Diary of an Incompetent Beekeeper
CONFUSING ENTHUSIASM WITH RESULTS
When you earnestly believe you can compensate for a lack of skill by doubling your efforts, there's no end to what you can't do.
11 August 2022
Examinations & Assessments
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/M4A2kUG
via gqrds
Practical Assessments
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/cmipIu1
via gqrds
Syllabi for Written Exams
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/8Llm3cM
via gqrds
Reading Lists for Written Exams
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/2wJsOkr
via gqrds
05 August 2022
Karl Showler
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/1JpBYWQ
via gqrds
Geoffrey Hopkinson BEM NDB
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/OLCRuJv
via gqrds
Edward Hill
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/yV0iOcX
via gqrds
Sue Scott (Scottie)
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/eyF9Vj0
via gqrds
John Annett
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/yn6Q1tc
via gqrds
Bill & Mary Dartnall
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/Z7QNPJW
via gqrds
01 August 2022
August In the Apiary
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/KXUifl6
via gqrds
29 July 2022
John Hendrie
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/HQnvyNi
via gqrds
Clare McGettigan
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/gbLCFW5
via gqrds
Jane Medwell
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/UdyWItN
via gqrds
Jenny Morgan
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/5CWGgFe
via gqrds
Howard Pool
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/2u9bpNE
via gqrds
Jo Widdicombe
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/LiEgG8f
via gqrds
28 July 2022
IMYB - 2019
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/T9shaPi
via gqrds
19 July 2022
Bees Needs Week
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/yiUNmgA
via gqrds
30 June 2022
Becoming a Beekeeper
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/uzig0Ah
via gqrds
09 June 2022
Find a local Swarm Collector
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/76upSHJ
via gqrds
07 June 2022
June In the Apiary
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/GX18k5q
via gqrds
01 June 2022
BBKA QR Codes
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/n8NjlAV
via gqrds
31 May 2022
Bees feature at Queen's Ju-bee-lee Family Fun Days in Warwickshire
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/SBXGpNv
via gqrds
25 May 2022
Award for 50 years of beekeeping
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/TBInGWA
via gqrds
20 May 2022
What UK Beekeepers are doing to Support World Bee Day
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/K0GnMah
via gqrds
10 May 2022
08 May 2022
Movie news...
The Bee Keeper
The fast-paced action-thriller is steeped in the mythology of beekeeping and follows a man's personal journey of vengeance which takes on very high stakes.
The film is based on a script by Kurt Wimmer, who is set produce along with Jason and Miramax chief Bill Block. The studio is aiming to start production later this year.
Block previously said: "'The Bee Keeper' explores universal themes with an unconventional story that will have fans sitting on the edge of their seats. We’re excited to bring another iconic and irresistible film to audiences around the globe."
29 April 2022
Information For Schools Considering Keeping Honey Bees
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/DHBC4wF
via gqrds
Planning Documents
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/IbfeScV
via gqrds
26 April 2022
21 April 2022
Make a Donation
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/MVPN61u
via gqrds
20 April 2022
Junior Certificate
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/P0FD43W
via gqrds
13 April 2022
Ashbrow School
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/ojTsnUK
via gqrds
Heron Hill School
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/VsOIY9d
via gqrds
01 April 2022
Spring Convention Trade Show
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/6h9YbTR
via gqrds
16 March 2022
BBKA News Editor Vacancy
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/KyX17Es
via gqrds
09 March 2022
02 March 2022
Government permits use of bee poison
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/ulEL2DN
via gqrds
23 February 2022
Workshops and Seminars
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/V9GCBln
via gqrds
Spring Convention Lecturers
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/5lvD1pO
via gqrds
12 January 2022
January In the Apiary
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3Fj9Apd
via gqrds
04 January 2022
Beekeepers arrested in protest as Chile megadrought hits honey production
22 December 2021
Visiting our Education Centre
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3qjFb4U
via gqrds
20 December 2021
What we can offer
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3e7dLJV
via gqrds
Additional Resources
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3eby0Gm
via gqrds
02 December 2021
Sticky mess
Last year my colonies were chewing through up to 500 g of fondant every week. In total, each colony polished off around 12 kg.
This year, rather than replenish the hives every two weeks, I loaded one single fondant block of 12.5 kg (that's the pack size, no science here!) on the crown boards.
Today I discovered that the principle is good, but the practice is bad. Last year's I used old food tubs, which hold the fondant in place nicely. This year I started with a nicely squared-off block in a plastic bag. But the bag doesn't do the same job as a tub, and the whole thing has subsided into a giant sticky mess on the top of each hive.
Luckily, the bees seem not to mind.
01 December 2021
Algarve beekeeping in “state of calamity” due to wildfires and lack of support
Excerpt:
The Alentejo and Algarve account for around 20% of Portugal’s beehives and produce over 1.1 tons of honey, much of which is exported. However, wildfires, climate change and droughts have taken a toll on production levels, explains Melgarbe expert Paulo Ventura.
“In the Algarve, 6,000 hectares housing around 3,500 beehives will be sterile for at least two years,” Ventura said, adding that between 700 and 800 beehives were lost in the Eastern Algarve’s fires last summer and that others are dying due to the harsh conditions.
19 November 2021
Bees & Refugees
I like this story:
A charity founder and Syrian refugee has said beekeeping helps refugees to “break connection with any trauma”.
Ali Alzein started Bees & Refugees to save the native British black bee from extinction as well as foster “a sense of belonging in the UK’s refugee communities” by providing therapeutic workshops and a Build-Your-Own-Beehive project.
https://uk.style.yahoo.com/beekeeping-breaks-connection-trauma-refugees-070047981.html
17 November 2021
News from Brian: promises to swap jars of honey with Jordanian beekeeper
His Royal Highness Prince Charles pledged to send a jar of his honey to a fellow beekeeper after he saw first hand Jordan’s efforts to support refugees.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/charles-promises-swap-jars-honey-153338381.html
08 November 2021
BBKA Spring Convention 2022
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3EWpbLG
via gqrds
27 October 2021
Bees at the Institute of Directors
Jonathan Geldart, the Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:
“Bees are one of the most important animals on the planet, but their numbers are plummeting rapidly. I am delighted that we are able to play a small part in protecting bees and the vital role they play in the natural ecosystem.
“Quite apart from the environmental, educational and wellbeing benefits the bees will bring, I am also excited by the prospect of IoD members being able to enjoy honey made by our own little captains of industry.”
https://businessnewswales.com/bee1-sends-20000-welsh-bees-to-londons-pall-mall/
09 October 2021
East Lothian Courier: Congregations swarm to fund beekeeping
Excerpt
Abbey Church in North Berwick and Dirleton Kirk are supporting Bees Abroad, a UK-based charity that provides opportunities for people in low-income communities around the world to learn practical beekeeping skills to generate income and improve lives.
Members of the two congregations contributed more than £2,000 to support the Rwenzori Rural Talent project, which is expected to last for three to four years.
06 October 2021
Defra launches Healthy Bees Plan 2030
See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a-boost-for-bees-as-defra-works-with-beekeepers-to-implement-the-healthy-bees-plan-2030
02 October 2021
Migratory beekeeping - is this Good or Bad?
Kashmir beekeepers head southward for warmth, honey and cash...
Fascinating to compare the life of these beekeepers with those in the US.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/kashmir-beekeepers-head-southward-warmth-034140812.html
29 September 2021
Becoming a Beekeeper
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3kPtVvl
via gqrds
27 September 2021
Honeyed sounds
400-year-old score based on bees inspires part of artist’s first major UK show
Australian artist Angelica Mesiti adapted a 17th-century composition based on the sound of bees in the hive for her exhibition in Edinburgh.
The choral piece was written by Elizabethan polymath Charles Butler, a pioneer in English beekeeping.
https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2021/09/27/400-year-old-score-based-on-bees-inspires-part-of-artists-first-major-uk-show/
18 September 2021
Angelina Jolie Will Return to Cambodia in 2022 to Establish Next Women for Bees Program
For what it is worth, I hugely admire Ms Jolie. Story from https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/angelina-jolie-return-cambodia-2022-200423388.html
15 September 2021
10 September 2021
Trending beekeepers
Beyoncé, David Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Scarlett Johansson, Flea (eh? who he?), Jennifer Garner (eh? who she?), Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Obama, Bruce Springsteen, Sylvia Plath (where's her apiary?), Gordon Sumner (Sting), Henry Fonda (presumably same apiary as Sylvia Plath), Jon Bon Jovi, Ed Sheeran, Sir Edmund Hillary (a little higher up than Sylvia Plath).... I could go on, and often do,
08 September 2021
Fermanagh beekeepers say '2021 is a revelation for beekeepers'
https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/19560902.fermanagh-beekeepers-say-2021-revelation-beekeepers/
02 September 2021
Are Disabilities Barriers to Beekeeping?
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3jFrKdy
via gqrds
13 July 2021
Bees Needs Week
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3xEvKPZ
via gqrds
23 June 2021
22 June 2021
Thousands of bees dead and hive missing during suspected theft at Musselburgh beekeeper's apiary
Look at the size of those queen cells! By chance, I will be in Musselburgh in a few weeks' time; I might drop by the apiary.
![]() |
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/thousands-of-bees-dead-and-hive-missing-during-suspected-theft-at-musselburgh-beekeepers-apiary-3279916 |
20 June 2021
Sissinghurst granddad's fury at nextdoor neighbours 'who use bees as weapons'
Beyond the screeching headline, it all ends happily ever after. Was the upset grandad asked look grumpy specifically for the camera?
The desire to attract reader attention is pushing journalists, subs, editors and publishers towards hyperbole.
https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/sissinghurst-granddads-fury-nextdoor-neighbours-5481091
19 June 2021
18 June 2021
Swarm of bees inspires mother and daughter to create new gin
I quote: "Marie and Sally Anne Cooney are taking on the spirits world with Silks Gin – named after the silks worn by jockeys at Bellewstown racecourse."
So, bugger all to do with bees.
![]() |
https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/daily/2021/06/17/news/swarm-of-bees-inspires-mother-and-daughter-to-create-new-gin-2358683/ |
11 June 2021
Professor Ian Gibson PhD
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/2RLSttJ
via gqrds
10 June 2021
Untangling the Sticky Drama Between TikTok Beekeepers
Nice headline, but boring story. I share because I care. Not.
https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/1277524/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-tiktoks-beekeeper-drama
09 June 2021
New Scientist News: A single honeybee has cloned itself hundreds of millions of times.
Actually, this is a very old story about the Cape honeybee, Apis mellifera capensis.
Cape honeybees can reproduce asexually, and (were they to come to the UK) could be a major pest.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2280153-a-single-honeybee-has-cloned-itself-hundreds-of-millions-of-times/
![]() |
Photo Cathy Withers-Clarke/Alamy |
08 June 2021
30 May 2021
Bumble packs a punch!
26 May 2021
Glasgow Royal Jelly Infirmary
After a year of using large amounts of plastic protective equipment, healthcare workers decided to repay nature by setting up the colony.
Consultant rheumatologist Dr Hilary Wilson, said: “It’s a way for us to help pay back for all the plastic PPE and other vital equipment used to keep us safe in the pandemic."
Don't tell Dr Wilson about poly hives, then...
![]() |
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/glasgow-bee-hive/ |
25 May 2021
Bees and microbeads
National Geographic: Honeybees are accumulating airborne microplastics on their bodies.https://www.
24 May 2021
Angelina Jolie Gets Crawled All Over By A Bunch Of Bees For A Good Cause
https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/a36500319/angelina-jolie-bees/
21 May 2021
19 May 2021
BBKA Leaflets 2020
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3tUMAr2
via gqrds
Important Organisations for Beekeepers
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3f03aS3
via gqrds
15 May 2021
Shake, shake, shake yer body
Neat piece about how bee swarms hang together,"What a bundle of buzzing bees can teach engineers about robotic materials." https://theconversation.com/what-a-bundle-of-buzzing-bees-can-teach-engineers-about-robotic-materials-125194
Schools of fish and murmurations of starlings exhibit the same basic mechanisms, using sight-proximity.
https://theconversation.com/what-a-bundle-of-buzzing-bees-can-teach-engineers-about-robotic-materials-125194
14 May 2021
Novelty use of a Queen excluder
![]() |
Here's an old photo of the colony before muggins went crazy... |
09 May 2021
The sting is in the tale
30 April 2021
Full to overflowing
Three colonies full to bursting; threw on two supers each as a temporary swarm-control measure (which won't work, but I lives in 'opes).
29 April 2021
28 April 2021
Save the Bees
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3ntvTkU
via gqrds
Apiary and Education
from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/3sUhvmQ
via gqrds
26 April 2021
How much does a jar of Hilltop Honey cost?
Came across this, from Hilltop Honey https://lovehilltop.com/
Honey + chilli sounds quite revolting. I'll try some. Works out at £3.99/lb or £8.80/kg
20 April 2021
Water, water, everywhere
Bee books frequently refer to the two uses of water by bees: cool the hive, and dilute stored honey.
That seems odd to me.
To convert sucrose (C12H22011) to glucose (C6H12O6) and fructose (C6H12O6) means that for every sucrose molecule the bee must find one H2O molecule.
Put another way: C12H22011 + H2O [sucrase] = 2(C6H12O6)
So far I have not found reference to this requirement for metabolic water in the books. Maybe nectar - a very dilute sugar solution - provides all the water the bees need for the sucrase conversion, while water brought into the hive is indeed for cooling and honey dilution.