Bee Blog

Propolis or bee glue is a resinous mixture made by bee-released and plant-derived compounds. Propolis is produced by honey bees by mixing saliva, beeswax, pollen with exudate gathered from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is produced and used by bees in their hives to fill small gaps (approx. 6 mm or less).

Beehives can be located just about anywhere. They can be kept in a wide range of situations and will survive and flourish. You can keep them in the country or city, garden corner, by your backdoor, or even on your rooftop.

With consumers becoming more informed and demanding in their food choices, we look at what is involved to gain organic honey certification for beekeepers.

Smoke has been used to calm bees since prehistoric times. It is not exactly clear when this practice started, but bee-smoking has long been used to help collect honey in the wild. Early uses of smoke being used in beekeeping would probably have been similar to the death-defying antics of Nepalese honey-hunters, which was documented by a photographer on National Geographic recently. Needless to say, it makes modern day beekeeping look very tame! Before we look at the best fuels, it’s important to better understand why smoke is used in beekeeping in the first place. Understanding the “alarm” pheromone It...

So you have decided to start beekeeping as a hobby and don’t know where to start? As a first port of call we recommend joining your local beekeeping club which often run starter courses for beginners. Another option is to ask around to see if you can get a mentor. Most beekeepers got their start this way and you will find many are happy to “pay it forward” for a small fee (or maybe even free). Once you are ready to setup your own hive there are 4 main ways to get your first bees: Purchase a Nucleus Hive (or...