Beekeeping - Short and Sweet

In this week's Podcast:   Another week and another heatwave, what better way to spend the hot Summer days than setting up nucs for the Autumn, collecting supers laden with Borage honey and having a test drive in a brand new truck! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 224 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsore...

In this week's Podcast:   I'm finally in the honey room and the process of extracting our honey is under way. One new addition to the line up is Bulk Barrels, listen in to hear why. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 223 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Mak...

In this week's Podcast:   I always said there would be bumps in the road as we build our beekeeping business this year, I wasn't quite prepared for the massive pothole that is our failed borage pollination this Summer. Listen in to hear why it's happened and what we're doing to manage it. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 222 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Swee...

In this week's Podcast:  There's been a noticeable increase in the number of wasps appearing around our hives this week, as the Summer nectar flow begins to dry up it's time to give our colonies a little help against these pests. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 221 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now...

In this week's Podcast:  I've been trying to work out our colony numbers again, the weather is getting hotter and hotter and the bees are packing away the honey. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 220 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an af...

In this week's Podcast: What to do with all the honey left in buckets and extractors? Well, why not have a bash at making mead, I've done just that and took the opportunity to add some very fragrant Elderflowers into the mix. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 219 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsore...

In this week's Podcast: The Summer nectar flow has begun, it’s now a mad rush to get honey into supers but if all you have is new frames with foundation it will limit the amount your bees can store. Stay tuned to hear why. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 218 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in par...

In this week's Podcast:  Sometimes we get lucky with swarm collections, low-hanging fruit as it were, listening to hear about our latest catch and my first attempts at collecting pollen using traps fitted to our Technoset hives. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 217 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored...

In this week's Podcast: It's been incredibly hot with daytime temperatures hitting in excess of 30° Celsius, we had a very late night moving bees and some interesting "ad hoc" methods of releasing caged queens, listen in for more tales of the unexpected! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 216 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted...

In this week's Podcast:  Summer is approaching fast and I'm preparing colonies for the main nectar flow of the year, listen to find out how things are going. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 215 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an afford...

In this week's Podcast:  The June Gap hits but not everywhere and not in every colony, listen in to find out more of that and an update on how we're going as Spring turns into Summer. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 214 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'M...

In this week's Podcast: Expansion necessarily requires more of everything, more hives, more bees, and more queens. This week I began the process of introducing new queens into the split colonies and also continued with the honey extraction. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 213 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is no...

In this week's Podcast: What a week, it's our first honey extraction of the season and we've spent the week adding clearer boards, removing supers and heading back to base to start extracting. Join me as the honey flows. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 212 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsore...

In this week's Podcast: It appears that Parasitic Mite Syndrome has taken hold of one of my colonies. To help the colony recover I've opted for a shook swarm comb replacement. Stay tuned to hear how to carry out this straightforward technique. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 211 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podca...

In this week's Podcast:  The warmer weather has arrived and with it swarms, and plenty of them. Stay tuned to hear how we've faired over the last week. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 210 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable h...

In this week's Podcast:   Chilly days bring congested colonies, and congested colonies can lead to more swarming. Fingers crossed we're almost out of the colder weather, but until then stay tuned for more beekeeping updates. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 209 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored...

In this week's Podcast: Well it had to happen sooner or later. Reports of colonies swarming are being reported and we too have discovered our first cluster of bees ripe for collection. Stay tuned for my weekly round-up of our beekeeping journey. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 208 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast...

In this week's Podcast: My main priority this year is scaling up my beekeeping operation, this week we took the first step by introducing an additional 50 colonies, stay tuned to hear how I got on. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 207 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper...

In this week's Podcast:  It's been frosty of late but with warmer temperatures forecast for the next couple of weeks I'm excited to get cracking with our new season, listen in to hear what I've been up to and what I have planned. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 206 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast i...

In this week's Podcast: A late March cold snap and the bees are again clustered tightly against sub-zero overnight temperatures. Building colony strength and confinement in the hive is likely to trigger panic among some beekeepers and the dreaded swarming season. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 205 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say...

In this week's Podcast: We've found ourselves basking in temperatures more like Summer than Spring, First inspections have been carried out and there's no real surprise in the results. Stay tuned to hear what I found. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 204 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored i...

In this week's Podcast: Warm, warm sunshine but there's still a chill in the air, mind-March and things are starting to stir, but what about those drones, where are they, what are they and what jobs do they perform. Listen to me today as I drone on! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 203 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our...

In this week's Podcast: The month of March always brings a sense of Anticipation, warmer days, shorter nights and bees out flying. But wait, there are still a few more weeks to go until we're out of the cold and can start to get back into the bee hives. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 202 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that...

In this week's Podcast: I was recently asked a question as to why and how anyone would want to use a nuc box. Listen in to find out all about these very useful beekeeping boxes Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 201 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekee...

In this week's Podcast:  How can you profit from your beekeeping season? Not specifically in a financial way but just making your season successful, this was just the topic of a talk I gave this week and I thought I would share some tips from that talk on this auspicious occasion of my 200th podcast. Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 200 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet....