. But this week I experienced my first frosty morning at home which means out in the apiaries it was probably a little colder. Later the same day our bees were out flying in warm Autumn sunshine, in other news, it’s also time to consider Oxalic Acid treatments, if you’re using them. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks...

In this week's Podcast: Ongoing Autumn checks are continuing to reveal, for the most part, some very healthy colonies that are well provisioned for the cold weeks that lay ahead, hefting confirms some weighty Langstroth brood boxes. It’s why I like them. I did however discover one colony that had failed and today I want to talk through how you too can spot the signs and prevent disease from s...

In this week's Podcast: It’s been rather cooler this past week, especially overnight. Not that I’ve seen any frost you understand but it feels like we’ve begun the long journey through to next Spring. Elsewhere, it’s been getting very hot in the honey room, too hot in fact, listen in to hear why! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 321 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Cont...

In this week's Podcast: I recently used some Formic Pro to treat a colony showing severe signs of Varroa damage, so much so I think they may have been close to collapse. Well the results are in, stay tuned to hear if I managed to save them or if, sadly, I’m cleaning out another bee hive. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 320 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Formic Pro We...

In this week's Podcast:  Well, the colonies have finally come back from their trip to the heather moors and it’s been a surprising trip, in many ways, stay tuned for my thoughts on exactly what happened. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 319 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways: Early...

In this week's Podcast: I’ve been very lucky to be sent a National Uncapper by the team at Bee cooperative.org It’s a newly designed uncapper, and today I’m joined by the co-inventors Martin and Peter for a chat on how the idea started and how it works. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 318 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The National Uncapper in all it's forms can...

In this week's Podcast: Now that we’ve brought the colonies back from the clover fields to their overwintering apiaries, it’s given me a chance to carry out a few checks and I discovered one colony was suffering from a heavy deformed Wing virus infection, this usually means Varroa issues, and that leaves me with a dilemma! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 317 of my podcast, Beeke...

In this week's Podcast:  It’s been a good week, the nucs are growing very nicely and there are more drawn frames than foundation now, it’s looking really positive. Elsewhere, I’ve been preparing the honey room for the long awaited Summer honey extraction, and I thought you might like to hear about the equipment we have ready for this year’s task. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode...

In this week's Podcast: The bees finally made it to the heather moors, without a fuss or any drama, a nice feeling for a change! We now have most of the Summer honey safely back to the honey room and this year we have the added excitement of the square sections and frame upon frame of cut comb honey to process. Stay tuned to hear my thoughts on the Moors, our sections finally make it into a d...

In this week's Podcast: Our Coaching Plus Group meets once a month to chat and ask/answer questions about all things beekeeping. First however, I give my captive audience a run down of where we've been for the previous month. this time it's birage honey, section racks and heather moors. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 314 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. For...

In this week's Podcast: A funny thing happened in the apiaries last week and it got me thinking about what might be going on. We were removing the Drone brood frame as a varroa control mechanism and some of the frames were simply filled with honey, while others were packed with brood, and lots of varroa. Somethings going on but what? Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 313 of my pod...

In this week's Podcast:  I recently visited the site I intend to use for our heather honey adventure. It’s pretty bleak high up on the moors and first thing in the morning with the mists rolling through you would wonder how the bees are ever going to get out of the hive! Things changed quite dramatically, as I’ll explain. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 312 of my podcast, Beekee...

In this week's Podcast: Summer has finally arrived, if only for a few days and it all feels a little too late for any kind of honey crop bragging rights, it’s been disappointing. That said, we’re doing very nicely with our cut comb, and even the section rack looks like it may produce a few saleable squares of honey. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 311 of my podcast, Beekeeping S...

In this week's Podcast: Another week and more rain! I did however, manage to dodge the showers, and checked out swarm colony that we have been coaxing out of a super and into a brood box, and there’s some good news! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 310 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk Mi...

In this week's Podcast: The plans for the week changed considerably because of the rubbish weather, it’s been cold and wet and yet we found ourselves picking up a swarm from a stack of supers. A swarm in July as the saying goes, yet I often find it’s well worth some effort, listen in to hear why. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 309 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. For...

In this week's Podcast: We’ve had a mini heatwave, timed to perfection on the day we planned to move our bees to the borage, so we delayed, as we always have our bees welfare upper most in our minds. We did eventually get them shifted and it appears it was perfectly timed. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 308 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. For all your beekeeping supp...

In this week's Podcast: I’ve been speaking to a number of other beekeepers over the last couple of weeks, and all agree it’s been one of the most difficult starts to a beekeeping season in many years. Some beekeepers are still feeding their bees as we pass the Summer Solstice. For me, I’ve just started to take off the Spring honey crop, what honey there is, but I’m grateful we’ve survived wit...

In this week's Podcast: It still doesn’t feel like we’ve really got started with our beekeeping season yet in the next couple of weeks Borage will start flowering and the Summer nectar flow will be in full flow. Time for more preparations and I also turn my attention towards Cut Comb Honey production. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 306 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet....

In this week's Podcast: Introducing new queens into queenless colonies can sometimes be a tricky job especially for the inexperienced beekeeper. We’ve tried several different methods and now focus on making colonies hopelessly queenless before releasing the new queen, listen in to hear more of this almost foolproof method! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 305 of my podcast, Beeke...

In this week's Podcast: I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, it’s raining again. The bees don’t like it, I certainly don’t like it and I’m desperate to settle in to a regular inspection routine. We’re splitting colonies in preparation for new queen introductions and thinking about the Summer nectar flow that’s heading our way. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 304 of my po...

In this week's Podcast: It’s raining again, the Spring crop is ready for the taking and I’m turning my attention to preparing colonies for splitting in readiness for the Summer borage trip. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 303 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk Contact Me at The Norfolk Ho...

In this week's Podcast: At this time of the year there's just no let up. It's a huge growth period for our colonies, we're still trying to calm the urge for colonies to swarm and I've been carrying out more shook swarms to remove old, dirty combs and with luck any hidden varroa population. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 302 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short an...

In this week's Podcast: Another crazy week of beekeeping, More swarms, Stings through my bee suit veil and some thoughts on why I have finally settled on the Langstroth hive as my preferred box for our bees. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 301 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below. Healthy Bees, He...

In this week's Podcast: Who would have thought it, Episode 300 and what a week we've had. Intense Spring Sunshine, temperatures up to 20 Degrees Celsius and once again, really heavy rainfall. The perfect combination for swarming and boy have we suffered! Listen in to hear just what's been happening. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 300 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short an...