Two Weeks Later
One queen thriving, one nuc lost to wasps, and one hive still refusing to say whether it has a queen at all. A bit of everything in this one.
queen
Where Did She Go?
If you have been following along, you will know that we have had a season. You can read the full version in How Do I Fix This but the short version is this: a hive that went queenless, a plan that went sideways, and two beekeepers standing at the apiary feeling considerably less confident than … Read more
How Do I Fix This
Before I start, a quick note. There are approximately twenty different ways to do everything in beekeeping and every beekeeper you meet will swear theirs is correct. They’re probably all right. This is just our way, our season, our very humbling few weeks. Your mileage may vary. The bees’ mileage definitely will. Right. Now that’s … Read more
She’s Called Clover (Officially She’s 2026-01-002, But We’re Not Calling Her That)
We joined a queen rearing group, grafted a larva, got one queen from twenty attempts, and let Bee Girl do the fun bit. Meet Clover. She is marked white, she is in a nuc, and she has no idea what is waiting for her.
She Crossed Up
A Buzzword Post There are moments in beekeeping where the bees do exactly what you hoped they would do, exactly when you needed them to do it, and you have to resist the urge to ring someone about it at an inappropriate hour. This was one of those weeks. But we’ll get to that. The … Read more
A Quick One Before the Storm
A Buzzword Post There is a specific kind of beekeeping day where the sky looks at you, then looks at your hive, and makes a decision on your behalf. Today was that day. The BBC had been threatening thundery showers since Wednesday. By Saturday lunchtime the air had gone heavy and the bees were flying … Read more
Queen Rearing for Complete Beginners (Like Us): What We Learned from Jack Silberrad
Right. So. Queen rearing. If you’d asked me six months ago what I thought about raising my own queens, I would have laughed nervously and changed the subject. We’re still trying to keep our single colony alive through winter, and here we are taking notes at a lecture about breeding bees. Classic overachievers, us. But … Read more
Our Queen Did WHAT?! (The One Where Everything Nearly Goes Wrong Before We Even Start)
Get the kettle on. You’re going to need tea for this one. Our queen absconded mid-summer, leaving us with a queenless colony and a lot of panic. This is the story of how the bees saved themselves, why mentors matter, and what happens when nature takes over.