Annual walk My former neighbour and long term friend, was staying in Swanage, so our annual meet up for a walk, swim and chat was due. We have one of those friendships that just carries on in between the sometimes lengthy breaks. Wendy is sporty and has had a long career in teaching sports and […]
Drone Congregation areas
It was when listening to Jacqueline Freeman’s book on my way to visiting Clare Denesley at Buckfast Abbey that I first heard about Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs), and I was absolutely fascinated. DCAs at Ancient Sites The thought that drones left their hives each day and gathered together with other neighbouring drones, simply hanging out […]
She shall have bees wherever she goes…
The past week Mr C and I were fully immersed in the local Contemporary Performing Arts festival, otherwise known as ‘Glastonbury festival’. Having grown up in this area, I still think of it as ‘Pilton pop festival’, yet only became a fan and actually attended two years ago. Thankfully, we were lucky to get tickets […]
Lime Trees and Bees
I only really got to recognise and truly see Lime Trees two years ago. One of my bee clients has an ancient Lime tree with wild bees living in it. There aren’t any living there at the moment, having died out earlier this Spring, but I’m hoping when the weather warms up a new swarm […]
Bee Garden Party
The Bees for Development Garden Party is a key event in the calendar for everyone who is anyone in the ‘bee world’. Numerous bee friendly celebrities attend at this major fundraising event for the worthy charity which helps establish beekeeping and pollinating businesses across the globe. Bees for development assist in farming and small business […]
Swarms in the Grass
The past few weeks has been extraordinary with bees swarming. I am noticing that bees tend to swarm around lunch time, in heavy hot weather, preceding a storm. It didn’t appear to be any of my current colonies swarming, but new bees arriving and unusually settling not on a branch of a tree. These bees […]
When dreams come true…
Vivid dream Twenty eight years ago I awoke from a very vivid dream where I was sat in a small plane next to my mother. I was looking out of the window down on a tropical island. Young ‘hippies’ were sitting on rocks dangling their feet into the crystal blue waters as coconut palms shaded […]
Trees for Bees
Since working with bees, I seem to be noticing more and more nature around me. Each year a new herb, wildflower and tree seems to leap out at me. Last year it was Lime Trees and valerian. This year it’s sycamore and laurel. Sycamore blossom Noticing some incredible blossom on a grand ancient tree a […]
Swarms
The past few days, many beekeepers have been on call for the first of the season’s swarms. We are often filled with wonder and a dash fear when thinking about a swarm of bees. Many of us have seen those images of people covered in bees or wearing a bee beard that’s not something I’ve […]
Lilac Honey
We grow used to associating certain plants with months or days of the year, our powder blue flag irises flower on my eldest son’s birthday, mid May. Memories A favourite rose bush flowered at the end of May, sealed in my memory bank as my parents helped me unload a van with my paintings at midnight […]