Beekeeping - Short and Sweet Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:47:59 -0400 https://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/podcast en-gb © 2026 Stewart Spinks - The Norfolk Honey Company Ltd yes Support this Podcast 68201ecd-a537-5dc8-9626-ffdc9333f465 info@norfolk-honey.co.uk Stewart Spinks episodic false A Beekeeping Podcast for the Inquisitive Beekeeper with a Short Attention Span! BeeFarmer, YouTuber (The Norfolk Honey Company, Patreon Host (www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney), Beekeeping mentor to 1000's of beekeepers worldwide via my social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Keeping bees, Stewart Spinks info@norfolk-honey.co.uk https://storage.buzzsprout.com/o4fbfv3y3kialglslvmmdaa5edf5?.jpg Beekeeping - Short and Sweet https://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/podcast Episode 400: Honey Production Colonies Episode 400: Honey Production Colonies In this week's Podcast: Episode four hundred, who would have thought it. And we celebrate by being chased away from the apiaries by some very heavy rain showers. It’s all going to change though as we head into some warmer weather and with it the start of the Summer nectar flow.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 400 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Episode four hundred, who would have thought it. And we celebrate by being chased away from the apiaries by some very heavy rain showers. It’s all going to change though as we head into some warmer weather and with it the start of the Summer nectar flow.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 400 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19342603 Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1156 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honey Production, Cloake Board, Queen Rearing, 1 400 full false Episode 399: Mind The Gap! Episode 399: Mind The Gap! In this week's Podcast: We're well on our way towards the Summer solstice, now that we're in the month of June and colonies in all apiaries are building well. Nucleus colonies have surprised me over at the fishing lakes, but I've also found a number of colonies that are on a brood break, could this be as a result of the June Gap?

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 399 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We're well on our way towards the Summer solstice, now that we're in the month of June and colonies in all apiaries are building well. Nucleus colonies have surprised me over at the fishing lakes, but I've also found a number of colonies that are on a brood break, could this be as a result of the June Gap?

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 399 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19299807 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1077 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, June Gap, Spring Honey, 1 399 full false Episode 398: Queen Rearing Questions Episode 398: Queen Rearing Questions In this week's Podcast: Lots of beekeeping happening this week, the weather has cooled, just a little, and I’ve been asked some questions about my preferred method of queen rearing and asked my views on Summertime moving of bees.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 398 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Lots of beekeeping happening this week, the weather has cooled, just a little, and I’ve been asked some questions about my preferred method of queen rearing and asked my views on Summertime moving of bees.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 398 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19259771 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1080 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Queen Rearing, Moving Hives in Summer, 1 398 full false Episode 397: Heatwave Beekeeping! Episode 397: Heatwave Beekeeping! In this week's Podcast: It’s all change, the colder weather of just a week ago has suddenly shifted into a weekend heatwave and that could put beekeepers at risk. Time to be sensible and avoid opening up our bee hives during those very hot periods in the day.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 397 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s all change, the colder weather of just a week ago has suddenly shifted into a weekend heatwave and that could put beekeepers at risk. Time to be sensible and avoid opening up our bee hives during those very hot periods in the day.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 397 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19228762 Sun, 21 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1214 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heatwave Beekeeping, 1 397 full false Episode 396: Slowly Drawn Comb Episode 396: Slowly Drawn Comb In this week's Podcast: The cooler weather has definitely caused our colonies to slow down the wax production, that’s had a knock on effect in getting foundation drawn as comb, and the downturn in temperature has also meant grumpy bees!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 396 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The cooler weather has definitely caused our colonies to slow down the wax production, that’s had a knock on effect in getting foundation drawn as comb, and the downturn in temperature has also meant grumpy bees!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 396 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19189506 Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1117 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Comb, Supers, Honey Harvest, 1 396 full false Episode 395: Rain Delays Inspections Episode 395: Rain Delays Inspections In this week's Podcast: Wouldn’t you just know it, on the one day I really needed to carry out some inspections, it’s rained. It was cold, and it just kept raining all morning, the result, next day, yep, swarming!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 395 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Wouldn’t you just know it, on the one day I really needed to carry out some inspections, it’s rained. It was cold, and it just kept raining all morning, the result, next day, yep, swarming!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 395 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19151662 Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1251 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Swarming, Honey Crop, Extracting, 1 395 full false Episode 394: Spring Honey Crop Episode 394: Spring Honey Crop In this week's Podcast: The weather has been typically Spring like, warmer days, but with chilly nights. The double brood method has worked well in managing Spring growth and the Spring Honey Crop is growing nicely.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 394 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The weather has been typically Spring like, warmer days, but with chilly nights. The double brood method has worked well in managing Spring growth and the Spring Honey Crop is growing nicely.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 394 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19115096 Sun, 31 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 988 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Spring Honey Crop, 1 394 full false Episode 393 More Swarms and Nectar Flows Episode 393 More Swarms and Nectar Flows In this week's Podcast: It’s been yet another swarmy week with another two collected from my own apiaries. We have a nectar flow at the farm, and I’m using that to draw out more frames of foundation.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 393 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s been yet another swarmy week with another two collected from my own apiaries. We have a nectar flow at the farm, and I’m using that to draw out more frames of foundation.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 393 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19076971 Sun, 24 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1099 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarms, Swarming Honeybees,Nectar Flow, 1 393 full false Episode 392: Colony Spring Growth Episode 392: Colony Spring Growth In this week's Podcast: Swarm number two safely collected, and it was a big one! If you’re collecting swarms, always go with a bigger box than you think you’ll need, stay tuned to hear why!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 392 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Swarm number two safely collected, and it was a big one! If you’re collecting swarms, always go with a bigger box than you think you’ll need, stay tuned to hear why!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 392 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19038285 Sun, 17 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1087 Beekeep[ing, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarms, Swarming, Nectar Flow, 1 392 full false Episode 391: April Showers & Cold Inspections Episode 391: April Showers & Cold Inspections In this week's Podcast: We’re off and running and in April, that means very changeable weather, intermittent showers, and some chilly inspections days. I had this just yesterday and although the bees behaved themselves, they certainly let you know you’re not welcome. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 391 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We’re off and running and in April, that means very changeable weather, intermittent showers, and some chilly inspections days. I had this just yesterday and although the bees behaved themselves, they certainly let you know you’re not welcome. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 391 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-19000914 Sun, 10 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1151 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeper, 1 391 full false Episode 390: Spring Stings and Swarms Episode 390: Spring Stings and Swarms In this week's Podcast: My plans for a gentle stroll into Spring were thrown off track this week when I received a call telling one of my colonies had swarmed. It was just the 2nd of April, too late for an April Fool’s joke, and so my season begins! Listen in for the full story and my surprise at feeling my first, new season sting!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 390 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: My plans for a gentle stroll into Spring were thrown off track this week when I received a call telling one of my colonies had swarmed. It was just the 2nd of April, too late for an April Fool’s joke, and so my season begins! Listen in for the full story and my surprise at feeling my first, new season sting!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 390 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18963802 Sun, 03 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1160 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Swarms in Spring, Honeybee stings, 1 390 full false Episode 389: A Cold March Week Episode 389: A Cold March Week In this week's Podcast: Well the week of warmer weather has suddenly turned cold and with it, a halt to my early inspections. We’re always busy though and with that in mind, I’ve been back to the workshop catching up on Spring preparations.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 389 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Well the week of warmer weather has suddenly turned cold and with it, a halt to my early inspections. We’re always busy though and with that in mind, I’ve been back to the workshop catching up on Spring preparations.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 389 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.


Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-18923956 Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1111 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Paaradise Honey, Nuc Box, 2 in 1 Nuc, 1 389 full false Episode 388: The Excitement of First Inspections Episode 388: The Excitement of First Inspections In this week's Podcast: First inspections, such an exciting moment in the season. An opportunity to have a quick look, at how our colonies have coped with the long winter months. This is just what I did during the week and it was a mixed bag as ever!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 388 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: First inspections, such an exciting moment in the season. An opportunity to have a quick look, at how our colonies have coped with the long winter months. This is just what I did during the week and it was a mixed bag as ever!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 388 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18886065 Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1193 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, First Inspections of a Bee Hive, 1 388 full false Episode 387: First Spring Inspections Episode 387: First Spring Inspections In this week's Podcast: Early inspections are just around the corner and with it, an opportunity to see how our colonies have fared over the Winter months. If you do take a look, do you know what you’re looking for? Listen in to hear what I think you should be checking out.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 387 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Early inspections are just around the corner and with it, an opportunity to see how our colonies have fared over the Winter months. If you do take a look, do you know what you’re looking for? Listen in to hear what I think you should be checking out.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 387 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Nucleus Colonies For Sale

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18842368 Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1076 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nuclues Colonies for sale, Langstroth Nucs for sale, 1 387 full false Episode 386: Shook Swarm & Bailey Comb Change Episode 386: Shook Swarm & Bailey Comb Change In this week's Podcast: As we head into Spring beekeepers will, no doubt,  be contemplating various techniques to use on their hives to maximise the seasons honey crop. Techniques such as the Shook Swarm and Bailey Comb Change are useful ways of replacing comb and reducing pests and disease loading in your hive.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 385 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: As we head into Spring beekeepers will, no doubt,  be contemplating various techniques to use on their hives to maximise the seasons honey crop. Techniques such as the Shook Swarm and Bailey Comb Change are useful ways of replacing comb and reducing pests and disease loading in your hive.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 385 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18808722 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1122 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Shook Swarm, Bailey Comb Change, 1 386 full false Episode 385: The Demaree or Split Board Method Episode 385: The Demaree or Split Board Method In this week's Podcast: The Demaree method, honestly, I’ve always failed with it, on the other hand, my version using a split board is so much more effective and reliable. An important consideration for me when our seasons can be so short.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 385 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026


Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The Demaree method, honestly, I’ve always failed with it, on the other hand, my version using a split board is so much more effective and reliable. An important consideration for me when our seasons can be so short.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 385 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026


Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18767777 Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0100 1148 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Demaree, Split Board, Swarm Prevention, Swarm Control, 1 385 full false Episode 384: The Artificial Swarm Episode 384: The Artificial Swarm In this week's Podcast: It won’t be long before the early March Sunshine arrives and many beekeepers will start to stress a little, or maybe a lot, over their colonies swarming. The Artificial Swarm is an excellent method of managing this busy time of the season and, actually, it’s a really simple process that sometimes confuses. Hopefully today, I can take the mystery out of the technique for you.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 384 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026


Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It won’t be long before the early March Sunshine arrives and many beekeepers will start to stress a little, or maybe a lot, over their colonies swarming. The Artificial Swarm is an excellent method of managing this busy time of the season and, actually, it’s a really simple process that sometimes confuses. Hopefully today, I can take the mystery out of the technique for you.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 384 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026


Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18725031 Sun, 22 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1114 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Artificial Swarm, The Artificial Swarm, Swams, Honeybee Swarms, 1 384 full false Episode 383: Beehive Spring Clean Episode 383: Beehive Spring Clean In this week's Podcast: I talked about Nosema last week, and it got me thinking about the things I do to give my honeybees the very best opportunity at the start of the new season to produce a lovely crop of honey in the Summer. Let’s kick off with a more detailed look at the Spring Clean.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 383 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026


Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I talked about Nosema last week, and it got me thinking about the things I do to give my honeybees the very best opportunity at the start of the new season to produce a lovely crop of honey in the Summer. Let’s kick off with a more detailed look at the Spring Clean.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 383 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026


Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18680209 Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1089 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beehive Spring Clean, Bee hive, 1 383 full false Episode 382: Nosema 2026 Episode 382: Nosema 2026 In this week's Podcast: Nosema apis and Nosema Ceranae. Two, spore forming, parasitic Microsporidia!  They sound like something of a horror show for our bees and the effects of a heavy infection can be quite damaging. Listen in as I explain what it is, how you can identify it, and ultimately deal with it, so your bees can have a healthy and productive Summer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 382 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

References: Glavinic U, Blagojevic J, Ristanic M, Stevanovic J, Lakic N, Mirilovic M, Stanimirovic Z. Use of Thymol in Nosema ceranae Control and Health Improvement of Infected Honey Bees. Insects. 2022 Jun 24;13(7):574. doi: 10.3390/insects13070574. PMID: 35886750; PMCID: PMC9319372.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Nosema apis and Nosema Ceranae. Two, spore forming, parasitic Microsporidia!  They sound like something of a horror show for our bees and the effects of a heavy infection can be quite damaging. Listen in as I explain what it is, how you can identify it, and ultimately deal with it, so your bees can have a healthy and productive Summer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 382 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

References: Glavinic U, Blagojevic J, Ristanic M, Stevanovic J, Lakic N, Mirilovic M, Stanimirovic Z. Use of Thymol in Nosema ceranae Control and Health Improvement of Infected Honey Bees. Insects. 2022 Jun 24;13(7):574. doi: 10.3390/insects13070574. PMID: 35886750; PMCID: PMC9319372.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-18635056 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1070 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, StewartSpinks, Nosema, Test for Nosema, Apis, Ceranae, Nosema apis, Nosema Ceranae, 1 382 full false Episode 381: The Honey Room Episode 381: The Honey Room In this week's Podcast: The past week has been all about the move home. I’m glad to say the office is getting there, but the honey room, well, that’s another story!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 381 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The past week has been all about the move home. I’m glad to say the office is getting there, but the honey room, well, that’s another story!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 381 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18600837 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1081 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honey Room, 1 381 full false Episode 380: A Successful Beekeeping Season Episode 380: A Successful Beekeeping Season In this week's Podcast: We have a few weeks yet until the start of the new beekeeping season. How can I make sure this year is as successful for my bees and me as it can possible be? Stay tuned to hear my thoughts and plans.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 380 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We have a few weeks yet until the start of the new beekeeping season. How can I make sure this year is as successful for my bees and me as it can possible be? Stay tuned to hear my thoughts and plans.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 380 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18565020 Sun, 22 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1028 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Swarming, Nucleus Colony, Borage, Blackberry, Honey, Queen Rearing, 1 380 full false Episode 379: Buying a Honeybee Nucleus Colony Episode 379: Buying a Honeybee Nucleus Colony In this week's Podcast: We’ve had some sunny weather for a change, I’ve been able to get out to an Apiary full of nucleus colonies. So this week, as promised, my take on what to look out for if you’re thinking of buying a nucleus colony for the start of the new season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 379 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We’ve had some sunny weather for a change, I’ve been able to get out to an Apiary full of nucleus colonies. So this week, as promised, my take on what to look out for if you’re thinking of buying a nucleus colony for the start of the new season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 379 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18519160 Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1074 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Buying Honeybees, Buying a Nuc, Buying a Nucleus Colony, 1 379 full false Episode 378: Snow Covered Apiaries Episode 378: Snow Covered Apiaries In this week's Podcast: With the recent appearance of snow in our apiaries there’s a belated Christmassy feel to the scene, not that it lasted very long at all for me here in Norfolk. We’ve been feeding warm fondant to some of our nucleus colonies and that’s triggered a social media response, listen in and I’ll explain exactly what I’ve been up to.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 378 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With the recent appearance of snow in our apiaries there’s a belated Christmassy feel to the scene, not that it lasted very long at all for me here in Norfolk. We’ve been feeding warm fondant to some of our nucleus colonies and that’s triggered a social media response, listen in and I’ll explain exactly what I’ve been up to.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 378 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18480361 Sun, 08 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1177 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Snow, Feeding Bees fondant, 1 377 full false Episode 377: My Beekeeping Plans 2026 Episode 377: My Beekeeping Plans 2026 In this week's Podcast: A very Happy New Year to you all. It's a chilly start to 2026 so I've stayed in the office and figured now would be a good time to spill the beans on my beekeeping plans for the coming year. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 377 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: A very Happy New Year to you all. It's a chilly start to 2026 so I've stayed in the office and figured now would be a good time to spill the beans on my beekeeping plans for the coming year. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 377 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Beekeeping Courses at Thorne Beehvies in Wragby Lincolnshire 2026

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18443144 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1154 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Heefting, Feeding Fondant, Swarming, Extracting Honey, 1 377 full false Episode 376 My Beekeeping Review 2025 Episode 376 My Beekeeping Review 2025 In this week's Podcast: With just a few days left before Christmas I thought it an opportune moment to reflect back on the beekeeping year that was 2025. The highs, the lows and the ups and the downs! All feeding in to my plans for 2026.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 376 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by DOrothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With just a few days left before Christmas I thought it an opportune moment to reflect back on the beekeeping year that was 2025. The highs, the lows and the ups and the downs! All feeding in to my plans for 2026.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 376 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by DOrothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18390549 Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1120 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honeybees, Borage, Queen Rearing, Wasps, 1 376 full false Episode 375: Don't Stop Hefting Episode 375: Don't Stop Hefting In this week's Podcast: We’re well into December now, fast approaching the Winter Solstice, that shortest day of the year. Then we’re on the slow road back to Spring and all the fun that the warmer weather brings us, but what’s going on in our hives right now, here’s what I think……

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 375 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by DOrothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We’re well into December now, fast approaching the Winter Solstice, that shortest day of the year. Then we’re on the slow road back to Spring and all the fun that the warmer weather brings us, but what’s going on in our hives right now, here’s what I think……

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 375 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by DOrothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18347081 Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1031 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Hefting, Winter Bees, Storing Supers in Winter, 1 375 full false Episode 374: Pollen Microscopy for Beekeepers Episode 374: Pollen Microscopy for Beekeepers In this week's Podcast: Happy December everyone, and with activity slowing down around the apiaries it’s an ideal time to dust down the microscopes and see what’s floating around in some of our honey samples.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 374 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by DOrothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Happy December everyone, and with activity slowing down around the apiaries it’s an ideal time to dust down the microscopes and see what’s floating around in some of our honey samples.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 374 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by DOrothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18304220 Sun, 04 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000 1062 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Pollen Identification, Microscopy, 1 374 full false Episode 373: Boiling Frames or Not? Episode 373: Boiling Frames or Not? In this week's Podcast: I’ve spent a bit of time at the workshop sorting through old super frames and trying to decide what’s the best way forward in terms of cleaning or not. Do we spend time and money boiling them, or is it better all round to consign them to the bonfire and start over?

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 373 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I’ve spent a bit of time at the workshop sorting through old super frames and trying to decide what’s the best way forward in terms of cleaning or not. Do we spend time and money boiling them, or is it better all round to consign them to the bonfire and start over?

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 373 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18269540 Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1058 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Boiling Frames, Beekeeping Talks, 1 373 full false Episode 372: Rescuing a Colony? Episode 372: Rescuing a Colony? In this week's Podcast: The colder weather is upon us and it now feels like it should in November! I’ve been out and about around our apiaries and decided to rescue a small colony rather than let them die. I’m not sure if this is sensible or just a waste of time and effort. Listen in for the full sorry saga.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 372 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The colder weather is upon us and it now feels like it should in November! I’ve been out and about around our apiaries and decided to rescue a small colony rather than let them die. I’m not sure if this is sensible or just a waste of time and effort. Listen in for the full sorry saga.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 372 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18234674 Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1099 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Oxlaic Acid Treatment for Honeybees, 1 372 full false Episode 371: Storm Claudia Episode 371: Storm Claudia In this week's Podcast: Storm Claudia hits and it feels like the rain will never stop. I’ve been having a go at building a hive and still haven’t been able to sort out my colony that’s been attacked by wasps. Here’s this week’s beekeeping updates.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 371 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 



Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Storm Claudia hits and it feels like the rain will never stop. I’ve been having a go at building a hive and still haven’t been able to sort out my colony that’s been attacked by wasps. Here’s this week’s beekeeping updates.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 371 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18194675 Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000 991 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Stewart Spinks, Honeybee Worker Lifespan, 1 371 full false Episode 370: Honeybee Pests and Diseases - Part 3 Episode 370: Honeybee Pests and Diseases - Part 3 In this week's Podcast: Having discussed the more serious pests and diseases that can affect our colonies, it’s time to finish off our Varroa chat and conclude with some of the less problematic issues that we sometimes encounter.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 370 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Having discussed the more serious pests and diseases that can affect our colonies, it’s time to finish off our Varroa chat and conclude with some of the less problematic issues that we sometimes encounter.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 370 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-18153864 Sun, 07 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1099 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybee Pests and Diseases, Varroa, Chalkbrood, Sac Brood, Nosema, 1 370 full false Episode 369: Pests and Diseases - Part 3 Episode 369: Pests and Diseases - Part 3 In this week's Podcast: With Autumn slipping away and Winter on the horizon my thoughts continue to be filled with helping our colonies survive to next Spring. Feeding is complete, Autumn treatments removed, but the challenge of the Varroa mite goes on. With that in mind, here’s part two of pests and diseases. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 369 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With Autumn slipping away and Winter on the horizon my thoughts continue to be filled with helping our colonies survive to next Spring. Feeding is complete, Autumn treatments removed, but the challenge of the Varroa mite goes on. With that in mind, here’s part two of pests and diseases. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 369 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18111424 Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 976 Beekeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Varroa Mites, Honeybee Pests and Diseases, 1 369 full false Episode 368: Pests and Diseases - Part 1 Episode 368: Pests and Diseases - Part 1 In this week's Podcast: After sharing my recent experiences with Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus I’ve had a number of requests to discuss, more widely, honeybee diseases. What to look out for and how they impact our honeybees. So, let’s kick off with possibly the nastiest ones of them all, the foul brood diseases!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 368 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: After sharing my recent experiences with Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus I’ve had a number of requests to discuss, more widely, honeybee diseases. What to look out for and how they impact our honeybees. So, let’s kick off with possibly the nastiest ones of them all, the foul brood diseases!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 368 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18072167 Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1136 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Pests and Diseases, Honeybee Pests, Honeybee Diseases, Foul Brood, AFB, EFB, 1 368 full false Episode 367: Destruction of a Honeybee Colony Episode 367: Destruction of a Honeybee Colony In this week's Podcast: It’s a bit of a somber mood in the office today as it’s been a rather sad end to the week. I’ve carried out the colony destruction on the hive with a heavy infection of CBPV and in today’s podcast I’ll explain the process and what happens next.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 367 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s a bit of a somber mood in the office today as it’s been a rather sad end to the week. I’ve carried out the colony destruction on the hive with a heavy infection of CBPV and in today’s podcast I’ll explain the process and what happens next.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 367 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support our main sponsor and advertiser:

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive 

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-18031441 Sun, 16 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1032 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Colony Destruction, CBPV, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, Honeybee Diseases, 1 367 full false Episode 366: Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus Episode 366: Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus In this week's Podcast: After a year of seeing colonies relatively disease and pest free, our final checks of the season have revealed one colony with visible signs of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus or CBPV as we abbreviate it. It’s not great but could become a lot worse, listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 366 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: After a year of seeing colonies relatively disease and pest free, our final checks of the season have revealed one colony with visible signs of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus or CBPV as we abbreviate it. It’s not great but could become a lot worse, listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 366 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17988984 Sun, 09 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1172 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, CBPV, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, 1 366 full false Episode 365: Treatment Removal and More Microscopy Episode 365: Treatment Removal and More Microscopy In this week's Podcast: It’s been a busy week removing treatments from all of our hives now that we’ve reached the end of that particular phase of the season and I was delighted to see so many really strong colonies and nucs. It appears it was just in time as we feel the full force of Storm Amy.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 365 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s been a busy week removing treatments from all of our hives now that we’ve reached the end of that particular phase of the season and I was delighted to see so many really strong colonies and nucs. It appears it was just in time as we feel the full force of Storm Amy.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 365 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17954733 Sun, 02 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000 1199 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Removing Treatments, Storm Amy, Winter Bees, Microscopy for Beekeepers, Pollen Slides for Beekeepers, pollen on honeybees, 1 365 full false Episode 364: Apiary Slowdown and Microscopes Episode 364: Apiary Slowdown and Microscopes In this week's Podcast: As we fast approach the end of September, feeding for some hives continues but others are weighty enough. With everything slowing down in the apiaries, my thoughts have turned to some honeybee microscopy and today I’ll kick off the season with the microscopes I use. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 364 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: As we fast approach the end of September, feeding for some hives continues but others are weighty enough. With everything slowing down in the apiaries, my thoughts have turned to some honeybee microscopy and today I’ll kick off the season with the microscopes I use. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 364 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Brunel Microscopes - Beekeeper's Equipment here

The Beekeeper's Dictonary on Amazon

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

The National Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17914391 Sun, 26 Oct 2025 07:00:00 +0000 1232 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Microscopes, Honeybee Anatomy, Pollen slides, Pollen collected by honeybees, 1 364 full false Episode 363: Under Supering for Winter Episode 363: Under Supering for Winter In this week's Podcast: With treatments almost ready to come out of our hives, it’s time for me to start under supering, this technique, although not absolutely necessary and sometimes called Nadiring, is a simple and effective way to help your bees through Winter.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 363 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With treatments almost ready to come out of our hives, it’s time for me to start under supering, this technique, although not absolutely necessary and sometimes called Nadiring, is a simple and effective way to help your bees through Winter.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 363 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17875693 Sun, 19 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1102 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Under Super, Nadir, Nadiring, 1 363 full false Episode 362: Asian Hornet Discussion Episode 362: Asian Hornet Discussion In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by beekeeper Chris Farrell who is currently battling the Asian Hornet alongside other beekeepers in Kent here in the UK.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 362 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by beekeeper Chris Farrell who is currently battling the Asian Hornet alongside other beekeepers in Kent here in the UK.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 362 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Asian Hornet book by Sarah Bunker

The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17837053 Sun, 12 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0100 2428 Beekeeping, Beekeepeing Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Asian Hornet, Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet, Yellow Legged Hornet, 1 362 full false Episode 361: Beekeeping Season Finale Episode 361: Beekeeping Season Finale In this week's Podcast: I was watching a TV Series recently and the last episode was called “The Season Finale”, well, rest assured, this isn’t my last podcast but it certainly feels like the season has drawn to a close as we bring our bees back from the Borage and discover a near starving colony.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 361 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I was watching a TV Series recently and the last episode was called “The Season Finale”, well, rest assured, this isn’t my last podcast but it certainly feels like the season has drawn to a close as we bring our bees back from the Borage and discover a near starving colony.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 361 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I have discussed in previous podcasts.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17798551 Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1061 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, emergency honeybee feeding, moving bees, 1 361 full false Episode 360: Autumn Feeding Episode 360: Autumn Feeding In this week's Podcast: As we carry out final inspections of the year, my thoughts turn to autumn feeding, the recent emergency feeding and how I’ve dealt with the needs of our colonies through the late Summer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 360 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I was discussing in last week's podcast.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: As we carry out final inspections of the year, my thoughts turn to autumn feeding, the recent emergency feeding and how I’ve dealt with the needs of our colonies through the late Summer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 360 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

The Nation Bee Unit can be found HERE

Here are some links to the type of equipment I was discussing in last week's podcast.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17755841 Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1171 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Autumn feeding, Feeding Honeybees, Emergency Feeding of Honeybees, 1 360 full false episode 359: H.I.H.M.S. Part 3 episode 359: H.I.H.M.S. Part 3 In this week's Podcast: This week, It’s the turn of my workshop to be scrutinised using my Honeybee Integrated Health Management System and my thoughts on why it might not be a good idea to remove dead colonies from your apiary too soon.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 359 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.


Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Here are some links to the type of equipment I was discussing in this week's podcast.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company


VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: This week, It’s the turn of my workshop to be scrutinised using my Honeybee Integrated Health Management System and my thoughts on why it might not be a good idea to remove dead colonies from your apiary too soon.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 359 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.


Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Here are some links to the type of equipment I was discussing in this week's podcast.

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company


VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase. This doesn't cost you any more but helps fund my podcast hosting site. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17720075 Sun, 21 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1184 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honeybee, Keeping Honeybees, Getting started in Beekeeping, 1 359 full false 358: Starving Bees & H.I.H.M.S. Part 2 358: Starving Bees & H.I.H.M.S. Part 2 In this week's Podcast: Are your bees starving? Reports across the UK of colonies under attack from wasps and running out of food have been frequent recently. I hope to explain how to get some food into them simply and without fuss. Also, part two of my Honeybee Integrate Health Management System.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 358 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Are your bees starving? Reports across the UK of colonies under attack from wasps and running out of food have been frequent recently. I hope to explain how to get some food into them simply and without fuss. Also, part two of my Honeybee Integrate Health Management System.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 358 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17679146 Sun, 14 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1224 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Starvation, Wasps, Integrated Pest Management, 1 358 full false Episode 357: Integrated Pest Management Systems Episode 357: Integrated Pest Management Systems In this week's Podcast: So it’s Varroa Treatment time once more, that is for many beekeepers around the UK. And it falls within the umbrella of what a lot of beekeepers would term an Integrated Pest Management System. These days, with my focus on bee health I like to call it a Honeybee Integrated Health Management System, listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 357 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: So it’s Varroa Treatment time once more, that is for many beekeepers around the UK. And it falls within the umbrella of what a lot of beekeepers would term an Integrated Pest Management System. These days, with my focus on bee health I like to call it a Honeybee Integrated Health Management System, listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 357 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17643852 Sun, 07 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1180 full false Episode 356: Other Varroa Treatments Episode 356: Other Varroa Treatments In this week's Podcast: With so many Varroa mite treatments out there it can be quite confusing, and not just for the beginner beekeeper. Today I’ll review a few of the other treatments available and hint about the importance of an Integrated Pest Management system for beekeepers that I would rename!


Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 356 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With so many Varroa mite treatments out there it can be quite confusing, and not just for the beginner beekeeper. Today I’ll review a few of the other treatments available and hint about the importance of an Integrated Pest Management system for beekeepers that I would rename!


Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 356 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17598813 Sun, 31 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1187 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Varroa Treatments, Apivar, Aptraz, Apiguard, Thymovar, Apilife Var, 1 356 full false Episode 355: Autumn Treatments for Varroa Episode 355: Autumn Treatments for Varroa In this week's Podcast: The borage has been swathed, somewhat earlier this year than previously, so it’s time to bring home the honey crop and my mind turns to Autumn treatments for Varroa, but which one to choose from, there are so many. Listen in to hear my pick and why.


Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 355 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The borage has been swathed, somewhat earlier this year than previously, so it’s time to bring home the honey crop and my mind turns to Autumn treatments for Varroa, but which one to choose from, there are so many. Listen in to hear my pick and why.


Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 355 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17569180 Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1242 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Varroa Treatments, Wasps, Borage Honey, 1 355 full false Episode 354: Wasps and Borage Episode 354: Wasps and Borage In this week's Podcast: Flying in to the UK after my break it was noticeable just how dry the countryside looks, we need some rain. My immediate thoughts were, had wasps destroyed my colonies and was there any honey from our trip to the borage.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 354 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Flying in to the UK after my break it was noticeable just how dry the countryside looks, we need some rain. My immediate thoughts were, had wasps destroyed my colonies and was there any honey from our trip to the borage.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 354 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17529591 Sun, 17 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1067 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Wasps, Borage, Drought, 1 354 full false Episode 353: Bees to Borage 2025 Episode 353: Bees to Borage 2025 In this week's Podcast: The heatwaves continue and that magical date for taking our bees to the borage pollination has arrived. Listen in to hear how we got on, and how we were surprised by a sudden downpour!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 353 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The heatwaves continue and that magical date for taking our bees to the borage pollination has arrived. Listen in to hear how we got on, and how we were surprised by a sudden downpour!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 353 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17416603 Sun, 03 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0100 967 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Borage Pollination, Borage, Apivar, 1 352 full false Episode 352: Heatwave! Episode 352: Heatwave! In this week's Podcast: The UK is set for it’s first heatwave of the year and with it comes the Summer nectar flow with our borage crop looking likely to be a couple of weeks early. The important thing to remember is to take care in the sun and keep well hydrated.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 352 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The UK is set for it’s first heatwave of the year and with it comes the Summer nectar flow with our borage crop looking likely to be a couple of weeks early. The important thing to remember is to take care in the sun and keep well hydrated.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 352 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17373223 Sun, 27 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0100 973 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heatwave, Nectar Flow, Summer Honey, 1 352 full false Episode 351: Thunderstorms! Episode 351: Thunderstorms! In this week's Podcast: The brambles are in full flower and the nectar is flowing. I always get a little more excited at this time of the year as it’s probably my favourite tasting honey. Supers are on to grab a crop while it lasts but my attention is now turning to the main event and that’s Borage pollination for us.


Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 351 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The brambles are in full flower and the nectar is flowing. I always get a little more excited at this time of the year as it’s probably my favourite tasting honey. Supers are on to grab a crop while it lasts but my attention is now turning to the main event and that’s Borage pollination for us.


Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 351 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17339002 Sun, 20 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1307 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Borage, Ross Rounds, Section Rack, Cut Comb, 1 351 full false Episode 350: Beekeepers Need Patience! Episode 350: Beekeepers Need Patience! In this week's Podcast: Patience, all beekeepers need it, whether it’s waiting on a honey crop, producing queen cells or waiting for a new queen to start laying, Patience, Patience, Patience. Such a shame I seem to have little! Listen in to hear why!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 350 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Patience, all beekeepers need it, whether it’s waiting on a honey crop, producing queen cells or waiting for a new queen to start laying, Patience, Patience, Patience. Such a shame I seem to have little! Listen in to hear why!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 350 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17296317 Sun, 13 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1116 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Virgin Queens, Queen rearing, Swarms, 350 full false Episode 349: Queen Rearing 2025 Episode 349: Queen Rearing 2025 In this week's Podcast: Buying queens for replacement or increase can be a very expensive pastime, why not instead, consider raising a few home grown queens. It not that tricky and can be hugely rewarding. Listen in to hear how I’m approaching our queen rearing this year.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 349 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Buying queens for replacement or increase can be a very expensive pastime, why not instead, consider raising a few home grown queens. It not that tricky and can be hugely rewarding. Listen in to hear how I’m approaching our queen rearing this year.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 349 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17252779 Sun, 06 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1116 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Queen Rearing, Henry Alley, Miller method, Jenter system, Nicot Queen Rearing, Grafting queen cells, 1 349 full false Episode 348: A Busy Week in the Apiary Episode 348: A Busy Week in the Apiary In this week's Podcast: Are you letting your colonies starve as you take off the Spring honey crop? Now’s the time to check. Also, Drone laying queens and Egg laying workers feature in this week’s chat.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 348 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Are you letting your colonies starve as you take off the Spring honey crop? Now’s the time to check. Also, Drone laying queens and Egg laying workers feature in this week’s chat.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 348 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17213909 Sun, 29 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1099 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Drone Laying Queen, Egg Laying Workers, Starving Honeybee Colony, 1 348 full true Episode 347: Hive Five Multi Guard Episode 347: Hive Five Multi Guard In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Natalie Armstrong, Inventor and Designer of the awardwinning Hive-Five Multiguard Bee hive Entrance to discuss the entrance and how it is used.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 347 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check out the Hive Five Multiguard here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Natalie Armstrong, Inventor and Designer of the awardwinning Hive-Five Multiguard Bee hive Entrance to discuss the entrance and how it is used.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 347 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check out the Hive Five Multiguard here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17174394 Sun, 22 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1740 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Hive-Five, Hive Five Multiguard, Natalie Armstrong, 1 347 full false Episode 346: Swarm Cells Episode 346: Swarm Cells In this week's Podcast: I’ve seen plenty of queen cells over the last week, but there are some that look different to the others. I’m referring to swarm cells and emergency cells, both queen cells, both perfectly usable, but both different in their own way. listen in to hear my thoughts on these and other beekeeping fun.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 346 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I’ve seen plenty of queen cells over the last week, but there are some that look different to the others. I’m referring to swarm cells and emergency cells, both queen cells, both perfectly usable, but both different in their own way. listen in to hear my thoughts on these and other beekeeping fun.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 346 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17137730 Sun, 15 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1083 Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Stewart Spinks, Swarm Cells, Honeybee Swarms, Emergency Queen Cells, 1 346 full false Episode 345: A Week Of Swarm Management Episode 345: A Week Of Swarm Management In this week's Podcast: How often do you inspect your honeybee colonies, weekly, every ten days because you’ve clipped the queens? How about every six or even every five days? Well, this last week I’ve looked at some of my hives at five day intervals, listen in to hear why, and what I found.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 345 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: How often do you inspect your honeybee colonies, weekly, every ten days because you’ve clipped the queens? How about every six or even every five days? Well, this last week I’ve looked at some of my hives at five day intervals, listen in to hear why, and what I found.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 345 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17094699 Sun, 08 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1064 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarm Management, Inspection Routine, Five day Inspections, 1 345 full false Episode 344: First Signs of Swarming Episode 344: First Signs of Swarming In this week's Podcast: I’ve seen the first signs of this seasons swarming activity and we’ve even had a couple of colonies throw up queen cells. For me, it’s perfect timing and those swarm cells are always fantastic to use in splits and other swarm management techniques.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 344 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I’ve seen the first signs of this seasons swarming activity and we’ve even had a couple of colonies throw up queen cells. For me, it’s perfect timing and those swarm cells are always fantastic to use in splits and other swarm management techniques.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 344 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17041884 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1026 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarming, Spring Swarms, Nucleus colonies, Nuc Box, 1 344 full false Episode 343: Honeybees in Spring Episode 343: Honeybees in Spring In this week's Podcast: Happy Easter everyone, Spring has sprung and our colonies are developing nicely. Brood nest areas are growing and, if you overfed your colonies in late Winter, you may find they're lacking a little space. Maybe it's time to consider adding another box!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 343 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Happy Easter everyone, Spring has sprung and our colonies are developing nicely. Brood nest areas are growing and, if you overfed your colonies in late Winter, you may find they're lacking a little space. Maybe it's time to consider adding another box!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 343 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-17004787 Sun, 25 May 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1058 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Splitting Honeybee Colonies, Walk Away Split, Swarming, 1 343 full false Episode 342: BBKA Spring Convention 2025 Episode 342: BBKA Spring Convention 2025 In this week's Podcast: I’m back after my visit to the Harper Adams University in Shropshire for the annual British Beekeepers Association, Spring Convention, and what a great time it was. Details of my trip coming up and also, some thoughts about the development of our colonies right now.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 342 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

British Beekeepers Association

Northumberland Honey

Trap-X Hornet Trap

Thorne Beehives

Oz armour Bee Suits

Modern Beekeeping

National Bee Unit

Simon The Beekeeper

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: I’m back after my visit to the Harper Adams University in Shropshire for the annual British Beekeepers Association, Spring Convention, and what a great time it was. Details of my trip coming up and also, some thoughts about the development of our colonies right now.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 342 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

British Beekeepers Association

Northumberland Honey

Trap-X Hornet Trap

Thorne Beehives

Oz armour Bee Suits

Modern Beekeeping

National Bee Unit

Simon The Beekeeper

Hive Five Multi Guard Entrances

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16951632 Sun, 18 May 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1113 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, BBKA, British Beekeepers Association, Hive Five Multi Guard, Thorne Beehives. Modern Beekeeping, Simon the beekeeper, Oz Armour, Northumberland Honey, 1 342 full false Episode 341: On Your Marks, Get Set, GO! Episode 341: On Your Marks, Get Set, GO! In this week's Podcast:  It’s on your marks, get set, and Go! We’ve carried out our first brief, but important inspections along with some Spring cleaning and as usual, it’s a mixed bag. Listen in to find out how I got on.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 341 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  It’s on your marks, get set, and Go! We’ve carried out our first brief, but important inspections along with some Spring cleaning and as usual, it’s a mixed bag. Listen in to find out how I got on.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 341 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16882866 Sun, 04 May 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1139 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Spring Cleaning a Beehive, Swarming, 1 341 full false Episode 340: Hivekeepers Micro Honey Harvester Episode 340: Hivekeepers Micro Honey Harvester In this week's Podcast: Today I’m joined by Simon Mildren, Founder and CEO of Hivekeepers and his Micro Honey Harvester to find out more about this interesting piece of kit and how it might change the way you extract honey.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 340 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Find out more about Hivekeepers Micro Honey Harvester here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Today I’m joined by Simon Mildren, Founder and CEO of Hivekeepers and his Micro Honey Harvester to find out more about this interesting piece of kit and how it might change the way you extract honey.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 340 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Find out more about Hivekeepers Micro Honey Harvester here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16834477 Sun, 27 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0100 3125 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Hivekeepers, Micro Honey Harvester, Kickstarter, 1 340 full false Episode 339: The Queen Cell Finisher Colony Episode 339: The Queen Cell Finisher Colony In this week's Podcast: Well it’s turned cold and I’m looking almost hourly at the long-range forecast for a glimmer of warmer weather, it’s not far off and we have colonies in desperate need of some settled, warmer weather to be sure. I’m filling my time by considering our queen-rearing plans and the role of the Finisher Colony, listen in for my thoughts on that and other beekeeping challenges.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 339 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Well it’s turned cold and I’m looking almost hourly at the long-range forecast for a glimmer of warmer weather, it’s not far off and we have colonies in desperate need of some settled, warmer weather to be sure. I’m filling my time by considering our queen-rearing plans and the role of the Finisher Colony, listen in for my thoughts on that and other beekeeping challenges.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 339 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16791645 Sun, 20 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1081 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Queen Reearing, Cell Finisher Colony, Miller method, Alley Method, Jenter, Nicot, Grafting larvae, 1 339 full false Episode 338: Queen Cell Builder Process Episode 338: Queen Cell Builder Process In this week's Podcast: Another warm week and the bees are out flying, it’s a delight to see. I’m still not carrying out inspections, it’s way too early, I am however, thinking about queen rearing and the process of cell production using the Cloake Board method.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 338 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Another warm week and the bees are out flying, it’s a delight to see. I’m still not carrying out inspections, it’s way too early, I am however, thinking about queen rearing and the process of cell production using the Cloake Board method.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 338 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16758342 Sun, 13 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1052 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Cloake Board, Queen Rearing, Cell Builder Colony, Nicot Method, Cell Cups, 1 338 full false Episode 337: Early Inspections and The Cloake Board Episode 337: Early Inspections and The Cloake Board In this week's Podcast: It's warm and I’ve no doubt that bee hives are going to be inspected all over the UK in the coming days, I have a cautionary tale for you. Also, following on from last week, today I'm having a think about colonies used for queen cell development, particularly, the Cloake Board method, it's one I've used and had success with in the past.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 337 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's warm and I’ve no doubt that bee hives are going to be inspected all over the UK in the coming days, I have a cautionary tale for you. Also, following on from last week, today I'm having a think about colonies used for queen cell development, particularly, the Cloake Board method, it's one I've used and had success with in the past.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 337 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16717292 Sun, 06 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0100 1206 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Early Beehive Inspections, Cloake Board, Queen Rearing, 1 337 full false Episode 336: The Miller and Alley Methods of Queen Rearing Episode 336: The Miller and Alley Methods of Queen Rearing In this week's Podcast: We’re having a strangely warm week and our bees are taking advantage without any delay. It’s great to have an opportunity to watch them bringing early pollen and my thoughts are once again turning to the various methods of queen rearing we might employ this season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 336 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Henry Alley's Queen Rearing Book

Queen Excluder Frame Trap

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We’re having a strangely warm week and our bees are taking advantage without any delay. It’s great to have an opportunity to watch them bringing early pollen and my thoughts are once again turning to the various methods of queen rearing we might employ this season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 336 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Henry Alley's Queen Rearing Book

Queen Excluder Frame Trap

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16676476 Sun, 30 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0100 1087 Beekeeping, Bekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Queen Rearing, Miller Method, Alley Method, 1 336 full false Episode 335: Nicot Queen Rearing System Episode 335: Nicot Queen Rearing System In this week's Podcast: The weather’s warming up, if only for a week or so, and I’m thinking about the various queens rearing methods we might use this year. Today, it’s the turn of the Nicot queen-rearing system, and I’ll do my best to explain how it all fits together!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 335 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The weather’s warming up, if only for a week or so, and I’m thinking about the various queens rearing methods we might use this year. Today, it’s the turn of the Nicot queen-rearing system, and I’ll do my best to explain how it all fits together!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 335 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16630820 Sun, 23 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1205 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nicot, Queen Rearing, Nicot Queen Rearing Method, 1 335 full false Episode 334: Looking Forward To Spring Episode 334: Looking Forward To Spring In this week's Podcast: It's cold, damp and February! A beekeeper could easily get a little down at the thought of there being no end to this Winter in sight, but not me! I'm already thinking about those warmer Spring days and my thoughts are turning towards replacing winter losses and basic queen rearing.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 334 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Beginners Courses at Thorne Beehives

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's cold, damp and February! A beekeeper could easily get a little down at the thought of there being no end to this Winter in sight, but not me! I'm already thinking about those warmer Spring days and my thoughts are turning towards replacing winter losses and basic queen rearing.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 334 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Beginners Courses at Thorne Beehives

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16588499 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000 960 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Winter Losses, Queen Rearing, Nucs, Sswarm Cells, 1 334 full false Episode 333: February Deadouts Episode 333: February Deadouts In this week's Podcast: What do you do if you find your colony has died out over winter? Give up and start another hobby, or learn from the experience and become a better beekeeper? I’m all for the second option and hopefully, today’s podcast might help you understand why your colony has died out over the winter months.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 333 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.


Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: What do you do if you find your colony has died out over winter? Give up and start another hobby, or learn from the experience and become a better beekeeper? I’m all for the second option and hopefully, today’s podcast might help you understand why your colony has died out over the winter months.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 333 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.


Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16546825 Sun, 09 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1068 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Winter Losses, Deadout Colony, 1 333 full false Episode 332: Blue Monday Beekeeping Episode 332: Blue Monday Beekeeping In this week's Podcast: It seems that Monday of this past week has been dubbed “Blue Monday”, not a day for swearing profusely, but rather an apparent nod to people feeling depressed after a Christmas and New Year of excess. Not so for us beekeepers, always optimistic we look forward to the promise that Spring is not far away and the start of another busy beekeeping season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 332 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It seems that Monday of this past week has been dubbed “Blue Monday”, not a day for swearing profusely, but rather an apparent nod to people feeling depressed after a Christmas and New Year of excess. Not so for us beekeepers, always optimistic we look forward to the promise that Spring is not far away and the start of another busy beekeeping season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 332 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16503938 Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000 979 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Hefting, Isolation Starvation 1 332 full false Episode 331: Happy New Year 2025 Episode 331: Happy New Year 2025 In this week's Podcast: It's 2025, and the New Year begins with some funny old weather. I've been out completing Oxalic Acid Treatments, so stay tuned to hear how that went. With the new season somewhere on the distant horizon, I'm starting to finalise my plans for the new season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 331 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's 2025, and the New Year begins with some funny old weather. I've been out completing Oxalic Acid Treatments, so stay tuned to hear how that went. With the new season somewhere on the distant horizon, I'm starting to finalise my plans for the new season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 331 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16383522 Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000 1012 1 331 full false Episode 330: Honey Metagenomic DNA (MDA) Testing Episode 330: Honey Metagenomic DNA (MDA) Testing In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Lynne Ingram, Master Beekeeper and holder of the National Diploma in Beekeeping to discuss the results of a sample of my honey that underwent metagenomic DNA testing.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 330 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Take a look at the MDA Website here

To get the most from this podcast, take a look at my specific results report here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Lynne Ingram, Master Beekeeper and holder of the National Diploma in Beekeeping to discuss the results of a sample of my honey that underwent metagenomic DNA testing.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 330 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Take a look at the MDA Website here

To get the most from this podcast, take a look at my specific results report here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16277833 Sun, 02 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000 2376 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honey Metagenomic DNA test, Lynne Ingram, 1 330 full false Episode 329: Windy Winter Storms Episode 329: Windy Winter Storms In this week's Podcast: It's a windy old start to the Winter period with yet another storm blowing across the British Isles, battering coastlines and blowing over trees. Hopefully, we've all done enough to keep ourselves and our hives safe and secure.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 329 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Glass Quilts for Beehives

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: It's a windy old start to the Winter period with yet another storm blowing across the British Isles, battering coastlines and blowing over trees. Hopefully, we've all done enough to keep ourselves and our hives safe and secure.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 329 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Glass Quilts for Beehives

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16239970 Sun, 26 Jan 2025 08:00:00 +0000 924 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beehive quilts, Winter Losses, full false Episode 328: Paul Horton Interview Episode 328: Paul Horton Interview In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Bee Farmer, Paul Horton from Apidea Honey to discuss is incredible beekeeping season dubbed "The Perfect Storm".

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 328 of my podcast,
Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Apidea Honey

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by Bee Farmer, Paul Horton from Apidea Honey to discuss is incredible beekeeping season dubbed "The Perfect Storm".

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 328 of my podcast,
Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Apidea Honey

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16184604 Sun, 19 Jan 2025 08:00:00 +0000 2527 full false Episode 327: Asian Hornet Alert Interview Episode 327: Asian Hornet Alert Interview In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by James Knights, current chair of Asian Hornet Alert to talk about their approach to this invasive species.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 327 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Asian Hornet Alert website www.asianhornetalert.org.uk
WhatsApp Group telephone number as discussed: 07565 775 020
Asian Hornet Watch Details
National Bee Unit link

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined by James Knights, current chair of Asian Hornet Alert to talk about their approach to this invasive species.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 327 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Asian Hornet Alert website www.asianhornetalert.org.uk
WhatsApp Group telephone number as discussed: 07565 775 020
Asian Hornet Watch Details
National Bee Unit link

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16163063 Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 1835 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Asian Hornet Alert, Asian Hornet, Yellow Legged Hornet, National Bee Unit, Asian Hornet Watch app, 327 full false Episode 326 Late Autumn Beekeeping Update Episode 326 Late Autumn Beekeeping Update In this week's Podcast: As most of you will know, I’ve had a couple of weeks away from the podcast and videos to recuperate after my recent visit to the hospital. Today I wanted to give you a personal update and talk briefly about my beekeeping plans for the next few weeks.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 326 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: As most of you will know, I’ve had a couple of weeks away from the podcast and videos to recuperate after my recent visit to the hospital. Today I wanted to give you a personal update and talk briefly about my beekeeping plans for the next few weeks.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks. Welcome to Episode 326 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-16120116 Sun, 05 Jan 2025 08:00:00 +0000 777 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, 1 326 full false Episode 325: Active Bees, Late Winter Starvation? Episode 325: Active Bees, Late Winter Starvation? In this week's Podcast: It’s incredible to think that today, the 25th October 2024, the local temperature is hitting 19° Celsius, it all seems lovely right now but what are the implications for our honeybees as we head through the Winter, listen in for my thoughts.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 325 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s incredible to think that today, the 25th October 2024, the local temperature is hitting 19° Celsius, it all seems lovely right now but what are the implications for our honeybees as we head through the Winter, listen in for my thoughts.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 325 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15996674 Sun, 01 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1068 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Fondant, Feeding Bees Fondant, Winter Losses, 1 325 full false Episode 324: Warm October Sunshine Episode 324: Warm October Sunshine In this week's Podcast: The sun has been shining and we’ve experienced much warmer weather than we would normally expect at this time of the year. Our bees are out scouring their range in search of food and still bringing back plenty of pollen.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 324 of my podcast,
Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equipment:

Hand Held Creamer
Spiral Mixer
Honey Bucket with Tap
Warming jacket
Warming Cabinet

Zoetis 5ml Dosing Syringe

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The sun has been shining and we’ve experienced much warmer weather than we would normally expect at this time of the year. Our bees are out scouring their range in search of food and still bringing back plenty of pollen.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 324 of my podcast,
Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equipment:

Hand Held Creamer
Spiral Mixer
Honey Bucket with Tap
Warming jacket
Warming Cabinet

Zoetis 5ml Dosing Syringe

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15948026 Sun, 17 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1032 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Feeding Bees Fondant, Creating Nucs, Overwintered Nucs, Nucs For Sale, 1 324 full false Episode 323: First Frost Autumn 2024 Episode 323: First Frost Autumn 2024 In this week's Podcast: It should have come as no real surprise, it is October after all. But this week I experienced my first frosty morning at home which means out in the apiaries it was probably a little colder. Later the same day our bees were out flying in warm Autumn sunshine, in other news, it’s also time to consider Oxalic Acid treatments, if you’re using them.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 323 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equipment:

Hand Held Creamer
Spiral Mixer
Honey Bucket withTap
Warming jacket
Warming Cabinet

Zoetis 5ml Dosing Syringe

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It should have come as no real surprise, it is October after all. But this week I experienced my first frosty morning at home which means out in the apiaries it was probably a little colder. Later the same day our bees were out flying in warm Autumn sunshine, in other news, it’s also time to consider Oxalic Acid treatments, if you’re using them.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 323 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives Soft Set Honey Equipment:

Hand Held Creamer
Spiral Mixer
Honey Bucket withTap
Warming jacket
Warming Cabinet

Zoetis 5ml Dosing Syringe

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15916061 Sun, 03 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1096 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Oxalic Acid Treatments, Honey Creamer, 1 323 full false Episode 322: A Dead Colony Episode 322: A Dead Colony In this week's Podcast: Ongoing Autumn checks are continuing to reveal, for the most part, some very healthy colonies that are well provisioned for the cold weeks that lay ahead, hefting confirms some weighty Langstroth brood boxes. It’s why I like them. I did however discover one colony that had failed and today I want to talk through how you too can spot the signs and prevent disease from swamping your apiaries.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 322 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Ongoing Autumn checks are continuing to reveal, for the most part, some very healthy colonies that are well provisioned for the cold weeks that lay ahead, hefting confirms some weighty Langstroth brood boxes. It’s why I like them. I did however discover one colony that had failed and today I want to talk through how you too can spot the signs and prevent disease from swamping your apiaries.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 322 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15875663 Sun, 27 Oct 2024 07:00:00 +0000 1114 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Feeding Bees, Bee Diseases, CBPV, Dead Hives, 1 322 full false Episode 321: A Lucky Escape! Episode 321: A Lucky Escape! In this week's Podcast: It’s been rather cooler this past week, especially overnight. Not that I’ve seen any frost you understand but it feels like we’ve begun the long journey through to next Spring. Elsewhere, it’s been getting very hot in the honey room, too hot in fact, listen in to hear why!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 321 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s been rather cooler this past week, especially overnight. Not that I’ve seen any frost you understand but it feels like we’ve begun the long journey through to next Spring. Elsewhere, it’s been getting very hot in the honey room, too hot in fact, listen in to hear why!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 321 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15834168 Sun, 20 Oct 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1037 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Apimelter, Oxalic Acid, Feeding Bees, 1 321 full false Episode 320: Formic Pro Results Episode 320: Formic Pro Results In this week's Podcast: I recently used some Formic Pro to treat a colony showing severe signs of Varroa damage, so much so I think they may have been close to collapse. Well the results are in, stay tuned to hear if I managed to save them or if, sadly, I’m cleaning out another bee hive.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 320 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Formic Pro Website HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I recently used some Formic Pro to treat a colony showing severe signs of Varroa damage, so much so I think they may have been close to collapse. Well the results are in, stay tuned to hear if I managed to save them or if, sadly, I’m cleaning out another bee hive.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 320 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Formic Pro Website HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15793588 Sun, 13 Oct 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1070 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Formic Pro, Feeding Honeybee Colonies, Feeding bees fondant, 1 320 full false Episode 319: Mid-September Sunshine Episode 319: Mid-September Sunshine In this week's Podcast:  Well, the colonies have finally come back from their trip to the heather moors and it’s been a surprising trip, in many ways, stay tuned for my thoughts on exactly what happened.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 319 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Well, the colonies have finally come back from their trip to the heather moors and it’s been a surprising trip, in many ways, stay tuned for my thoughts on exactly what happened.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 319 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15754310 Sun, 06 Oct 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1035 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Heather Honey, Winter Preparation of a bee hive, 1 319 full false Episode 318: The National Uncapper Episode 318: The National Uncapper In this week's Podcast: I’ve been very lucky to be sent a National Uncapper by the team at Bee cooperative.org It’s a newly designed uncapper, and today I’m joined by the co-inventors Martin and Peter for a chat on how the idea started and how it works.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 318 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The National Uncapper in all it's forms can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I’ve been very lucky to be sent a National Uncapper by the team at Bee cooperative.org It’s a newly designed uncapper, and today I’m joined by the co-inventors Martin and Peter for a chat on how the idea started and how it works.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 318 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The National Uncapper in all it's forms can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15713398 Sun, 29 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1621 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, National Uncapper, Bee Cooperative, Uncapping Super Frames, 1 318 full false Episode 317: Deformed Wing Virus Episode 317: Deformed Wing Virus In this week's Podcast: Now that we’ve brought the colonies back from the clover fields to their overwintering apiaries, it’s given me a chance to carry out a few checks and I discovered one colony was suffering from a heavy deformed Wing virus infection, this usually means Varroa issues, and that leaves me with a dilemma!
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 317 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Formic Pro Website HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Now that we’ve brought the colonies back from the clover fields to their overwintering apiaries, it’s given me a chance to carry out a few checks and I discovered one colony was suffering from a heavy deformed Wing virus infection, this usually means Varroa issues, and that leaves me with a dilemma!
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 317 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Formic Pro Website HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15676282 Sun, 22 Sep 2024 07:00:00 +0100 1127 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Deformed Wing Virus, Varroa Mite, Formic Pro, full false Episode 316: The Honey Room Episode 316: The Honey Room In this week's Podcast:  It’s been a good week, the nucs are growing very nicely and there are more drawn frames than foundation now, it’s looking really positive. Elsewhere, I’ve been preparing the honey room for the long awaited Summer honey extraction, and I thought you might like to hear about the equipment we have ready for this year’s task.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 316 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  It’s been a good week, the nucs are growing very nicely and there are more drawn frames than foundation now, it’s looking really positive. Elsewhere, I’ve been preparing the honey room for the long awaited Summer honey extraction, and I thought you might like to hear about the equipment we have ready for this year’s task.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 316 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15636721 Sun, 15 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1113 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Honey Room, Heather Moors, Carl Fritz brush uncapper, Thomas Cleanomel, 1 316 full false Episode 315: Moors, Sections and Cut Comb Episode 315: Moors, Sections and Cut Comb In this week's Podcast: The bees finally made it to the heather moors, without a fuss or any drama, a nice feeling for a change! We now have most of the Summer honey safely back to the honey room and this year we have the added excitement of the square sections and frame upon frame of cut comb honey to process. Stay tuned to hear my thoughts on the Moors, our sections finally make it into a display box, and our latest product trial, the new HC cut comb containers from Thorne beehives.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 315 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The bees finally made it to the heather moors, without a fuss or any drama, a nice feeling for a change! We now have most of the Summer honey safely back to the honey room and this year we have the added excitement of the square sections and frame upon frame of cut comb honey to process. Stay tuned to hear my thoughts on the Moors, our sections finally make it into a display box, and our latest product trial, the new HC cut comb containers from Thorne beehives.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 315 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15599573 Sun, 08 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1078 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Heather Honey, Section Rack, Thorne's Section Rack, Cut Comb 1 315 full false Episode 314: Coaching Plus Chat Episode 314: Coaching Plus Chat In this week's Podcast: Our Coaching Plus Group meets once a month to chat and ask/answer questions about all things beekeeping. First however, I give my captive audience a run down of where we've been for the previous month. this time it's birage honey, section racks and heather moors.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 314 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Our Coaching Plus Group meets once a month to chat and ask/answer questions about all things beekeeping. First however, I give my captive audience a run down of where we've been for the previous month. this time it's birage honey, section racks and heather moors.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 314 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15563301 Sun, 01 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1463 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Heather Moors, Thorne Section Rack, Section Squares, Comb Honey, 1 314 full false Episode 313: Drone Brood Removal Episode 313: Drone Brood Removal In this week's Podcast: A funny thing happened in the apiaries last week and it got me thinking about what might be going on. We were removing the Drone brood frame as a varroa control mechanism and some of the frames were simply filled with honey, while others were packed with brood, and lots of varroa. Somethings going on but what?

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 313 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: A funny thing happened in the apiaries last week and it got me thinking about what might be going on. We were removing the Drone brood frame as a varroa control mechanism and some of the frames were simply filled with honey, while others were packed with brood, and lots of varroa. Somethings going on but what?

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 313 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15526361 Sun, 25 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1061 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Drone Brood Removal, Drone Brood, Varroa, Varroa Mites, Treating Varroa, 1 313 full false Episode 312: Heather Moors Episode 312: Heather Moors In this week's Podcast:  I recently visited the site I intend to use for our heather honey adventure. It’s pretty bleak high up on the moors and first thing in the morning with the mists rolling through you would wonder how the bees are ever going to get out of the hive! Things changed quite dramatically, as I’ll explain.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 312 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  I recently visited the site I intend to use for our heather honey adventure. It’s pretty bleak high up on the moors and first thing in the morning with the mists rolling through you would wonder how the bees are ever going to get out of the hive! Things changed quite dramatically, as I’ll explain.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 312 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15487018 Sun, 18 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1050 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heather Moors, Heather Honey, Wasps, Hornets, European Hornet, Asian Hornet, 1 312 full false Episode 311: Cut Comb and Sections Episode 311: Cut Comb and Sections In this week's Podcast: Summer has finally arrived, if only for a few days and it all feels a little too late for any kind of honey crop bragging rights, it’s been disappointing. That said, we’re doing very nicely with our cut comb, and even the section rack looks like it may produce a few saleable squares of honey.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 311 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Summer has finally arrived, if only for a few days and it all feels a little too late for any kind of honey crop bragging rights, it’s been disappointing. That said, we’re doing very nicely with our cut comb, and even the section rack looks like it may produce a few saleable squares of honey.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 311 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Thorne Beehives section racks and containers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-15446318 Sun, 11 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1156 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Cut Comb Sections, Section Racks, Thorne Beehives, 1 311 full false Episode 310: Summer, What Summer? Episode 310: Summer, What Summer? In this week's Podcast: Another week and more rain! I did however, manage to dodge the showers, and checked out swarm colony that we have been coaxing out of a super and into a brood box, and there’s some good news!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 310 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Another week and more rain! I did however, manage to dodge the showers, and checked out swarm colony that we have been coaxing out of a super and into a brood box, and there’s some good news!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 310 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15410151 Sun, 04 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1086 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heather Honey, Swarms, Borage, Borage Honey, Wasps, 1 310 full false Episode 309: A Swarm In July! Episode 309: A Swarm In July! In this week's Podcast: The plans for the week changed considerably because of the rubbish weather, it’s been cold and wet and yet we found ourselves picking up a swarm from a stack of supers. A swarm in July as the saying goes, yet I often find it’s well worth some effort, listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 309 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The plans for the week changed considerably because of the rubbish weather, it’s been cold and wet and yet we found ourselves picking up a swarm from a stack of supers. A swarm in July as the saying goes, yet I often find it’s well worth some effort, listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 309 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Michael Badger: Heather Honey: A Comprehensive Guide

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15372021 Sun, 28 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1138 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, A Swarm in July, Summer Honey, Thomas Cleanomel, Thorne Beehives, 1 309 full false Episode 308: Borage Moving Day Episode 308: Borage Moving Day In this week's Podcast: We’ve had a mini heatwave, timed to perfection on the day we planned to move our bees to the borage, so we delayed, as we always have our bees welfare upper most in our minds. We did eventually get them shifted and it appears it was perfectly timed.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 308 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We’ve had a mini heatwave, timed to perfection on the day we planned to move our bees to the borage, so we delayed, as we always have our bees welfare upper most in our minds. We did eventually get them shifted and it appears it was perfectly timed.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 308 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15334529 Sun, 21 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0100 518 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Borage, Moving Honeybee Hives, Moving Hives, Drone Brood removal, 1 308 full false Episode 307: A Most Difficult Early Season Episode 307: A Most Difficult Early Season In this week's Podcast: I’ve been speaking to a number of other beekeepers over the last couple of weeks, and all agree it’s been one of the most difficult starts to a beekeeping season in many years. Some beekeepers are still feeding their bees as we pass the Summer Solstice. For me, I’ve just started to take off the Spring honey crop, what honey there is, but I’m grateful we’ve survived with strong colonies for the summer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 307 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I’ve been speaking to a number of other beekeepers over the last couple of weeks, and all agree it’s been one of the most difficult starts to a beekeeping season in many years. Some beekeepers are still feeding their bees as we pass the Summer Solstice. For me, I’ve just started to take off the Spring honey crop, what honey there is, but I’m grateful we’ve survived with strong colonies for the summer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 307 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15295562 Sun, 14 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1165 full false Episode 306: Borage and Cut Comb Episode 306: Borage and Cut Comb In this week's Podcast: It still doesn’t feel like we’ve really got started with our beekeeping season yet in the next couple of weeks Borage will start flowering and the Summer nectar flow will be in full flow. Time for more preparations and I also turn my attention towards Cut Comb Honey production.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 306 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It still doesn’t feel like we’ve really got started with our beekeeping season yet in the next couple of weeks Borage will start flowering and the Summer nectar flow will be in full flow. Time for more preparations and I also turn my attention towards Cut Comb Honey production.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 306 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15256533 Sun, 07 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1139 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Cut Comb Honey, Borage, Borage honey, Nectar Flow, 1 306 full false Episode 305: Introducing New Queens Episode 305: Introducing New Queens In this week's Podcast: Introducing new queens into queenless colonies can sometimes be a tricky job especially for the inexperienced beekeeper. We’ve tried several different methods and now focus on making colonies hopelessly queenless before releasing the new queen, listen in to hear more of this almost foolproof method!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 305 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Introducing new queens into queenless colonies can sometimes be a tricky job especially for the inexperienced beekeeper. We’ve tried several different methods and now focus on making colonies hopelessly queenless before releasing the new queen, listen in to hear more of this almost foolproof method!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 305 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15217859 Sun, 30 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0100 939 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, The Norfolk Honey Company, Introducing New Queens, Queen Cages, 1 305 full false Episode 304: Unsettled Weather, Unsettled Bees Episode 304: Unsettled Weather, Unsettled Bees In this week's Podcast: I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, it’s raining again. The bees don’t like it, I certainly don’t like it and I’m desperate to settle in to a regular inspection routine. We’re splitting colonies in preparation for new queen introductions and thinking about the Summer nectar flow that’s heading our way.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 304 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, it’s raining again. The bees don’t like it, I certainly don’t like it and I’m desperate to settle in to a regular inspection routine. We’re splitting colonies in preparation for new queen introductions and thinking about the Summer nectar flow that’s heading our way.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 304 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15176802 Sun, 23 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0100 896 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, New queen introduction, Introducing New Queens Honeybees 1 304 full false Episode 303: More Late May Rain Episode 303: More Late May Rain In this week's Podcast: It’s raining again, the Spring crop is ready for the taking and I’m turning my attention to preparing colonies for splitting in readiness for the Summer borage trip.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 303 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It’s raining again, the Spring crop is ready for the taking and I’m turning my attention to preparing colonies for splitting in readiness for the Summer borage trip.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 303 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15136971 Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0100 917 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Comb Change, New Queens, Swarms, Hopney Production, Oilseed Rape Honey, 1 303 full false Episode 302 The Shook Swarm Absconded! Episode 302 The Shook Swarm Absconded! In this week's Podcast: At this time of the year there's just no let up. It's a huge growth period for our colonies, we're still trying to calm the urge for colonies to swarm and I've been carrying out more shook swarms to remove old, dirty combs and with luck any hidden varroa population.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 302 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: At this time of the year there's just no let up. It's a huge growth period for our colonies, we're still trying to calm the urge for colonies to swarm and I've been carrying out more shook swarms to remove old, dirty combs and with luck any hidden varroa population.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 302 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

For all your beekeeping supplies visit Modern Beekeeping www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15094305 Sun, 09 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0100 989 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Shook Swarm, Swarms, Splits, 1 302 full false Episode 301: Why I Choose Langstroth Hives Episode 301: Why I Choose Langstroth Hives In this week's Podcast: Another crazy week of beekeeping, More swarms, Stings through my bee suit veil and some thoughts on why I have finally settled on the Langstroth hive as my preferred box for our bees.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 301 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Another crazy week of beekeeping, More swarms, Stings through my bee suit veil and some thoughts on why I have finally settled on the Langstroth hive as my preferred box for our bees.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 301 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-15052814 Sun, 02 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1102 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Shook Swarms, Swarming honeybees, Langstroth Hives, Honey Paw, 1 301 full false Episode 300: Sunshine, Rain and Swarms! Episode 300: Sunshine, Rain and Swarms! In this week's Podcast: Who would have thought it, Episode 300 and what a week we've had. Intense Spring Sunshine, temperatures up to 20 Degrees Celsius and once again, really heavy rainfall. The perfect combination for swarming and boy have we suffered! Listen in to hear just what's been happening.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 300 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Who would have thought it, Episode 300 and what a week we've had. Intense Spring Sunshine, temperatures up to 20 Degrees Celsius and once again, really heavy rainfall. The perfect combination for swarming and boy have we suffered! Listen in to hear just what's been happening.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 300 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-15010342 Sun, 26 May 2024 09:00:00 +0100 882 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarms, Oilseed Rape Honey, Queen Cells, Swarm Cells, Shook Swarm, 1 300 full false Episode 299: Bailey Comb Change Episode 299: Bailey Comb Change In this week's Podcast: Well, it looks like the weather might finally be turning a little warmer, it's not too different from last year with a late start but now it's here let's crack on, It's a good time to perform a Bailey Comb Change.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 299 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Well, it looks like the weather might finally be turning a little warmer, it's not too different from last year with a late start but now it's here let's crack on, It's a good time to perform a Bailey Comb Change.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 299 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14967908 Sun, 19 May 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1019 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Bailey Comb Change, Bailey Frame Change, Varroa, Oilseed Rape Honey, 1 299 full false Episode 298 BBKA Spring Convention 2024 Episode 298 BBKA Spring Convention 2024 In this week's Podcast: I'm just back from the BBKA Spring Convention 2024 and have to say I had a really great time. If you've not been in recent years, make it a date next year and let's have a party!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 298 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm just back from the BBKA Spring Convention 2024 and have to say I had a really great time. If you've not been in recent years, make it a date next year and let's have a party!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 298 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14925838 Sun, 12 May 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1080 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, BBKA, BBKA Spring Convention, Drone laying queens, OSR, Drone Brood Removal, 1 298 full false Episode 297: Beginner Beekeeper Chat Episode 297: Beginner Beekeeper Chat In this week's Podcast: Beginner beekeeper Nick Bunker joins me for a chat about his beekeeping journey and hopefully get some answers to some of the many questions he has.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 297 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Beginner beekeeper Nick Bunker joins me for a chat about his beekeeping journey and hopefully get some answers to some of the many questions he has.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 297 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14841525 Sun, 28 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0100 3111 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beginner Beekeeper Questions, Oilseed Rape Honey, Spring Beekeeping, Beekeeping, 1 297 full false Episode 296: Drones, Drones, Drones Episode 296: Drones, Drones, Drones In this week's Podcast: We've spotted drones in a few colonies, food stores are being replenished in most and it looks like the weather is warming up a little, time to start beekeeping!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 296 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We've spotted drones in a few colonies, food stores are being replenished in most and it looks like the weather is warming up a little, time to start beekeeping!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 296 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14799380 Sun, 21 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1310 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart spinks, Drones, Spring Inspections, Honeybees, Spring Feeding, 1 296 full false Episode 295: A Spring Chill Episode 295: A Spring Chill In this week's Podcast: With Spring progressing there's a temptation to stack supers on your hives for an early Spring crop but that might not necessarily be the best option. Listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 295 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With Spring progressing there's a temptation to stack supers on your hives for an early Spring crop but that might not necessarily be the best option. Listen in to hear why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 295 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14754152 Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1191 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Spring Honey, Nucleus Colonies, Buying Bees, 1 295 full false Episode 294: Busy Bees Cosmetics Episode 294: Busy Bees Cosmetics In this week's Podcast: Want to sell lip balms, hand creams and other cosmetic products but don't have the time or finances to go through the lengthy process of licencing and insurance? Listen in for  a simple solution to boost your sales whether online, at farmer's markets or fairs.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 294 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Julie and Kevin Thorn at Busy Bee Cosmetics using the link to their website here - BUSY BEE COSMETICS

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Want to sell lip balms, hand creams and other cosmetic products but don't have the time or finances to go through the lengthy process of licencing and insurance? Listen in for  a simple solution to boost your sales whether online, at farmer's markets or fairs.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 294 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Contact Julie and Kevin Thorn at Busy Bee Cosmetics using the link to their website here - BUSY BEE COSMETICS

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14703820 Sun, 07 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0100 1593 1 294 full false Episode 293: Asian Hornet Spring Update Episode 293: Asian Hornet Spring Update In this week's Podcast: Asian Hornet is a real and present danger here in the UK, today I'm joined once again by Jackie Thomas to discuss the current position and what, if anything I should do as we head into Spring.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 293 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

The Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Asian Hornet is a real and present danger here in the UK, today I'm joined once again by Jackie Thomas to discuss the current position and what, if anything I should do as we head into Spring.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 293 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

The Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14660256 Sun, 31 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0100 1862 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Asian Hornet, Yellow Legged Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina, 1 293 full false Episode 292: March Beekeeping Update Episode 292: March Beekeeping Update In this week's Podcast: I'm Back, Still struggling with the healthissues but glad to be talking beekeeping once more, and it's March already!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 292 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links from 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm Back, Still struggling with the healthissues but glad to be talking beekeeping once more, and it's March already!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 292 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links from 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14614182 Sun, 24 Mar 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1133 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Spring Feeding Honeybees, Pollen Substitute, 1 292 full false Episode 291: The Beekeeping Show 2024 Episode 291: The Beekeeping Show 2024 In this week's Podcast: I'm joined in conversation by Rob Nickless, Co-Organiser of The Beekeeping Show here in the UK to discuss some of the things to look out for at the 2024 show.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 291 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links from 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined in conversation by Rob Nickless, Co-Organiser of The Beekeeping Show here in the UK to discuss some of the things to look out for at the 2024 show.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 291 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links from 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14429008 Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1708 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Rob Nickless, BFA, The Beekeeping Show, The Beekeeping Show 2024 1 291 full false Episode 290: Modern Beekeeping Episode 290: Modern Beekeeping In this week's Podcast: I'm joined in conversation by Paul Beardmore from Modern Beekeeping and Happy Valley Honey to discuss his beekeeping, honey production and online beekeeping equipment business.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 289 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check Out Paul's website, answer a very simple question, and you could win a prize.
Check out the link here: Modern Beekeeping Competition entry

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links form 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined in conversation by Paul Beardmore from Modern Beekeeping and Happy Valley Honey to discuss his beekeeping, honey production and online beekeeping equipment business.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 289 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check Out Paul's website, answer a very simple question, and you could win a prize.
Check out the link here: Modern Beekeeping Competition entry

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.
Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links form 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14387635 Sun, 18 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1945 full false Episode 289 Northumberland Honey Episode 289 Northumberland Honey In this week's Podcast: I'm joined in conversation by Luke Hutchinson from Northumberland Honey to talk about Mead, Honey and Queen Rearing

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 289 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check Out Luke's website, answer a very simple question, and you could win a prize.
Check out the link here: Northumberland Honey

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.

Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links form 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm joined in conversation by Luke Hutchinson from Northumberland Honey to talk about Mead, Honey and Queen Rearing

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 289 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check Out Luke's website, answer a very simple question, and you could win a prize.
Check out the link here: Northumberland Honey

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.

Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links form 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14338845 Sun, 11 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000 2002 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Northumberland Honey, Queen Rearing, Mead, Sparkling Mead, Instrumentally Inseminated Honeybee Queen, 1 289 full false Episode 288: Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives Episode 288: Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives In this week's Podcast: Happy New Year, It's interview time! I'm joined by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton to discuss their new book, Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 288 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.

Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links form 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Happy New Year, It's interview time! I'm joined by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton to discuss their new book, Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 288 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Get your copy of Steve & Paul's new book by clicking the link below.

Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donohoe and Paul Horton
ISBN: 978-1-914934-67-4

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links form 2023
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14299221 Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000 5211 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Healthy Bees, Heavy Hives by Steve Donahoe and Paul Horton, Steve Donanhoe, Paul Horton, New Book, 1 288 full false Episode 287: Merry Christmas 2023 Episode 287: Merry Christmas 2023 In this week's Podcast: Planning for the new season, it's a big part of my winter, it helps me focus, it gets everything in it's place and it helps keep me optimistic for the new season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 287 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Article: Beekeeping Theories Debunked: The Real Buzz on Honeybee Insulation
Research Paper: Honeybee Cluster - Not Insulation but Stressful Heat Sink

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Planning for the new season, it's a big part of my winter, it helps me focus, it gets everything in it's place and it helps keep me optimistic for the new season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 287 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Article: Beekeeping Theories Debunked: The Real Buzz on Honeybee Insulation
Research Paper: Honeybee Cluster - Not Insulation but Stressful Heat Sink

Just in case you missed the Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet Links
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14157672 Sun, 07 Jan 2024 08:00:00 +0000 1054 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Winter Cluster, Feeding Pollen Substitute, 1 287 full false Episode 286: Asian Hornet Chat Episode 286: Asian Hornet Chat In this week's Podcast: Something slightly different, Today I'm chatting with Jackie Thomas, Master Beekeeper, Training Officer for the Dover and District BKA and Asian Hornet Action Team Co-Ordinator. Time to learn more about the Asian Hornet incursions into the South East of England.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 286 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Asian Hornet Links Below:
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Something slightly different, Today I'm chatting with Jackie Thomas, Master Beekeeper, Training Officer for the Dover and District BKA and Asian Hornet Action Team Co-Ordinator. Time to learn more about the Asian Hornet incursions into the South East of England.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 286 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Asian Hornet Links Below:
National Bee Unit
Non-Native Species Secretariate
The Asian Hornet Handbook by Sarah Bunker

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14116961 Sun, 31 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000 2138 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Asian Hornet, Yellow Legged Hornet, Vespa velutina, Hornet, UK Hornet, 1 286 full false Episode 285: Freezing Bees and Spring Plans Episode 285: Freezing Bees and Spring Plans In this week's Podcast: What a very cold week we've just had, minus 5 degrees celsius overnight and it's left me shivering. No movement from any hives as our bees sit out the cold and hefting is about all we should now do. Me, I'm having a cuppa and planning the start of my new season and I thought I would share my top tip for Spring splits, swarm management and frame replacement.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 285 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: What a very cold week we've just had, minus 5 degrees celsius overnight and it's left me shivering. No movement from any hives as our bees sit out the cold and hefting is about all we should now do. Me, I'm having a cuppa and planning the start of my new season and I thought I would share my top tip for Spring splits, swarm management and frame replacement.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 285 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2024 -  Tickets available here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14078035 Sun, 24 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1107 Beekeeping short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Winter Bees, Feeding Bees, The Beekeeping Show 2024, Spring Splits for Honeybee Colonies 1 285 full false Episode 284: The Winter Chill Arrives Episode 284: The Winter Chill Arrives In this week's Podcast: It's getting colder and our colonies are all set  for the long winter ahead, actually, not really, listen in for yet more of my attempts to catch up with this beekeeping season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 284 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Dade's Anatomy and Dissection of the Honeybee

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's getting colder and our colonies are all set  for the long winter ahead, actually, not really, listen in for yet more of my attempts to catch up with this beekeeping season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 284 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Dade's Anatomy and Dissection of the Honeybee

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-14034153 Sun, 17 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000 977 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honeybee Dissection, Feeding Honeybees, 1 284 full false Episode 283: Emergency Hive Interventions Episode 283: Emergency Hive Interventions In this week's Podcast: Most beekeepers will have packed away their hive tools and smoker for the Winter by now, but what if  you've been unable to get your bees prepared for Winter as you normally might. Listen in for an emergency hive intervention to get back on track before Santa get's here!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 283 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Most beekeepers will have packed away their hive tools and smoker for the Winter by now, but what if  you've been unable to get your bees prepared for Winter as you normally might. Listen in for an emergency hive intervention to get back on track before Santa get's here!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 283 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13997740 Sun, 10 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1006 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Autumn Hive Preparations, Honeybees, 1 283 full false Episode 282: Scraping Frames and Muderous Swans! Episode 282: Scraping Frames and Muderous Swans! In this week's Podcast: It's been an interesting week to say the least! I've been unboxing new equipment, scraping and pressing heather honey frames and witnessed a most disturbing scene, of a mute swan attacking another mute swan at the fishing lakes apiaries.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 282 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Refractometer Link

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been an interesting week to say the least! I've been unboxing new equipment, scraping and pressing heather honey frames and witnessed a most disturbing scene, of a mute swan attacking another mute swan at the fishing lakes apiaries.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 282 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Refractometer Link

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13953999 Sun, 03 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1095 Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beginner beekeeping, Heather Honey, Carl Fritz, Bee Farmers Association, 1 282 full false Episode 281: November Floods Episode 281: November Floods In this week's Podcast: November begins and the rain is unrelenting. The fishing lakes apiaries are surrounded by water, it is a fishing lake after all, but the river is overflowing into the lakes, back out into the river again and water is starting to creep towards my apiaries!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 281 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: November begins and the rain is unrelenting. The fishing lakes apiaries are surrounded by water, it is a fishing lake after all, but the river is overflowing into the lakes, back out into the river again and water is starting to creep towards my apiaries!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 281 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13909463 Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1014 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Cleaning Hive Entrances, Winter Bees, 1 281 full false Episode 280: In Conversation with Bees Abroad Episode 280: In Conversation with Bees Abroad In this week's Podcast: A Change to my normal podcast, as I sit down with Niki Backes and Kristina Prokopiou from the charity Bees Abroad to hear a little of what they do, and how, we beekeepers might be able to give our support.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 280 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Visit  the Bees Abroard Website

Join in the "Big Give Campaign" with Bees Abroad

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: A Change to my normal podcast, as I sit down with Niki Backes and Kristina Prokopiou from the charity Bees Abroad to hear a little of what they do, and how, we beekeepers might be able to give our support.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 280 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Visit  the Bees Abroard Website

Join in the "Big Give Campaign" with Bees Abroad

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13836944 Sun, 19 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1853 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Bees Abroad, Beekeeping Charity, 1 280 full false Episode 279: CBPV Once Again Episode 279: CBPV Once Again In this week's Podcast: The very heavy rain we've had this week has rather forced me into the honey room to start the Big Autumn Clean Up. Mostly washing up along with the final phase of my current batch of soft set honey. It's given me time to reflect on the latest infection of |Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, and of course, it was the bees on the heather that had it!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 279 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The very heavy rain we've had this week has rather forced me into the honey room to start the Big Autumn Clean Up. Mostly washing up along with the final phase of my current batch of soft set honey. It's given me time to reflect on the latest infection of |Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, and of course, it was the bees on the heather that had it!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 279 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13819215 Sun, 12 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1082 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Heather Honey, CBPV, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, Ivy Honey, 1 279 full false Episode 278: The Pumpkin Patch Episode 278: The Pumpkin Patch In this week's Podcast: I'm just back from picking a giant pumpkin with my grandchildren, it's nice to know that somewhere in Essex other children are running around a big field, choosing pumpkins that our bees helped to pollinate. In other news, it's suddenly a lot cooler, something of a shock for us and our bees no doubt!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 278 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I'm just back from picking a giant pumpkin with my grandchildren, it's nice to know that somewhere in Essex other children are running around a big field, choosing pumpkins that our bees helped to pollinate. In other news, it's suddenly a lot cooler, something of a shock for us and our bees no doubt!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 278 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13779216 Sun, 05 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000 1100 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Borage, Ivy Honey, Heather Honey, Soft Set Honey, Dyce Method 1 278 full false Episode 277: Hampshire BKA Convention Episode 277: Hampshire BKA Convention In this week's Podcast: It's October and the unseasonably warm weather persists. Our bees continue to forage the remaining Ivy flowers, and I'm chasing my tail trying to catch up with a very long list of jobs for this time of year. The good news is I recovered well enough from my cold to visit the Hampshire Beekeepers Association Annual Convention to present my beekeeping season to them.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 277 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Lega Flamingo 28 Frame Extractor
Carl Fritz Wax Separator Details

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]]> In this week's Podcast: It's October and the unseasonably warm weather persists. Our bees continue to forage the remaining Ivy flowers, and I'm chasing my tail trying to catch up with a very long list of jobs for this time of year. The good news is I recovered well enough from my cold to visit the Hampshire Beekeepers Association Annual Convention to present my beekeeping season to them.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 277 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Lega Flamingo 28 Frame Extractor
Carl Fritz Wax Separator Details

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13736150 Sun, 22 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0100 1101 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heather Honey, Borage Honey, Wasps, Ivy Honey, Hampshire BKA, 1 277 full false Episode 276: Honey Press Ups and Downs! Episode 276: Honey Press Ups and Downs! In this week's Podcast: Warm weather continues here in Norfolk and our colonies are working hard on the Ivy that's now in full flower. It is an opportunity, for some, to grab a late crop of honey but I've been busy at the unit with cut comb and, finally, the heather honey press, it's been an interesting week.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 276 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

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]]> In this week's Podcast: Warm weather continues here in Norfolk and our colonies are working hard on the Ivy that's now in full flower. It is an opportunity, for some, to grab a late crop of honey but I've been busy at the unit with cut comb and, finally, the heather honey press, it's been an interesting week.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 276 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13646372 Sun, 15 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1036 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Heather Honey, Heather Honey Press, Fruit Press, 1 276 full false Episode 275: Honey Room Havoc Episode 275: Honey Room Havoc In this week's Podcast: This last week has been one of trying to regain control of the honey room once more. The weather remains warm, the Ivy is in flower and there's a bit of a rush to get settled ready for the quieter time of year, and that's just me! Hopefully, you're all in better control of your apiaries than I and you're putting your feet up early.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 275 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

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]]> In this week's Podcast: This last week has been one of trying to regain control of the honey room once more. The weather remains warm, the Ivy is in flower and there's a bit of a rush to get settled ready for the quieter time of year, and that's just me! Hopefully, you're all in better control of your apiaries than I and you're putting your feet up early.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 275 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13604507 Sun, 08 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1083 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heather Honey, Honey Room, Cleaning Honey equipment, Ivy Honey 1 275 full false Episode 274: First Heather Honey Crop Episode 274: First Heather Honey Crop In this week's Podcast: It's been an interesting week to say the least. We're in the middle of an Autumn Heatwave and I've had my trip to the heather moors to discover whether or not I have a crop of honey in return for all of my effort.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 274 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been an interesting week to say the least. We're in the middle of an Autumn Heatwave and I've had my trip to the heather moors to discover whether or not I have a crop of honey in return for all of my effort.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 274 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13562368 Sun, 01 Oct 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1067 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heather Honey, Himalayan Balsam, Rosebay Willow herb, 1 274 full false Episode 273: Early Autumn Sunshine Episode 273: Early Autumn Sunshine In this week's Podcast: September arrives with a pleasant calming of the weather for us here. Warmer, drier days but the inevitably cooler nights as Summer gives way to Autumn. Colonies are now preparing for Winter and so, should we. Stay tuned for my latest update on our beekeeping journey.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 273 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

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]]> In this week's Podcast: September arrives with a pleasant calming of the weather for us here. Warmer, drier days but the inevitably cooler nights as Summer gives way to Autumn. Colonies are now preparing for Winter and so, should we. Stay tuned for my latest update on our beekeeping journey.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 273 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13516642 Sat, 30 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1071 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Autumn Feeding of Honeybees, Queen right colonies, Honey, 1 273 full false Episode 272: Moving Bees and Truck Troubles Episode 272: Moving Bees and Truck Troubles In this week's Podcast: It's been something of a frustrating week, we did manage to get bees moved but ran into truck mechanical issues that will need fixing, not a job I can attend to, so while the truck is being repaired my thoughts turn to colony preparations for the coming Autumn and Winter.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 272 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been something of a frustrating week, we did manage to get bees moved but ran into truck mechanical issues that will need fixing, not a job I can attend to, so while the truck is being repaired my thoughts turn to colony preparations for the coming Autumn and Winter.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 272 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13474980 Sun, 24 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1060 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Moving Bee Hives, Honeybees, Varroa Treatments, Feeding Bees, Overwintering Honeybee Colonies, Home Apiary, 1 272 full false Episode 271: Borage Bonus and More Wasps! Episode 271: Borage Bonus and More Wasps! In this week's Podcast: Although the main honey crops of the Summer are finished for us now I did find a little bonus nectar coming in this week. It's also time to start preparing colonies for the months ahead. The final days of the summer will slip away quickly now so don't delay.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 271 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Asian Hornet Info can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

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]]> In this week's Podcast: Although the main honey crops of the Summer are finished for us now I did find a little bonus nectar coming in this week. It's also time to start preparing colonies for the months ahead. The final days of the summer will slip away quickly now so don't delay.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 271 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Asian Hornet Info can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13436195 Sun, 17 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1051 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Wasps, Borage, Formic Pro, Oxalic Acid, Nucs, 1 271 full false Episode 270: Road Trip to the Heather Episode 270: Road Trip to the Heather In this week's Podcast: The trip to the heather moors has finally happened and not without some struggles. Having had a chance to recover for a few days and with the chance to look back at the whole operation it does now seem quite comical, at the time it was anything but!Listen in for all the thrills and spills of this major event in my beekeeping calendar. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 270 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: The trip to the heather moors has finally happened and not without some struggles. Having had a chance to recover for a few days and with the chance to look back at the whole operation it does now seem quite comical, at the time it was anything but!Listen in for all the thrills and spills of this major event in my beekeeping calendar. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 270 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13396105 Sun, 10 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1085 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Heather Moors, Heather Honey, Wasps, Honey, Extracting Honey 1 270 full false Episode 269: Our Honey Room Set Up Episode 269: Our Honey Room Set Up In this week's Podcast: Now that the Summer honey crop has been taken off my time has been spent extracting frame after frame of honey. This week I wanted to share how we have our honey room set up, what works well and what caused a slight hold up in the process.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 269 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Carl Fritz Honey Room Equipment
Lega Tanks and Extractors
Lyson Honey Room Equipment

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]]> In this week's Podcast: Now that the Summer honey crop has been taken off my time has been spent extracting frame after frame of honey. This week I wanted to share how we have our honey room set up, what works well and what caused a slight hold up in the process.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 269 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Carl Fritz Honey Room Equipment
Lega Tanks and Extractors
Lyson Honey Room Equipment

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13355995 Sun, 03 Sep 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1047 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honey Room, Brush Uncapper, Lega Extractor, Carl Fritz Brush Uncapper, Lyson Honey Sump, Lyson, Frame Rack, Frame Carousel, 1 269 full false Episode 268: The Summer Honey Crop Episode 268: The Summer Honey Crop In this week's Podcast: The Summer nectar flow dries up and we switch our focus to getting honey supers off the hives and back to base for extracting, exciting times as we see what our bees have produced.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 268 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Sample Trading Standards Labelling Advice

So long and thanks for all the fish!

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

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]]> In this week's Podcast: The Summer nectar flow dries up and we switch our focus to getting honey supers off the hives and back to base for extracting, exciting times as we see what our bees have produced.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 268 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Sample Trading Standards Labelling Advice

So long and thanks for all the fish!

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13314507 Sun, 27 Aug 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1019 Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Summer Honey, Honey, Borage Honey, Himilayan Balsam, Heather Honey, 1 268 full false Episode 267: Wasps, Wasps, Wasps! Episode 267: Wasps, Wasps, Wasps! In this week's Podcast: As we draw towards the end of the Summer flow it's obvious that the wasps have had a good Summer too. They seem to have suddenly appeared and in large numbers around one or two of our apiaries. Time to batten down the hatches, get cleared up, and give our colonies as much protection as possible.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 267 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

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]]> In this week's Podcast: As we draw towards the end of the Summer flow it's obvious that the wasps have had a good Summer too. They seem to have suddenly appeared and in large numbers around one or two of our apiaries. Time to batten down the hatches, get cleared up, and give our colonies as much protection as possible.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 267 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13270283 Sun, 20 Aug 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1070 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Wasps, Honey crop, Removing Supers, 1 267 full false Episode 266: Summer Forage Shutdown Episode 266: Summer Forage Shutdown In this week's Podcast: It's been an interesting week, more sunshine and Showers, the nectar on the borage keeps flowing in but locally we're close to the Summer nectar flow shutting down, the tap is about to get turned off and the next phase of the season begins.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 266 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check out the Lega Flamingo Extractor here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been an interesting week, more sunshine and Showers, the nectar on the borage keeps flowing in but locally we're close to the Summer nectar flow shutting down, the tap is about to get turned off and the next phase of the season begins.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 266 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Check out the Lega Flamingo Extractor here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13230182 Sun, 13 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0100 1047 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nectar Flow, Summer Forage, Adding Supers, 1 266 full false Episode 265: Formic Pro Urgent Treatment Episode 265: Formic Pro Urgent Treatment In this week's Podcast: During our last series of inspections I discovered a couple of colonies with higher varroa levels than I would have wished. We're going to try out a couple of techniques to help these colonies, you'll have guessed one by the title of this episode, but what's the other option? Listen to find out more.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 265 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: During our last series of inspections I discovered a couple of colonies with higher varroa levels than I would have wished. We're going to try out a couple of techniques to help these colonies, you'll have guessed one by the title of this episode, but what's the other option? Listen to find out more.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 265 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13185325 Sun, 06 Aug 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1081 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Formic Pro, Varroa, Borage, Honeybees, Honey 1 265 full false Episode 264: Long Hours of Work Episode 264: Long Hours of Work In this week's Podcast: It's been a long, hard, working week. Some overnight sessions preparing colonies for the move to the borage and getting them there safely. But there's no complaints, the borage is looking great and we've had some much needed rain!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 264 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

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]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been a long, hard, working week. Some overnight sessions preparing colonies for the move to the borage and getting them there safely. But there's no complaints, the borage is looking great and we've had some much needed rain!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 264 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13146105 Sun, 30 Jul 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1046 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Borage Honey, Moving Honeybees, Moving Bees, Pollination Crops 1 264 full false Episode 263: Uniting Colonies Episode 263: Uniting Colonies In this week's Podcast: As we prepare to move colonies to the Summer Borage pollination some final checks reveal a couple of hopelessly queenless colonies. Uniting these colonies with queenright colonies makes for a quick solution. Listen in for this simple technique that gives the queenless colonies a new home.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 263 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: As we prepare to move colonies to the Summer Borage pollination some final checks reveal a couple of hopelessly queenless colonies. Uniting these colonies with queenright colonies makes for a quick solution. Listen in for this simple technique that gives the queenless colonies a new home.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 263 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13102085 Sun, 16 Jul 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1032 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Uniting Honeybee Colonies, 1 263 full false Episode 262: Introducing New Queens Episode 262: Introducing New Queens In this week's Podcast: With the preparatory work completed and the arrival of our new queens, timing is everything, and wouldn't you just know it, this season my timing is a little bit off, listen in to here how things went!  

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 262 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast: With the preparatory work completed and the arrival of our new queens, timing is everything, and wouldn't you just know it, this season my timing is a little bit off, listen in to here how things went!  

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 262 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13059505 Sun, 02 Jul 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1033 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Introduction new queens, Caged queens, nectar flow, 1 262 full false Episode 261: Heatwave and Splits Episode 261: Heatwave and Splits In this week's Podcast: At long last it appears Summer has begun. Temperatures heading up and a drier outlook makes for some urgent beekeeping work to begin in time for the main nectar flow of the season and our planned move to the Borage.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 261 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: At long last it appears Summer has begun. Temperatures heading up and a drier outlook makes for some urgent beekeeping work to begin in time for the main nectar flow of the season and our planned move to the Borage.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 261 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-13016676 Sun, 25 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1146 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweret, Borage, Splitting Colonies, Queen Rearing, 1 261 full false Episode 260: Killing Queens Episode 260: Killing Queens In this week's Podcast:  I had a really interesting but brief conversation with a beginner beekeeper this week about the morality of knocking down queen cells. All beekeepers have a dilemma to face when colonies are trying to swarm, some think deeper and longer than others, here's what we discussed and my thoughts on the topic of knocking down queen cells.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 260 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Spink and Edgar Wing Back Chairs

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]]> In this week's Podcast:  I had a really interesting but brief conversation with a beginner beekeeper this week about the morality of knocking down queen cells. All beekeepers have a dilemma to face when colonies are trying to swarm, some think deeper and longer than others, here's what we discussed and my thoughts on the topic of knocking down queen cells.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 260 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Spink and Edgar Wing Back Chairs

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12932501 Sun, 18 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1004 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Culling Queens, Swarming, Beehives, Queen Rearing, 1 260 full false Episode 259 - Sunny Spring Inspections Episode 259 - Sunny Spring Inspections In this week's Podcast:  Finally, it's warm and sunny, The bees are getting busy, we're queen-rearing, attempting to prevent swarms and doping a little varroa control all at the same time!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 259 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

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]]> In this week's Podcast:  Finally, it's warm and sunny, The bees are getting busy, we're queen-rearing, attempting to prevent swarms and doping a little varroa control all at the same time!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 259 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12888223 Sun, 11 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1027 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Getting started in Beekeeping, Varroa, Swarming honeybees, Varroa Controls, 1 259 full false Episode 258: More Lucky Beekeeping Episode 258: More Lucky Beekeeping In this week's Podcast:  Sometimes, just sometimes, you walk into an apiary, start inspecting, and as the inspections go from one hive to the next you just keep getting luckier and luckier, stay tuned to hear exactly what I'm talking about.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 258 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast:  Sometimes, just sometimes, you walk into an apiary, start inspecting, and as the inspections go from one hive to the next you just keep getting luckier and luckier, stay tuned to hear exactly what I'm talking about.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 258 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12843814 Sun, 04 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1048 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Queens, Queen rearing, 1 258 full false Episode 257: Opportunistic Splits Episode 257: Opportunistic Splits In this week's Podcast:  Suddenly, we find ourselves moving from chilly wet days to warm Spring conditions and for some colonies it's a sure signal to swarm, we can deal with it easily enough, if only we can find the queen. Listen in for tips for finding your queen and what to do if you can't.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 257 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Suddenly, we find ourselves moving from chilly wet days to warm Spring conditions and for some colonies it's a sure signal to swarm, we can deal with it easily enough, if only we can find the queen. Listen in for tips for finding your queen and what to do if you can't.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 257 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12798978 Sun, 28 May 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1024 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Swarming honeybees, Honeybee, Beekeeping, Splits, Queen cells, 1 257 full false Episode 256: Lighting a Smoker Episode 256: Lighting a Smoker In this week's Podcast:  I spent a very pleasant day inspecting some of our honeybee colonies this week, maybe our season is about to begin, It got me thinking about smoker fuel of all things! Listen in for tips and techniques to keep your smoker alight this season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 256 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  I spent a very pleasant day inspecting some of our honeybee colonies this week, maybe our season is about to begin, It got me thinking about smoker fuel of all things! Listen in for tips and techniques to keep your smoker alight this season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 256 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12749526 Sun, 21 May 2023 08:00:00 +0100 998 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Smoker Fuel, Lighting a Smoker, Inspecting Honeybees, 1 256 full false Episode 255: A Cold, Start-Stop Season Episode 255: A Cold, Start-Stop Season In this week's Podcast:  A chilly East wind continues to blow and it's disrupting my early inspections, we start, we stop, we start again, listen in to hear how this is affecting my early season. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 255 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  A chilly East wind continues to blow and it's disrupting my early inspections, we start, we stop, we start again, listen in to hear how this is affecting my early season. 

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 255 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12702471 Sun, 14 May 2023 08:00:00 +0100 995 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Queen Rearing, 1 255 full false Episode 254: Spring Inspections Begin Episode 254: Spring Inspections Begin In this week's Podcast:  Finally, April has produced some warmer weather, albeit, short bursts of sunshine in between chilly hail showers, but it's given me a chance to take a first peek inside some colonies, listen in to hear what I discovered.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 254 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Finally, April has produced some warmer weather, albeit, short bursts of sunshine in between chilly hail showers, but it's given me a chance to take a first peek inside some colonies, listen in to hear what I discovered.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 254 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12657962 Sun, 07 May 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1036 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Spring Inspections, Spotty Brood Pattern, Failing Honeybee Queen, 1 254 full false Episode 253: Bee Chat with Stephen Barnes From the BBKA Episode 253: Bee Chat with Stephen Barnes From the BBKA In this week's Podcast:  This week something slightly different, today I'm joined by Stephen Barnes, Vice Chair of the British Beekeepers Association for a chat about all things BBKA!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 253 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Website of the BBKA Here

To submit photographs of Queens on Frames please use the email address below:
photosandvideos@bbka.org.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  This week something slightly different, today I'm joined by Stephen Barnes, Vice Chair of the British Beekeepers Association for a chat about all things BBKA!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 253 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Website of the BBKA Here

To submit photographs of Queens on Frames please use the email address below:
photosandvideos@bbka.org.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12595984 Sun, 30 Apr 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1353 Beekeeping Short and Sweert, Beekeeping, BBKA, Britsih Beekeepers Association, Stewart Spinks 1 253 full false Episode 252: Oilseed Rape Challenges Episode 252: Oilseed Rape Challenges In this week's Podcast:  One of our early major nectar flows comes in the form of the Oilseed Rape crops sown widely by farmers across the UK. It brings with it a ready source of nectar and pollen for our bees, but also some challenges in terms of timing and extraction, here's my take on a love/hate relationship some beekeepers have with this early-season plant. 
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 252 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Oilseed Rape Paper can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  One of our early major nectar flows comes in the form of the Oilseed Rape crops sown widely by farmers across the UK. It brings with it a ready source of nectar and pollen for our bees, but also some challenges in terms of timing and extraction, here's my take on a love/hate relationship some beekeepers have with this early-season plant. 
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 252 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Oilseed Rape Paper can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12567316 Sun, 23 Apr 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1087 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Oilseed Rape, Honeybees, 1 252 full false Episode 251: New Queen Rearing Methods Episode 251: New Queen Rearing Methods In this week's Podcast:  With Spring inspections almost upon us it's a good time to think about how we might replace old queens and that means queen rearing, stay tuned, as I have a couple of new options to try.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 251 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Norwich and District Beekeepers Association

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  With Spring inspections almost upon us it's a good time to think about how we might replace old queens and that means queen rearing, stay tuned, as I have a couple of new options to try.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 251 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Norwich and District Beekeepers Association

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12516001 Sun, 16 Apr 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1046 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Spring Inspections, Queen Rearing, The John HArding Method, Swarm Box Method of Queen Rearing, 1 251 full false Episode 250: Can I Inspect My Bees Yet? Episode 250: Can I Inspect My Bees Yet? In this week's Podcast:  Another week and a change in the weather. Warmer conditions and a chance for our bees to break cluster, get out and forage, and with a little luck, begin to build their brood nest area. Hold tight though, it might still be too soon to inspect. Stay tuned for my reasons why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 250 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Another week and a change in the weather. Warmer conditions and a chance for our bees to break cluster, get out and forage, and with a little luck, begin to build their brood nest area. Hold tight though, it might still be too soon to inspect. Stay tuned for my reasons why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 250 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12468774 Sun, 09 Apr 2023 08:00:00 +0100 1003 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Spring Inspections, Bee Hives 1 250 full false Episode 249: Snow, Sun and Patience Episode 249: Snow, Sun and Patience In this week's Podcast:  It's been a cold week, a very cold week in some spots. We got off lightly here in Norfolk but the snow still settled on the ground, if only for an hour or two. The forecast is slightly warmer and then back to colder conditions, time then, to hold fast, wait another couple of weeks and prepare for the new season to begin.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 249 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  It's been a cold week, a very cold week in some spots. We got off lightly here in Norfolk but the snow still settled on the ground, if only for an hour or two. The forecast is slightly warmer and then back to colder conditions, time then, to hold fast, wait another couple of weeks and prepare for the new season to begin.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 249 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12422147 Sun, 02 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0100 994 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Hefting 1 249 full false Episode 248 - Getting Ready for Spring Episode 248 - Getting Ready for Spring In this week's Podcast:  March often begins with a cold snap followed by warmer, sunnier days, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a fast start but the forecast isn't very helpful, listen in to hear why I'm ever so slightly concerned.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 248 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  March often begins with a cold snap followed by warmer, sunnier days, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a fast start but the forecast isn't very helpful, listen in to hear why I'm ever so slightly concerned.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 248 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12375882 Sun, 26 Mar 2023 09:00:00 +0100 1007 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping for Beginners, Nucleus Colony 1 248 full false Episode 247: Happy Fifth Birthday Episode 247: Happy Fifth Birthday In this week's Podcast:  It's My Birthday! Five years ago, on February 25th I publish my very first podcast, since then we've covered all manner of topics and I've offered up tips and techniques to help you get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of your bees. Stay tuned as we head into the new beekeeping season and look forward to all that this year might throw at us.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 245 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2023

Busy Bee Cosmetics (For Beekeepers)

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast:  It's My Birthday! Five years ago, on February 25th I publish my very first podcast, since then we've covered all manner of topics and I've offered up tips and techniques to help you get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of your bees. Stay tuned as we head into the new beekeeping season and look forward to all that this year might throw at us.
Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 245 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

The Beekeeping Show 2023

Busy Bee Cosmetics (For Beekeepers)

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12330010 Sun, 19 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000 981 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, The Beekeeping Show, Busy Bee Cosmetics, 1 247 full false Episode 246: Pests and Diseases - Part 2 Episode 246: Pests and Diseases - Part 2 In this week's Podcast: In my last podcast I was discussing the more serious honeybee diseases AFB and EFB. This time it's the turn of the not-so-tricky pests and diseases such as Chalkbrood, Wax Moth and also possibly the biggest threat to our colonies the Varroa Mite.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 246 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

References for today's podcast:
Mráz, P., Hýbl, M., Kopecký, M., Bohatá, A., Konopická, J., Hoštičková, I., Konvalina, P., Šipoš, J., Rost, M. and Čurn, V., 2021. The Effect of Artificial Media and Temperature on the Growth and Development of the Honey Bee Brood Pathogen Ascosphaera apis. Biology, 10(5), p.431.
Li, J., Wang, T., Evans, J.D., Rose, R., Zhao, Y., Li, Z., Li, J., Huang, S., Heerman, M., Rodríguez-García, C. and Banmeke, O., 2019. The phylogeny and pathogenesis of sacbrood virus (SBV) infection in European honey bees, Apis mellifera. Viruses, 11(1), p.61.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: In my last podcast I was discussing the more serious honeybee diseases AFB and EFB. This time it's the turn of the not-so-tricky pests and diseases such as Chalkbrood, Wax Moth and also possibly the biggest threat to our colonies the Varroa Mite.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 246 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

References for today's podcast:
Mráz, P., Hýbl, M., Kopecký, M., Bohatá, A., Konopická, J., Hoštičková, I., Konvalina, P., Šipoš, J., Rost, M. and Čurn, V., 2021. The Effect of Artificial Media and Temperature on the Growth and Development of the Honey Bee Brood Pathogen Ascosphaera apis. Biology, 10(5), p.431.
Li, J., Wang, T., Evans, J.D., Rose, R., Zhao, Y., Li, Z., Li, J., Huang, S., Heerman, M., Rodríguez-García, C. and Banmeke, O., 2019. The phylogeny and pathogenesis of sacbrood virus (SBV) infection in European honey bees, Apis mellifera. Viruses, 11(1), p.61.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12282680 Sun, 12 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1035 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Varroa, Pests and Diseases of the honeybee, Chalk Brood, Sac Brood, Bald Brood, Chilled Brood 1 246 full false Episode 245: Pests and Diseases - Part 1 Episode 245: Pests and Diseases - Part 1 In this week's Podcast:  One of the biggest challenges beekeepers face each season is the identification of pests and diseases, working out how serious that problem is and then deciding what course of treatment to take. Here's part one of my summary of what to look out for.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 245 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

National Bee Unit Bee Inspectors list - click here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  One of the biggest challenges beekeepers face each season is the identification of pests and diseases, working out how serious that problem is and then deciding what course of treatment to take. Here's part one of my summary of what to look out for.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 245 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

National Bee Unit Bee Inspectors list - click here

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12185952 Sun, 05 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1150 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Honeybee Pests and Diseases, Honeybee Pests, Honeybee Diseases, AFB, EFB 1 245 full false Episode 244: Nosema Checks Episode 244: Nosema Checks In this week's Podcast: For beekeepers who are overwintering colonies, it may seem that Spring is still a long way off but there are things we can do to check the health of our bees. One of those is checking for nosema, stay tuned to hear some of my thoughts and what the results could mean for your coming season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 244 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

References for today's podcast:
1. Marín-García, Pablo Jesús, Yoorana Peyre, Ana Elena Ahuir-Baraja, María Magdalena Garijo, and Lola Llobat. 2022. "The Role of Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) in Honey Bee Colony Losses and Current Insights on Treatment" Veterinary Sciences 9, no. 3: 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9030130
2. Grupe AC II, Quandt CA (2020) A growing pandemic: A review of Nosema parasites in globally distributed domesticated and native bees. PLoS Pathog 16(6): e1008580. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008580

Brunel Microscopes: Microscopy for Beekeepers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: For beekeepers who are overwintering colonies, it may seem that Spring is still a long way off but there are things we can do to check the health of our bees. One of those is checking for nosema, stay tuned to hear some of my thoughts and what the results could mean for your coming season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 244 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

References for today's podcast:
1. Marín-García, Pablo Jesús, Yoorana Peyre, Ana Elena Ahuir-Baraja, María Magdalena Garijo, and Lola Llobat. 2022. "The Role of Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) in Honey Bee Colony Losses and Current Insights on Treatment" Veterinary Sciences 9, no. 3: 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9030130
2. Grupe AC II, Quandt CA (2020) A growing pandemic: A review of Nosema parasites in globally distributed domesticated and native bees. PLoS Pathog 16(6): e1008580. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008580

Brunel Microscopes: Microscopy for Beekeepers

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12138554 Sun, 26 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1090 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae, Nosema in honeybees, 1 244 full false Episode 243: Buying a Nucleus Colony of Honeybees Episode 243: Buying a Nucleus Colony of Honeybees In this week's Podcast: In the depths of Winter thoughts turn to warmer weather and the prospect, for many, of purchasing their first nucleus colony of honeybees. Here's what to expect and what to look out for.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 243 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

National Bee Unit Advisory Leaflets can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: In the depths of Winter thoughts turn to warmer weather and the prospect, for many, of purchasing their first nucleus colony of honeybees. Here's what to expect and what to look out for.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 243 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

National Bee Unit Advisory Leaflets can be found HERE

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12092832 Sun, 19 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1068 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Buying a Nucleus Colony of Honeybees, Buying honeybees, Buying a Nuc, 1 243 full false Episode 242: Pick a Hive, Any Hive! Episode 242: Pick a Hive, Any Hive! In this week's Podcast: For new beekeepers, the most important decision can be which hive type to use. With so many options out there it can be quite confusing, today I give my views on some of the most popular.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 242 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: For new beekeepers, the most important decision can be which hive type to use. With so many options out there it can be quite confusing, today I give my views on some of the most popular.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 242 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12044899 Sun, 12 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1002 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, New Beekeepers, Beginner Beekeeping, Bee hive types, National Bere hive, Langstroth, Commercial Bee Hive, 14x12, 1 242 full false Episode 241: Plans for 2023 Episode 241: Plans for 2023 In this week's Podcast: A new year means we can all look forward to an exciting new beekeeping season and there's no better way to get excited for it than to make some plans for the coming year. Stay tuned to hear what I have planned for the coming season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 241 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: A new year means we can all look forward to an exciting new beekeeping season and there's no better way to get excited for it than to make some plans for the coming year. Stay tuned to hear what I have planned for the coming season.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 241 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: |Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-12001112 Sun, 05 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1018 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Planning the beekeeping year, splits, nucs, queen rearing, 1 241 full false Episode 240: Happy New Year 2023 Episode 240: Happy New Year 2023 In this week's Podcast: My final podcast of 2022 or is it my first of 2023?! Another year slips by and we've had such fun this year. Here's my look back at the last twelve months and a thought or two about what our new beekeeping season is likely to bring.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 240 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: My final podcast of 2022 or is it my first of 2023?! Another year slips by and we've had such fun this year. Here's my look back at the last twelve months and a thought or two about what our new beekeeping season is likely to bring.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 240 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11956482 Sun, 29 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1066 |Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Happy New Year, 1 240 full false Episode 239: Hard Frosts and Green Woodpeckers Episode 239: Hard Frosts and Green Woodpeckers In this week's Podcast: It's been a really frosty week, temperatures dropping like a stone and woodpeckers paying a little too much attention to my beehives, listen in for my latest damage report.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 239 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been a really frosty week, temperatures dropping like a stone and woodpeckers paying a little too much attention to my beehives, listen in for my latest damage report.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 239 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11891670 Sun, 15 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1003 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Green Woodpeckers, Woodpecker damage to beehive, 1 239 full false Episode 238: Ekes, Leaks and Fondant! Episode 238: Ekes, Leaks and Fondant! In this week's Podcast: Eke's Leaks and Fondant, what a combination! What's an Eke I hear you say, stay tuned to find out more on that, the detective work on the leak continues and a chat about when and how to feed fondant over the Winter months.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 238 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Eke's Leaks and Fondant, what a combination! What's an Eke I hear you say, stay tuned to find out more on that, the detective work on the leak continues and a chat about when and how to feed fondant over the Winter months.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 238 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11849973 Sun, 08 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1059 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Fondant, Feeding bees in Winter, Eke's, 1 238 full false Episode 237: Cold, Clustered Honeybees Episode 237: Cold, Clustered Honeybees In this week's Podcast: We began our Oxalic Acid Winter treatments this week, the first batch of many. Our bees had their first taste of wintery weather and were Clustered together, stay tuned to find out why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 237 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: We began our Oxalic Acid Winter treatments this week, the first batch of many. Our bees had their first taste of wintery weather and were Clustered together, stay tuned to find out why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 237 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> https://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/podcast Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11808879 Sun, 01 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000 1064 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Oxalic Acid Treatment, Honeybees, Winter Cluster of Honeybees, 2023, 1 237 full false Episode 236: More Cleaning and Sorting Episode 236: More Cleaning and Sorting In this week's Podcast: The cleaning and sorting continue at a fair old pace, I'm reminded that a Christmas wish list needs compiling, and my mind is drawn to planning our Winter Oxalic Acid treatments.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 236 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk
Some links for your Christmas Wish List:
Guide to Bees & Honey: The World's Best Selling Guide to Beekeeping
Simon the Beekeeper Bee Suits
BBWear Bee Suits
Hive Tools
Queen Marking Pen


Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The cleaning and sorting continue at a fair old pace, I'm reminded that a Christmas wish list needs compiling, and my mind is drawn to planning our Winter Oxalic Acid treatments.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 236 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk
Some links for your Christmas Wish List:
Guide to Bees & Honey: The World's Best Selling Guide to Beekeeping
Simon the Beekeeper Bee Suits
BBWear Bee Suits
Hive Tools
Queen Marking Pen


Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11766318 Sun, 25 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000 1082 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Oxalic Acid Treatment for Honeybees, Oxalic Acid, 1 236 full false Episode 235: Scorching Boxes Episode 235: Scorching Boxes In this week's Podcast:  I've finally made a start on the Winter clean-up work, scraping and scorching wooden boxes in readiness for the new season, stay tuned to hear how I get it sorted.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 235 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  I've finally made a start on the Winter clean-up work, scraping and scorching wooden boxes in readiness for the new season, stay tuned to hear how I get it sorted.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 235 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11729633 Sun, 18 Dec 2022 09:00:00 +0000 1079 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Cleaning bee hives, Scorching boxes, Spring Clean, Beekeeping Trade Shows, 1 235 full false Episode 234: Microscopy Work and New Kit Episode 234: Microscopy Work and New Kit In this week's Podcast:  I have some exciting new honey room equipment to share with you today, I know I really should get out more but hey us beekeepers just love shiny new stainless steel. Listen in for this and much more.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 234 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Carl Fritz Frame Carousel

Brunel Microscopes

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast:  I have some exciting new honey room equipment to share with you today, I know I really should get out more but hey us beekeepers just love shiny new stainless steel. Listen in for this and much more.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 234 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Carl Fritz Frame Carousel

Brunel Microscopes

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11683133 Sun, 11 Dec 2022 09:00:00 +0000 938 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Extraction Room, Honey Room, Microscopy for Beekeepers 1 234 full false Episode 233: Removing Varroa Treatments Episode 233: Removing Varroa Treatments In this week's Podcast:  Last week we discussed veterinary medicines, importantly they have a treatment period that should not be exceeded, listen in to hear why and catch up with my beekeeping week.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 233 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Last week we discussed veterinary medicines, importantly they have a treatment period that should not be exceeded, listen in to hear why and catch up with my beekeeping week.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 233 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11638316 Sun, 04 Dec 2022 09:00:00 +0000 910 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Varroa Treatments, Varroa, 1 233 full false Episode 232: Beekeepers Veterinary Medicines & Records Episode 232: Beekeepers Veterinary Medicines & Records In this week's Podcast:  The records we keep form an important part of, understanding how our bees have performed, and the can inform our judgement of the treatments we use throughout the beekeeping season. Veterinary Medicines Records are an important part of these, as are the Authorised treatments we use. Listen in for a rundown of the current product list available to beekeepers.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 233 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Veterinary Medicines Directorate Website

National Bee Unit - Veterinary Medicines For Honeybees

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  The records we keep form an important part of, understanding how our bees have performed, and the can inform our judgement of the treatments we use throughout the beekeeping season. Veterinary Medicines Records are an important part of these, as are the Authorised treatments we use. Listen in for a rundown of the current product list available to beekeepers.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 233 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Veterinary Medicines Directorate Website

National Bee Unit - Veterinary Medicines For Honeybees

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11578901 Sun, 27 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000 933 Beekeeping, Beekeeping shor and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Treatments for Honeybees, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 1 232 full false Episode 231: Pallet Stands and Acetic Acid Episode 231: Pallet Stands and Acetic Acid In this week's Podcast:  This week it's pallets stands, grain store woes, Parasitic Mite Syndrome and Acetic acid Treatments, listen in for all this and more beekeeping chat.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 231 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  This week it's pallets stands, grain store woes, Parasitic Mite Syndrome and Acetic acid Treatments, listen in for all this and more beekeeping chat.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 231 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11550176 Sun, 20 Nov 2022 09:00:00 +0000 977 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, STewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Parasitic Mite Syndrome, Acetic Acid Treatment for bee hives, 1 231 full false Episode 230: Hefting and The Grain Store Episode 230: Hefting and The Grain Store In this week's Podcast:  I'm still playing catch up and this week that involved hefting, part science, part black magic, I was very happy with the results, listen in to hear how to practice before heading out to your hives.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 230 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  I'm still playing catch up and this week that involved hefting, part science, part black magic, I was very happy with the results, listen in to hear how to practice before heading out to your hives.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 230 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11507515 Sun, 13 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000 920 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Hefting Beehives, Feeding bees, Poly Hives, 1 230 full false Episode 229: Post Covid Chat Episode 229: Post Covid Chat In this week's Podcast:   It's October, I've survived Covid, and really need to catch up on a few jobs around the apiaries to make sure were still on track for a cosy Winter, listen in for my round-up and all things beekeeping.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 229 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:   It's October, I've survived Covid, and really need to catch up on a few jobs around the apiaries to make sure were still on track for a cosy Winter, listen in for my round-up and all things beekeeping.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 229 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11464612 Sun, 06 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000 998 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Wasps, Hornets, Autumn Feeding, 1 229 full false Episode 228: Cooler Autumn Conditions Episode 228: Cooler Autumn Conditions In this week's Podcast:  September has brought with it some much cooler conditions and as the days grow shorter we chase around to get bees treated and fed.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 228 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  September has brought with it some much cooler conditions and as the days grow shorter we chase around to get bees treated and fed.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 228 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11338118 Sun, 16 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0100 923 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Wasps, Beekeeping, Wax Moth, 1 228 full false Episode 227: Winter Preparations Episode 227: Winter Preparations In this week's Podcast:  What we do now in preparing our colonies for the Winter will have a direct impact on the bees. Not necessarily before the end of the year but more importantly, as we approach next Spring. Work carried out now, will reap its rewards, so don't delay.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 227 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Zukan Feed from Modern Beekeeping

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  What we do now in preparing our colonies for the Winter will have a direct impact on the bees. Not necessarily before the end of the year but more importantly, as we approach next Spring. Work carried out now, will reap its rewards, so don't delay.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 227 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Zukan Feed from Modern Beekeeping

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11256122 Sun, 02 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0100 881 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Varroa, Autumn Feeding of Honeybees, Hornets, 1 227 full false Episode 226: It Rained At Last Episode 226: It Rained At Last In this week's Podcast:  Finally,  we've had some rain, guess which beekeeper chose that day to spend strapping hives and tidying apiaries! Listen in for more of my beekeeping exploits, oh, and wasps have featured in our work once more.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 226 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Finally,  we've had some rain, guess which beekeeper chose that day to spend strapping hives and tidying apiaries! Listen in for more of my beekeeping exploits, oh, and wasps have featured in our work once more.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 226 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11215310 Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:00:00 +0100 904 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Wasps, Varroosis, Parasitic Mite Syndrome, 1 226 full false Episode 225: Maximum Effort Episode 225: Maximum Effort In this week's Podcast:  We’re really motoring right now, there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day and the jobs keep piling up. Listen in to hear how I spent one of my days this week.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 225 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Apistan Varroa Treatments link to Vita-Europe

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  We’re really motoring right now, there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day and the jobs keep piling up. Listen in to hear how I spent one of my days this week.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 225 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Apistan Varroa Treatments link to Vita-Europe

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11172039 Sun, 18 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0100 1036 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Varroa Treatments, Autumn Splits, Bee Farming, Commercial Beekeeping 1 225 full false Episode 224: It's a Sticky Mess! Episode 224: It's a Sticky Mess! 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Kirby's Auto Centre for all your Norwich and District-based motoring fixes

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Kirby's Auto Centre for all your Norwich and District-based motoring fixes

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11134014 Sun, 11 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0100 931 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Wasps, Trucks, Honey extraction, 1 224 full false Episode 223: Barrels of Honey Episode 223: Barrels of Honey 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 - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

For Autumn Feeding check out Modern Beekeeping

If you fancy birdwatching with me, grab the App "BIRDA"

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> 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 - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

For Autumn Feeding check out Modern Beekeeping

If you fancy birdwatching with me, grab the App "BIRDA"

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11092956 Sun, 04 Sep 2022 08:00:00 +0100 971 Beekeeping, Beekeeping SHort and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honey Barrels, Extraction room, Honey, Wasps, 1 223 full false Episode 222: Bumps in the Road Episode 222: Bumps in the Road 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 Sweet.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

For Autumn Feeding check out Modern Beekeeping

If you fancy birdwatching with me, grab the App "BIRDA"

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:


Support the show

]]> 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 Sweet.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

For Autumn Feeding check out Modern Beekeeping

If you fancy birdwatching with me, grab the App "BIRDA"

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11052529 Sun, 28 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0100 965 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Wasps, Borage Pollination, Borage, 1 222 full false Episode 221: Wasps! Episode 221: Wasps! 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-11017072 Sun, 21 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0100 826 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Wasps, Wasps attacking beehives, 1 221 full false Episode 220: Melting Beekeepers Episode 220: Melting Beekeepers 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 affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10973247 Sun, 14 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0100 925 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Wasps, Top entrance, Honey Production, 1 220 full false Episode 219: Elderflower Mead Episode 219: Elderflower Mead 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Norfolk Trailers in Norwich

Mead Making by Harry Riches

Mangrove Jack Mead Yeast


Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Norfolk Trailers in Norwich

Mead Making by Harry Riches

Mangrove Jack Mead Yeast


Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10933476 Sun, 07 Aug 2022 08:00:00 +0100 904 Stewart Spinks, Mead making, Mead, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, making mead, honey mead, 1 219 full false Episode 218: Foundation Sheets Versus Drawn Comb Episode 218: Foundation Sheets Versus Drawn Comb 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 part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Books by Celia Davis: The Honey Bee: Inside Out & The Honeybee Around and About

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Books by Celia Davis: The Honey Bee: Inside Out & The Honeybee Around and About

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10894624 Sun, 31 Jul 2022 08:00:00 +0100 980 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nectar Flow, Honey, Supers, 1 218 full false Episode 217: Lucky Swarm and Pollen Traps Episode 217: Lucky Swarm and Pollen Traps 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 part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10852638 Sun, 24 Jul 2022 08:00:00 +0100 890 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Pollen Traps, Swarming Bees, 1 217 full false Episode 216: Scorching Days and Caged Queens Episode 216: Scorching Days and Caged Queens 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 to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10816438 Sun, 17 Jul 2022 08:00:00 +0100 969 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybee Queens, 1 216 full false Episode 215: Summer Pollination Preparations Episode 215: Summer Pollination Preparations 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 affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10777149 Sun, 10 Jul 2022 08:00:00 +0100 965 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Pollination, Borage, Pumpkins, 1 215 full false Episode 214: The June Gap Episode 214: The June Gap 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 - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10738321 Sun, 03 Jul 2022 08:00:00 +0100 937 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, The June Gap, 1 214 full false Episode 213: Queen Introductions Episode 213: Queen Introductions 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 now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10698913 Sun, 26 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0100 918 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Introducing Honeybee Queens, Honey Production, Oilseed Rape, 1 213 full false Episode 212: Spring Honey Extraction Episode 212: Spring Honey Extraction 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10657212 Sun, 19 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0100 939 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Spring Honey, Extracting Honey, Beekeeping 1 212 full false Episode 211: The Shook Swarm Episode 211: The Shook Swarm 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 podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10618538 Sun, 12 Jun 2022 07:00:00 +0100 1000 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Shook Swarm, Parasitic Mite Syndrome, Varroa, 1 211 full false Episode 210: Swarms Aplenty! Episode 210: Swarms Aplenty! 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10578470 Sun, 05 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0100 861 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarms, Nucs, Honeybees, Beekeeping full false Episode 209: A Chilly Spring Week Episode 209: A Chilly Spring Week 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 part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10535022 Sun, 29 May 2022 08:00:00 +0100 911 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarming, Splitting Honeybee Colonies, Clipped Queens 1 209 full false Episode 208: First Swarm of 2022 Episode 208: First Swarm of 2022 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 is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Maisemore Commercial Poly Hive Link

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Maisemore Commercial Poly Hive Link

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10489775 Sun, 22 May 2022 08:00:00 +0100 924 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarms, Splits, Nucleus Colonies, 1 208 full false Episode 207: Scaling Up My Beekeeping Episode 207: Scaling Up My Beekeeping 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 - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10448292 Sun, 15 May 2022 08:00:00 +0100 947 Beekeeping SHort and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Scaling up Beekeeping, AFB, EFB, CBPV, Inspections, Queen cells 1 207 full false Episode 206: Let The Fun Begin! Episode 206: Let The Fun Begin! 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 is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10407784 Sun, 08 May 2022 08:00:00 +0100 887 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Drones, CBPV, Disease Checks 1 206 full false Episode 205: Cold Snap, Swarm Risk! Episode 205: Cold Snap, Swarm Risk! 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 that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10365007 Sun, 01 May 2022 08:00:00 +0100 911 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Spring Swarms, Warm Honey Room, 1 205 full false Episode 204: First Inspections 2022 Episode 204: First Inspections 2022 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 in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10315586 Sun, 24 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0100 971 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Spring Inspections, Beehive Inspections 1 204 full false Episode 203: Drones, Huh, What Are They Good For? Episode 203: Drones, Huh, What Are They Good For? 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 podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10278745 Sun, 17 Apr 2022 09:00:00 +0100 1003 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Drones, Honeybees, 1 203 full false Episode 202: Spring Inspections? Not Yet! Episode 202: Spring Inspections? Not Yet! 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 our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10225057 Fri, 08 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0100 910 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Spring Hive Inspections, 1 202 full false Episode 201: What's the Point of a Nuc Box? Episode 201: What's the Point of a Nuc Box? 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 beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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 beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10182447 Fri, 01 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0100 902 Beekeeping Shorty and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nuc Box, Honeybees, Beekeeping full false Episode 200: How To Profit From Your Season Episode 200: How To Profit From Your Season 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.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> 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.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10137907 Fri, 25 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000 894 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 200 full false Episode 199: High Winds and Big Pallets Episode 199: High Winds and Big Pallets In this week's Podcast:  It's a windy old week and I've been stacking pallets a little too high, I'm feeling a little nervous and it's not just the weather, listen in for the latest updates.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 199 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> In this week's Podcast:  It's a windy old week and I've been stacking pallets a little too high, I'm feeling a little nervous and it's not just the weather, listen in for the latest updates.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 199 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10092581 Fri, 18 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000 951 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Pollen Substitute, Feeding Honeybees, 1 199 full false Episode 198: Big Plans Afoot Episode 198: Big Plans Afoot In this week's Podcast:  Exciting news this week, so much so, I don't really know where to start! I need more bees, more hives and more room, listen in to hear how our season has hit a fork in the road and I've decided to say yes to the opportunity and further develop my honey production business.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 198 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Exciting news this week, so much so, I don't really know where to start! I need more bees, more hives and more room, listen in to hear how our season has hit a fork in the road and I've decided to say yes to the opportunity and further develop my honey production business.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 198 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10050276 Fri, 11 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000 947 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, 1 198 full false Episode 197: Snowdrops, Washing Soda and Toothache! Episode 197: Snowdrops, Washing Soda and Toothache! In this week's Podcast:  At Last,  I've seen my first snowdrops, we've been over at the workshop boiling frames and I have a rather painful toothache to contend with!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 197 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  At Last,  I've seen my first snowdrops, we've been over at the workshop boiling frames and I have a rather painful toothache to contend with!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 197 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-10010672 Fri, 04 Mar 2022 08:00:00 +0000 948 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Washing Soda, Cleaning Hives, 1 197 full false Episode 196: Timing In Beekeeping Is Everything Episode 196: Timing In Beekeeping Is Everything In this week's Podcast:  Getting the timing right when you're messing with your bees can be crucial to a good season, today I'm starting to look at specific timings that will affect the early part of our season here in Norfolk.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 196 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  Getting the timing right when you're messing with your bees can be crucial to a good season, today I'm starting to look at specific timings that will affect the early part of our season here in Norfolk.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 196 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9964629 Fri, 25 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000 946 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Winter Feeding of Honeybees 1 196 full false Episode 195: Feeding Time Episode 195: Feeding Time In this week's Podcast:  We've finally completed the Winter treatments, three rounds of oxalic acid sublimation and my thoughts now turn to what might be the most vulnerable time for our colonies, I'm also checking for Nosema, and chat about late winter feeding.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 195 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  We've finally completed the Winter treatments, three rounds of oxalic acid sublimation and my thoughts now turn to what might be the most vulnerable time for our colonies, I'm also checking for Nosema, and chat about late winter feeding.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 195 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9922322 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000 889 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Winter Feeding honeybees, Honeybees, Beekeeping, 1 195 full false Eppisode 194: Splits Boards and Demaree Eppisode 194: Splits Boards and Demaree In this week's Podcast:  While it's cold I've been trying to explain on video the new split board method which is very similar to the Demaree swarm control method, today I'll try to explain the subtle differences and I have some good news finally about the truck and trailer question.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 194 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Truck and Trailer Licencing Laws: Click Here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast:  While it's cold I've been trying to explain on video the new split board method which is very similar to the Demaree swarm control method, today I'll try to explain the subtle differences and I have some good news finally about the truck and trailer question.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 194 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Truck and Trailer Licencing Laws: Click Here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9880329 Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000 958 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Demaree Method, Split Board, Swarm Control, Colony Increase, 1 194 full false Episode 193: Varroa Population Growth Can Be Frightening Episode 193: Varroa Population Growth Can Be Frightening In this week's Podcast: It's turned frosty outside, I've more Varroa chat and an update on other beekeeping stuff to keep you amused, if only for a short while.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 193 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Varroa Research: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10
Bee Aware Varroa Info: https://beeaware.org.au/archive-pest/varroa-mites/#ad-image-0

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's turned frosty outside, I've more Varroa chat and an update on other beekeeping stuff to keep you amused, if only for a short while.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 193 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Varroa Research: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10
Bee Aware Varroa Info: https://beeaware.org.au/archive-pest/varroa-mites/#ad-image-0

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9842399 Fri, 04 Feb 2022 08:00:00 +0000 962 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Varroa Population Growth, Varroa destructor, Varroa treatment, Oxalic Acid Sublimation 1 193 full false Episode 192: Happy New Year! Episode 192: Happy New Year! In this week's Podcast: One year ends and another begins, our beekeeping calendar continues and as reports come in about high varroa numbers I wanted to remind everyone about the dangers of Oxalic Acid. Stay safe folks.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 192 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Varroa Research: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: One year ends and another begins, our beekeeping calendar continues and as reports come in about high varroa numbers I wanted to remind everyone about the dangers of Oxalic Acid. Stay safe folks.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 192 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Varroa Research: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9806930 Fri, 28 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000 888 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Varroa, Mites, Oxalic Acid, 1 192 full false Episode 191: Merry Christmas Everyone! Episode 191: Merry Christmas Everyone! In this week's Podcast: Merry Christmas Everyone, It's Christmas Eve.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 191 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Merry Christmas Everyone, It's Christmas Eve.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 191 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9783790 Fri, 21 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000 715 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Christmas, 1 191 full false Episode 190: Impulse Buys and That Damned Truck! Episode 190: Impulse Buys and That Damned Truck! In this week's Podcast: Sharing the adventures that don't always go to plan are sometimes the most helpful to others. Listen in for more truck troubles and the result of being an impulse buyer!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 190 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Sharing the adventures that don't always go to plan are sometimes the most helpful to others. Listen in for more truck troubles and the result of being an impulse buyer!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 190 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9732395 Fri, 14 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000 942 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Ford Ranger, Trailers, Honeybees 1 190 full false Episode 189: Planning for 2022 Episode 189: Planning for 2022 In this week's Podcast: With the Winter Solstice just around the corner it's time to flesh out some of those plans and get it down on paper. Consolidation in some areas, Growth in others, it's an exciting time to be a Bee Farmer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 189 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for all Your Honey Paw Poly Hive Needs

Brunel Microscopes - Suppliers of Microscopes for Beekeepers

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: With the Winter Solstice just around the corner it's time to flesh out some of those plans and get it down on paper. Consolidation in some areas, Growth in others, it's an exciting time to be a Bee Farmer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 189 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Modern Beekeeping for all Your Honey Paw Poly Hive Needs

Brunel Microscopes - Suppliers of Microscopes for Beekeepers

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9695937 Fri, 07 Jan 2022 08:00:00 +0000 889 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, UK Commercial Bee Farming, full false Episode 188: Home Sweet Home Episode 188: Home Sweet Home In this week's Podcast: Jet-lagged, not at all, back from the States and rested up ready to crack on with our Winter clean up. So, keep your seat belts securely fastened in case of turbulence and let's talk beekeeping!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 188 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

National Bee Unit's Annual Hive Count 2021: Click Here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Jet-lagged, not at all, back from the States and rested up ready to crack on with our Winter clean up. So, keep your seat belts securely fastened in case of turbulence and let's talk beekeeping!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 188 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

National Bee Unit's Annual Hive Count 2021: Click Here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9655704 Fri, 24 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000 834 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Hive records, Oxalic Acid Treatment, 1 188 full false Episode 187: Trailers and Association Struggles Episode 187: Trailers and Association Struggles In this week's Podcast: It's Holiday time, I'm off to the States, we've appointed a new apiary manager for our association and I've some new ideas for swarm control.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 187 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's Holiday time, I'm off to the States, we've appointed a new apiary manager for our association and I've some new ideas for swarm control.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 187 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9576391 Fri, 17 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000 888 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Trailers for Beekeepers, Beekeeping Associations, 1 187 full false Episode 186: Keep Calm and Plan Early! Episode 186: Keep Calm and Plan Early! In this week's Podcast: I've just returned from a trip to catch up with the borage and pumpkin farmer we worked with through the Summer. We had an interesting chat and there are big plans for next season, let's get planning!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 186 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: I've just returned from a trip to catch up with the borage and pumpkin farmer we worked with through the Summer. We had an interesting chat and there are big plans for next season, let's get planning!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 186 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9536240 Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000 876 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Planning for ther new season, 1 186 full false Episode 185: First Frosts Episode 185: First Frosts In this week's Podcast: It's been a chilly old week, I'm here to advocate you sell some honey and I've had a trip to Milton Keynes to stock up on honey room equipment.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 185 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's been a chilly old week, I'm here to advocate you sell some honey and I've had a trip to Milton Keynes to stock up on honey room equipment.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 185 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9489138 Fri, 03 Dec 2021 08:00:00 +0000 928 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Selling Honey, Feeding Bees 1 185 full false Episode 184: Question Time Episode 184: Question Time In this week's Podcast: Questions, Questions, Questions. You sent them in, and I'll do my best to give you an answer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 184 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Questions, Questions, Questions. You sent them in, and I'll do my best to give you an answer.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 184 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9454587 Fri, 26 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000 1059 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks 1 184 full false Episode 183: It's Microscopy Season Episode 183: It's Microscopy Season In this week's Podcast: As the days get shorter and the darker nights arrive you might be thinking there's less beekeeping to do but never fear it's time to dust down the microscope and delve into the microscopic world of pollen.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 183 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Microscopy Equipment: View it Here

Microscopy Books: Available via my web page

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: As the days get shorter and the darker nights arrive you might be thinking there's less beekeeping to do but never fear it's time to dust down the microscope and delve into the microscopic world of pollen.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 183 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk

Microscopy Equipment: View it Here

Microscopy Books: Available via my web page

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9413516 Fri, 19 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000 924 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Microscopy For Beekeepers, Microscopes, Pollen, 1 183 full false Episode 182: The Autumn Clean Up Episode 182: The Autumn Clean Up In this week's Podcast: This week I've been waging war on pests and diseases, it's not a complicated process and most would call it good housekeeping. Time then to put on the rubber gloves, light the stove and start the Autumn clean up.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 182 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: This week I've been waging war on pests and diseases, it's not a complicated process and most would call it good housekeeping. Time then to put on the rubber gloves, light the stove and start the Autumn clean up.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 182 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9372909 Fri, 12 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000 970 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Haw Ketchup, Cleaning Brood Frames 1 182 full false Episode 181: Fuel Shortages and Beekeeping Incompetence! Episode 181: Fuel Shortages and Beekeeping Incompetence! In this week's Podcast: The apiaries continue to get their Autumn tidy-up and I discover that I need to get a grip of my storage challenges before my hives get destroyed by an old adversary.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 181 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The apiaries continue to get their Autumn tidy-up and I discover that I need to get a grip of my storage challenges before my hives get destroyed by an old adversary.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 181 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either.
Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9332947 Fri, 05 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000 907 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Wax Moth, Poly Hives, Honey Paw Hives, 1 181 full false Episode 180: Farmers Markets and Treatment Removal Episode 180: Farmers Markets and Treatment Removal In this week's Podcast: Farmers markets and country fairs, sometimes they're great sometimes they're a flop, stay tuned to hear how I got on last week at the Holkham Hall Plant Fair here in Norfolk.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 180 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Visit Holkham Hall: Details can be found here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Farmers markets and country fairs, sometimes they're great sometimes they're a flop, stay tuned to hear how I got on last week at the Holkham Hall Plant Fair here in Norfolk.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 180 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Visit Holkham Hall: Details can be found here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9289300 Fri, 29 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0100 926 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Farmers Markets, 1 180 full false Episode 179: Chilly Mornings and Weekend Markets Episode 179: Chilly Mornings and Weekend Markets In this week's Podcast: The chilly mornings have begun, the nucs continue to pack away the fondant and I'm preparing products for a weekend market.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 179 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The chilly mornings have begun, the nucs continue to pack away the fondant and I'm preparing products for a weekend market.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 179 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9247379 Fri, 22 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0100 964 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Feeding Nucs, Farmers Markets, Bee Suits Review 1 179 full false Episode 178: Difficult Decisions Episode 178: Difficult Decisions In this week's Podcast: Our Autumn feeding continues, I'm uniting weaker colonies and we've even had a September swarm!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 178 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: Our Autumn feeding continues, I'm uniting weaker colonies and we've even had a September swarm!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 178 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9207048 Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0100 942 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Uniting colonies, Autumn Feeding, Autumn Swarms 1 178 full false Episode 177: Early Autumn Heatwave Episode 177: Early Autumn Heatwave In this week's Podcast: It's a scorcher! Temperatures have been hitting the high 20's Celsius, that's up in the 80's Fahrenheit. It's a great time for continued inspections to make sure colonies are Queen right.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 177 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Apimix 75 Syrup and other feed available from Modern Beekeeping

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: It's a scorcher! Temperatures have been hitting the high 20's Celsius, that's up in the 80's Fahrenheit. It's a great time for continued inspections to make sure colonies are Queen right.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 177 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Apimix 75 Syrup and other feed available from Modern Beekeeping

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9165227 Fri, 08 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0100 920 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Feeding Bees, Feeding Honeybees 1 177 full false Episode 176: Autumn Colony Assessments Episode 176: Autumn Colony Assessments In this week's Podcast: In this week's Podcast, Finally, we have all the colonies home safely and the process of assessing, feeding and uniting starts in earnest.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 176 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: In this week's Podcast, Finally, we have all the colonies home safely and the process of assessing, feeding and uniting starts in earnest.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 176 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9127195 Fri, 01 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0100 889 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Colony Assessment, Autumn Preparations 1 176 full false Episode 175: Sometimes Beekeeping Goes Wrong! Episode 175: Sometimes Beekeeping Goes Wrong! In this week's Podcast: The return from the borage continues and I'm confronted with bees that really don't want to stay in their new homes!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 175 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> In this week's Podcast: The return from the borage continues and I'm confronted with bees that really don't want to stay in their new homes!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 175 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 hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9090459 Fri, 24 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0100 979 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Borage, Nucleus Colonies 1 175 full false Episode 174: Late Summer Splits & Apiary Maintenance Episode 174: Late Summer Splits & Apiary Maintenance Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 174 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week, troubles with Splits, queens disappearing and a jungle of an apiary that needs urgent attention

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 174 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week, troubles with Splits, queens disappearing and a jungle of an apiary that needs urgent attention

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9056087 Fri, 17 Sep 2021 08:00:00 +0100 919 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Late Summer Splits, Making Nucs, Honeybee Queens, 1 174 full false Episode 173: Our Honey Extraction Kit Episode 173: Our Honey Extraction Kit Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 173 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week I'm in the Honey Room and we've got a few nice bits of kit to help make the job easier without breaking the bank.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 173 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week I'm in the Honey Room and we've got a few nice bits of kit to help make the job easier without breaking the bank.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-9019866 Fri, 10 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0100 954 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Honey Paw Hives, Simon The Beekeeper, Apimelter, Honey Extraction, Extracting Honey, 1 173 full false Episode 172: Supers, Varroa and Wasps Episode 172: Supers, Varroa and Wasps Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 172 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  It's an exciting time of the year, It's honey harvest time, but it's also a time to stay focussed and make sure we're on track for the Autumn.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 172 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  It's an exciting time of the year, It's honey harvest time, but it's also a time to stay focussed and make sure we're on track for the Autumn.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8973183 Fri, 03 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0100 963 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honey, Wasps, 1 172 full false Episode 171: Is My Honey Ready? Episode 171: Is My Honey Ready? Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 171 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week's big question on social media and from those beginner beekeepers I mentor has been "Is my Honey Ready to Extract?" Stay tuned to let me explain how you can judge for yourself.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 171 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week's big question on social media and from those beginner beekeepers I mentor has been "Is my Honey Ready to Extract?" Stay tuned to let me explain how you can judge for yourself.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8936707 Fri, 27 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +0100 904 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honey 1 171 full false Episode 170: The End is Nigh! Episode 170: The End is Nigh! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 170 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  One Week to go, just one more week and my traditional season end will be upon us. With so much still to do, I have a race to get the honey room ready for the big extraction.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 170 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  One Week to go, just one more week and my traditional season end will be upon us. With so much still to do, I have a race to get the honey room ready for the big extraction.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8904772 Fri, 20 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +0100 917 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks 1 170 full false Episode 169: Prepping Nucs for Autumn Episode 169: Prepping Nucs for Autumn Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 169 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  I'm not sure where Summer is as yet, we've had cooler, wet days with a few brighter intervals but nothing to get very excited about, I am getting excited about our Autumn Nuc plans though.


Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 169 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  I'm not sure where Summer is as yet, we've had cooler, wet days with a few brighter intervals but nothing to get very excited about, I am getting excited about our Autumn Nuc plans though.


Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8868946 Fri, 13 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +0100 933 beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Preparing Nucs for Autumn, 1 169 full false Episode 168: The Top Bar Hive Disaster Episode 168: The Top Bar Hive Disaster Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 168 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  I'm always willing to share when I get things wrong and this week I discovered a calamity with the Top Bar Hive. Listen in to hear what went wrong.


Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 168 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  I'm always willing to share when I get things wrong and this week I discovered a calamity with the Top Bar Hive. Listen in to hear what went wrong.


Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8830928 Fri, 06 Aug 2021 08:00:00 +0100 933 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Top Bar Hive, Beekeeping, 1 168 full false Episode 167: Moving Bees, Preventing Disasters! Episode 167: Moving Bees, Preventing Disasters! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 167 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Have you ever tried to move bee hives? Just a couple of feet or maybe a hundred miles, either way it needs careful consideration, sometimes it goes well, other times, well let's just say you have to put it down to experience!


Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 167 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Have you ever tried to move bee hives? Just a couple of feet or maybe a hundred miles, either way it needs careful consideration, sometimes it goes well, other times, well let's just say you have to put it down to experience!


Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8794371 Fri, 30 Jul 2021 08:00:00 +0100 979 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Stewart Spinks 1 167 full false Episode 166: Borage and The Truck Episode 166: Borage and The Truck Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 166 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Borage and my Ford Ranger Truck, these are the two things keeping me awake at night at the moment, listen in to find out why.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

References:
Stawiarz, Ernest & Wróblewska, Anna & Masierowska, Marzena & Sadowska, Dagmara. (2020). Flowering, Forage Value, and Insect Pollination in Borage (Borago Officinalis L.) Cultivated in Se Poland. Journal of Apicultural Science. 64. 10.2478/jas-2020-0005.
Galwey NW, Shirlin AJ (1990) Selection of borage (Borago officinalis) as a seed crop for pharmaceutical uses. Heredity 65:249-257.
  Arthur R Davis, Shauna Mitchell and David Junor  1997 The Importance of Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera L.) as Pollinators of Borage (Borago Officinalis L.) in Saskatchewan

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 166 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Borage and my Ford Ranger Truck, these are the two things keeping me awake at night at the moment, listen in to find out why.

Sponsorship: I'm delighted to say that our podcast is now sponsored in part by Simon The Beekeeper - 'Making beekeeping an affordable hobby for everyone, Simon the Beekeeper provides the best value beekeeping equipment possible, along with a super-fast delivery service. The bees won’t wait, so their customers don't have to either. Visit the website at www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk'

References:
Stawiarz, Ernest & Wróblewska, Anna & Masierowska, Marzena & Sadowska, Dagmara. (2020). Flowering, Forage Value, and Insect Pollination in Borage (Borago Officinalis L.) Cultivated in Se Poland. Journal of Apicultural Science. 64. 10.2478/jas-2020-0005.
Galwey NW, Shirlin AJ (1990) Selection of borage (Borago officinalis) as a seed crop for pharmaceutical uses. Heredity 65:249-257.
  Arthur R Davis, Shauna Mitchell and David Junor  1997 The Importance of Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera L.) as Pollinators of Borage (Borago Officinalis L.) in Saskatchewan

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8756417 Fri, 23 Jul 2021 08:00:00 +0100 913 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Simon The Beekeeper, Borage Honey, 1 166 full false Episode 165: A Funny Thing Happened Episode 165: A Funny Thing Happened Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 165 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  I have a question for you, Do swarms have a preference for where they settle? Two swarms, just days apart, both in the same tree, is that just coincidence?

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
Thornes Beehives: Spanset Straps available here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 165 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  I have a question for you, Do swarms have a preference for where they settle? Two swarms, just days apart, both in the same tree, is that just coincidence?

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
Thornes Beehives: Spanset Straps available here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8718332 Fri, 16 Jul 2021 08:00:00 +0100 939 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Swarms, 1 165 full false Episode 164: Working Safely in the Apiary Episode 164: Working Safely in the Apiary Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 164 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week we have another week of glorious sunshine, complaints about the heat and a warning about beekeepers Health and Safety in the apiary.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 164 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  This week we have another week of glorious sunshine, complaints about the heat and a warning about beekeepers Health and Safety in the apiary.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8678128 Fri, 09 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0100 987 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Swarms, Shook Swarm, Safety at Work 1 164 full false Episode 163: Dripping Nectar and Collecting Pollen Episode 163: Dripping Nectar and Collecting Pollen Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 163 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  It's been a solid week of sunshine, the hives are dripping with nectar and I've also started collecting some pollen, listen in to find out why.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 163 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  It's been a solid week of sunshine, the hives are dripping with nectar and I've also started collecting some pollen, listen in to find out why.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8642181 Fri, 02 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0100 900 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Nectar, pollen, collecting pollen, Nectar Flow, 1 163 full false Episode 162: Rain Stops Play Episode 162: Rain Stops Play Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 162 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Once again the weather has me beaten, but there's warmer weather heading our way and so I'm starting my queen rearing programme.

Simon The Beekeeper - Bee Suit, Nicot Kits and Much More
Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 162 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Once again the weather has me beaten, but there's warmer weather heading our way and so I'm starting my queen rearing programme.

Simon The Beekeeper - Bee Suit, Nicot Kits and Much More
Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8597042 Fri, 25 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0100 942 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Nicot Queen Rearing, Queen Rearing, Simon The Beekeeper, 1 162 full false Episode 161: Swarms, Splits, Stings and Things Episode 161: Swarms, Splits, Stings and Things Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 161 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Four seasons in one week, swarms that refuse to stay, being picked on by stinging bees and a Spring honey crop that's disappearing fast, so much to enjoy in this beekeepers world.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 161 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Four seasons in one week, swarms that refuse to stay, being picked on by stinging bees and a Spring honey crop that's disappearing fast, so much to enjoy in this beekeepers world.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8558406 Fri, 18 Jun 2021 08:00:00 +0100 937 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Swarms, Honeybees, Splits, Bee Stings, 1 161 full false Episode 160: So It Begins! Episode 160: So It Begins! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 160 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Eventually, the weather breaks, the sun shines and all hell breaks loose! We've been out and about inspecting colonies adding boxes and chasing swarms!

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 160 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast:  Eventually, the weather breaks, the sun shines and all hell breaks loose! We've been out and about inspecting colonies adding boxes and chasing swarms!

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8512398 Fri, 11 Jun 2021 06:00:00 +0100 881 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Swarms, Honeybees, Honey, 1 160 full false Episode 159: It's Still Cold! Episode 159: It's Still Cold! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 159 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Another frosty week, cold days and would you believe it, starving bees, It's May for heaven's sake! Swarming is imminent but when are we ever going to get into our hives, stay tuned for this week's update on all things beekeeping here at The Norfolk Honey Company.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 159 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Another frosty week, cold days and would you believe it, starving bees, It's May for heaven's sake! Swarming is imminent but when are we ever going to get into our hives, stay tuned for this week's update on all things beekeeping here at The Norfolk Honey Company.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8476168 Fri, 04 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0100 906 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Honeybees 1 159 full false Episode 158: Do Pheasants Have Ears? Episode 158: Do Pheasants Have Ears? Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 158 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: It's official, this has been the frostiest April for the last 60 years, that's the frostiest April I've ever seen, no wonder the bees are still shivering. Never fear, May is on its way with warmer weather for us and our bees to enjoy.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 158 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: It's official, this has been the frostiest April for the last 60 years, that's the frostiest April I've ever seen, no wonder the bees are still shivering. Never fear, May is on its way with warmer weather for us and our bees to enjoy.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8430838 Fri, 28 May 2021 06:00:00 +0100 928 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, Swarming, Honeybees, Beekeeping 1 158 full false Episode 157: Disease Inspections Episode 157: Disease Inspections Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 157 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Still we have frosts but daytime temperatures are rising, the bees are flying and finally I've been able to get into the hives and see what's going on, it's time for disease inspections.

Checking for Chalkbrood Video can be viewed here
Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 157 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Still we have frosts but daytime temperatures are rising, the bees are flying and finally I've been able to get into the hives and see what's going on, it's time for disease inspections.

Checking for Chalkbrood Video can be viewed here
Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8388825 Fri, 21 May 2021 07:00:00 +0100 860 STewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Honeybees, Disease Inspections, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, 1 157 full false Episode 156: First Tentative Inspections Episode 156: First Tentative Inspections Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 156 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: What a difference a week makes, temperatures of 20 degrees celsius have given way to days barely above freezing. Stay tuned for updates on how this is affecting my colonies and why the number 35 is so important to our honeybees.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 156 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: What a difference a week makes, temperatures of 20 degrees celsius have given way to days barely above freezing. Stay tuned for updates on how this is affecting my colonies and why the number 35 is so important to our honeybees.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8345670 Fri, 14 May 2021 07:00:00 +0100 1074 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Honeybees 1 156 full false Episode 155: A Frosty Easter Weekend Episode 155: A Frosty Easter Weekend Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 155 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: What a difference a week makes, temperatures of 20 degrees celsius have given way to days barely above freezing. Stay tuned for updates on how this is affecting my colonies and why the number 35 is so important to our honeybees.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
E.H. Thorne (Beehives) Ltd: Hive Straps and Nicot System
Simon The Beekeeper: Nicot Queen Rearing System
Beekeeping Supplies UK: Nicot Queen Rearing System

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 155 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: What a difference a week makes, temperatures of 20 degrees celsius have given way to days barely above freezing. Stay tuned for updates on how this is affecting my colonies and why the number 35 is so important to our honeybees.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
E.H. Thorne (Beehives) Ltd: Hive Straps and Nicot System
Simon The Beekeeper: Nicot Queen Rearing System
Beekeeping Supplies UK: Nicot Queen Rearing System

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8301957 Fri, 07 May 2021 07:00:00 +0100 1052 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Nicot Queen Rearing, Nicot, Queenrearing, Honeybees 1 155 full false Episode 154: A Sunny Day in the Apiary Episode 154: A Sunny Day in the Apiary Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 154 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: A beautifully sunny Spring day sat in the apiary musing about records, first inspections and general beekeeping "stuff".

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 154 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: A beautifully sunny Spring day sat in the apiary musing about records, first inspections and general beekeeping "stuff".

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8252926 Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0100 1374 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, Honeybees, Beekeeping 1 154 full false Episode 153: What's in your Wash Bucket? Episode 153: What's in your Wash Bucket? Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 153 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: The new season is upon us and I have some great tips for beginner beekeepers about what to keep in their wash bucket. Stay tuned for more beekeeping chat and a reminder about the National Honey Monitoring Scheme.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
National Honey Monitoring Scheme - working with UK beekeepers to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the countryside.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 153 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: The new season is upon us and I have some great tips for beginner beekeepers about what to keep in their wash bucket. Stay tuned for more beekeeping chat and a reminder about the National Honey Monitoring Scheme.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
National Honey Monitoring Scheme - working with UK beekeepers to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the countryside.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8215056 Fri, 23 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0100 964 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, National Honey Monitoring Scheme, 1 153 full false Episode 152: First Inspections Ahead Episode 152: First Inspections Ahead Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 152 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Mid-March already and inspections have yet to start. It really won't be long, so here are some reminders of what to look for and a warning of the "Red Zone".

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 152 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Mid-March already and inspections have yet to start. It really won't be long, so here are some reminders of what to look for and a warning of the "Red Zone".

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8170837 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0100 941 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, 1 152 full false Episode 151: A Wet and Windy March Episode 151: A Wet and Windy March Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 151 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: It's March, the weather is on it's usual Spring rollercoaster and we've been planning some queen rearing for the coming season with our coaching plus group, so stay tuned to hear some of my thoughts for this season's queen rearing activities.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 151 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: It's March, the weather is on it's usual Spring rollercoaster and we've been planning some queen rearing for the coming season with our coaching plus group, so stay tuned to hear some of my thoughts for this season's queen rearing activities.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8127120 Fri, 09 Apr 2021 08:00:00 +0100 952 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Queen Rearing for Beekeepers, Queen Rearing 1 151 full false Episode 150: Nervous Times! Episode 150: Nervous Times! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 150 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: The sun has disappeared, it actually snowed again, and tomorrow, I'm off to the dentist, plenty of reasons to feel nervous!

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 150 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: The sun has disappeared, it actually snowed again, and tomorrow, I'm off to the dentist, plenty of reasons to feel nervous!

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8081018 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0100 959 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Honeybees 1 150 full false Episode 149: Understanding Aggression in Honeybees Episode 149: Understanding Aggression in Honeybees Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 149 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Warmer weather and Spring is in the air, but some beekeepers will be facing some uncomfortable moments with aggressive and grumpy bees. Today, I'm going to try to help you understand why.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 149 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Warmer weather and Spring is in the air, but some beekeepers will be facing some uncomfortable moments with aggressive and grumpy bees. Today, I'm going to try to help you understand why.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-8033484 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000 1051 Beekeeping Short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Genetics, Aggressive Honeybees 1 149 full false Episode 148: Beekeepers, Sit On Your Hands! Episode 148: Beekeepers, Sit On Your Hands! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 148 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: The snow has gone and temperatures are set to rise but I need you all to do something for me, don't inspect your bees this weekend, please, just sit on your hands!

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
Interesting Chalkbrood Paper -  Chalkbrood disease in honey bees 

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 148 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: The snow has gone and temperatures are set to rise but I need you all to do something for me, don't inspect your bees this weekend, please, just sit on your hands!

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
Interesting Chalkbrood Paper -  Chalkbrood disease in honey bees 

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7941151 Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000 970 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Chalkbrood, Honeybee pests and diseases 1 148 full false Episode 147: The Icy Blast Episode 147: The Icy Blast Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 147 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Candlemas day lets me down, we have a blast of icy weather from  the East and I ponder the size of my colonies.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 147 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Candlemas day lets me down, we have a blast of icy weather from  the East and I ponder the size of my colonies.

Honey Paw Hives -  Poly Langstroth Hives Designed by Beekeepers, for Beekeepers
Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7823686 Fri, 12 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000 873 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Beehives 1 147 full false Episode 146: February Tasks and Other Stuff Episode 146: February Tasks and Other Stuff Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 146 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: It's February, still cold, still grey outside but the days are lengthening and you can almost see the start of the new season. But wait, there are still jobs to do and bees to check.

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
National Bee Unit -  Fact Sheet No 5: Buying Bees

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 146 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: It's February, still cold, still grey outside but the days are lengthening and you can almost see the start of the new season. But wait, there are still jobs to do and bees to check.

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
National Bee Unit -  Fact Sheet No 5: Buying Bees

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7669675 Fri, 05 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000 957 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet full false Episode 145: Neonicotinoids in The UK Episode 145: Neonicotinoids in The UK  

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 145 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Here in the UK the Government has approved the emergency use of Neonicotinoids sending alarm bells ringing among some beekeeping and conservation groups. It's time to open the can of worms.

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

References relating to the Neonicotinoid Discussion:
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/daniel-raichel/ten-things-you-always-wanted-know-about-neonics
https://www.syngenta-us.com/thrive/research/untold-benefits.html
https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-016-0072-9
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55566438
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/07/08/bees-neonicotinoids-bayer-syngenta-eu-ban-loophole/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/09/pesticide-believed-kill-bees-authorised-use-england-eu-farmers
https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/files/22065434/scy072.pdf
https://training.fws.gov/resources/course-resources/pesticides/Terrestrial%20Effects/Goulson.pdf
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55766035

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]>  

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 145 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Here in the UK the Government has approved the emergency use of Neonicotinoids sending alarm bells ringing among some beekeeping and conservation groups. It's time to open the can of worms.

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

References relating to the Neonicotinoid Discussion:
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/daniel-raichel/ten-things-you-always-wanted-know-about-neonics
https://www.syngenta-us.com/thrive/research/untold-benefits.html
https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-016-0072-9
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55566438
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/07/08/bees-neonicotinoids-bayer-syngenta-eu-ban-loophole/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/09/pesticide-believed-kill-bees-authorised-use-england-eu-farmers
https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/files/22065434/scy072.pdf
https://training.fws.gov/resources/course-resources/pesticides/Terrestrial%20Effects/Goulson.pdf
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55766035

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7552180 Fri, 26 Feb 2021 07:00:00 +0000 1094 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Neonicotinoids, UK Neonicotinoids 1 145 full false Episode 144 Nosema Testing Protocol Episode 144 Nosema Testing Protocol Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 144 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I chat about the method I use to test for Nosema, an infectious disease of the honeybee gut that causes dysentery and can slow a colony from building in Spring.

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
Check out my Nosema Testing Video Here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 144 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I chat about the method I use to test for Nosema, an infectious disease of the honeybee gut that causes dysentery and can slow a colony from building in Spring.

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups
Check out my Nosema Testing Video Here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7407460 Fri, 19 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000 949 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Nosema, Honeybees, Beekeeping 1 144 full false Episode 143: Planning for 2021 Episode 143: Planning for 2021 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 143 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: More planning for 2021, managing bees in cold weather and Zukan Bee Feeds

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 143 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: More planning for 2021, managing bees in cold weather and Zukan Bee Feeds

Zukan Bee Feeds - Apipasta Fondants, Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, and Apimix Syrups

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7288153 Fri, 12 Feb 2021 08:00:00 +0000 925 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping 1 143 full false Episode 142: Early Season Queen Rearing Episode 142: Early Season Queen Rearing Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 142 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Early Season Queen Rearing, New Kit, and a little snow!

Modern Beekeeping: Apipasta Fondant

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 142 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Early Season Queen Rearing, New Kit, and a little snow!

Modern Beekeeping: Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7190080 Fri, 05 Feb 2021 08:00:00 +0000 930 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Stuart Spinks 142 full false Episode 141: Happy New Year and Winter Feeding Strategy Episode 141: Happy New Year and Winter Feeding Strategy Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 141 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Happy New Year and my Winter Feeding Strategy

Modern Beekeeping: Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 141 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Happy New Year and my Winter Feeding Strategy

Modern Beekeeping: Apipasta Fondant

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-7089622 Fri, 29 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000 1084 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping full false Episode 140: Starving Bees and a Quick Fix Episode 140: Starving Bees and a Quick Fix Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 140 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: This week, more hefting and a couple of very light colonies cause concern but  resolving the issue is a simple fix.

Modern Beekeeping: Apipasta Fondant
Oxalic Acid Sublimation Research Paper

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 140 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: This week, more hefting and a couple of very light colonies cause concern but  resolving the issue is a simple fix.

Modern Beekeeping: Apipasta Fondant
Oxalic Acid Sublimation Research Paper

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6907526 Fri, 15 Jan 2021 07:00:00 +0000 909 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Varroa Treatments, Oxalic Acid 1 140 full false Episode 139: Clear Coverboards and Top Bar Hive Stuff Episode 139: Clear Coverboards and Top Bar Hive Stuff Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 139 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: This week I've been out hefting and looking through clear coverboards and we also had a brilliant Zoom gathering so listen in for more beekeeping fun.

Check out our new products here: www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 139 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: This week I've been out hefting and looking through clear coverboards and we also had a brilliant Zoom gathering so listen in for more beekeeping fun.

Check out our new products here: www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6798853 Fri, 08 Jan 2021 08:00:00 +0000 925 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks full false Episode 138: New Product Launch and Oxalic Acid Treatments Episode 138: New Product Launch and Oxalic Acid Treatments Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 138 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Our new product launch finally happened and I'm focussing on Oxalic Acid treatments and how best to achieve a varroa free Winter.

Check out our new products here: www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 138 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Our new product launch finally happened and I'm focussing on Oxalic Acid treatments and how best to achieve a varroa free Winter.

Check out our new products here: www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Tags: Beekeeping Short and SweetBeekeepingStewart Spinks

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6686939 Fri, 01 Jan 2021 08:00:00 +0000 919 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stuart Spinks 1 138 full false Episode 137: Dead Colonies and Oxalic Acid Treatment Episode 137: Dead Colonies and Oxalic Acid Treatment Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 137 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I'm trying to figure out how best to use the plastic frames and also having a crack at making sloe gin with honey

Randy Oliver's Scientific Beekeeping Website can be found HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 137 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I'm trying to figure out how best to use the plastic frames and also having a crack at making sloe gin with honey

Randy Oliver's Scientific Beekeeping Website can be found HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6575173 Fri, 25 Dec 2020 07:00:00 +0000 944 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Honeybees, Oxalic Acid Treatment 1 137 full false Episode 136 Waxing Frames and Sloe Gin with Honey Episode 136 Waxing Frames and Sloe Gin with Honey Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 136 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I'm trying to figure out how best to use the plastic frames and also having a crack at making sloe gin with honey

For great advice and superb products visit Paul at Modern Beekeeping

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 136 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I'm trying to figure out how best to use the plastic frames and also having a crack at making sloe gin with honey

For great advice and superb products visit Paul at Modern Beekeeping

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6469387 Fri, 18 Dec 2020 08:00:00 +0000 935 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping, Sloe Gin, Sloe Gin with Honey 1 136 full false Episode 135: Plans for 2021 Episode 135: Plans for 2021 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 135 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Time to start thinking about changes for next season and think about different methods of managing some colonies

Check out Google Scholar here
The International Bee Research Association can be found here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 135 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Time to start thinking about changes for next season and think about different methods of managing some colonies

Check out Google Scholar here
The International Bee Research Association can be found here

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6355231 Fri, 11 Dec 2020 08:00:00 +0000 912 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Honey Paw Hives 1 135 full false Episode 134: My 2020 Season Summary Episode 134: My 2020 Season Summary Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 134 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: My look back at the 2020 Beekeeping Season, The Good, The Bad, and The Exciting.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 134 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: My look back at the 2020 Beekeeping Season, The Good, The Bad, and The Exciting.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6248251 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 08:00:00 +0000 863 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beginner Beekeeping, Getting Started in Beekeeping 1 134 full false Episode 133: National Honey SHow and Stuff Episode 133: National Honey SHow and Stuff Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 133 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: My Virtual trip to the 2020 Virtual National Honey Show and a round up of other beekeeping stuff.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 133 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: My Virtual trip to the 2020 Virtual National Honey Show and a round up of other beekeeping stuff.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6139597 Fri, 27 Nov 2020 08:00:00 +0000 891 Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, National Honey Show 1 133 full false Episode 132: Sumps, Pumps, Mead and Zoom Episode 132: Sumps, Pumps, Mead and Zoom Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 131 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Finally, I've got myself into a Virtual Beekeeping Meeting, we get cleaning the honey sump and pump and this week I promise, I will update you on how the mead making is going.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment on their website - link above.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 131 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Finally, I've got myself into a Virtual Beekeeping Meeting, we get cleaning the honey sump and pump and this week I promise, I will update you on how the mead making is going.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment on their website - link above.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-6011752 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000 922 Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Making Mead, Mead, Lyson Honey Sump. Lyson Honey Pump, Honey Sump, Honey full false Episode 131: Book Review - Honey by Dr. Eva Crane Episode 131: Book Review - Honey by Dr. Eva Crane Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 131 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: My weekly beekeeping roundup and a review of a reprinted book that has been much sought after by beekeepers for many years.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

Today's podcast is sponsored in part by Northern Bee Books who have supplied a FOC copy of the newly reprinted book Honey - A Comprehensive Survey by Dr. Eva Crane. Published by International Bee Research Association & Northern Bee Books. 2020
ISBN: 978-0-86098-292-0

I’m also grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 131 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: My weekly beekeeping roundup and a review of a reprinted book that has been much sought after by beekeepers for many years.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

Today's podcast is sponsored in part by Northern Bee Books who have supplied a FOC copy of the newly reprinted book Honey - A Comprehensive Survey by Dr. Eva Crane. Published by International Bee Research Association & Northern Bee Books. 2020
ISBN: 978-0-86098-292-0

I’m also grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5921065 Fri, 13 Nov 2020 07:00:00 +0000 1002 Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Dr. Eva Crane, Honey A Comprehensive Survey, Book Review 1 131 full false Episode 130: Stop Inspecting Your Hives! Episode 130: Stop Inspecting Your Hives! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 130 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I've had a couple of messages and emails this week from worried beekeepers inspecting hives, listen in for my suggestions, and an update on the past week.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, and welcome to Episode 130 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I've had a couple of messages and emails this week from worried beekeepers inspecting hives, listen in for my suggestions, and an update on the past week.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5813533 Fri, 06 Nov 2020 07:00:00 +0000 880 Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, 1 130 full false Episode 129: Autumnal Checks and Mead Episode 129: Autumnal Checks and Mead Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 129 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Autumn always brings its own share of challenges, not least the high winds we've been experiencing. Coming up, some of my autumn checks, and I'm having another try at making mead!


Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 129 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Autumn always brings its own share of challenges, not least the high winds we've been experiencing. Coming up, some of my autumn checks, and I'm having another try at making mead!


Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5705437 Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:00:00 +0000 912 Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping Podcast 1 129 full false Episode 128: Watching Bees, New Equipment and The Team Grows Episode 128: Watching Bees, New Equipment and The Team Grows Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 128 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Hands up anyone who's forgotten to do something around the apiary this Autumn! I made a discovery yesterday that proves we're all just stumbling our way to beekeeping excellence, stay tuned to hear of my minor faux par, some exciting equipment news and we have another new member of the team to introduce.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 128 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: Hands up anyone who's forgotten to do something around the apiary this Autumn! I made a discovery yesterday that proves we're all just stumbling our way to beekeeping excellence, stay tuned to hear of my minor faux par, some exciting equipment news and we have another new member of the team to introduce.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5597674 Fri, 23 Oct 2020 07:00:00 +0100 992 Stewart Spinks, Stuart Spinks, Beekeeping SHort and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 128 full false Episode 127: Queenless Autumn Colony or Not? Episode 127: Queenless Autumn Colony or Not? Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 12 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I take a walk around my apiaries and discuss possible Queenless Autumn colonies and what might be happening.
GET TWO MONTHS FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MY CONTENT HERE

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 12 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I take a walk around my apiaries and discuss possible Queenless Autumn colonies and what might be happening.
GET TWO MONTHS FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MY CONTENT HERE

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5481802 Fri, 16 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0100 949 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 127 full false Episode 126: Feeding The Top Bar Hive and Uniting Colonies Episode 126: Feeding The Top Bar Hive and Uniting Colonies Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 126 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I'm feeding the top bar hive and have a thorough explanation of uniting two colonies in preparation for Winter.
GET TWO MONTHS FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MY CONTENT HERE

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 126 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: I'm feeding the top bar hive and have a thorough explanation of uniting two colonies in preparation for Winter.
GET TWO MONTHS FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MY CONTENT HERE

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5393491 Fri, 09 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1116 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Top Bar Hive, Keeping Bees, 1 126 full false Episode 125: Wasps, Flighty Queens and Weak Hives Episode 125: Wasps, Flighty Queens and Weak Hives Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 125 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: We’ve had wasp attacks, new queens taking to the air and I’ve been pondering what to do with our weaker colonies, stay tuned to discover what I’m doing to deter those pesky wasps and how Lady Luck lent a hand with my beekeeping woes.

GET TWO MONTHS FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MY CONTENT HERE

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 125 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: We’ve had wasp attacks, new queens taking to the air and I’ve been pondering what to do with our weaker colonies, stay tuned to discover what I’m doing to deter those pesky wasps and how Lady Luck lent a hand with my beekeeping woes.

GET TWO MONTHS FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MY CONTENT HERE

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5274802 Fri, 02 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1025 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 125 full false Episode 124: New Jars and Gary's Hive Make-over Episode 124: New Jars and Gary's Hive Make-over Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 124 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: We’ve had a couple of exciting deliveries this week and stay tuned to hear how to get Autumn colonies to draw new foundation and all about Gary’s Hive Make Over.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 124 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

In This Week's Podcast: We’ve had a couple of exciting deliveries this week and stay tuned to hear how to get Autumn colonies to draw new foundation and all about Gary’s Hive Make Over.

Featured Links In Today's Podcast:

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Check out the full range of hives and other beekeeping equipment.

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5170822 Fri, 25 Sep 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1065 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks 1 124 full false Episode 123: Preparing for Autumn Episode 123: Preparing for Autumn Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 123 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. If you’re worried about getting your bees prepared for Autumn and Winter then stay tuned for some simple advice to help take the worry out of those long Winter nights. 

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

 Another week and August is slipping quickly by, I woke this morning and felt a distinct but subtle change in the air. As I got into the truck to head up to my allotment it struck me that there was a much fresher feel to the air and I noticed quite a lot of condensation on the windscreen. That’s not to say Summer is gone but it certainly had a feel of a shift in conditions. We’ve actually just come through a period of quite unsettled weather with very high temperatures and thundery downpours, I got caught out by one just a day ago and it decimated my giant dahlia flowers. We don’t have much of a front garden here at home, it’s all shingle with a small flowerbed in the middle, literally a metre square but this year I planted some dahlias in it and they’ve been fantastic. We’ve had some enormous flower heads but with that comes the risk that in a heavy downpour they get shot to pieces, petals everywhere and that’s just what happened yesterday.......

........One question that I get asked regularly every year at this time is very specific to National bee hives. The National brood box can be a little on the small side and the colony needs a little extra space in the form of a super placed with the brood box having first removed the queen excluder. But the question is where do you put the super, does it go above the brood box or beneath the brood box? 

Well, once again we are likely to have a difference of opinion but for the sake of throwing my hat into the ring, I would say for all of our National brood boxes that are not on double brood I always place the super between the floor and the brood box, so that’s beneath the brood box. 

I do this for two reasons, firstly I find that lifting the brood box a little higher above the floor makes me feel the bees are a little further away from any cold drafts that might blow under the floor, I am using open mesh floors throughout and I don’t insert the varroa board for the winter months at all. 

Secondly, I very rarely find the queen has moved down into the super and started laying eggs in the Spring so I can easily swap the super back up above the brood box with the queen excluder replaced between them. When I used to experiment with the position I often found the queen had moved higher into the super and started laying eggs in there, making it more difficult to manage in the Spring. 

It’s a point I’m sure will keep beekeepers discussing over their beers at virtual beekeeping meetings as we head into the Autumn period. Just to add, this is why I prefer the Commercial brood box over the National, I don’t need to leave a super on as the Commercial has plenty of room for both bees and food for the winter. 

That’s it for another week, if you haven’t yet checked out all of this seasons videos so far do pop over to my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney 

I’m Stewart Spinks 

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet 

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 123 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. If you’re worried about getting your bees prepared for Autumn and Winter then stay tuned for some simple advice to help take the worry out of those long Winter nights. 

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

 Another week and August is slipping quickly by, I woke this morning and felt a distinct but subtle change in the air. As I got into the truck to head up to my allotment it struck me that there was a much fresher feel to the air and I noticed quite a lot of condensation on the windscreen. That’s not to say Summer is gone but it certainly had a feel of a shift in conditions. We’ve actually just come through a period of quite unsettled weather with very high temperatures and thundery downpours, I got caught out by one just a day ago and it decimated my giant dahlia flowers. We don’t have much of a front garden here at home, it’s all shingle with a small flowerbed in the middle, literally a metre square but this year I planted some dahlias in it and they’ve been fantastic. We’ve had some enormous flower heads but with that comes the risk that in a heavy downpour they get shot to pieces, petals everywhere and that’s just what happened yesterday.......

........One question that I get asked regularly every year at this time is very specific to National bee hives. The National brood box can be a little on the small side and the colony needs a little extra space in the form of a super placed with the brood box having first removed the queen excluder. But the question is where do you put the super, does it go above the brood box or beneath the brood box? 

Well, once again we are likely to have a difference of opinion but for the sake of throwing my hat into the ring, I would say for all of our National brood boxes that are not on double brood I always place the super between the floor and the brood box, so that’s beneath the brood box. 

I do this for two reasons, firstly I find that lifting the brood box a little higher above the floor makes me feel the bees are a little further away from any cold drafts that might blow under the floor, I am using open mesh floors throughout and I don’t insert the varroa board for the winter months at all. 

Secondly, I very rarely find the queen has moved down into the super and started laying eggs in the Spring so I can easily swap the super back up above the brood box with the queen excluder replaced between them. When I used to experiment with the position I often found the queen had moved higher into the super and started laying eggs in there, making it more difficult to manage in the Spring. 

It’s a point I’m sure will keep beekeepers discussing over their beers at virtual beekeeping meetings as we head into the Autumn period. Just to add, this is why I prefer the Commercial brood box over the National, I don’t need to leave a super on as the Commercial has plenty of room for both bees and food for the winter. 

That’s it for another week, if you haven’t yet checked out all of this seasons videos so far do pop over to my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney 

I’m Stewart Spinks 

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-5087732 Fri, 18 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0100 1076 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks full false Episode 122: I'm Melting, I'm Melting! Episode 122: I'm Melting, I'm Melting! Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 122 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Could it get any hotter? Well, actually yes it could, a sweltering week and it seems Mad Dogs and Beekeepers go out in the midday sun!

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Honey Monitoring Scheme can be found Here

Welcome back to a much cooler, calmer Beekeeping HQ where today I’m actually recording and publishing the podcast all in one hit on Friday. As you know, I normally publish the podcast on a Friday and I’ve had a lot of messages from beekeepers saying how they enjoy each episode and look forward to the Friday morning fix. Well, this one is a little late in the day mainly due to the incredibly hot weather we’ve been enjoying this week. I use the word “Enjoying” somewhat cautiously as I not these intense temperatures aren’t to everyone’s liking and I certainly struggled with the very high overnight temperatures. For anyone listening outside the UK we’ve had daytime temperatures of around 30 to 34 degrees centigrade that’s somewhere in the low 90’s Fahrenheit with overnight temperatures staying around the high teens and even into the low 20’s centigrade, again that’s the upper 60’s Fahrenheit...........

.......Finally today, I’ve just sent off my sample of honey to the National Honey Monitoring Scheme. I grabbed some information from their website to explain what they’re up to.

Working in partnership with UK beekeepers, the National Honey Monitoring Scheme aims to use honeybees to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the UK countryside. However, they do  need the help of beekeepers if the scheme is to work.

They go on to state “With the help of beekeepers we would like to collect honey samples from across the UK and continue to do this for many years. These samples will analysed using advanced DNA barcoding techniques to identify the species of plant pollen present. This will tell us what bees are feeding on in different parts of the country and at different times of year. This information will help us identify possible threats to the floral resources of pollinating insects”. Now that to me seems like a really good idea and so I signed up. It’s a simple process on their website and I’ll add a link to the podcast notes online. Once the sample had been taken and sent I popped onto their website and updated the records, answering the simple questionnaire which takes a couple of minutes. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the results.

I think it’s a very worthwhile exercise and would encourage all UK based beekeepers to get involved and support this proje

Time’s up for another week, I’m off to demonstrate the Honey Paw Slit Uncapper now, do look out for the video next week some time. And if you haven’t yet checked out all of this seasons videos so far do pop over to my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Title of my book - Resource Rich Beekeeping


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 122 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Could it get any hotter? Well, actually yes it could, a sweltering week and it seems Mad Dogs and Beekeepers go out in the midday sun!

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Honey Monitoring Scheme can be found Here

Welcome back to a much cooler, calmer Beekeeping HQ where today I’m actually recording and publishing the podcast all in one hit on Friday. As you know, I normally publish the podcast on a Friday and I’ve had a lot of messages from beekeepers saying how they enjoy each episode and look forward to the Friday morning fix. Well, this one is a little late in the day mainly due to the incredibly hot weather we’ve been enjoying this week. I use the word “Enjoying” somewhat cautiously as I not these intense temperatures aren’t to everyone’s liking and I certainly struggled with the very high overnight temperatures. For anyone listening outside the UK we’ve had daytime temperatures of around 30 to 34 degrees centigrade that’s somewhere in the low 90’s Fahrenheit with overnight temperatures staying around the high teens and even into the low 20’s centigrade, again that’s the upper 60’s Fahrenheit...........

.......Finally today, I’ve just sent off my sample of honey to the National Honey Monitoring Scheme. I grabbed some information from their website to explain what they’re up to.

Working in partnership with UK beekeepers, the National Honey Monitoring Scheme aims to use honeybees to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the UK countryside. However, they do  need the help of beekeepers if the scheme is to work.

They go on to state “With the help of beekeepers we would like to collect honey samples from across the UK and continue to do this for many years. These samples will analysed using advanced DNA barcoding techniques to identify the species of plant pollen present. This will tell us what bees are feeding on in different parts of the country and at different times of year. This information will help us identify possible threats to the floral resources of pollinating insects”. Now that to me seems like a really good idea and so I signed up. It’s a simple process on their website and I’ll add a link to the podcast notes online. Once the sample had been taken and sent I popped onto their website and updated the records, answering the simple questionnaire which takes a couple of minutes. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the results.

I think it’s a very worthwhile exercise and would encourage all UK based beekeepers to get involved and support this proje

Time’s up for another week, I’m off to demonstrate the Honey Paw Slit Uncapper now, do look out for the video next week some time. And if you haven’t yet checked out all of this seasons videos so far do pop over to my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Title of my book - Resource Rich Beekeeping


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4994561 Fri, 11 Sep 2020 07:00:00 +0100 841 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 122 full false Episode 121 - New Honey Room Set Up Episode 121 - New Honey Room Set Up Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 121 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Ah the sweet smell of Summer honey, it’s extraction time here at the Norfolk honey company so stay tuned to hear about our process and kit we use to make the job as easy as possible.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to another weekly instalment of our beekeeping antics, it’s been a tough physical week with all the usual lifting and moving of honey supers as we take off the Summer honey crop, I’m glad to say my back seems to be holding up well at the moment, famous last words of course but I’m doing all I can to protect it and starting to put together some neat but simple bits of kit to help take the strain out of the process.

It’s been another whirlwind week, clearer boards on, supers off, clearer boards on, supers off. I have a feeling this Summers crop is going to be way down on what I might have expected if we hadn’t split colonies again, it’s also been a very dry Summer again for us here in Norfolk and despite having lots of apiaries near rivers and lakes the bees really seem to have struggled with building up larger surpluses of honey.


So the honey room is finally in action, I’d have to say it’s still a work in progress, I’m not totally convinced of the exact layout but this week has allowed me to get a fairly decent workflow going without the constant need to move things around, lift heavy boxes and generally make it more work that it needs to be...........

.......I may have found the perfect tool for the job for me. As with most of these tools there are pros and cons and the first thing to say about the honey paw slit uncapper is it isn’t cheap. The same can be  said or the Fritz brush uncapper but if you have a lot of supers to extract it’s worth the investment.

So the slit uncapper is a hollow cast, block of aluminium attached to a handle. It has an inlet and outlet fitting on the back to which you attach a couple of hoses, one coming from a steam unit and the other running to a sink or drain bucket.


I have now secured a supply of Autumn bee feed called Apikel, it’s a heavy syrup that I’ve used before and I import it direct from the manufacturer. I still like and use the Apimix from Modern Beekeeping but having an additional option always makes sense.

It comes in the usual sizes, the most convenient for beekeepers being the 14kg plastic can. The biggest issue with syrup is the cost of transporting it and it almost makes it prohibitively expensive. 

The bees really like the stuff and it gets them nicely prepared with stores for the Winter. If you’d like some please do send me a message either via Patreon or my website contact page. 

Time’s up for another week, I’m back to the unit to extract some more honey, Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet



Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 121 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Ah the sweet smell of Summer honey, it’s extraction time here at the Norfolk honey company so stay tuned to hear about our process and kit we use to make the job as easy as possible.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to another weekly instalment of our beekeeping antics, it’s been a tough physical week with all the usual lifting and moving of honey supers as we take off the Summer honey crop, I’m glad to say my back seems to be holding up well at the moment, famous last words of course but I’m doing all I can to protect it and starting to put together some neat but simple bits of kit to help take the strain out of the process.

It’s been another whirlwind week, clearer boards on, supers off, clearer boards on, supers off. I have a feeling this Summers crop is going to be way down on what I might have expected if we hadn’t split colonies again, it’s also been a very dry Summer again for us here in Norfolk and despite having lots of apiaries near rivers and lakes the bees really seem to have struggled with building up larger surpluses of honey.


So the honey room is finally in action, I’d have to say it’s still a work in progress, I’m not totally convinced of the exact layout but this week has allowed me to get a fairly decent workflow going without the constant need to move things around, lift heavy boxes and generally make it more work that it needs to be...........

.......I may have found the perfect tool for the job for me. As with most of these tools there are pros and cons and the first thing to say about the honey paw slit uncapper is it isn’t cheap. The same can be  said or the Fritz brush uncapper but if you have a lot of supers to extract it’s worth the investment.

So the slit uncapper is a hollow cast, block of aluminium attached to a handle. It has an inlet and outlet fitting on the back to which you attach a couple of hoses, one coming from a steam unit and the other running to a sink or drain bucket.


I have now secured a supply of Autumn bee feed called Apikel, it’s a heavy syrup that I’ve used before and I import it direct from the manufacturer. I still like and use the Apimix from Modern Beekeeping but having an additional option always makes sense.

It comes in the usual sizes, the most convenient for beekeepers being the 14kg plastic can. The biggest issue with syrup is the cost of transporting it and it almost makes it prohibitively expensive. 

The bees really like the stuff and it gets them nicely prepared with stores for the Winter. If you’d like some please do send me a message either via Patreon or my website contact page. 

Time’s up for another week, I’m back to the unit to extract some more honey, Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet



Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4894856 Fri, 04 Sep 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1123 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks 1 121 full false Episode 120: Collapsing Colony and Gary's Hive Episode 120: Collapsing Colony and Gary's Hive Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 120 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The Summer nectar flow is all but done and I discover a colony rammed full of varroa and in danger of collapse.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Hi Everyone, I trust you’re all safe and well still and enjoying your beekeeping season, mine sadly, is coming to an end this weekend. I say coming to an end but it’s only the end of the Summer nectar flow and the work ramps up for a while as we remove honey and start preparations for the Autumn treatments and feeding. Inspections can actually start to reduce a little, no need for the mad rush of weekly inspections to check for swarming bees. The main priority for me now is changing focus to get bees treated and fed for the long Autumn and Winter haul.

Following on from last week’s podcast I’ve had a number of messages to say my comments regarding a lack of honey stores in the brood boxes is something other beekeepers are experiencing too. Sometimes when I’m looking through my colonies and making a mental note of what I’m seeing I do wonder if what I am seeing is fairly normal for beekeeping here in the UK and particularly the East of England or whether I’m a bit of an odd one out and somehow I’m getting it all horribly wrong. I have to say, I’m fairly comfortable with my own style of beekeeping and what you see in the videos is generally how I inspect my bees off camera too. Maybe a little quicker and a few more colourful expletives when I get stung but otherwise I don’t change much. It got me thinking about how many colonies I could actually handle with my particular inspection regime. On a good day I can easily inspect fifty plus colonies with comparative ease, it’s those days when things don’t always go to plan and the weather intervenes to complicate matters. Then there are the days when all of the colonies need your attention at the same time on the same day, all I can say about that is thank goodness I clipped queen’s this year!

It’s looking like we’ll have something in the order of 100 to 120 colonies going into the Winter this year. That feels like a very comfortable number to manage for me, allowing for the fact that I’m also working on the videos, podcast and other various projects along the way.

Honey production has slowed through the Summer, I’m making a snap judgement here that the weather has played a big part in this. Even the more reliable apiaries near water courses and packed out with brambles have been a little slow. Most of the honey production colonies have a couple of supers on with just a few having more. Of course, I did split a number of colonies to produce nucs for queens to go in to so that reduced the number of production colonies quite a bit.......

Well that’s it for this week, Time to get out and see how my bees are doing in some of the Honey Paw Hives and I’ve also got a honey delivery to complete. Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 120 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The Summer nectar flow is all but done and I discover a colony rammed full of varroa and in danger of collapse.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Hi Everyone, I trust you’re all safe and well still and enjoying your beekeeping season, mine sadly, is coming to an end this weekend. I say coming to an end but it’s only the end of the Summer nectar flow and the work ramps up for a while as we remove honey and start preparations for the Autumn treatments and feeding. Inspections can actually start to reduce a little, no need for the mad rush of weekly inspections to check for swarming bees. The main priority for me now is changing focus to get bees treated and fed for the long Autumn and Winter haul.

Following on from last week’s podcast I’ve had a number of messages to say my comments regarding a lack of honey stores in the brood boxes is something other beekeepers are experiencing too. Sometimes when I’m looking through my colonies and making a mental note of what I’m seeing I do wonder if what I am seeing is fairly normal for beekeeping here in the UK and particularly the East of England or whether I’m a bit of an odd one out and somehow I’m getting it all horribly wrong. I have to say, I’m fairly comfortable with my own style of beekeeping and what you see in the videos is generally how I inspect my bees off camera too. Maybe a little quicker and a few more colourful expletives when I get stung but otherwise I don’t change much. It got me thinking about how many colonies I could actually handle with my particular inspection regime. On a good day I can easily inspect fifty plus colonies with comparative ease, it’s those days when things don’t always go to plan and the weather intervenes to complicate matters. Then there are the days when all of the colonies need your attention at the same time on the same day, all I can say about that is thank goodness I clipped queen’s this year!

It’s looking like we’ll have something in the order of 100 to 120 colonies going into the Winter this year. That feels like a very comfortable number to manage for me, allowing for the fact that I’m also working on the videos, podcast and other various projects along the way.

Honey production has slowed through the Summer, I’m making a snap judgement here that the weather has played a big part in this. Even the more reliable apiaries near water courses and packed out with brambles have been a little slow. Most of the honey production colonies have a couple of supers on with just a few having more. Of course, I did split a number of colonies to produce nucs for queens to go in to so that reduced the number of production colonies quite a bit.......

Well that’s it for this week, Time to get out and see how my bees are doing in some of the Honey Paw Hives and I’ve also got a honey delivery to complete. Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4793504 Fri, 28 Aug 2020 08:00:00 +0100 969 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks Honeybees 1 120 full false Episode 119: Starving Bees and Shocking Hives Episode 119: Starving Bees and Shocking Hives Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 119 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, coming up this week, amazingly quite a number of my colonies are low on food in their brood boxes and I help out with a home-made beehive that’s gone rogue!

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Hi everybody and welcome back to another podcast, it’s been a very fast week, it feels that just a very short time ago I was considering what to do when I was setting out hive stands a the oilseed rape pollination and looking forward to an exciting season of beekeeping and here we are just days away from the end of my Summer flow. I think the routine of beekeeping also makes it feel like the weeks race past, the cycle of inspections, videos, podcast and repeat makes the days kind of melt into one continuous regime.

I’m noticing a  lot of my colonies this summer are not storing any nectar and thus honey in the brood boxes, plenty of honey stored int eh supers but the brood boxes that were full of Oilseed Rape honey just a month ago are completely empty. Now this isn’t happening with all colonies but more than I normally see like this at this stage in the season. The good news is, they won’t be clogged up with solid Oilseed Rape honey for the Winter the bad news is, if I remove all of the honey supers there is a real probability that colonies will starve before September before I would normally feed them. You can do a couple of things here but first you need to get into your hives and inspect them, know what you’re looking for and check them thoroughly. Like I said, not all colonies will be in this state and your bees might be perfectly ok, but it’s got to be worth having a check and not just assume they have plenty of food as you whip off the honey.......

...... If you want to leave a full super of honey on your bees then do that, if you want to remove the honey and feed, then do that. Just make sure that whatever you do, you’re taking good care of your bees and helping them as they prepare themselves for the long nights ahead. Remember they will soon be producing Winter bees that will survive many more weeks than the slimmed-down Summer bees and they will need resources to do that. We will all need to start checking colonies to make sure they are queen right, healthy, and have enough stored food to see them through to next year. I for one will be feeding syrup, it’s still warm enough to be feeding a light syrup, I’ll be using the Apimix from Modern Beekeeping over the next month, I do have some stock here in Norwich if you’re local but if not check out the link in the podcast notes. I’m sure Paul at Modern Beekeeping will have plenty of stock but it’s worth getting in early before there’s a mad rush. I will have some stock of syrup if you’re local and want to collect from me to save on the very high carriage charges for syrup these days.

And on that note, it’s time for my mad rush out of the door to check on my bees. Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 119 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, coming up this week, amazingly quite a number of my colonies are low on food in their brood boxes and I help out with a home-made beehive that’s gone rogue!

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Hi everybody and welcome back to another podcast, it’s been a very fast week, it feels that just a very short time ago I was considering what to do when I was setting out hive stands a the oilseed rape pollination and looking forward to an exciting season of beekeeping and here we are just days away from the end of my Summer flow. I think the routine of beekeeping also makes it feel like the weeks race past, the cycle of inspections, videos, podcast and repeat makes the days kind of melt into one continuous regime.

I’m noticing a  lot of my colonies this summer are not storing any nectar and thus honey in the brood boxes, plenty of honey stored int eh supers but the brood boxes that were full of Oilseed Rape honey just a month ago are completely empty. Now this isn’t happening with all colonies but more than I normally see like this at this stage in the season. The good news is, they won’t be clogged up with solid Oilseed Rape honey for the Winter the bad news is, if I remove all of the honey supers there is a real probability that colonies will starve before September before I would normally feed them. You can do a couple of things here but first you need to get into your hives and inspect them, know what you’re looking for and check them thoroughly. Like I said, not all colonies will be in this state and your bees might be perfectly ok, but it’s got to be worth having a check and not just assume they have plenty of food as you whip off the honey.......

...... If you want to leave a full super of honey on your bees then do that, if you want to remove the honey and feed, then do that. Just make sure that whatever you do, you’re taking good care of your bees and helping them as they prepare themselves for the long nights ahead. Remember they will soon be producing Winter bees that will survive many more weeks than the slimmed-down Summer bees and they will need resources to do that. We will all need to start checking colonies to make sure they are queen right, healthy, and have enough stored food to see them through to next year. I for one will be feeding syrup, it’s still warm enough to be feeding a light syrup, I’ll be using the Apimix from Modern Beekeeping over the next month, I do have some stock here in Norwich if you’re local but if not check out the link in the podcast notes. I’m sure Paul at Modern Beekeeping will have plenty of stock but it’s worth getting in early before there’s a mad rush. I will have some stock of syrup if you’re local and want to collect from me to save on the very high carriage charges for syrup these days.

And on that note, it’s time for my mad rush out of the door to check on my bees. Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4697006 Fri, 21 Aug 2020 09:00:00 +0100 985 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stuart Spinks full false Episode 118: Summer Season Ramblings 2020 Episode 118: Summer Season Ramblings 2020 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 118 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, The sprint is on to the final few weeks of the nectar flow for me, listen in for a hotch Potch of Summer ramblings about apiary sites, the summer nectar flow and to kick off a small but significant milestone for me.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

It’s a bit of a milestone week for me, I was checking out some videos that we had uploaded recently and noticed that we’d managed to break the 500 videos uploaded mark. 501 to be exact although that number should have increased by the time we publish the podcast. Now, that’s all videos, including some fairly dodgy initial efforts and some might say they haven’t improved a great deal!

Anyway, I’m very happy to be celebrating not just the number of videos but also that so many of you have watched them and sent me encouraging comments and emails to keep me going. Apart from a few very early videos in 2012 I really got started in 2016 and we’ve continued to upload videos ever since. Now I’m not in the same rarified air as a lot of YouTube channels but I’m very happy to have nearly 2.2 million views and almost 25k subscribers. More importantly to me though is the support I have from my small group of Patreon subscribers for whom the vast majority of videos are specifically produced for. Each week through the active season I record a range of videos and of these just one goes public on YouTube, the rest are purely for release on my patreon page.

My thanks to all of you that support me and, judging by the comments and feedback I get, I know a lot of you have benefited from the content and additional support that I provide.....

......The new unit continues to be a fun project, with the wall up I’m now able to plan out where I want everything to go. We’ve filmed a couple of videos there and are working out the best way to position everything. I’ve found some really neat, rusted corrugated roofing sheets and want to try them as a background for the filming, just something a little different to a plain white wall. I’ll have to hang some posters or signs on it but I think it might work quite well. I did use a few stacks of supers but they’re quite deep and use up crucial space in the unit that I’d rather not waste.

Thinking about the forthcoming honey extraction, I’ve bought some more trolley wheels to create movable platforms for stacking the honey supers on when I get them back to the unit. It’s so much easier wheeling the full supers around than lifting and walking with them. They’re really easy to make, just a 500mm square of 18mm plywood and some heavy-duty wheels off the internet. the wheels come with large, heavy-duty screws so fitting is easy enough, even I can do that! 

The next big job at the unit is extraction preparation, everything needs a wash down and the floor needs moping. I do need to get the hanging door screen too, that’s a job that’s becoming more urgent as each day goes by. I’ll have to remember to measure up the exact size next time I’m at the unit and get it ordered.

Although it’s not the finished article yet I am enjoying having the extra space to move around and store equipment, once the new moveable trolleys are sorted it will be a doddle to get things in their rightful place. Once that’s done, I may even open the door to some sociall

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 118 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, The sprint is on to the final few weeks of the nectar flow for me, listen in for a hotch Potch of Summer ramblings about apiary sites, the summer nectar flow and to kick off a small but significant milestone for me.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

It’s a bit of a milestone week for me, I was checking out some videos that we had uploaded recently and noticed that we’d managed to break the 500 videos uploaded mark. 501 to be exact although that number should have increased by the time we publish the podcast. Now, that’s all videos, including some fairly dodgy initial efforts and some might say they haven’t improved a great deal!

Anyway, I’m very happy to be celebrating not just the number of videos but also that so many of you have watched them and sent me encouraging comments and emails to keep me going. Apart from a few very early videos in 2012 I really got started in 2016 and we’ve continued to upload videos ever since. Now I’m not in the same rarified air as a lot of YouTube channels but I’m very happy to have nearly 2.2 million views and almost 25k subscribers. More importantly to me though is the support I have from my small group of Patreon subscribers for whom the vast majority of videos are specifically produced for. Each week through the active season I record a range of videos and of these just one goes public on YouTube, the rest are purely for release on my patreon page.

My thanks to all of you that support me and, judging by the comments and feedback I get, I know a lot of you have benefited from the content and additional support that I provide.....

......The new unit continues to be a fun project, with the wall up I’m now able to plan out where I want everything to go. We’ve filmed a couple of videos there and are working out the best way to position everything. I’ve found some really neat, rusted corrugated roofing sheets and want to try them as a background for the filming, just something a little different to a plain white wall. I’ll have to hang some posters or signs on it but I think it might work quite well. I did use a few stacks of supers but they’re quite deep and use up crucial space in the unit that I’d rather not waste.

Thinking about the forthcoming honey extraction, I’ve bought some more trolley wheels to create movable platforms for stacking the honey supers on when I get them back to the unit. It’s so much easier wheeling the full supers around than lifting and walking with them. They’re really easy to make, just a 500mm square of 18mm plywood and some heavy-duty wheels off the internet. the wheels come with large, heavy-duty screws so fitting is easy enough, even I can do that! 

The next big job at the unit is extraction preparation, everything needs a wash down and the floor needs moping. I do need to get the hanging door screen too, that’s a job that’s becoming more urgent as each day goes by. I’ll have to remember to measure up the exact size next time I’m at the unit and get it ordered.

Although it’s not the finished article yet I am enjoying having the extra space to move around and store equipment, once the new moveable trolleys are sorted it will be a doddle to get things in their rightful place. Once that’s done, I may even open the door to some sociall

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4603967 Fri, 14 Aug 2020 08:00:00 +0100 977 full false Episode 117: Stings and Things Episode 117: Stings and Things Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 117 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, With the weather turning cooler and rainy, it’s time to turn my attention to the new unit, preparations for the honey extraction at the end of the month, and I have a question for you, have you ever been stung!

Catch up with my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season.
Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.


Welcome back once again, and the British Summer continues to do it’s thing, meaning it’s raining once again, it’s been a wet week really, since the weekend we’ve had some quite heavy showers nixed in with a little sunshine but generally it’s been quite cloudy. I’ve been out inspecting where and when I could but to be honest the bees are not too keen on me crashing around when it’s wet and humid so it’s been quite intense at times. I would say this week I’ve had more stings than I’ve had all season and it’s just not pleasant. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been keeping bees the sharp jab of a bee sting is always unwelcome but actually not all stings are equal. It’s interesting that sometimes when you’re stung by one of your honeybees it’s almost as if you’ve been jabbed by a needle but the pain is instantly gone, there’s no swelling or long lasting itchiness. The flip side of this is the less pleasant sting that makes you jump and dance like some maniac, dropping your hive tool and cursing the colony with threats of robbing all their honey or worse still total destruction! Now I’m not totally serious about the whole destruction thing, not totally. Most of the time stings are the fault of the beekeeper, let’s face it, sometimes we’re clumsy and don’t always pay attention to what we’re doing and that’s when we put our fingers and thumbs where they shouldn’t be and we get stung. I remember, some time ago, and I apologise to anyone who has already heard this story, I may have already mentioned it in previous podcasts, but, it’s an amusing and also interesting situation that illustrates nicely the effects of a bee sting or two.

Some years ago I was carrying out an inspection on a series of hives in a lovely little apiary ............

............And on that very cheerful note we reach the end of this week’s podcast, thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 117 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, With the weather turning cooler and rainy, it’s time to turn my attention to the new unit, preparations for the honey extraction at the end of the month, and I have a question for you, have you ever been stung!

Catch up with my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season.
Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.


Welcome back once again, and the British Summer continues to do it’s thing, meaning it’s raining once again, it’s been a wet week really, since the weekend we’ve had some quite heavy showers nixed in with a little sunshine but generally it’s been quite cloudy. I’ve been out inspecting where and when I could but to be honest the bees are not too keen on me crashing around when it’s wet and humid so it’s been quite intense at times. I would say this week I’ve had more stings than I’ve had all season and it’s just not pleasant. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been keeping bees the sharp jab of a bee sting is always unwelcome but actually not all stings are equal. It’s interesting that sometimes when you’re stung by one of your honeybees it’s almost as if you’ve been jabbed by a needle but the pain is instantly gone, there’s no swelling or long lasting itchiness. The flip side of this is the less pleasant sting that makes you jump and dance like some maniac, dropping your hive tool and cursing the colony with threats of robbing all their honey or worse still total destruction! Now I’m not totally serious about the whole destruction thing, not totally. Most of the time stings are the fault of the beekeeper, let’s face it, sometimes we’re clumsy and don’t always pay attention to what we’re doing and that’s when we put our fingers and thumbs where they shouldn’t be and we get stung. I remember, some time ago, and I apologise to anyone who has already heard this story, I may have already mentioned it in previous podcasts, but, it’s an amusing and also interesting situation that illustrates nicely the effects of a bee sting or two.

Some years ago I was carrying out an inspection on a series of hives in a lovely little apiary ............

............And on that very cheerful note we reach the end of this week’s podcast, thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4513193 Fri, 07 Aug 2020 08:00:00 +0100 982 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 117 full false Episode 116: Late Queen Rearing and Lawnmowers Episode 116: Late Queen Rearing and Lawnmowers Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 116 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Summer is here, our lime trees and blackberries are bursting with flowers and it’s time to benefit from the hard work of the Spring and early Summer. In other news I’m building a wall this week so stay tuned for my latest updates.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back everyone after a brief, enforced absence. 

So, it’s been a mad busy couple of week’s I won’t bore you with the personal stuff as there’s so much beekeeping to talk about.

Here’s a quick update of where we’re at, colonies that were on the oilseed Rape pollination are now back at their respective permanent apiaries, it’s a pretty big job for a small commercial outfit but there were no disasters this year. Colonies have been trying to swarm or have swarmed and replacement queens are back laying eggs, for some of them it’s all a bit late and they won’t be producing any honey over the Summer. Hive Number six continues to be our strongest colony and is filing yet more supers with honey, it’s going to be very interesting to see how they end up this year.

 I’ve heard stories of beekeepers being attacked when they get too close to their beehives with strimmers and lawnmowers so I always figure on being a little cautious. I even put on my gloves, no point in wearing a bee suit only to be stung on the fingertips. Anyway, I started out at the university apiary, it was the closest on my way back home. All set, I fired up the lawnmower and did a couple of passes back and forth, no real trouble. On the third strip I suddenly became aware of a sudden pain in my ankle, looked down and saw something like thirty or forty bees attacking my boots! One of the colonies was obviously very upset with my need to keep a tidy lawn. I say lawn, it’s more ragwort and those yellow spikes flowers, the name’s escaped me at the moment. Anyway, one of the little attackers had got itself under the ankle cuff and had stung me good and proper. Obviously I fled the scene quickly pushing the now quiet lawnmower as fast as I could. Then I felt a sudden pain on the back of my left knee and realised with some horror that bees were actually getting inside my bees suit via a dodgy zip and to make matters worse I was wearing shorts! How those beekeepers inspect their bees wearing just shorts and t-shirts I will never know. Suffice to say I left the lawnmower, jumped into the truck and got rid of as many bees as I could before they progressed any higher. I’m glad to report there were no further stings.

I rescued the lawnmower and made a fairly quick exit and headed to the fishing lakes apiaries where the bees were altogether calmer and ignored me completely.

Some times you just have to concede defeat, sort your wounds and prepare for the next time! 

Well, that’s all for this week, oh, that spiky plant is called a verbascum. I knew the name would come back to me eventually. 

Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 116 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Summer is here, our lime trees and blackberries are bursting with flowers and it’s time to benefit from the hard work of the Spring and early Summer. In other news I’m building a wall this week so stay tuned for my latest updates.

Do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back everyone after a brief, enforced absence. 

So, it’s been a mad busy couple of week’s I won’t bore you with the personal stuff as there’s so much beekeeping to talk about.

Here’s a quick update of where we’re at, colonies that were on the oilseed Rape pollination are now back at their respective permanent apiaries, it’s a pretty big job for a small commercial outfit but there were no disasters this year. Colonies have been trying to swarm or have swarmed and replacement queens are back laying eggs, for some of them it’s all a bit late and they won’t be producing any honey over the Summer. Hive Number six continues to be our strongest colony and is filing yet more supers with honey, it’s going to be very interesting to see how they end up this year.

 I’ve heard stories of beekeepers being attacked when they get too close to their beehives with strimmers and lawnmowers so I always figure on being a little cautious. I even put on my gloves, no point in wearing a bee suit only to be stung on the fingertips. Anyway, I started out at the university apiary, it was the closest on my way back home. All set, I fired up the lawnmower and did a couple of passes back and forth, no real trouble. On the third strip I suddenly became aware of a sudden pain in my ankle, looked down and saw something like thirty or forty bees attacking my boots! One of the colonies was obviously very upset with my need to keep a tidy lawn. I say lawn, it’s more ragwort and those yellow spikes flowers, the name’s escaped me at the moment. Anyway, one of the little attackers had got itself under the ankle cuff and had stung me good and proper. Obviously I fled the scene quickly pushing the now quiet lawnmower as fast as I could. Then I felt a sudden pain on the back of my left knee and realised with some horror that bees were actually getting inside my bees suit via a dodgy zip and to make matters worse I was wearing shorts! How those beekeepers inspect their bees wearing just shorts and t-shirts I will never know. Suffice to say I left the lawnmower, jumped into the truck and got rid of as many bees as I could before they progressed any higher. I’m glad to report there were no further stings.

I rescued the lawnmower and made a fairly quick exit and headed to the fishing lakes apiaries where the bees were altogether calmer and ignored me completely.

Some times you just have to concede defeat, sort your wounds and prepare for the next time! 

Well, that’s all for this week, oh, that spiky plant is called a verbascum. I knew the name would come back to me eventually. 

Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4423664 Fri, 31 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0100 890 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 116 full false Episode 115: Sneaky and Grumpy Bees Episode 115: Sneaky and Grumpy Bees Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 115 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Our Summer nectar flow is about to begin but this week I’ve had to contend with some sneaky and grumpy bees, listen in for stuff you just don’t find in the books.

Catch up with my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season.
Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Before we get started this week I wanted to say a quick hello and thank you to the team that moderate my Facebook group “Stewart’s beekeeping Basics”. The Facebook group was set up to give new beekeepers the opportunity to ask those beginner questions in a safe environment where they’re not going to get shot down by know it all beekeepers who find it amusing to harrang new beekeepers and give them a hard time. The trouble is there are always beekeepers out there that get their kicks out of talking down to new beekeepers and that’s where the moderators come in. If you’re new to beekeeping and want to chat with other beekeepers in a controlled and safe environment do give it a look. I also find there are beekeepers who have started their own YouTube channel and seem to think it’s ok to piggyback on the back of the hard work we’ve put in and promote their own channels and products in my group, while I’m not against sharing knowledge I do think they should make the effort of creating their own platform to promote their content and not try to take shortcuts using someone else’s hard work. So thank you to the team of moderators that help me with policing the Facebook group.

It’s raining again, welcome to the great British Summer, we are so lucky to have such a variable climate here in the UK with seasonal changes creating something different in the landscape as the months go by. The rain is actually very welcome, perfectly timed for all of the Summer flower plants our honeybees will be foraging on over the next five or six weeks. Remember, the plants need the water in order to produce a decent amount of nectar in order to tempt our pollinators, including my bees, onto their flowers to pollinate them and get a reward of nectar for doing so. This is it for me, the start of the Summer nectar flow, colonies are now in a variety of states ranging from queenless where they have swarmed, being occupied by a virgin queen that has recently emerged, some have newly mated queens that have just started to lay eggs and others such as our skyscraper colony seem to be ploughing on, full steam ahead and doing just fantastically well. The flip side is we have discovered several colonies that have Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus and I think I mentioned before I’m going to destroy these. I just don’t want it spreading throughout my apiaries. Thinking back to the various colonies I currently have, I would say I have an average set up, not everything is where I wanted it to be and I have lost a few swarms from colonies that were totally unexpected. An interesting situation developed with the church cut out colony this week that I want to share with you to give an example of how bees can completely flummox you as a beekeeper...........

Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 115 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Our Summer nectar flow is about to begin but this week I’ve had to contend with some sneaky and grumpy bees, listen in for stuff you just don’t find in the books.

Catch up with my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season.
Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Before we get started this week I wanted to say a quick hello and thank you to the team that moderate my Facebook group “Stewart’s beekeeping Basics”. The Facebook group was set up to give new beekeepers the opportunity to ask those beginner questions in a safe environment where they’re not going to get shot down by know it all beekeepers who find it amusing to harrang new beekeepers and give them a hard time. The trouble is there are always beekeepers out there that get their kicks out of talking down to new beekeepers and that’s where the moderators come in. If you’re new to beekeeping and want to chat with other beekeepers in a controlled and safe environment do give it a look. I also find there are beekeepers who have started their own YouTube channel and seem to think it’s ok to piggyback on the back of the hard work we’ve put in and promote their own channels and products in my group, while I’m not against sharing knowledge I do think they should make the effort of creating their own platform to promote their content and not try to take shortcuts using someone else’s hard work. So thank you to the team of moderators that help me with policing the Facebook group.

It’s raining again, welcome to the great British Summer, we are so lucky to have such a variable climate here in the UK with seasonal changes creating something different in the landscape as the months go by. The rain is actually very welcome, perfectly timed for all of the Summer flower plants our honeybees will be foraging on over the next five or six weeks. Remember, the plants need the water in order to produce a decent amount of nectar in order to tempt our pollinators, including my bees, onto their flowers to pollinate them and get a reward of nectar for doing so. This is it for me, the start of the Summer nectar flow, colonies are now in a variety of states ranging from queenless where they have swarmed, being occupied by a virgin queen that has recently emerged, some have newly mated queens that have just started to lay eggs and others such as our skyscraper colony seem to be ploughing on, full steam ahead and doing just fantastically well. The flip side is we have discovered several colonies that have Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus and I think I mentioned before I’m going to destroy these. I just don’t want it spreading throughout my apiaries. Thinking back to the various colonies I currently have, I would say I have an average set up, not everything is where I wanted it to be and I have lost a few swarms from colonies that were totally unexpected. An interesting situation developed with the church cut out colony this week that I want to share with you to give an example of how bees can completely flummox you as a beekeeper...........

Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

Please do take a look at the extra content available on my patreon page, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4223126 Fri, 17 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0100 952 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 115 full false Episode 114: Chilly Blast, Solid Honey and More Truck Troubles Episode 114: Chilly Blast, Solid Honey and More Truck Troubles Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 114 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Finally, We’ve had some rain, The Spring honey extraction has turned into a honey cut out and I’ve another tale of trouble with the truck.

Sign up to every podcast as they are released here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Check out The Pollinators Documentary here

Hi everyone and well, here we are again, another week and another series of challenges, it all goes with the territory of being a commercial beekeeper but sometimes these little bumps in the road go straight through to the bone. So we finally got some rain, after a very lengthy period of dry Spring weather with some accompanying high temperatures we finally got what was predicted to be a few showers for a few days and that turned into some prolonged fairly heavy rain that has lasted for at least a week and is due to continue through the rest for this week with sunshine and showers predicted right up until this podcast is released. I try to get the podcast recorded and edited by the middle of the week if I can and that means that on the release day, which is normally Friday things can have changed quite dramatically. So, here I am on Monday typing away with dark grey ominous clouds outside and rain threatening. I’m actually home from the new unit, I must come up with a location name for it, I have the workshop over with Pete so I need to think of another name to call Unit 2.  It’s crazy how much work happens online for me these days and it’s not a surprise to see maybe twenty or thirty emails from various beekeepers around the world asking questions about their beekeeping or a particular technique.....

......And finally this week I had an email from Peter Nelson, the director of the Pollinators documentary who I chatted with a while back on the podcast. If you’ve not heard the interview do go back and have a listen to Peter’s story. However, the reason for Peter’s email, other than some friendly beekeeping chat was some exciting news about the documentary. Peter attached a press release and I’m simply going to read it out here, 

The award-winning documentary THE POLLINATORS, will be released across all digital
platforms on June 16, 2020, right ahead of National Pollinator Week (June 22 – 28).
The Pollinators is a cinematic journey around the United States following migratory beekeepers and their truckloads of honey bees as they pollinate the flowers that become the fruits, nuts and vegetables we all eat. The many challenges the beekeepers and their bees face en route reveal flaws to our simplified chemically dependent agriculture system. We talk to farmers, scientists, chefs and academics along the way to give a broad perspective about the threats to honey bees, what it means to our food security and how we can improve it. The Pollinators has screened widely in theatres and communities across the U.S. and around the world. We are thrilled that it will now be available digitally and viewable in your home.

To find out more about the film and to sign up for email updates, please visit our website and watch the trailer.
Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 114 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Finally, We’ve had some rain, The Spring honey extraction has turned into a honey cut out and I’ve another tale of trouble with the truck.

Sign up to every podcast as they are released here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Check out The Pollinators Documentary here

Hi everyone and well, here we are again, another week and another series of challenges, it all goes with the territory of being a commercial beekeeper but sometimes these little bumps in the road go straight through to the bone. So we finally got some rain, after a very lengthy period of dry Spring weather with some accompanying high temperatures we finally got what was predicted to be a few showers for a few days and that turned into some prolonged fairly heavy rain that has lasted for at least a week and is due to continue through the rest for this week with sunshine and showers predicted right up until this podcast is released. I try to get the podcast recorded and edited by the middle of the week if I can and that means that on the release day, which is normally Friday things can have changed quite dramatically. So, here I am on Monday typing away with dark grey ominous clouds outside and rain threatening. I’m actually home from the new unit, I must come up with a location name for it, I have the workshop over with Pete so I need to think of another name to call Unit 2.  It’s crazy how much work happens online for me these days and it’s not a surprise to see maybe twenty or thirty emails from various beekeepers around the world asking questions about their beekeeping or a particular technique.....

......And finally this week I had an email from Peter Nelson, the director of the Pollinators documentary who I chatted with a while back on the podcast. If you’ve not heard the interview do go back and have a listen to Peter’s story. However, the reason for Peter’s email, other than some friendly beekeeping chat was some exciting news about the documentary. Peter attached a press release and I’m simply going to read it out here, 

The award-winning documentary THE POLLINATORS, will be released across all digital
platforms on June 16, 2020, right ahead of National Pollinator Week (June 22 – 28).
The Pollinators is a cinematic journey around the United States following migratory beekeepers and their truckloads of honey bees as they pollinate the flowers that become the fruits, nuts and vegetables we all eat. The many challenges the beekeepers and their bees face en route reveal flaws to our simplified chemically dependent agriculture system. We talk to farmers, scientists, chefs and academics along the way to give a broad perspective about the threats to honey bees, what it means to our food security and how we can improve it. The Pollinators has screened widely in theatres and communities across the U.S. and around the world. We are thrilled that it will now be available digitally and viewable in your home.

To find out more about the film and to sign up for email updates, please visit our website and watch the trailer.
Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.

I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4143749 Fri, 10 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1229 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 114 full false Episode 113: Sunny Days, Egg Laying Workers and Queen Rearing Plans Episode 113: Sunny Days, Egg Laying Workers and Queen Rearing Plans Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 113 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Honey Extraction has begun, the sun continues to shine, we start moving bees back to Summer sites this weekend and my queen rearing plans kick in next week.

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to the podcast, it’s been an exciting week of beekeeping with a few “Heart in Mouth” moments with the new queens I was introducing last week. Work continues at the new unit to get everything organised and I’ve got a few very busy nights ahead of me moving bees off the Oilseed Rape and back to their Summer apiaries.

So last week you’ll recall I was introducing those new queens in cages into the newly created nucs, well on Saturday I went back to the 14x12 apiary to have a sneaky peek into the nuc boxes before shooting a video this week. I’m glad to say everything worked really well. I had intended to check on just a couple of nucs to see if the queens had been released but then got carried away and checked them all. I think we had about 14 or 15 caged queens at this apiary, I can’t quite remember, anyway, they had all been released and were all alive and well. I saw each and every one of them which is a bit of a rarity but it worked out nicely. Of the 14 or however many it is, I saw eggs in all but three nucs. I’m hoping the last three queens will start laying in due course and that when I go back to inspect them again I’ll have a 100% introduction success rate. The queen cages actually worked really well, I have to say, I was a little nervous at seeing the workers head out of the escape tab and then watched the queen as she also tried to force herself through the narrow gap. But, the design worked great and the bees in the nucs chewed through the fondant and released the queens in textbook fashion. I still have to go over to the Alpaca farm to check on the nucs I created there, those are the ones that give me the greatest concern, they’re the ones I made up from frames straight out of a queenright colony and then put the caged queen straight in. I do still think I’ve made a blunder there but who knows, maybe it will all be just fine.

We’ve had no rain at all in the last week and some very sunny, warm days. While I was at the Alpaca farm the farm owner stopped for a chat and said that a couple of her alpaca’s had been stung because bees were congregating around the water troughs where the alpacas get their drinking water from and it occurred to me to mention today that water is an essential part of colony life in a beehive and it would be prudent to make sure your bees have access to a decent supply of water to use. It appears right now they are using it to cool hives such are the daytime temperatures. If you evaporate water you get a corresponding drop in temperature on the surface where the water was and that can have the effect of keeping daytime brood box temperatures down and avoids the brood nest from overheating..............

Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.


 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 113 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Honey Extraction has begun, the sun continues to shine, we start moving bees back to Summer sites this weekend and my queen rearing plans kick in next week.

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to the podcast, it’s been an exciting week of beekeeping with a few “Heart in Mouth” moments with the new queens I was introducing last week. Work continues at the new unit to get everything organised and I’ve got a few very busy nights ahead of me moving bees off the Oilseed Rape and back to their Summer apiaries.

So last week you’ll recall I was introducing those new queens in cages into the newly created nucs, well on Saturday I went back to the 14x12 apiary to have a sneaky peek into the nuc boxes before shooting a video this week. I’m glad to say everything worked really well. I had intended to check on just a couple of nucs to see if the queens had been released but then got carried away and checked them all. I think we had about 14 or 15 caged queens at this apiary, I can’t quite remember, anyway, they had all been released and were all alive and well. I saw each and every one of them which is a bit of a rarity but it worked out nicely. Of the 14 or however many it is, I saw eggs in all but three nucs. I’m hoping the last three queens will start laying in due course and that when I go back to inspect them again I’ll have a 100% introduction success rate. The queen cages actually worked really well, I have to say, I was a little nervous at seeing the workers head out of the escape tab and then watched the queen as she also tried to force herself through the narrow gap. But, the design worked great and the bees in the nucs chewed through the fondant and released the queens in textbook fashion. I still have to go over to the Alpaca farm to check on the nucs I created there, those are the ones that give me the greatest concern, they’re the ones I made up from frames straight out of a queenright colony and then put the caged queen straight in. I do still think I’ve made a blunder there but who knows, maybe it will all be just fine.

We’ve had no rain at all in the last week and some very sunny, warm days. While I was at the Alpaca farm the farm owner stopped for a chat and said that a couple of her alpaca’s had been stung because bees were congregating around the water troughs where the alpacas get their drinking water from and it occurred to me to mention today that water is an essential part of colony life in a beehive and it would be prudent to make sure your bees have access to a decent supply of water to use. It appears right now they are using it to cool hives such are the daytime temperatures. If you evaporate water you get a corresponding drop in temperature on the surface where the water was and that can have the effect of keeping daytime brood box temperatures down and avoids the brood nest from overheating..............

Well, that’s it for this week, Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast and keep the comments coming.


 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-4052567 Fri, 03 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0100 988 full false Episode 112: New Queens and Delayed Extraction Episode 112: New Queens and Delayed Extraction Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 112 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. This week we’ve had some new queens to introduce and I’ve been forced to delay extracting our Spring honey harvest.

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to the podcast, it’s been another fast and furious week of beekeeping with more sunny and dry weather. It’s been dry for some time now and we don’t have any sight of rain on the forecast horizon for some time. On the face of it you could be forgiven for thinking that’s a good thing, warm, sunny days means the bees can get out and forage from early in the morning, I was at the allotment this morning at 5:45 and the sun was warming up nicely as I did the rounds of the cabbages and beetroot, but I was there to water some of the plants and that’s the same problem our wild flowering plants suffer, if it’s too dry with no rain at all the plants don’t have the resources to produce large, full flowers dripping with nectar and bursting with pollen. Instead we get smaller flowers with very little nectar and tiny amounts of pollen. So here we are, at the end of May hoping for some rainfall. I’m very lucky as most of my apiary sites are located near lakes and rivers, wild brambles cover vast areas of riverbanks and have their roots dipped nicely in the damp ground around them. But once again it’s all about resources, as with most things in the natural world, plants and animals need resources to grow and develop and our honeybees are exactly the same.............

..............And finally, a short while ago I supplied a nucleus colony to a new beekeeper, Jemma, I’m sure she won’t mind me telling you, but she was super excited to have her first bees and settled them into their new home and began her journey in beekeeping. Then a few days later I got a flurry of excited messages saying she had watched as a swarm flew over her head and settled on a branch within easy reach. having watched my videos, Jemma was confident enough to have a go at collecting them just days into her new beekeeping career. To cut a long story short, the bees went into a nuc box and promptly absconded, I’m guessing they were too large a swarm to feel comfortable in the nuc but such was the luck of our intrepid new beekeeper that the swarm went straight back to the same branch they had previously settled on. Having offered up further advice to Jemma I’m delighted to say the second collection and housing of the swarm has been successful and there are now two hives with bees sat at the bottom of the garden. Congratulations Jemma, it’s fantastic that you’ve done so much in such a short space of time. I’m certain they’ll give you an enormous amount of pleasure, oh and pain, just wait for that first sting, it’s bound to happen.

Before I go a quick hello to backdoorbread on Instagram who left a lovely comment and who has only just started beekeeping in the last couple of days, it always delights me to know that I can help out beekeepers even when they’re on the other side of the planet, in this instance, Vermont USA.


Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week, 

Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 112 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. This week we’ve had some new queens to introduce and I’ve been forced to delay extracting our Spring honey harvest.

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to the podcast, it’s been another fast and furious week of beekeeping with more sunny and dry weather. It’s been dry for some time now and we don’t have any sight of rain on the forecast horizon for some time. On the face of it you could be forgiven for thinking that’s a good thing, warm, sunny days means the bees can get out and forage from early in the morning, I was at the allotment this morning at 5:45 and the sun was warming up nicely as I did the rounds of the cabbages and beetroot, but I was there to water some of the plants and that’s the same problem our wild flowering plants suffer, if it’s too dry with no rain at all the plants don’t have the resources to produce large, full flowers dripping with nectar and bursting with pollen. Instead we get smaller flowers with very little nectar and tiny amounts of pollen. So here we are, at the end of May hoping for some rainfall. I’m very lucky as most of my apiary sites are located near lakes and rivers, wild brambles cover vast areas of riverbanks and have their roots dipped nicely in the damp ground around them. But once again it’s all about resources, as with most things in the natural world, plants and animals need resources to grow and develop and our honeybees are exactly the same.............

..............And finally, a short while ago I supplied a nucleus colony to a new beekeeper, Jemma, I’m sure she won’t mind me telling you, but she was super excited to have her first bees and settled them into their new home and began her journey in beekeeping. Then a few days later I got a flurry of excited messages saying she had watched as a swarm flew over her head and settled on a branch within easy reach. having watched my videos, Jemma was confident enough to have a go at collecting them just days into her new beekeeping career. To cut a long story short, the bees went into a nuc box and promptly absconded, I’m guessing they were too large a swarm to feel comfortable in the nuc but such was the luck of our intrepid new beekeeper that the swarm went straight back to the same branch they had previously settled on. Having offered up further advice to Jemma I’m delighted to say the second collection and housing of the swarm has been successful and there are now two hives with bees sat at the bottom of the garden. Congratulations Jemma, it’s fantastic that you’ve done so much in such a short space of time. I’m certain they’ll give you an enormous amount of pleasure, oh and pain, just wait for that first sting, it’s bound to happen.

Before I go a quick hello to backdoorbread on Instagram who left a lovely comment and who has only just started beekeeping in the last couple of days, it always delights me to know that I can help out beekeepers even when they’re on the other side of the planet, in this instance, Vermont USA.


Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week, 

Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3959981 Fri, 26 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0100 1080 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 112 full false Episode 111: Exciting News and Rising Temperatures Episode 111: Exciting News and Rising Temperatures Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 111 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. So this week I’ll reveal the exciting news I have for you and with rising temperatures outside clipped queens have been both a blessing and a conundrum, they just don’t always do what you read in the books!

Catch up with my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season.
Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back everybody, especially to everyone who continues to get the very latest podcasts each week as they are released, if you’d like to be first to hear the weekly podcast pop over to my patreon page and check out the podcast tier.

Last week I threw out a teaser about some exciting news and I posted a picture of the event on my patreon page just a couple of days ago. And that news is, I’ve finally got too fed up with falling over my own feet in the honey extraction room that I’ve signed the lease on a small commercial unit here in Norwich and have been moving in over the last seven days. It’s a personal milestone for me and something I’ve been hoping to do for some time. The unit is situated just a 15 minute walk away from my home. It means I can gather up all of my essential equipment together and not end up scratching my head trying to figure out where I left the last box of jars or have to drive to the workshop to count up how many sheets of brood foundation I have for my Langstroth hives.

The very best part is that I can now set out the honey room section of the unit in the best possible configuration to make the process of uncapping and extracting honey as easy as I can and that should really see a lot of time and frustration.  The grand plan is to section off the rear of the unit into the honey extraction area so that can be kept clean for honey and food production as I’m hoping to get back on track with some of the other products we used to produce. The front of the unit has a roller shutter door as well as a standard door entrance and that’s been really useful for brining in all of the equipment but will also be great for moving in the heavy honey supers without having to negotiate a doorway that’s not quite big enough without scraping my knuckles on the door frame. I can see it will be quite chilly in the Winter so a portioned wall and teaching room that will double up as an office for me is also on the wish list but that will have to wait as the cost of building the stud walls is beyond me currently. If there are any builders listening that fancy swapping a days work for a days mentoring do get in touch, although I do have a very good friend who is a top notch builder/plasterer so I’m hoping I can get him over to price up the job.

Next week is honey extraction week so I’ll go through putting on the clearer boards and what types I use and why and I’ll report back on exactly how we get on with actual honey extracted in a couple of weeks.

I hope you are also enjoying a Spring nectar flow and your supers are filling up with golden honey to reward you for all your work with your own bees.

Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week, 

Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 111 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. So this week I’ll reveal the exciting news I have for you and with rising temperatures outside clipped queens have been both a blessing and a conundrum, they just don’t always do what you read in the books!

Catch up with my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season.
Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back everybody, especially to everyone who continues to get the very latest podcasts each week as they are released, if you’d like to be first to hear the weekly podcast pop over to my patreon page and check out the podcast tier.

Last week I threw out a teaser about some exciting news and I posted a picture of the event on my patreon page just a couple of days ago. And that news is, I’ve finally got too fed up with falling over my own feet in the honey extraction room that I’ve signed the lease on a small commercial unit here in Norwich and have been moving in over the last seven days. It’s a personal milestone for me and something I’ve been hoping to do for some time. The unit is situated just a 15 minute walk away from my home. It means I can gather up all of my essential equipment together and not end up scratching my head trying to figure out where I left the last box of jars or have to drive to the workshop to count up how many sheets of brood foundation I have for my Langstroth hives.

The very best part is that I can now set out the honey room section of the unit in the best possible configuration to make the process of uncapping and extracting honey as easy as I can and that should really see a lot of time and frustration.  The grand plan is to section off the rear of the unit into the honey extraction area so that can be kept clean for honey and food production as I’m hoping to get back on track with some of the other products we used to produce. The front of the unit has a roller shutter door as well as a standard door entrance and that’s been really useful for brining in all of the equipment but will also be great for moving in the heavy honey supers without having to negotiate a doorway that’s not quite big enough without scraping my knuckles on the door frame. I can see it will be quite chilly in the Winter so a portioned wall and teaching room that will double up as an office for me is also on the wish list but that will have to wait as the cost of building the stud walls is beyond me currently. If there are any builders listening that fancy swapping a days work for a days mentoring do get in touch, although I do have a very good friend who is a top notch builder/plasterer so I’m hoping I can get him over to price up the job.

Next week is honey extraction week so I’ll go through putting on the clearer boards and what types I use and why and I’ll report back on exactly how we get on with actual honey extracted in a couple of weeks.

I hope you are also enjoying a Spring nectar flow and your supers are filling up with golden honey to reward you for all your work with your own bees.

Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week, 

Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3868520 Fri, 19 Jun 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1061 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, 1 111 full false Episode 110: Swarms, Bee Vacs and Cold Weather Episode 110: Swarms, Bee Vacs and Cold Weather Welcome to Episode 110 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. What an interesting week, swarm call outs, a climb onto a roof to vacuum an unwelcome colony and a sudden blast of cold air to slow everything down.
CHECK OUT MY LATEST PODCAST HERE

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Well, what a week that was, I’ve done a few interesting swarm collections in my time but this past week provided a first for me using Pete’s patented Bee Vacuum. I say patented, it’s not but it had the feel of one of those Wiley Coyote Acme DIY bits of kit, destined to blow up in your face. It didn’t quite do that but we had some fun with it.

I’ve also collected a swarm from a compost bin and been confronted by a sudden blast of cold air from the north which really put the brakes on things last weekend. By the time you get to listen to this we could be through the worst of the cold and heading back up to Bermuda Shorts and Hawaiian shirts temperatures!

I’ve also got some exciting news to share that has me working overtime this week so do stay tuned to hear all about that.

I don’t know about everyone else, but for me, at this time of year the weeks just seem to mould into one continuous routine of inspections and working on preparing for the next week of beekeeping, I do very often lose track of what day of the week it is, luckily I have the weekly routine of the Friday podcast posting to keep me on track. I appreciate it’s not the longest of podcasts but sitting down in front of the computer and putting out a weekly beekeeping comment is something I’m quite proud of, especially as I’ve now hit 110 podcasts.

So last week saw the first of the swarm call outs, I don’t normally go out to collect swarms, at least not any more. It was something I was desperate to do in the earlier days of my beekeeping career, wanting to get out there and climb trees, fall through hedgerows, clamber across garden shed roofs all with the desire to collect that swarm. You see, I wanted to increase my stock of bees as quickly as I could, little did I realise just how quickly it would increase, there were swarms everywhere it seemed.

If you are looking to increase the stock levels you have then swarm collection is a great way to do it and if you have the time, it can be great fun.................

............ Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week, I almost forgot to mention the exciting news I have for you all, but  I think I’ll save that for next week, I have a busy weekend ahead of me and I’ll give you a full round-up of what I’m up to next week.

Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Welcome to Episode 110 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. What an interesting week, swarm call outs, a climb onto a roof to vacuum an unwelcome colony and a sudden blast of cold air to slow everything down.
CHECK OUT MY LATEST PODCAST HERE

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Well, what a week that was, I’ve done a few interesting swarm collections in my time but this past week provided a first for me using Pete’s patented Bee Vacuum. I say patented, it’s not but it had the feel of one of those Wiley Coyote Acme DIY bits of kit, destined to blow up in your face. It didn’t quite do that but we had some fun with it.

I’ve also collected a swarm from a compost bin and been confronted by a sudden blast of cold air from the north which really put the brakes on things last weekend. By the time you get to listen to this we could be through the worst of the cold and heading back up to Bermuda Shorts and Hawaiian shirts temperatures!

I’ve also got some exciting news to share that has me working overtime this week so do stay tuned to hear all about that.

I don’t know about everyone else, but for me, at this time of year the weeks just seem to mould into one continuous routine of inspections and working on preparing for the next week of beekeeping, I do very often lose track of what day of the week it is, luckily I have the weekly routine of the Friday podcast posting to keep me on track. I appreciate it’s not the longest of podcasts but sitting down in front of the computer and putting out a weekly beekeeping comment is something I’m quite proud of, especially as I’ve now hit 110 podcasts.

So last week saw the first of the swarm call outs, I don’t normally go out to collect swarms, at least not any more. It was something I was desperate to do in the earlier days of my beekeeping career, wanting to get out there and climb trees, fall through hedgerows, clamber across garden shed roofs all with the desire to collect that swarm. You see, I wanted to increase my stock of bees as quickly as I could, little did I realise just how quickly it would increase, there were swarms everywhere it seemed.

If you are looking to increase the stock levels you have then swarm collection is a great way to do it and if you have the time, it can be great fun.................

............ Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week, I almost forgot to mention the exciting news I have for you all, but  I think I’ll save that for next week, I have a busy weekend ahead of me and I’ll give you a full round-up of what I’m up to next week.

Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3753773 Fri, 12 Jun 2020 09:00:00 +0100 970 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 110 full false Episode 109: Creating Multiple splits and The Virus Strikes Back Episode 109: Creating Multiple splits and The Virus Strikes Back Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 109 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. Multiple splits from one hive can help with quick increases in colony numbers, I have just the method to help. Also, viruses it seems are not just the domain of us humans. Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus has struck again and this time I’m taking decisive action, listen in to hear my thoughts and course of action.

Sign up to listen to my very latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Hi Everyone and welcome back to the podcast, it’s been a fairly standard weather week, some nice warm sunshine combined with a day of rain and chilly nights.

The effect of this on the bees can be quite dramatic and is a catalyst for swarming. Colonies building up strongly fid themselves suddenly trapped indoors getting in each others way, just leads to the need to break out and get some fresh air, sounds somewhat familiar to be honest.
I hope that last week’s explanation of the Artificial Swarm without finding the queen was easy enough to understand, remember, if you can’t find the queen you put a sealed queen cell in the new hive with all the flying bees and destroy all the queen cells in the old hive where the queen still hides. It’s really that simple.

This week I wanted to talk about a couple of topics, firstly, creating multiple nucs from one parent colony and secondly the bad news that I have Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus in a colony again and it’s pretty terminal. I discovered this during my regular inspections this last week and it got me thinking about why we inspect our bees. I suspect for the vast majority of beekeepers out there, running a couple of hive or maybe even a dozen colonies, inspecting your bees is the highlight of the beekeeping week so you want to take your time and enjoy the experience. The problem can then become one of looking at your bees in such a way as to not always see what’s right in front of you. What I mean by that is sometimes we can get so worked up about looking for eggs, queens and queen cells that other important issues such as disease can get missed and lead to more challenges further down the road. When you inspect your bees, no matter what time frame or how many colonies always make a point of looking for healthy brood and adult bees. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds and it’s something you can tick off the list of things that need your attention. I’ll come back to the CBPV later in the podcast but first something altogether more enjoyable, creating a multiple increase from one colony to end up with an apiary full of hives by the end of the season.

I can’t stress how much this is a last resort for me, I hate killing colonies of bees but I need to protect the rest of my livestock, it hurts to see them killed but as a responsible beekeeper it’s something I feel I have to do.

The good news is that the vast majority of my colonies are healthy and doing fine, this step hopefully will keep them that way for the rest of the season.

Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 109 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. Multiple splits from one hive can help with quick increases in colony numbers, I have just the method to help. Also, viruses it seems are not just the domain of us humans. Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus has struck again and this time I’m taking decisive action, listen in to hear my thoughts and course of action.

Sign up to listen to my very latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Hi Everyone and welcome back to the podcast, it’s been a fairly standard weather week, some nice warm sunshine combined with a day of rain and chilly nights.

The effect of this on the bees can be quite dramatic and is a catalyst for swarming. Colonies building up strongly fid themselves suddenly trapped indoors getting in each others way, just leads to the need to break out and get some fresh air, sounds somewhat familiar to be honest.
I hope that last week’s explanation of the Artificial Swarm without finding the queen was easy enough to understand, remember, if you can’t find the queen you put a sealed queen cell in the new hive with all the flying bees and destroy all the queen cells in the old hive where the queen still hides. It’s really that simple.

This week I wanted to talk about a couple of topics, firstly, creating multiple nucs from one parent colony and secondly the bad news that I have Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus in a colony again and it’s pretty terminal. I discovered this during my regular inspections this last week and it got me thinking about why we inspect our bees. I suspect for the vast majority of beekeepers out there, running a couple of hive or maybe even a dozen colonies, inspecting your bees is the highlight of the beekeeping week so you want to take your time and enjoy the experience. The problem can then become one of looking at your bees in such a way as to not always see what’s right in front of you. What I mean by that is sometimes we can get so worked up about looking for eggs, queens and queen cells that other important issues such as disease can get missed and lead to more challenges further down the road. When you inspect your bees, no matter what time frame or how many colonies always make a point of looking for healthy brood and adult bees. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds and it’s something you can tick off the list of things that need your attention. I’ll come back to the CBPV later in the podcast but first something altogether more enjoyable, creating a multiple increase from one colony to end up with an apiary full of hives by the end of the season.

I can’t stress how much this is a last resort for me, I hate killing colonies of bees but I need to protect the rest of my livestock, it hurts to see them killed but as a responsible beekeeper it’s something I feel I have to do.

The good news is that the vast majority of my colonies are healthy and doing fine, this step hopefully will keep them that way for the rest of the season.

Well, that’s it for this week, have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3641515 Fri, 05 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0100 1108 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet 1 109 full false Episode 108: Artificial Swarms Part Two Episode 108: Artificial Swarms Part Two Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 108 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. It’s most definitely swarm season, I’ve lost one, gained two and split another colony. This week, more about artificial swarms and how to perform one without finding the queen.

Check Out My Latest Podcasts Here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

This week’s update includes the inevitable news that some of our colonies have decided to swarm. It’s not a total surprise to be honest, we’ve been seeing rudimentary queen cells for some time now, those are the queen cups without eggs and more recently we’ve seen eggs and very young larvae in them making them queen cells in their own right. It was predictable that sooner or later the timing of these queen cells would work against us and I’d miss one or two and a few colonies would get away from us.

By that I mean, with a weekly inspection routine I’ve been removing queen cells regularly which should mean that by the time I come round to inspecting again there still shouldn’t be any sealed queen cells. Sealed queen cells are important because once sealed, the young queen larvae inside has been fed and nurtured as much as it can be by the colony and there is nothing more they can do now until the virgin queen emerges. This then, gives the green light for the colony to swarm as the sudden and dramatic reduction of the number of bees in the colony after the swarm won’t make any difference to the sealed queen cell.

What this means is that if you carry out regular inspections and you remove every queen cell you see it should be possible to prevent them from swarming, right? Wrong!
As I’m sure you either know or are finding out, bees will find a way to circumvent the beekeepers best efforts and find a way to swarm.

I once had a colony that persisted in producing queen cells, week after week until finally they produced 58 queen cells in one week, I methodically went through and removed every last one of them, or at least that’s what I thought I had done but alas, a week later I found they had swarmed, I had removed 57 queen cells and missed the one they had hidden in the midden of some drone brood created art such an angle the queen cell was completely hidden within the mass of drone brood. Fifty-eight queen cells is my record number in one hit I think, it looks quite impressive when you see frame upon frame of queen cells but it really isn’t what you want to see as a beekeeper. Some beekeepers might be tempted to use a great many of the queen cells to produce more queens for expansion but I suspect all you’re going to do with that particular colony is reproduce lots of swarmy colonies, not something I really want to have to deal with.......................

Have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s
www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 108 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. It’s most definitely swarm season, I’ve lost one, gained two and split another colony. This week, more about artificial swarms and how to perform one without finding the queen.

Check Out My Latest Podcasts Here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

This week’s update includes the inevitable news that some of our colonies have decided to swarm. It’s not a total surprise to be honest, we’ve been seeing rudimentary queen cells for some time now, those are the queen cups without eggs and more recently we’ve seen eggs and very young larvae in them making them queen cells in their own right. It was predictable that sooner or later the timing of these queen cells would work against us and I’d miss one or two and a few colonies would get away from us.

By that I mean, with a weekly inspection routine I’ve been removing queen cells regularly which should mean that by the time I come round to inspecting again there still shouldn’t be any sealed queen cells. Sealed queen cells are important because once sealed, the young queen larvae inside has been fed and nurtured as much as it can be by the colony and there is nothing more they can do now until the virgin queen emerges. This then, gives the green light for the colony to swarm as the sudden and dramatic reduction of the number of bees in the colony after the swarm won’t make any difference to the sealed queen cell.

What this means is that if you carry out regular inspections and you remove every queen cell you see it should be possible to prevent them from swarming, right? Wrong!
As I’m sure you either know or are finding out, bees will find a way to circumvent the beekeepers best efforts and find a way to swarm.

I once had a colony that persisted in producing queen cells, week after week until finally they produced 58 queen cells in one week, I methodically went through and removed every last one of them, or at least that’s what I thought I had done but alas, a week later I found they had swarmed, I had removed 57 queen cells and missed the one they had hidden in the midden of some drone brood created art such an angle the queen cell was completely hidden within the mass of drone brood. Fifty-eight queen cells is my record number in one hit I think, it looks quite impressive when you see frame upon frame of queen cells but it really isn’t what you want to see as a beekeeper. Some beekeepers might be tempted to use a great many of the queen cells to produce more queens for expansion but I suspect all you’re going to do with that particular colony is reproduce lots of swarmy colonies, not something I really want to have to deal with.......................

Have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s
www.patreon.com/norfolk honey

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3549976 Fri, 29 May 2020 08:00:00 +0100 921 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping full false Episode 107 - Artificial Swarms Episode 107 - Artificial Swarms Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 107 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. Queen cells have started to pop up in several colonies and last week I touched on the Artificial Swarm technique, this week I’m going to delve a little more closely at this beekeeping staple.

Check out my latest Podcasts here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.


Well, here in Norfolk in the UK we’re fast approaching that time in the season where colony reproduction will either begin or be in full swing, I’ve already seen several queen cells with eggs and larvae in and one colony got a head start on me and has already swarmed!

It can be a tricky time as we found out last year and there can be a certain amount of panic as colonies throw up queen cells and beekeepers struggle with how to tackle the situation.

Before we get into the details of the so called artificial swarm method of swarm control let’s look back at this week and update you all on how things are going.

As some of you will know I inspect on a weekly basis so at the moment I’m comfortably able to get round all sixty or so colonies and spend time working through them. I really don’t know how sole beekeepers manage to get through 150 plus colonies on their own with weekly inspections but I guess I’ll find that out eventually.

We’ve had about 10% throw up queen cells with the majority now producing rudimentary queen cups, the difference being the rudy’s, as we call them, don’t yet have an egg or larvae in them.

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly the church colony removal, quite a nerve-wracking experience for someone who isn’t used to being around 8m up on a scaffolding platform. The cut out was performed on Friday last week, it turned out to be quite a cold morning and the bees were fairly well tucked away in the corner sheltered from the prevailing Easterly wind. It was interesting to see just how sheltered it actually was in the spot they had chosen. The comb had been built across the corner between buttress and main wall and to be honest I could see why they had been able to survive there. With the overhanging brickwork it really was very sheltered indeed. Just to remind everyone, the reason for removing them was at the request of the church who are going to have some repair work performed to the east wall and wanted the colony removed. They had delayed removal in the hope the colony would die out overwinter and not have to pay for scaffolding, not a particularly Christian approach and they were lucky that we were able to find someone who could provide use with scaffolding free of charge. I say free of charge, I’m actually going to supply Markus the owner of EFL - Roofing Specialists with a nucleus colony to get him started in beekeeping once we’re out of lockdown so it is actually costing me, however, the church is very local to where I grew up and I’m a soft touch it seems.

I have posted pictures and video on the Patreon page of our removal so do take a look at that if you’re interested......................

Next week, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll talk through how to create an artificial swarm when you can’t find the queen.


Well, that’s it for this week, time to get out into the warming sunshine and check some of my colonies.


Have a

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 107 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. Queen cells have started to pop up in several colonies and last week I touched on the Artificial Swarm technique, this week I’m going to delve a little more closely at this beekeeping staple.

Check out my latest Podcasts here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.


Well, here in Norfolk in the UK we’re fast approaching that time in the season where colony reproduction will either begin or be in full swing, I’ve already seen several queen cells with eggs and larvae in and one colony got a head start on me and has already swarmed!

It can be a tricky time as we found out last year and there can be a certain amount of panic as colonies throw up queen cells and beekeepers struggle with how to tackle the situation.

Before we get into the details of the so called artificial swarm method of swarm control let’s look back at this week and update you all on how things are going.

As some of you will know I inspect on a weekly basis so at the moment I’m comfortably able to get round all sixty or so colonies and spend time working through them. I really don’t know how sole beekeepers manage to get through 150 plus colonies on their own with weekly inspections but I guess I’ll find that out eventually.

We’ve had about 10% throw up queen cells with the majority now producing rudimentary queen cups, the difference being the rudy’s, as we call them, don’t yet have an egg or larvae in them.

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly the church colony removal, quite a nerve-wracking experience for someone who isn’t used to being around 8m up on a scaffolding platform. The cut out was performed on Friday last week, it turned out to be quite a cold morning and the bees were fairly well tucked away in the corner sheltered from the prevailing Easterly wind. It was interesting to see just how sheltered it actually was in the spot they had chosen. The comb had been built across the corner between buttress and main wall and to be honest I could see why they had been able to survive there. With the overhanging brickwork it really was very sheltered indeed. Just to remind everyone, the reason for removing them was at the request of the church who are going to have some repair work performed to the east wall and wanted the colony removed. They had delayed removal in the hope the colony would die out overwinter and not have to pay for scaffolding, not a particularly Christian approach and they were lucky that we were able to find someone who could provide use with scaffolding free of charge. I say free of charge, I’m actually going to supply Markus the owner of EFL - Roofing Specialists with a nucleus colony to get him started in beekeeping once we’re out of lockdown so it is actually costing me, however, the church is very local to where I grew up and I’m a soft touch it seems.

I have posted pictures and video on the Patreon page of our removal so do take a look at that if you’re interested......................

Next week, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll talk through how to create an artificial swarm when you can’t find the queen.


Well, that’s it for this week, time to get out into the warming sunshine and check some of my colonies.


Have a

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3486319 Fri, 22 May 2020 08:00:00 +0100 1035 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 107 full false Episode 106 - Preparing for Swarms Episode 106 - Preparing for Swarms Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 106 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. During my inspections over the past week, I’ve noticed a few colonies starting to prepare for swarming. Stay tuned for my latest update and some suggestions for swarm season preparations.

Sign Up to my latest podcasts HERE

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to the podcast, and as lockdown continues  we find ourselves in a quite weird world right now, traffic has reduced to minimal numbers, it’s like driving around on an early Sunday morning every day of the week. Something else I’ve noticed as I walk to my allotment each day is more people are inclined to say hello, even though they are keeping their distance, people I’ve seen over the years and never had any interaction with now make eye contact and smile or say hello or good morning. It’s kind of strange. Maybe it’s that feeling of vulnerability that makes people suddenly feel like making contact with others. Personally, I’m as grumpy as ever when I walk up to the allotment and see the slugs have been at the cabbages but that’s a completely different problem.

It’s been a fantastic week for inspecting our colonies, the weather for the last week was fantastic, Easter weekend was sunny, dry and mostly warm, however the forecast if for a return to more Spring like conditions of warm sunshine coupled with cool breezes and cold nights. My inspection of the colonies on the Oilseed Rape is probably the most interesting as there are around 33 colonies there and it was full inspections including adding queen excluders and supers to several. It takes quite a while to go through 30 plus colonies having a detailed look and making sure all is ok. It’s a great time of year to be thorough, not as many bees in the hive just yet so room enough to be able to look closely at frames of brood to make sure all is well and healthy.

Something I did notice and worth mentioning here is what is termed the “through gut” of the larvae, it’s really obvious when you look closely at larvae. In healthy larvae it can normally be seen as a coloured line running along the back of the larvae and is a good sign the larvae are feeding and growing well. The colour is produced mainly by the colour of the pollen so it may well vary quite a bit and, at the moment, for all of my colonies on the oilseed rape the colour of this line is a fairly bright yellow. Larvae stuffed full of Oilseed rape pollen...........................


I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 106 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. During my inspections over the past week, I’ve noticed a few colonies starting to prepare for swarming. Stay tuned for my latest update and some suggestions for swarm season preparations.

Sign Up to my latest podcasts HERE

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Welcome back to the podcast, and as lockdown continues  we find ourselves in a quite weird world right now, traffic has reduced to minimal numbers, it’s like driving around on an early Sunday morning every day of the week. Something else I’ve noticed as I walk to my allotment each day is more people are inclined to say hello, even though they are keeping their distance, people I’ve seen over the years and never had any interaction with now make eye contact and smile or say hello or good morning. It’s kind of strange. Maybe it’s that feeling of vulnerability that makes people suddenly feel like making contact with others. Personally, I’m as grumpy as ever when I walk up to the allotment and see the slugs have been at the cabbages but that’s a completely different problem.

It’s been a fantastic week for inspecting our colonies, the weather for the last week was fantastic, Easter weekend was sunny, dry and mostly warm, however the forecast if for a return to more Spring like conditions of warm sunshine coupled with cool breezes and cold nights. My inspection of the colonies on the Oilseed Rape is probably the most interesting as there are around 33 colonies there and it was full inspections including adding queen excluders and supers to several. It takes quite a while to go through 30 plus colonies having a detailed look and making sure all is ok. It’s a great time of year to be thorough, not as many bees in the hive just yet so room enough to be able to look closely at frames of brood to make sure all is well and healthy.

Something I did notice and worth mentioning here is what is termed the “through gut” of the larvae, it’s really obvious when you look closely at larvae. In healthy larvae it can normally be seen as a coloured line running along the back of the larvae and is a good sign the larvae are feeding and growing well. The colour is produced mainly by the colour of the pollen so it may well vary quite a bit and, at the moment, for all of my colonies on the oilseed rape the colour of this line is a fairly bright yellow. Larvae stuffed full of Oilseed rape pollen...........................


I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3381508 Fri, 15 May 2020 09:00:00 +0100 961 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 106 full false Episode 105 - Early Season Inspections Episode 105 - Early Season Inspections I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 105 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. This week I’m in full inspection mode as we work our way through the hives and see how they’ve fared, start adding supers and carry out some vital disease inspections.

Catch up with my very latest Podcasts, Videos and much more here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. 

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.


Firstly,  a very Happy Easter to you all.  We’re off and running with the new season in what are very difficult times for everyone and I hope that you are all staying safe and taking care of each other.

It has to be said that for me, the current coronavirus situation hasn’t really affected what I do terribly and I’m very grateful for that. I’m still without my usual team of unpaid helpers, Steph and Pete, all of us trying our best to maintain social distancing and not travelling unnecessarily. That means Pete is left in the workshop doing all the essential building work, Steph is helping out with social media posts and I’m out on the bees.

And what a first week of inspections it’s been, it’s all too easy to get carried away with early season inspections but I have to say most colonies have come through the final stages of Spring looking in really fine condition.

Have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 105 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. This week I’m in full inspection mode as we work our way through the hives and see how they’ve fared, start adding supers and carry out some vital disease inspections.

Catch up with my very latest Podcasts, Videos and much more here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. 

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.


Firstly,  a very Happy Easter to you all.  We’re off and running with the new season in what are very difficult times for everyone and I hope that you are all staying safe and taking care of each other.

It has to be said that for me, the current coronavirus situation hasn’t really affected what I do terribly and I’m very grateful for that. I’m still without my usual team of unpaid helpers, Steph and Pete, all of us trying our best to maintain social distancing and not travelling unnecessarily. That means Pete is left in the workshop doing all the essential building work, Steph is helping out with social media posts and I’m out on the bees.

And what a first week of inspections it’s been, it’s all too easy to get carried away with early season inspections but I have to say most colonies have come through the final stages of Spring looking in really fine condition.

Have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3313975 Fri, 08 May 2020 07:00:00 +0100 912 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 105 full false Episode 104: Let The Season Commence! Episode 104: Let The Season Commence! We have a winner in our Honey Paw Competition and It’s all systems go this weekend and despite the Coronavirus, beekeeping in isolation begins, stay tuned for my latest update and plans for this weekend.

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Get The Latest Podcast Release Here

Welcome back to the podcast, and, without further delay, the winner of the Honey Paw Poly Langstroth Hive competition is Ricky Taylor who lives in Gibraltar, he correctly answered the question I posed, along with quite a number of others but he was the lucky one randomly drawn from the list of correct entries and wins the fantastic Honey Paw hive. I’m arranging to send the box of kit over to Ricky and hopefully, once he’s got it made up he’ll send us a photograph or two showing it in action for me to share.

Apart from the excitement of the competition, I’ve had a bit of a nightmare week, I should qualify that by saying anything I do with my beekeeping is totally insignificant compared to the work currently being undertaken by everyone out there helping us all get through the coronavirus outbreak and I really don’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill but what a couple of days I had midweek.

................................

Have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> We have a winner in our Honey Paw Competition and It’s all systems go this weekend and despite the Coronavirus, beekeeping in isolation begins, stay tuned for my latest update and plans for this weekend.

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website, I’ll leave a link to their website in the show notes as usual.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Get The Latest Podcast Release Here

Welcome back to the podcast, and, without further delay, the winner of the Honey Paw Poly Langstroth Hive competition is Ricky Taylor who lives in Gibraltar, he correctly answered the question I posed, along with quite a number of others but he was the lucky one randomly drawn from the list of correct entries and wins the fantastic Honey Paw hive. I’m arranging to send the box of kit over to Ricky and hopefully, once he’s got it made up he’ll send us a photograph or two showing it in action for me to share.

Apart from the excitement of the competition, I’ve had a bit of a nightmare week, I should qualify that by saying anything I do with my beekeeping is totally insignificant compared to the work currently being undertaken by everyone out there helping us all get through the coronavirus outbreak and I really don’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill but what a couple of days I had midweek.

................................

Have a great beekeeping week Stay safe and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3224272 Fri, 01 May 2020 07:00:00 +0100 897 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping full false Episode 103: Beekeeping and Social Distancing Episode 103: Beekeeping and Social Distancing Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 103 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. My beekeeping continues despite the challenges of the coronavirus outbreak, listen in to catch up with my latest challenges as we head into the new season.
Check out my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Modern Beekeeping - UK Suppliers of Honey Paw Hives, Apimix & Apipasta foods

Stay safe and keep your distance! Remember for those of you who haven’t yet entered the competition draw, there’s still time, but only just. The final date for entries is next Tuesday the 31st of March.

Head over to the Podcast page on my website where you can check out the details for entry.

Have a great beekeeping week and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 103 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. My beekeeping continues despite the challenges of the coronavirus outbreak, listen in to catch up with my latest challenges as we head into the new season.
Check out my latest podcast here

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website.

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Modern Beekeeping - UK Suppliers of Honey Paw Hives, Apimix & Apipasta foods

Stay safe and keep your distance! Remember for those of you who haven’t yet entered the competition draw, there’s still time, but only just. The final date for entries is next Tuesday the 31st of March.

Head over to the Podcast page on my website where you can check out the details for entry.

Have a great beekeeping week and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3142957 Fri, 24 Apr 2020 08:00:00 +0100 973 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 103 full false Episode 102: Keep Feeding Episode 102: Keep Feeding Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 102 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. The weather has been fairly constant this past week and I had a message from one of our contacts saying their Oilseed rape is nearly ready for the bees. It’s time to get set up for the new season but don’t be in too much of a rush to open your bees, it’s still cold out there!
Check Out the very Latest podcasts on my Support Page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. 

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Honey Paw Hives in the UK - Modern Beekeeping

Well, I never did get to BeeTradex and I’m kind of glad I chose not to go, it seems like it was a good event despite the reduced attendance, but  I guess a lot of beekeepers took the same decision I did in staying away. We’ve now been told that the second major event of the year has been cancelled, that’s the BBKA Spring Convention in April and is usually a really good weekend with lots of talks and lectures, hands-on sessions and of course the Trade Show. Lots of suppliers now seem to be offering show discounts online so if you have pre-ordered or were thinking of buying some new kit check out the retailer of choice and see what they are offering. There’s always bargains to be had and I’m sure they will want to mitigate their losses by offering some really good deals online. Sign up for newsletters and special offers to make sure you get notified, although I don’t think any of them are selling toilet paper!

Not going to the Trade Show meant I had time to get a few more plans sorted, I love lists, you can never have too many lists, jobs that need to be done, kit to move, bees to check.

We spent Saturday scraping and washing queen excluders, it’s another task on the IPM or Integrated Pest Management plan that we have. Keeping kit nice and clean makes it easier to use and reduces the risk of spreading pests and diseases to the bees.

Cleaning queen excluders can be a bit of a chore but once done they clean up well and it also helps extend the life of them too. In previous years I’ve shaped and scorched, the technique involves scraping off all the wax and as much propolis as possible and then using a blow torch to bubble up the remaining propolis to kill anything that might be lurking in it. This year I wanted to try using the oil drum to boil them clean and it worked really well. The key once again is keeping the water at near boiling point and adding a decent amount of washing soda and washing up liquid. It has the effect of dissolving the propolis and they clean really quickly.

My main job right now, making sure bees have enough supplementary feed to get them through the cooler weather until there are again enough bees to cover the brood area and keep all of the larvae warm and healthy. They will be in prime condition to be taken to the oilseed rape and that looks like it will happen sometime next week which is really early for us. I’ve just recorded a couple of videos showing both the oilseed rape field and the new apiary site for the Honey Paw hives series of videos so do catch up with both of those.

I hope you’re all keeping safe and healthy wherever you are and looking forward to getting out into the fresh air and starting the new beekeeping season. Remember for those of you who haven’t yet entered the competition draw, there’s still time. Head over to my Podcast page on my website where you can check out the details for entry.

Have a great beekeeping week and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots mo

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 102 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. The weather has been fairly constant this past week and I had a message from one of our contacts saying their Oilseed rape is nearly ready for the bees. It’s time to get set up for the new season but don’t be in too much of a rush to open your bees, it’s still cold out there!
Check Out the very Latest podcasts on my Support Page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are, as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of their hives this season courtesy of Honey Paw. 

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

Honey Paw Hives in the UK - Modern Beekeeping

Well, I never did get to BeeTradex and I’m kind of glad I chose not to go, it seems like it was a good event despite the reduced attendance, but  I guess a lot of beekeepers took the same decision I did in staying away. We’ve now been told that the second major event of the year has been cancelled, that’s the BBKA Spring Convention in April and is usually a really good weekend with lots of talks and lectures, hands-on sessions and of course the Trade Show. Lots of suppliers now seem to be offering show discounts online so if you have pre-ordered or were thinking of buying some new kit check out the retailer of choice and see what they are offering. There’s always bargains to be had and I’m sure they will want to mitigate their losses by offering some really good deals online. Sign up for newsletters and special offers to make sure you get notified, although I don’t think any of them are selling toilet paper!

Not going to the Trade Show meant I had time to get a few more plans sorted, I love lists, you can never have too many lists, jobs that need to be done, kit to move, bees to check.

We spent Saturday scraping and washing queen excluders, it’s another task on the IPM or Integrated Pest Management plan that we have. Keeping kit nice and clean makes it easier to use and reduces the risk of spreading pests and diseases to the bees.

Cleaning queen excluders can be a bit of a chore but once done they clean up well and it also helps extend the life of them too. In previous years I’ve shaped and scorched, the technique involves scraping off all the wax and as much propolis as possible and then using a blow torch to bubble up the remaining propolis to kill anything that might be lurking in it. This year I wanted to try using the oil drum to boil them clean and it worked really well. The key once again is keeping the water at near boiling point and adding a decent amount of washing soda and washing up liquid. It has the effect of dissolving the propolis and they clean really quickly.

My main job right now, making sure bees have enough supplementary feed to get them through the cooler weather until there are again enough bees to cover the brood area and keep all of the larvae warm and healthy. They will be in prime condition to be taken to the oilseed rape and that looks like it will happen sometime next week which is really early for us. I’ve just recorded a couple of videos showing both the oilseed rape field and the new apiary site for the Honey Paw hives series of videos so do catch up with both of those.

I hope you’re all keeping safe and healthy wherever you are and looking forward to getting out into the fresh air and starting the new beekeeping season. Remember for those of you who haven’t yet entered the competition draw, there’s still time. Head over to my Podcast page on my website where you can check out the details for entry.

Have a great beekeeping week and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots mo

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3065923 Fri, 17 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0100 970 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 102 full false Episode 101: Integrated Pest Management - Spring 2020 Episode 101: Integrated Pest Management - Spring 2020 The sun is shining, it’s warming up nicely and I’m thinking further on our Integrated Pest Management controls. Stay tuned for more suggestions on how to keep your bees healthy this year.

Check out my weekly podcast as it is released by signing up NOW

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of them this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website www.mesi.fi

For all UK Beekeepers check out the range at Modern Beekeeping

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

One of the main focuses this week has been getting wax into frames, as you know we’ve been cleaning and washing frames and boxes for a while over the Winter period and that all comes to it’s grand finale with the final step of putting the wax foundation into the frames and loading up the brood boxes with prepared frames ready to go on to the hives.

My intention this Spring is to get as many of the nucleus colonies into full-sized hives as soon as we can to allow them to build up for the main flow in the Summer.

We may get a box of honey of them from the Spring flow but as I’ve said many times before to make honey you need lots of bees and lots of nectar. 

Finally, a further mention about the Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, I popped out to check up on a few colonies yesterday prior to delivering three colonies to a fellow beekeeper and I have to say it was pretty much as I suspected. I lifted the roofs on about a dozen colonies and the Apipasta plus, which comes in those flat, plastic trays is easy to see and check without having to disturb the bees. A couple of colonies hadn’t touched it at all to the point that I couldn’t see any activity, about four had eaten enough to make a small visible clean spot on the plastic tray and the rest were gorging themselves on it and had eaten about two-thirds of it.
 I knew the bees would take to it well because I had put it on the colonies between the flowering of the Snowdrops and Hazel finishing and the first Willows becoming available.

I would expect that over the next week or so more Willow to flower and the bees will have greater opportunities to get out and forage on naturally available pollen, the Apipasta has, however, been a very valuable source of protein for them and I’m sure they will have benefitted from having it as opposed to me not feeding it to them. I’m going to post a video next week showing some of these hives so do look out for that on YouTube.

Well that’s it for this week if you are going to any gatherings or meetings please do take care, remember to wash your hands and stay safe.

Have a great beekeeping week and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.




Support the show

]]> The sun is shining, it’s warming up nicely and I’m thinking further on our Integrated Pest Management controls. Stay tuned for more suggestions on how to keep your bees healthy this year.

Check out my weekly podcast as it is released by signing up NOW

I’m grateful to Honey Paw hives for sponsoring in part our podcasts for this season. Honey Paw hives are as I’m sure you’re aware, Poly Langstroth hives and we’re setting up an apiary full of them this season courtesy of Honey Paw. Check out their range of hives and other equipment on their website www.mesi.fi

For all UK Beekeepers check out the range at Modern Beekeeping

Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers, For Beekeepers.

One of the main focuses this week has been getting wax into frames, as you know we’ve been cleaning and washing frames and boxes for a while over the Winter period and that all comes to it’s grand finale with the final step of putting the wax foundation into the frames and loading up the brood boxes with prepared frames ready to go on to the hives.

My intention this Spring is to get as many of the nucleus colonies into full-sized hives as soon as we can to allow them to build up for the main flow in the Summer.

We may get a box of honey of them from the Spring flow but as I’ve said many times before to make honey you need lots of bees and lots of nectar. 

Finally, a further mention about the Apipasta Plus Pollen Substitute, I popped out to check up on a few colonies yesterday prior to delivering three colonies to a fellow beekeeper and I have to say it was pretty much as I suspected. I lifted the roofs on about a dozen colonies and the Apipasta plus, which comes in those flat, plastic trays is easy to see and check without having to disturb the bees. A couple of colonies hadn’t touched it at all to the point that I couldn’t see any activity, about four had eaten enough to make a small visible clean spot on the plastic tray and the rest were gorging themselves on it and had eaten about two-thirds of it.
 I knew the bees would take to it well because I had put it on the colonies between the flowering of the Snowdrops and Hazel finishing and the first Willows becoming available.

I would expect that over the next week or so more Willow to flower and the bees will have greater opportunities to get out and forage on naturally available pollen, the Apipasta has, however, been a very valuable source of protein for them and I’m sure they will have benefitted from having it as opposed to me not feeding it to them. I’m going to post a video next week showing some of these hives so do look out for that on YouTube.

Well that’s it for this week if you are going to any gatherings or meetings please do take care, remember to wash your hands and stay safe.

Have a great beekeeping week and Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.




Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-3000970 Fri, 10 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0100 1064 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 101 full false Episode 100: Integrated Pest Management Episode 100: Integrated Pest Management Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 100 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. This week I’m starting a review of how to implement an Integrated Pest Management system in your apiary.
Get the very latest Beekeeping podcast here

I’m really excited to be sharing my 100th podcast, I never thought I would reach the heady heights of 100 podcasts, it’s been a lot of fun, if not hard work, and I’m really grateful to everyone that tunes in and listens each week. This season my podcasts are sponsored in part by Honey Paw hives, the guys at Honey Paw have kindly set me up with a range of their equipment to demonstrate and I would ask you to take a look at their range via their website. I’ve used it for a couple of seasons now and I’m really enjoying the experience. I’ll leave links to their website in the podcast notes as usual.
Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers For Beekeepers

Before we get into this week’s topic I thought I’d round up how the week has been as usual. I’m still watching the weather, it’s a favourite pastime for most beekeepers I guess, waiting to see if the warmer weather allows the bees to get out and start building for Spring.

In other news, I lost my first winter colony last week and as I’ve said on several occasions before the biggest threat to bees over winter is the beekeeper. It was all my fault. So, the colony in question was a medium-sized nucleus colony in a BSHoney 2 in 1 nuc box, so that’s a six-frame poly box. The bees occupied around three seams previously and looked healthy enough. Listen to the podcast for more details.

An Integrated Pest Management plan is a great way to identify specific areas that you can control to minimise the risk not just from Varroa but from all pests and diseases.

And the great thing about a plan like this is you can adapt it to suit your beekeeping style, whether you’re happy to use chemical treatments or if you’re treatment free, there’s a plan that you can use to keep pests and diseases to a manageable level and allow your bees to develop into strong, healthy colonies.

I intend going almost treatment free in one of my apiaries this year, that sounds a bit daft but the plan is to use brood comb removal to reduce the loading of Varroa and all the other nasties lurking in the hives. I say almost treatment-free because I still intend using Oxalic Acid Sublimation over the Winer period but other than that I’m going to use no chemicals at all. I’ll explain more about this as we go into the new season and I’ve selected the lucky apiary.

An integrated pest management plan doesn’t have to be complicated as there are several simple steps you can take to get control of pests and diseases in your apiaries.

For instance, make sure you wash your bee suit regularly if you wear one and if you wear gloves use either disposable ones or washing up gloves that can be washed thoroughly between hive inspections. Likewise, always have a wash bucket with clean water with washing soda and a splash of washing up liquid in it to clean hive tools in between each hive inspection.

I’ll talk more about the integrated pest management plan as we get into the season and I can show you what I do around the apiaries to manage my risk as best I can.

I hope you have a fantastic week, the new season will soon be upon us so let’s do all we can to have a fast start.

Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

T's&C's for the competition can be found on my website at http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/competition100




Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 100 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet. This week I’m starting a review of how to implement an Integrated Pest Management system in your apiary.
Get the very latest Beekeeping podcast here

I’m really excited to be sharing my 100th podcast, I never thought I would reach the heady heights of 100 podcasts, it’s been a lot of fun, if not hard work, and I’m really grateful to everyone that tunes in and listens each week. This season my podcasts are sponsored in part by Honey Paw hives, the guys at Honey Paw have kindly set me up with a range of their equipment to demonstrate and I would ask you to take a look at their range via their website. I’ve used it for a couple of seasons now and I’m really enjoying the experience. I’ll leave links to their website in the podcast notes as usual.
Honey Paw Hives - Designed by Beekeepers For Beekeepers

Before we get into this week’s topic I thought I’d round up how the week has been as usual. I’m still watching the weather, it’s a favourite pastime for most beekeepers I guess, waiting to see if the warmer weather allows the bees to get out and start building for Spring.

In other news, I lost my first winter colony last week and as I’ve said on several occasions before the biggest threat to bees over winter is the beekeeper. It was all my fault. So, the colony in question was a medium-sized nucleus colony in a BSHoney 2 in 1 nuc box, so that’s a six-frame poly box. The bees occupied around three seams previously and looked healthy enough. Listen to the podcast for more details.

An Integrated Pest Management plan is a great way to identify specific areas that you can control to minimise the risk not just from Varroa but from all pests and diseases.

And the great thing about a plan like this is you can adapt it to suit your beekeeping style, whether you’re happy to use chemical treatments or if you’re treatment free, there’s a plan that you can use to keep pests and diseases to a manageable level and allow your bees to develop into strong, healthy colonies.

I intend going almost treatment free in one of my apiaries this year, that sounds a bit daft but the plan is to use brood comb removal to reduce the loading of Varroa and all the other nasties lurking in the hives. I say almost treatment-free because I still intend using Oxalic Acid Sublimation over the Winer period but other than that I’m going to use no chemicals at all. I’ll explain more about this as we go into the new season and I’ve selected the lucky apiary.

An integrated pest management plan doesn’t have to be complicated as there are several simple steps you can take to get control of pests and diseases in your apiaries.

For instance, make sure you wash your bee suit regularly if you wear one and if you wear gloves use either disposable ones or washing up gloves that can be washed thoroughly between hive inspections. Likewise, always have a wash bucket with clean water with washing soda and a splash of washing up liquid in it to clean hive tools in between each hive inspection.

I’ll talk more about the integrated pest management plan as we get into the season and I can show you what I do around the apiaries to manage my risk as best I can.

I hope you have a fantastic week, the new season will soon be upon us so let’s do all we can to have a fast start.

Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

T's&C's for the competition can be found on my website at http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/competition100




Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2932510 Fri, 03 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0100 1022 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 100 full false Episode 99: Getting Hives Ready For Spring Episode 99: Getting Hives Ready For Spring Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 99 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

Someone recently predict that Spring had arrived, well, with snow showers today and cooler weather ahead Winter still feels to have a grip. That shouldn’t stop us looking ahead and getting our bees in tip-top condition for the new season.

Catch up with the very latest podcast as they are released here

Honey Paw Hives can be found online here
Honey Paw in the UK Here

This podcast is sponsored in part by Honey Paw Hives, This season I’m delighted to have Honey Paw hives on board as one of our biggest supporters. Do pop over to their website to take a look at the fantastic range of Langstroth beehives and here in the UK check out Modern Beekeeping who are the sole UK distributors of Honey paw Hives. As usual, I’ll leave links to their websites in the podcast notes.

We’ve had a few chilly days of late, I’ve even taken to wearing my crocheted, beanie hat that I was given as a Christmas present a few years ago. Looks little daft but keeps my head warm, especially at the workshop where we don’t really have heating apart from the hot air that Pete and I spout when we’re talking, which is most of the time, but it’s still not enough to keep us warm.

We’ve been trying to keep warm by painting the Honey Paw equipment, it sometimes seems a never-ending task especially as we don’t have the luxury of spray painting so it’s all rollers and paintbrushes, that said, we got a couple of coats on most things and Pete’s been checking everything out this week and covering up the bits we all missed. Hopefully this weekend we’ll have completed that particular task and we can move on to some of the more exciting jobs. I’m going to filming my take on the floors and roofs of the Honey Paw hives next, some interesting kit with some very clever features so do keep a lookout for that. Then it will be frames and wax foundation, and mountains of them. Not just for the Langstroth Poly Hives but for all the boxes we’ve been cleaning and preparing ready for the start of the new season. And that brings me on to today’s topic of getting ready for the new season.

I was recently asked to give a talk in late March at the Norwich and District beekeeping association, my local beekeeping group that I’m a member of.

The topic I’ve been asked to talk about is Getting hives ready for the new season. 

Well, the problem is by the time I give the talk, the third Wednesday of the month, it’s likely to be too late, I know that last season, we were very busy with our colonies moving to Oilseed Rape, putting nucs into full-sized hives and more generally beginning the checks for swarms.

The perfect time to give a talk about preparing hives for Spring is probably August!

Now that might come as a surprise to some beginner beekeepers but the more experienced beekeepers Will know exactly what I’m talking about. For me, the honey production season comes to a sudden halt at the end of July, you could almost see the nectar tap being turned off, it’s that sudden. So what is the beekeeper supposed to do between the end of July and the start of the new season around six months later, well, not a great deal if he or she is organised but there are some crucial steps that gets the hive in perfect condition and ready for a fast start the following Spring.

I hope you have a fantastic week, the new season will soon be upon us so let’s do all we can to have a fast start.

Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.




Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 99 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

Someone recently predict that Spring had arrived, well, with snow showers today and cooler weather ahead Winter still feels to have a grip. That shouldn’t stop us looking ahead and getting our bees in tip-top condition for the new season.

Catch up with the very latest podcast as they are released here

Honey Paw Hives can be found online here
Honey Paw in the UK Here

This podcast is sponsored in part by Honey Paw Hives, This season I’m delighted to have Honey Paw hives on board as one of our biggest supporters. Do pop over to their website to take a look at the fantastic range of Langstroth beehives and here in the UK check out Modern Beekeeping who are the sole UK distributors of Honey paw Hives. As usual, I’ll leave links to their websites in the podcast notes.

We’ve had a few chilly days of late, I’ve even taken to wearing my crocheted, beanie hat that I was given as a Christmas present a few years ago. Looks little daft but keeps my head warm, especially at the workshop where we don’t really have heating apart from the hot air that Pete and I spout when we’re talking, which is most of the time, but it’s still not enough to keep us warm.

We’ve been trying to keep warm by painting the Honey Paw equipment, it sometimes seems a never-ending task especially as we don’t have the luxury of spray painting so it’s all rollers and paintbrushes, that said, we got a couple of coats on most things and Pete’s been checking everything out this week and covering up the bits we all missed. Hopefully this weekend we’ll have completed that particular task and we can move on to some of the more exciting jobs. I’m going to filming my take on the floors and roofs of the Honey Paw hives next, some interesting kit with some very clever features so do keep a lookout for that. Then it will be frames and wax foundation, and mountains of them. Not just for the Langstroth Poly Hives but for all the boxes we’ve been cleaning and preparing ready for the start of the new season. And that brings me on to today’s topic of getting ready for the new season.

I was recently asked to give a talk in late March at the Norwich and District beekeeping association, my local beekeeping group that I’m a member of.

The topic I’ve been asked to talk about is Getting hives ready for the new season. 

Well, the problem is by the time I give the talk, the third Wednesday of the month, it’s likely to be too late, I know that last season, we were very busy with our colonies moving to Oilseed Rape, putting nucs into full-sized hives and more generally beginning the checks for swarms.

The perfect time to give a talk about preparing hives for Spring is probably August!

Now that might come as a surprise to some beginner beekeepers but the more experienced beekeepers Will know exactly what I’m talking about. For me, the honey production season comes to a sudden halt at the end of July, you could almost see the nectar tap being turned off, it’s that sudden. So what is the beekeeper supposed to do between the end of July and the start of the new season around six months later, well, not a great deal if he or she is organised but there are some crucial steps that gets the hive in perfect condition and ready for a fast start the following Spring.

I hope you have a fantastic week, the new season will soon be upon us so let’s do all we can to have a fast start.

Please do remember to check out my Patreon page where you can access lots more content, that’s www.patreon.com/norfolk honey.

I’m Stewart Spinks and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.




Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2868784 Fri, 27 Mar 2020 07:00:00 +0000 833 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 99 full false Episode 98: The Honey Paw Project begins Episode 98: The Honey Paw Project begins Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 98 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

This week saw the completion of the Top Bar Hive build, we’ve once again been battered by Winter storms, and excitedly, we started the Honey Paw Langstroth Hive project, so stay tuned for all the latest updates.

Get the very latest podcast as it's released by visiting www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Check out Honey Paw Hives in the UK at Modern Beekeeping

Honey Paw outside the UK can be view at Honey Paw Hives

Before we get started into this week’s podcast I want to give a shout out to Honey Paw Hives who are very kindly sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this active season. You’ll hear lots more about Honey Paw Hives as we go through the season and lots of the podcasts will feature the Langstroth Poly Hives as most of our YouTube videos are going to be based on the season-long collaboration we have with them.

I’ve had these hives for a couple of seasons now and I certainly wouldn’t have agreed to another collaboration with them if I didn’t think they were great products.

Here in the UK you can find out all about them by visiting the website of  Modern Beekeeping where the full range is on display and outside the UK take a look at the Honey Paw website itself and of course, I’ll put links to both websites in the podcast notes that accompany this week’s show.

Honey Paw Poly Langstroth Bee Hives, designed for beekeepers because they’re designed by beekeepers.

This month seems to be really racing away, January seemed to stretch out way ahead of me and whether it was the New Year hangover or something I don’t know but we barely seemed to trip into February and here we are with just over one week to go before it’s March and the Spring equinox will be upon us and we all know what happened here in the UK last year, I have pictures of swarm cells to prove it!

With all of that in mind, I decided it was time to get stuck into several projects as if I don’t have enough to be going on with. The major one is the Honey Paw and we’ve been making up brood bodies and nuc bodies ready for painting which we started today actually. To be honest these are pretty much the only thing you need to make up as everything else comes preformed and ready for painting. There are a couple of exceptions which I’ll talk about another time but mostly, we just put a little polyurethane wood glue on the joints and pushed them together.

So today we set about painting the boxes, being polystyrene you need to be careful what paint you select or you could find your precious hive parts dissolving away! I opt for smooth masonry paint basically because I can get it in big tins and normally someone somewhere is selling off old stock in some drab colour that no one wants.

This week it was the turn of UK DIY store B&Q, they had an offer on a Dulux weather shield masonry paint listed in the green section of their website filter system. It looked a little light and was called “Frosted Lake” so I pictured a kind of light or pale green colour.

The best thing was it was really cheap so I got three 5 litre tins of it.

Turns out that “Frosted Lake” is actually “Baby Blue” and not Green at all. Oh well, never mind, it really isn’t that big a deal, too late now anyway as we’ve given pretty much everything a first coat, including my nephew who came along to lend a hand. I think he got more paint on his hoodie than on the hives which is why it’s always good to give young relatives back to their respective parents at the end of the day. 

We painted a total of a dozen floors and roofs, 36 brood bodies or deep boxes, 12 feeders and four complete nucs, basically a floor, nuc body and roof.

Al

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 98 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

This week saw the completion of the Top Bar Hive build, we’ve once again been battered by Winter storms, and excitedly, we started the Honey Paw Langstroth Hive project, so stay tuned for all the latest updates.

Get the very latest podcast as it's released by visiting www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Check out Honey Paw Hives in the UK at Modern Beekeeping

Honey Paw outside the UK can be view at Honey Paw Hives

Before we get started into this week’s podcast I want to give a shout out to Honey Paw Hives who are very kindly sponsoring, in part, our podcasts for this active season. You’ll hear lots more about Honey Paw Hives as we go through the season and lots of the podcasts will feature the Langstroth Poly Hives as most of our YouTube videos are going to be based on the season-long collaboration we have with them.

I’ve had these hives for a couple of seasons now and I certainly wouldn’t have agreed to another collaboration with them if I didn’t think they were great products.

Here in the UK you can find out all about them by visiting the website of  Modern Beekeeping where the full range is on display and outside the UK take a look at the Honey Paw website itself and of course, I’ll put links to both websites in the podcast notes that accompany this week’s show.

Honey Paw Poly Langstroth Bee Hives, designed for beekeepers because they’re designed by beekeepers.

This month seems to be really racing away, January seemed to stretch out way ahead of me and whether it was the New Year hangover or something I don’t know but we barely seemed to trip into February and here we are with just over one week to go before it’s March and the Spring equinox will be upon us and we all know what happened here in the UK last year, I have pictures of swarm cells to prove it!

With all of that in mind, I decided it was time to get stuck into several projects as if I don’t have enough to be going on with. The major one is the Honey Paw and we’ve been making up brood bodies and nuc bodies ready for painting which we started today actually. To be honest these are pretty much the only thing you need to make up as everything else comes preformed and ready for painting. There are a couple of exceptions which I’ll talk about another time but mostly, we just put a little polyurethane wood glue on the joints and pushed them together.

So today we set about painting the boxes, being polystyrene you need to be careful what paint you select or you could find your precious hive parts dissolving away! I opt for smooth masonry paint basically because I can get it in big tins and normally someone somewhere is selling off old stock in some drab colour that no one wants.

This week it was the turn of UK DIY store B&Q, they had an offer on a Dulux weather shield masonry paint listed in the green section of their website filter system. It looked a little light and was called “Frosted Lake” so I pictured a kind of light or pale green colour.

The best thing was it was really cheap so I got three 5 litre tins of it.

Turns out that “Frosted Lake” is actually “Baby Blue” and not Green at all. Oh well, never mind, it really isn’t that big a deal, too late now anyway as we’ve given pretty much everything a first coat, including my nephew who came along to lend a hand. I think he got more paint on his hoodie than on the hives which is why it’s always good to give young relatives back to their respective parents at the end of the day. 

We painted a total of a dozen floors and roofs, 36 brood bodies or deep boxes, 12 feeders and four complete nucs, basically a floor, nuc body and roof.

Al

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2804548 Fri, 20 Mar 2020 07:00:00 +0000 732 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Honey Paw Hives, Modern Beekeeping 1 98 full false Episode 97: Storm Damage and Workshop Elves Episode 97: Storm Damage and Workshop Elves Get the very latest podcast as it's released by visiting my beekeeping support website www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney


What a week, we’ve had all four seasons in one day, rain, winds, sunshine, hail, snow and, not forgetting Storm Ciara for our bees to contend with, listen in to hear how my bees survived. Also to come, the latest workshop update and yet another storm to contend with.

Blimey, what a week, at least we were forewarned and despite all the fuss nothing quite so dramatic here for us as compared to other parts of the country and certainly, other places around the world so we were pretty lucky really.

Looking back at the week, the big news was the impending arrival of Storm Ciara, we seem to have become accustomed to naming our storms now and Ciara arrived on schedule with some torrential downpours and gale-force winds. I looked out into the back garden to see fairy calm scene as I’d done something I’ve never done before, and that was to prepare for the worst! I’d moved all likely flying objects into the garage, the usual empty pots and trays from my gardening exploits, a couple of old honey buckets that I use for, well, use for pretty much everything in the garden these days, all except filling with honey of course. But I could see those sailing through the skies so they went into the garage. Plants in pots were moved to sheltered corner locations, bear in mind my back garden is only 5 metres by 7 metres at the most, maybe not even that big, I did a lot of fishing in years gone by so I’m quite good at over-estimating!

Anyway, everything was tucked away ready for Storm Ciara to arrive and she was perfectly on time. We didn’t get quite as much rain as I was expecting but it was very, very windy. My mind turned to the apiary sites I have and thinking which trees were in imminent danger of falling over, and there are quite a few. At the Alpaca farm, there’s a huge oak tree on the outside track that borders the farm and that came down about two years ago. Chris at the Alpaca farm had a tree surgeon cut down the bulk of it that had fallen into their property but the huge trunk ended up across the public bridleway and is still there. It stops me from driving up to the apiary from the back lane, not a huge problem as it’s always nice to say hello to the folks at the Alpacas but there are several other ancient trees that line that track that could easily have taken a battering this week.

I did message Emma, the owner of the alpaca farm, to see if they could check on the bees for me because this is the Honey Paw Langstroth poly hive apiary from a couple of seasons ago and I was worried the poly hives might have taken a tumble.

I needn’t have worried as everything was secure and the hives were all firmly strapped down. It’s the only apiary where there is someone on-site 24/7 so I needed to get around all the other apiaries as soon as possible to put my mind at rest.

The Bluebell apiary was my first stop, and beekeeper incompetence had intervened to cause one minor issue. At the last visit to feed Apipasta fondant, I’d forgotten to put the stone back on top of one of the BSHoney 2in1 nuc boxes and the roof had been blown off. Of course, the next step is trying to find the roof, it’s only a small rectangle of polystyrene and they can travel quite a long way in a good storm.

The Bluebell apiary, although set out on concrete plinths and wood chip floor is surrounded by long grasses, hedgerows and trees, idyllic on the right day but when you’re trying to find a thin slab of polystyrene it makes for a more tricky search.

The sensible thing to do is start at the hives and scan around searching the ground all the way to the hedge line and up into the bushes and trees that form the boundary. Nope, nothing there, perhaps a walk through the long grass will reveal where the roof has vanished to. Nope, not in the long grass, now I’m

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]]> Get the very latest podcast as it's released by visiting my beekeeping support website www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney


What a week, we’ve had all four seasons in one day, rain, winds, sunshine, hail, snow and, not forgetting Storm Ciara for our bees to contend with, listen in to hear how my bees survived. Also to come, the latest workshop update and yet another storm to contend with.

Blimey, what a week, at least we were forewarned and despite all the fuss nothing quite so dramatic here for us as compared to other parts of the country and certainly, other places around the world so we were pretty lucky really.

Looking back at the week, the big news was the impending arrival of Storm Ciara, we seem to have become accustomed to naming our storms now and Ciara arrived on schedule with some torrential downpours and gale-force winds. I looked out into the back garden to see fairy calm scene as I’d done something I’ve never done before, and that was to prepare for the worst! I’d moved all likely flying objects into the garage, the usual empty pots and trays from my gardening exploits, a couple of old honey buckets that I use for, well, use for pretty much everything in the garden these days, all except filling with honey of course. But I could see those sailing through the skies so they went into the garage. Plants in pots were moved to sheltered corner locations, bear in mind my back garden is only 5 metres by 7 metres at the most, maybe not even that big, I did a lot of fishing in years gone by so I’m quite good at over-estimating!

Anyway, everything was tucked away ready for Storm Ciara to arrive and she was perfectly on time. We didn’t get quite as much rain as I was expecting but it was very, very windy. My mind turned to the apiary sites I have and thinking which trees were in imminent danger of falling over, and there are quite a few. At the Alpaca farm, there’s a huge oak tree on the outside track that borders the farm and that came down about two years ago. Chris at the Alpaca farm had a tree surgeon cut down the bulk of it that had fallen into their property but the huge trunk ended up across the public bridleway and is still there. It stops me from driving up to the apiary from the back lane, not a huge problem as it’s always nice to say hello to the folks at the Alpacas but there are several other ancient trees that line that track that could easily have taken a battering this week.

I did message Emma, the owner of the alpaca farm, to see if they could check on the bees for me because this is the Honey Paw Langstroth poly hive apiary from a couple of seasons ago and I was worried the poly hives might have taken a tumble.

I needn’t have worried as everything was secure and the hives were all firmly strapped down. It’s the only apiary where there is someone on-site 24/7 so I needed to get around all the other apiaries as soon as possible to put my mind at rest.

The Bluebell apiary was my first stop, and beekeeper incompetence had intervened to cause one minor issue. At the last visit to feed Apipasta fondant, I’d forgotten to put the stone back on top of one of the BSHoney 2in1 nuc boxes and the roof had been blown off. Of course, the next step is trying to find the roof, it’s only a small rectangle of polystyrene and they can travel quite a long way in a good storm.

The Bluebell apiary, although set out on concrete plinths and wood chip floor is surrounded by long grasses, hedgerows and trees, idyllic on the right day but when you’re trying to find a thin slab of polystyrene it makes for a more tricky search.

The sensible thing to do is start at the hives and scan around searching the ground all the way to the hedge line and up into the bushes and trees that form the boundary. Nope, nothing there, perhaps a walk through the long grass will reveal where the roof has vanished to. Nope, not in the long grass, now I’m

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2741827 Fri, 13 Mar 2020 07:00:00 +0000 722 beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 97 full false Episode 96: Feeding Fondant and Honey Paw Hives Episode 96: Feeding Fondant and Honey Paw Hives Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 96 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

Another very busy week, we’ve been scorching boxes, feeding fondant and the Honey Paw Hives have arrived and that’s got me super excited for the coming season.

Find your local stockist of Zukan Apipasta Fondant Bee Feeds Here

Honey Paw Hives can be found in the UK at Happy Valley Honey 

For Orders outside the UK contact Honey Paw direct

I am very grateful to both Happy Valley Honey and Honey Paw for, in part, sponsoring this week's episode of my podcast. Both Happy Valley Honey and Honey Paw have supplied samples of their products free of charge for me to test out and promote. I use both products in my day to day beekeeping anyway so I am delighted to be able to recommend both to you.


Talking of fondant I’ve been given a few boxes of Zukan Apipasta by Paul Beardmore at Happy Valley Honey to try out, this is the basic fondant not the one with the added amino acids and vitamins. The good news is our bees are taking to it as readily as the Apipasta with the added proteins. Happy Valley Honey is, in part,  sponsoring this podcast and supporting me in producing our podcasts and in return, I’m very happy, please excuse the pun, very happy to promote their range of Fondants and liquid feeds.

If you need to get some ready-made fondant that’s great for your bees and will help them grow into strong and healthy colonies for the start of the new season then do take a look at the Happy Valley Honey Website for full details of where you can get hold of this Apipasta fondant. I know that there are now several stockists around the UK that can supply Apipasta which, if you’re local to one of them will save you a small fortune in courier costs. Alternatively, get together with a few friends at your beekeeping association and place a bulk order to split between you all. It’s called Zukan Apipasta and I’ll leave a link to the website in the podcast notes.

I am so excited to be collaborating again with the Honey Paw team, we’re going to be starting from scratch again and it couldn’t more timely. Here in the UK Poly hives are becoming more available, the quality is superb and if well looked after these hives will last a lifetime.

The plan is to use the nucs we already have in our own Honey Paw Nucs and also carry out a couple of shook swarms to convert from a different sized frame into the Langstroth hives.

It won’t work well unless you have plenty of bees and plenty of resources, that’s food. So I’ll be shaking full-sized colonies into the boxes and giving them a feeder with plenty of sugar syrup.

I fully expect we will see brood boxes filled with drawn comb in somewhere around 7 to 10 days if all goes to plan. We’ll have a brood break which also means we can treat with oxalic acid to kill off any varroa mites that may be present, and that’s a nice bonus. The key to that is to plan it ahead of the day and get everything ready.

So, do sign up to the Patreon page videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel and listen out for more updates as we get cracking into the start of the new season.

Well, that’s it for this week, If you haven’t check ed out my Patreon page as yet, please do take a look, you support is very welcome. that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast, have a great week and we’ll catch up again next time.

I’m Stewart Spinks

and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 96 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

Another very busy week, we’ve been scorching boxes, feeding fondant and the Honey Paw Hives have arrived and that’s got me super excited for the coming season.

Find your local stockist of Zukan Apipasta Fondant Bee Feeds Here

Honey Paw Hives can be found in the UK at Happy Valley Honey 

For Orders outside the UK contact Honey Paw direct

I am very grateful to both Happy Valley Honey and Honey Paw for, in part, sponsoring this week's episode of my podcast. Both Happy Valley Honey and Honey Paw have supplied samples of their products free of charge for me to test out and promote. I use both products in my day to day beekeeping anyway so I am delighted to be able to recommend both to you.


Talking of fondant I’ve been given a few boxes of Zukan Apipasta by Paul Beardmore at Happy Valley Honey to try out, this is the basic fondant not the one with the added amino acids and vitamins. The good news is our bees are taking to it as readily as the Apipasta with the added proteins. Happy Valley Honey is, in part,  sponsoring this podcast and supporting me in producing our podcasts and in return, I’m very happy, please excuse the pun, very happy to promote their range of Fondants and liquid feeds.

If you need to get some ready-made fondant that’s great for your bees and will help them grow into strong and healthy colonies for the start of the new season then do take a look at the Happy Valley Honey Website for full details of where you can get hold of this Apipasta fondant. I know that there are now several stockists around the UK that can supply Apipasta which, if you’re local to one of them will save you a small fortune in courier costs. Alternatively, get together with a few friends at your beekeeping association and place a bulk order to split between you all. It’s called Zukan Apipasta and I’ll leave a link to the website in the podcast notes.

I am so excited to be collaborating again with the Honey Paw team, we’re going to be starting from scratch again and it couldn’t more timely. Here in the UK Poly hives are becoming more available, the quality is superb and if well looked after these hives will last a lifetime.

The plan is to use the nucs we already have in our own Honey Paw Nucs and also carry out a couple of shook swarms to convert from a different sized frame into the Langstroth hives.

It won’t work well unless you have plenty of bees and plenty of resources, that’s food. So I’ll be shaking full-sized colonies into the boxes and giving them a feeder with plenty of sugar syrup.

I fully expect we will see brood boxes filled with drawn comb in somewhere around 7 to 10 days if all goes to plan. We’ll have a brood break which also means we can treat with oxalic acid to kill off any varroa mites that may be present, and that’s a nice bonus. The key to that is to plan it ahead of the day and get everything ready.

So, do sign up to the Patreon page videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel and listen out for more updates as we get cracking into the start of the new season.

Well, that’s it for this week, If you haven’t check ed out my Patreon page as yet, please do take a look, you support is very welcome. that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast, have a great week and we’ll catch up again next time.

I’m Stewart Spinks

and that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2681344 Fri, 06 Mar 2020 07:00:00 +0000 820 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 96 full false Episode 95 - Cleaning Boxes, a Bee Farmers Meeting and the Dentist! Episode 95 - Cleaning Boxes, a Bee Farmers Meeting and the Dentist! Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 95 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

This week, I’ve been back at the workshop getting stuck into the cleaning jobs, had a really interesting meeting with fellow bee farmers and today, suffered the torture of the dentist's chair, so stay tuned for more beekeeping chat followed by a few blood-curdling screams as the drill bites home!

If you haven’t check ed out my Patreon page as yet, please do take a look, you support is very welcome. that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Another busy week, someone recently said to me that beekeeping must be a doddle through the Winter because you don’t have to do anything! Believe me, it’s been anything but quiet. We’ve been recording a few more videos and that I guess does eat into the time a fair amount, not that I’m complaining, I love producing the videos to share, particularly those for the Patreon page where everyone is so very supportive with their comments.

We spent a very busy day at the workshop cleaning the majority of the old boxes and frames. I had a stack of boxes from the late Summer and Autumn losses that needed to be stripped out and cleaned so we decided we really ought to get stuck into that before it gets to be a last-minute panic. I’m really good at telling others how to get organised but for myself, I just seem to get caught up in the procrastination game and delays creep in. Totally my own fault and something I need to get a grip of.

So the cleanup operation went well in the end. We had around thirty boxes, mostly brood boxes with frames in, a mix of National and Commercial boxes. The frames in some could have been rescued but it’s a judgement call that I always fall on the side of caution with. My previous experience as a bee inspector has shown me that when you decide to take a short cut there’s every chance that’s the one-time things can go horribly wrong. A bit like that important piece of paper you had on your desk that you said you really must file, you forget to file it and three months later you’re shortly the house down trying to find out who moved it when actually you should have put it away when you thought about it.

Getting back to the cleanup operation, the process is quite straightforward, remove the frames, cut out the old wax comb, scrape the frame a little and stack the frames ready for boiling. Remove the runners from the boxes, grab a hive tool and go to work scraping all of the wax and propolis from the inside of the box and finally scorch the box with a flame to get the last stubborn bits of debris out and hopefully kill off anything that shouldn’t be in there.

The wax goes into a half-barrel with water in the bottom six inches and gets heated up to melt out before being strained and cleaned properly.

All of this takes time of course and we didn’t get everything sorted although I think the only jobs remaining are the scorching of the boxes and the cleaning up of the wax.

To be honest, I think there may be a few frames still to boil but all in all, it was a good days effort.

As usual, I have to thank Pete and Steph for their fantastic help, we tried to shoot a time-lapse video of the entire event which I’ve posted to the Patreon page, I’m not sure we got the right angle to show the sheer amount of work that was done but with practice I’m sure we’ll get better.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was in Solihull at a swanky hotel for a Bee Farmers Association meeting called the Knowledge Exchange Groups. It was a chance for members of the Bee Farmers Association who had signed up to the groups to get together and look at the data that we all compile for last years season, compare and contrast and from my perspective, see if I could find any indicators that would shape the way we do things this year, and boy did I get a heap out of it.

It was a thoroughly exhausting experience because I&

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 95 of my podcast Beekeeping Short and sweet.

This week, I’ve been back at the workshop getting stuck into the cleaning jobs, had a really interesting meeting with fellow bee farmers and today, suffered the torture of the dentist's chair, so stay tuned for more beekeeping chat followed by a few blood-curdling screams as the drill bites home!

If you haven’t check ed out my Patreon page as yet, please do take a look, you support is very welcome. that’s www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Another busy week, someone recently said to me that beekeeping must be a doddle through the Winter because you don’t have to do anything! Believe me, it’s been anything but quiet. We’ve been recording a few more videos and that I guess does eat into the time a fair amount, not that I’m complaining, I love producing the videos to share, particularly those for the Patreon page where everyone is so very supportive with their comments.

We spent a very busy day at the workshop cleaning the majority of the old boxes and frames. I had a stack of boxes from the late Summer and Autumn losses that needed to be stripped out and cleaned so we decided we really ought to get stuck into that before it gets to be a last-minute panic. I’m really good at telling others how to get organised but for myself, I just seem to get caught up in the procrastination game and delays creep in. Totally my own fault and something I need to get a grip of.

So the cleanup operation went well in the end. We had around thirty boxes, mostly brood boxes with frames in, a mix of National and Commercial boxes. The frames in some could have been rescued but it’s a judgement call that I always fall on the side of caution with. My previous experience as a bee inspector has shown me that when you decide to take a short cut there’s every chance that’s the one-time things can go horribly wrong. A bit like that important piece of paper you had on your desk that you said you really must file, you forget to file it and three months later you’re shortly the house down trying to find out who moved it when actually you should have put it away when you thought about it.

Getting back to the cleanup operation, the process is quite straightforward, remove the frames, cut out the old wax comb, scrape the frame a little and stack the frames ready for boiling. Remove the runners from the boxes, grab a hive tool and go to work scraping all of the wax and propolis from the inside of the box and finally scorch the box with a flame to get the last stubborn bits of debris out and hopefully kill off anything that shouldn’t be in there.

The wax goes into a half-barrel with water in the bottom six inches and gets heated up to melt out before being strained and cleaned properly.

All of this takes time of course and we didn’t get everything sorted although I think the only jobs remaining are the scorching of the boxes and the cleaning up of the wax.

To be honest, I think there may be a few frames still to boil but all in all, it was a good days effort.

As usual, I have to thank Pete and Steph for their fantastic help, we tried to shoot a time-lapse video of the entire event which I’ve posted to the Patreon page, I’m not sure we got the right angle to show the sheer amount of work that was done but with practice I’m sure we’ll get better.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was in Solihull at a swanky hotel for a Bee Farmers Association meeting called the Knowledge Exchange Groups. It was a chance for members of the Bee Farmers Association who had signed up to the groups to get together and look at the data that we all compile for last years season, compare and contrast and from my perspective, see if I could find any indicators that would shape the way we do things this year, and boy did I get a heap out of it.

It was a thoroughly exhausting experience because I&

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2624539 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 07:00:00 +0000 937 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks 1 95 full false Episode 94 Interview with Peter Nelson - The Pollinators Episode 94 Interview with Peter Nelson - The Pollinators This week, we have a real treat as I’m speaking with Peter Nelson, Director of Photography for a fantastic Beekeeping documentary called The Pollinators, so stayed tuned to hear what it takes to produce a beekeeping movie and to find out how you can get to watch it.
Check out the movie here:

The Pollinators Movie


Support the show

]]> This week, we have a real treat as I’m speaking with Peter Nelson, Director of Photography for a fantastic Beekeeping documentary called The Pollinators, so stayed tuned to hear what it takes to produce a beekeeping movie and to find out how you can get to watch it.
Check out the movie here:

The Pollinators Movie


Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2578972 Fri, 21 Feb 2020 07:00:00 +0000 2247 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, The Pollinators, The Pollinators Movie 1 94 full false Episode 93: January Checks and Early Season Panics Episode 93: January Checks and Early Season Panics Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 93 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Another busy week and I’ve been out checking up on the colonies we fed last week. I’ve also had a question about early season colony management so stay tuned for more chat about making a great start to the new season.

Welcome back to the podcast, if you’ve only just found us, you are most welcome and if you’re a regular listener, I’m grateful to you for sticking around. It’s been another wet and windy week, super mild and no sign of any wintery weather at all. The bees have been out flying on regular cleansing flights and apart from a mouse in an unused nuc box, everything seems safe and secure.

We’re currently sat at 80 colonies, a mix of full-sized hives in all shapes and sizes, Nationals, Commercials, Langstroth's and some 14 x 12’s, together with a similar mix of nucs in the various sizes. We have wooden and poly hives and I have to say, this year, we seem to be doing very nicely in the poly hives. The nucs and full-sized hives all seem to be of a decent size and active in the mild weather. I should really carry out a count up of the two material types to give you all a better idea of the exact mix, in fact, if I just visualise the apiaries I can do it now. Currently, we have 8 times full-sized poly hives and 12 times poly nucs. The rest are wooden. We do have more stock of poly hives just no bees in the as yet. I use the Maisemore Poly Commercials and the Honey Paw Poly Langstroth’s. Both are fantastic, we’ve had the Maisemore poly hives longer than the Honey Paw’s and they’re still in excellent shape. In the beginning, I did worry about how long they would hold up and although it’s only been a few years now, they’re doing remarkably well.

The better poly hives are using 100g per litre material and that certainly seems like a substantial weight of material giving a nice feel of strength to the hives. I really must do a weight comparison between a full made up poly hive and a wooden one to show the difference. We’ve been out visiting the apiaries as I mentioned and quite a number of the colonies have been getting stuck into the fondant that we put on last week, smooch so, in fact, that we’re going to have to continue feeding those colonies now until the Spring flow comes in otherwise we risk seeing them starve out and there’s only one person to blame for that. The nucs housed in the BSHoney 2 in 1 nucs have been looking very good this Winter, the boxes are full of bees and the poly material really seems to be helping them, that said, we’ve not had any cold weather yet so they’ve not been truly tested. These nucs have certainly been the ones to gorge themselves on the fondant and we’re currently adding the second bag to most of these boxes.

A couple of the Maisemore poly hives are similarly across the top bars, I posted a picture or two via Patreon and my social media feeds, twitter and Instagram, showing a “nine-seamer”, That’s a colony with bees visible between ten brood frames which adds up to nine seams.

For those colonies, I added a homemade eke with two bags of fondant directly on the top bars. The eke’s are made from cheap roofing batten simply cut and screwed together. The Maisemore poly commercials are about 500mm square so easy enough to sort. The trick is to keep a close eye on them in the Spring or you’ll end up with a really nice 500mm square block of brace comb that will need cutting away from the top of the brood frames and make a nice mess with honey and wax dripping everywhere. I speak from personal experience, of course, last year the bees were away so fast the brace comb seemed to appear overnight!

Once they do start to build into the Spring it’s important to get the eke off and another box on, but more of this in a few minutes. Checking out the other apiaries, and we currently have eight active apiaries, the bees were all looking well and feeding quickly into the fondan

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 93 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Another busy week and I’ve been out checking up on the colonies we fed last week. I’ve also had a question about early season colony management so stay tuned for more chat about making a great start to the new season.

Welcome back to the podcast, if you’ve only just found us, you are most welcome and if you’re a regular listener, I’m grateful to you for sticking around. It’s been another wet and windy week, super mild and no sign of any wintery weather at all. The bees have been out flying on regular cleansing flights and apart from a mouse in an unused nuc box, everything seems safe and secure.

We’re currently sat at 80 colonies, a mix of full-sized hives in all shapes and sizes, Nationals, Commercials, Langstroth's and some 14 x 12’s, together with a similar mix of nucs in the various sizes. We have wooden and poly hives and I have to say, this year, we seem to be doing very nicely in the poly hives. The nucs and full-sized hives all seem to be of a decent size and active in the mild weather. I should really carry out a count up of the two material types to give you all a better idea of the exact mix, in fact, if I just visualise the apiaries I can do it now. Currently, we have 8 times full-sized poly hives and 12 times poly nucs. The rest are wooden. We do have more stock of poly hives just no bees in the as yet. I use the Maisemore Poly Commercials and the Honey Paw Poly Langstroth’s. Both are fantastic, we’ve had the Maisemore poly hives longer than the Honey Paw’s and they’re still in excellent shape. In the beginning, I did worry about how long they would hold up and although it’s only been a few years now, they’re doing remarkably well.

The better poly hives are using 100g per litre material and that certainly seems like a substantial weight of material giving a nice feel of strength to the hives. I really must do a weight comparison between a full made up poly hive and a wooden one to show the difference. We’ve been out visiting the apiaries as I mentioned and quite a number of the colonies have been getting stuck into the fondant that we put on last week, smooch so, in fact, that we’re going to have to continue feeding those colonies now until the Spring flow comes in otherwise we risk seeing them starve out and there’s only one person to blame for that. The nucs housed in the BSHoney 2 in 1 nucs have been looking very good this Winter, the boxes are full of bees and the poly material really seems to be helping them, that said, we’ve not had any cold weather yet so they’ve not been truly tested. These nucs have certainly been the ones to gorge themselves on the fondant and we’re currently adding the second bag to most of these boxes.

A couple of the Maisemore poly hives are similarly across the top bars, I posted a picture or two via Patreon and my social media feeds, twitter and Instagram, showing a “nine-seamer”, That’s a colony with bees visible between ten brood frames which adds up to nine seams.

For those colonies, I added a homemade eke with two bags of fondant directly on the top bars. The eke’s are made from cheap roofing batten simply cut and screwed together. The Maisemore poly commercials are about 500mm square so easy enough to sort. The trick is to keep a close eye on them in the Spring or you’ll end up with a really nice 500mm square block of brace comb that will need cutting away from the top of the brood frames and make a nice mess with honey and wax dripping everywhere. I speak from personal experience, of course, last year the bees were away so fast the brace comb seemed to appear overnight!

Once they do start to build into the Spring it’s important to get the eke off and another box on, but more of this in a few minutes. Checking out the other apiaries, and we currently have eight active apiaries, the bees were all looking well and feeding quickly into the fondan

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2512975 Fri, 14 Feb 2020 08:00:00 +0000 1154 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping 1 93 full false Episode 92 - Happy New Year 2020 Episode 92 - Happy New Year 2020 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 92 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Happy New Year, My first podcast of 2020 and a chance to update you on the top bar hive project, Winter feeding and an exciting new collaboration for the coming season.


I know it’s a cliche but where oh where did that year go? And what on earth is happening to the quiet time over this Winter period! It seems we’re now rushing towards the beginning of the beekeeping season and with so much work still to do. Mostly due to my enforced downtime in the Autumn with the bad back but even so, I still see so much work to do and the days are racing past. With the start of the new year, I’ve changed the colour of the podcast title image to reflect this year’s queen colour, I’ll also be changing the colour on the video thumbnails to the same colour and if you’re still pondering what colour that is, well, it’s blue this year.

One of my New Year’s promises to myself is to have a daily jobs list to keep me focussed, and, apart from a couple of minor slip-ups I am still working to the list and adding jobs as I spot them or, as in most cases, remember I need to do them.

Currently, top of the list are jobs associated with the top bar hive, if you’ve listened to the previous podcast you’ll know me and Pete are busy building a top bar hive, something I promised myself I would do quite a number of years ago and to be honest, it’s been a bit distracting and more work than I had anticipated, but I’ll give you a full rundown on that in a few minutes.

I’ve been popping around the apiaries checking up on flooding risks and adding fondant, again more about this task later but I wanted to start the podcast proper with some exciting news for us here at the Norfolk Honey Company in that we have recently agreed to a season-long collaboration setting up an apiary from scratch and installing a dozen Honey Paw Langstroth Hives and accompanying nucs.

As you may know, we collaborated with Paul Beardmore from Happy Valley Honey a couple of seasons ago with some Honey Paw Hives and the manufacturers have been in touch to ask if we would again use their hives to collaborate in a series of videos to last the full active season showing the full range of Honey Paw Poly Langstroth hives and associated kit such as pollen traps.

I’ve been very impressed with the Honey Paw hives we’ve been using that Paul at Happy Valley Honey supplied us so I didn’t hesitate in agreeing to create another series of videos for the coming active season using the Honey Paw hives. We’ll be receiving the hives in flat pack form and I’ll be using my renowned DIY skills to build the hives, in layman’s terms that means glueing them together as I’m sure you’re aware.

Then we’ll be painting them and making up all of the ancillary equipment in preparation for the start of the new season. Once we’ve got them built and painted we’ll be setting them out in a brand new apiary site that I’ve just established close to our Bluebell’s apiary. It’s a lovely site in the corner of an open meadow with great access for the Ranger so we’ll be able to get all of our gear to the apiary without any heavy lifting.

Check out my blog for the full transcript of this week's podcast.

Well, that’s it for this week, thanks for all of your comments and support,

If you’re not yet familiar with Patreon, Do catch up with more of my beekeeping journey by checking out the content list on my creator page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Have a great week, and thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast.

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 92 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Happy New Year, My first podcast of 2020 and a chance to update you on the top bar hive project, Winter feeding and an exciting new collaboration for the coming season.


I know it’s a cliche but where oh where did that year go? And what on earth is happening to the quiet time over this Winter period! It seems we’re now rushing towards the beginning of the beekeeping season and with so much work still to do. Mostly due to my enforced downtime in the Autumn with the bad back but even so, I still see so much work to do and the days are racing past. With the start of the new year, I’ve changed the colour of the podcast title image to reflect this year’s queen colour, I’ll also be changing the colour on the video thumbnails to the same colour and if you’re still pondering what colour that is, well, it’s blue this year.

One of my New Year’s promises to myself is to have a daily jobs list to keep me focussed, and, apart from a couple of minor slip-ups I am still working to the list and adding jobs as I spot them or, as in most cases, remember I need to do them.

Currently, top of the list are jobs associated with the top bar hive, if you’ve listened to the previous podcast you’ll know me and Pete are busy building a top bar hive, something I promised myself I would do quite a number of years ago and to be honest, it’s been a bit distracting and more work than I had anticipated, but I’ll give you a full rundown on that in a few minutes.

I’ve been popping around the apiaries checking up on flooding risks and adding fondant, again more about this task later but I wanted to start the podcast proper with some exciting news for us here at the Norfolk Honey Company in that we have recently agreed to a season-long collaboration setting up an apiary from scratch and installing a dozen Honey Paw Langstroth Hives and accompanying nucs.

As you may know, we collaborated with Paul Beardmore from Happy Valley Honey a couple of seasons ago with some Honey Paw Hives and the manufacturers have been in touch to ask if we would again use their hives to collaborate in a series of videos to last the full active season showing the full range of Honey Paw Poly Langstroth hives and associated kit such as pollen traps.

I’ve been very impressed with the Honey Paw hives we’ve been using that Paul at Happy Valley Honey supplied us so I didn’t hesitate in agreeing to create another series of videos for the coming active season using the Honey Paw hives. We’ll be receiving the hives in flat pack form and I’ll be using my renowned DIY skills to build the hives, in layman’s terms that means glueing them together as I’m sure you’re aware.

Then we’ll be painting them and making up all of the ancillary equipment in preparation for the start of the new season. Once we’ve got them built and painted we’ll be setting them out in a brand new apiary site that I’ve just established close to our Bluebell’s apiary. It’s a lovely site in the corner of an open meadow with great access for the Ranger so we’ll be able to get all of our gear to the apiary without any heavy lifting.

Check out my blog for the full transcript of this week's podcast.

Well, that’s it for this week, thanks for all of your comments and support,

If you’re not yet familiar with Patreon, Do catch up with more of my beekeeping journey by checking out the content list on my creator page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Have a great week, and thanks for hanging around until the end of the podcast.

 I’m Stewart Spinks

And that was Beekeeping Short and Sweet

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2451764 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 07:00:00 +0000 951 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 92 full false Episode 91: The Top Bar Hive Project Episode 91: The Top Bar Hive Project Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 91 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Here it is, as promised, Well, I’ve finally started my Top Bar Hive Project by getting into the workshop and watching Pete do all the woodwork! This week I’m discussing what the Top Bar Hive is all about, why I’ve chosen to give them a try and how we’re getting on building our very first hive.

So the Top Bar Hive or TBH as I’m going likely abbreviate it to, is not totally new to me as I’ll explain but I’ve never used one myself to keep bees in and have always wondered what the fuss was all about.

The TBH seems to generate a lot of heated and passionate debate wherever it is used and that in itself is quite interesting to me because as most of you know I’m very much about letting beekeepers keep bees the way they want to keep bees. Whether it be in Langstroth’s or Nationals, Warre hives or Plastic Beehaus constructions, surely it’s down to the individual beekeeper to decide how he or she wants to keep bees and get the maximum amount of pleasure out of it they can.

Now, I’m a beekeeper with a small commercial outfit, barely commercial with around 80 colonies going into the Winter but even so I can’t see myself continuing to be a commercially productive beekeeper if I were just using a Top Bar Hive as my main hive type. I could, of course, be totally wrong and find it works out perfectly so I’m not going to close my mind to any outcome at the outset but I do have reservations about the practicalities of moving bees in a TBH.

Before I get stuck into the nitty-gritty of the Top Bar Hives, In today’s podcast I want to talk about what they are, how they work and think about some of the practical pro’s and con’s of using one. Back at the workshop Pete and I have started to construct our very first hive and it seems to be going quite well. I’ve posted some pictures and there’ll be videos to follow in the next few weeks.

On the subject of videos, I made one of those terrible cock-ups this week, I went over to the workshop at the weekend and we started to prepare the wood for the Top Bar Hive and I shot some very lengthy videos showing, in details, the steps we’d taken thus far.

I got home, had dinner, a glass of wine and started watching the Eagles playing football and while I was watching decided I could catch up a little by uploading the photographs to my google photos account. I didn’t need to upload the videos as I was going to download those to my computer to edit. It looked like I uploaded all the pictures and videos at the same time so, wait for it, I deleted all of the videos from my google photos app. The next morning I sat at my computer ready to download the videos anatomy computer and they were nowhere to be seen!

Yep, I’d deleted the lot! About twenty minutes of HD video. It was one of those, NO, I haven’t, moments. A brief but pointless attempt at trying to recover them and then the realisation that I’m going to have to do it all again!

On the bright side, at least we have another pallet and plenty of wood to be able to recreate the shoot!

Anyway, Top Bar Hives. without trying to sound too patronising, these are beehives, which have top bars for the bees instead of frames. It really is as simple as that. There are a variety of types, which I really don’t want to get into, the internet is awash with claims of who is supposed to have invented them, well, the one me and Pete have created is a version of the Kenyan Top Bar Hive and plans are freely available on the internet and I’ll be posting a blog showing our TBH journey over the coming months and no doubt we’ll post a plan and cutting list there for anyone who wants to follow us.

I’ve been considering why a Top Bar Hive would be so good? Well, for a start it’s a super easy hive to build and as I’ve mentioned we’re using pallet wood which was free, so they can be super cheap. Of course, you can go out and buy a read

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 91 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Here it is, as promised, Well, I’ve finally started my Top Bar Hive Project by getting into the workshop and watching Pete do all the woodwork! This week I’m discussing what the Top Bar Hive is all about, why I’ve chosen to give them a try and how we’re getting on building our very first hive.

So the Top Bar Hive or TBH as I’m going likely abbreviate it to, is not totally new to me as I’ll explain but I’ve never used one myself to keep bees in and have always wondered what the fuss was all about.

The TBH seems to generate a lot of heated and passionate debate wherever it is used and that in itself is quite interesting to me because as most of you know I’m very much about letting beekeepers keep bees the way they want to keep bees. Whether it be in Langstroth’s or Nationals, Warre hives or Plastic Beehaus constructions, surely it’s down to the individual beekeeper to decide how he or she wants to keep bees and get the maximum amount of pleasure out of it they can.

Now, I’m a beekeeper with a small commercial outfit, barely commercial with around 80 colonies going into the Winter but even so I can’t see myself continuing to be a commercially productive beekeeper if I were just using a Top Bar Hive as my main hive type. I could, of course, be totally wrong and find it works out perfectly so I’m not going to close my mind to any outcome at the outset but I do have reservations about the practicalities of moving bees in a TBH.

Before I get stuck into the nitty-gritty of the Top Bar Hives, In today’s podcast I want to talk about what they are, how they work and think about some of the practical pro’s and con’s of using one. Back at the workshop Pete and I have started to construct our very first hive and it seems to be going quite well. I’ve posted some pictures and there’ll be videos to follow in the next few weeks.

On the subject of videos, I made one of those terrible cock-ups this week, I went over to the workshop at the weekend and we started to prepare the wood for the Top Bar Hive and I shot some very lengthy videos showing, in details, the steps we’d taken thus far.

I got home, had dinner, a glass of wine and started watching the Eagles playing football and while I was watching decided I could catch up a little by uploading the photographs to my google photos account. I didn’t need to upload the videos as I was going to download those to my computer to edit. It looked like I uploaded all the pictures and videos at the same time so, wait for it, I deleted all of the videos from my google photos app. The next morning I sat at my computer ready to download the videos anatomy computer and they were nowhere to be seen!

Yep, I’d deleted the lot! About twenty minutes of HD video. It was one of those, NO, I haven’t, moments. A brief but pointless attempt at trying to recover them and then the realisation that I’m going to have to do it all again!

On the bright side, at least we have another pallet and plenty of wood to be able to recreate the shoot!

Anyway, Top Bar Hives. without trying to sound too patronising, these are beehives, which have top bars for the bees instead of frames. It really is as simple as that. There are a variety of types, which I really don’t want to get into, the internet is awash with claims of who is supposed to have invented them, well, the one me and Pete have created is a version of the Kenyan Top Bar Hive and plans are freely available on the internet and I’ll be posting a blog showing our TBH journey over the coming months and no doubt we’ll post a plan and cutting list there for anyone who wants to follow us.

I’ve been considering why a Top Bar Hive would be so good? Well, for a start it’s a super easy hive to build and as I’ve mentioned we’re using pallet wood which was free, so they can be super cheap. Of course, you can go out and buy a read

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2307590 Fri, 17 Jan 2020 07:00:00 +0000 1003 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 91 full false Episode 90: The Christmas Wish List 2019 Episode 90: The Christmas Wish List 2019

With not many more days left until Christmas is upon us, I thought I would tell you all about my letter to Santa detailing the potential gift ideas he may want to consider. Stay tuned for some very hopeful gift ideas from someone who thinks he’s been good all year.


It has to be said our British weather is so changeable, I’m looking out at another sunny morning but the forecast for tomorrow is of more heavy rain. We have to be grateful that we do enjoy such changes in the seasonal weather, I’m not sure I would want to be stuck waiting for it to rain for months on end and I feel for those people out there who are desperate for a change in the weather conditions they are enduring.

It’s been a very busy week this past week, we’ve had lots of honey orders to get out and as we’re a small commercial outfit we mostly bottle and label as we go, batch processing around 100kg of honey each time. I did have a bit of a panic with my labels, there were several issues and I had to speak with the label printing company several times to resolve the situation but we got there in the end and the labels arrived with enough time for us to get the honey labelled and delivered on time. I do hate being late and not delivering when I say I’m going to, it doesn’t matter if you have the best excuse in the world, if I’ve promised to do something then I really want to make sure I’m not letting people down.

But, we managed to get the deliveries out and continue to push out the orders as we get ever closer to the weekend before Christmas, if you’re listening to this on Patreon on release day, it makes that date just one week away now. I’m heading over the the US to visit my youngest daughter Beth and spend Christmas with her and Paul, her fella and his family. Beth doesn’t know I’m visiting so I’m hoping it’s going to be a nice surprise for her, maybe I’ll get a chance to record a podcast and perhaps a video while I’m away but if not there will be a brief pause between Christmas and the beginning of the New Year. It’s amazing that I’ve reached podcast number 90, creating a weekly podcast has been quite a feat and I hope that it will continue long into the future. I really appreciate the support and comments I get and on that note I’d like to say hello to Bradley Sargent and his partner over in Australia who dropped me a lovely message just last week. Hi Brad, I hope you’re well and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

I’m out visiting a new landowner later this week to discuss setting up a new apiary for next season, it’s a terrific location and I’m hoping to record some videos of use getting it prepared and bringing colonies over in preparation for the start of next season.

I’m also heading out this week to delivery some Christmas gift boxes to a few of the current landowners who very kindly allow me to keep my bees on their land, without them I’d really struggle to find secure locations and it’s always nice to turn up with a box of goodies to say thank you.

Talking of Christmas gift boxes, I thought today I might offer up some suggestions for last minute Christmas gifts you might want to suggest to family and friends if they’re struggling to think of something you’d like.

Can you believe that top of my list this year was a 3M full face mask and filter set so I can treat my colonies with the Oxalic Acid sublimator in total safety. If you’ve seen the pictures on social media you’ll know I’ve already been given it and have been trying it on for size! I have to say, last year I used a half face, disposable mask and thought that was ok but having now worn a full face mask it feels a lot safer.

So, let’s pretend I’ve been really good this year and Santa is going to be very kind to me. Top of the list would be a new honey room with an extraction line. It’s not too extravagant really, just a small extraction line like the introductory model from Honey Paw, their 40 frame extraction line with a

Support the show

]]>

With not many more days left until Christmas is upon us, I thought I would tell you all about my letter to Santa detailing the potential gift ideas he may want to consider. Stay tuned for some very hopeful gift ideas from someone who thinks he’s been good all year.


It has to be said our British weather is so changeable, I’m looking out at another sunny morning but the forecast for tomorrow is of more heavy rain. We have to be grateful that we do enjoy such changes in the seasonal weather, I’m not sure I would want to be stuck waiting for it to rain for months on end and I feel for those people out there who are desperate for a change in the weather conditions they are enduring.

It’s been a very busy week this past week, we’ve had lots of honey orders to get out and as we’re a small commercial outfit we mostly bottle and label as we go, batch processing around 100kg of honey each time. I did have a bit of a panic with my labels, there were several issues and I had to speak with the label printing company several times to resolve the situation but we got there in the end and the labels arrived with enough time for us to get the honey labelled and delivered on time. I do hate being late and not delivering when I say I’m going to, it doesn’t matter if you have the best excuse in the world, if I’ve promised to do something then I really want to make sure I’m not letting people down.

But, we managed to get the deliveries out and continue to push out the orders as we get ever closer to the weekend before Christmas, if you’re listening to this on Patreon on release day, it makes that date just one week away now. I’m heading over the the US to visit my youngest daughter Beth and spend Christmas with her and Paul, her fella and his family. Beth doesn’t know I’m visiting so I’m hoping it’s going to be a nice surprise for her, maybe I’ll get a chance to record a podcast and perhaps a video while I’m away but if not there will be a brief pause between Christmas and the beginning of the New Year. It’s amazing that I’ve reached podcast number 90, creating a weekly podcast has been quite a feat and I hope that it will continue long into the future. I really appreciate the support and comments I get and on that note I’d like to say hello to Bradley Sargent and his partner over in Australia who dropped me a lovely message just last week. Hi Brad, I hope you’re well and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

I’m out visiting a new landowner later this week to discuss setting up a new apiary for next season, it’s a terrific location and I’m hoping to record some videos of use getting it prepared and bringing colonies over in preparation for the start of next season.

I’m also heading out this week to delivery some Christmas gift boxes to a few of the current landowners who very kindly allow me to keep my bees on their land, without them I’d really struggle to find secure locations and it’s always nice to turn up with a box of goodies to say thank you.

Talking of Christmas gift boxes, I thought today I might offer up some suggestions for last minute Christmas gifts you might want to suggest to family and friends if they’re struggling to think of something you’d like.

Can you believe that top of my list this year was a 3M full face mask and filter set so I can treat my colonies with the Oxalic Acid sublimator in total safety. If you’ve seen the pictures on social media you’ll know I’ve already been given it and have been trying it on for size! I have to say, last year I used a half face, disposable mask and thought that was ok but having now worn a full face mask it feels a lot safer.

So, let’s pretend I’ve been really good this year and Santa is going to be very kind to me. Top of the list would be a new honey room with an extraction line. It’s not too extravagant really, just a small extraction line like the introductory model from Honey Paw, their 40 frame extraction line with a

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2282390 Fri, 10 Jan 2020 07:00:00 +0000 982 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 90 full false Episode 89: Oxalic Acid Treatments in Winter Episode 89: Oxalic Acid Treatments in Winter Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 89 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. With winter upon us, it’s time to talk oxalic acid treatments. So let’s look at what it is, how it works and the options available for beekeepers to take care of their bees this Winter.

Links discussed in this week's podcast:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterinary-medicines-directorate

Research Paper discussed: Towards integrated control of varroa: 2)comparing application methods and doses of oxalic acid on the mortality of phoretic Varroa destructor mites and their honey bee hosts 


Welcome back once more to my weekly podcast, we’re back on track now after my recent absence and we’ve lots to talk about over the coming weeks as we head into Christmas and the New Year. I reckon we’ve got about 12 weeks before we might be able to have a first sneaky peek into the hives at the start of the new season, somewhere around the middle of March. But of course that all depends on the weather, this year I was looking at giant colonies being moved onto the oilseed rape fields in the middle of March whereas in 2018 we had just seen the last of the snow melt away so if we are able to open hives it won’t be full inspections of course, just a quick look to make sure all is well and the bees have been able to see off the long winter months. I say long Winter months but the time seems to be sprinting through, here we are at the beginning of December, there’s a crisp frost outside, the skies are a pale, Wintery blue colour and for once there’s not a cloud in the sky. What’s that dead pool expression, It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas!

So my last week has been a busy one, I’ve been getting a few large honey orders ready to go out but have been slowed up a little by a lack of labels. I’ve been redesigning labels and trying out a new label supplier, the first batch, a special Christmas hamper label was a great success and so I’ve decided to switch all of my labels to this printers. I’m just waiting for them to arrive and then I have several hundred jars of honey to label and deliver. I’ll probably be out delivering honey as you listen to this podcast if you’re listening to it hot off the press as it were.

The rest of the week has been spent dealing with a lot of online enquiries for next year’s experience days that I run. Lots of beginner beekeepers will be getting a trip to my apiaries next season and I’m always really excited to share my beekeeping knowledge with them and help them start their beekeeping journey.

On the subject of Experience Days, I have a special offer for all of my Patreon supporters.

I’m going to run Experience Days specifically for patrons who have signed up to my $5 or $10 for at least six months prior to the date of the experience day which will be held in June and July.

The dates, which I’ve yet to add to the diary, will be specifically designed to answer question you might have regarding your beekeeping. So depending on the topics you’d like covered we could look at queen rearing basics, more advanced queen rearing techniques, disease inspections, setting up an apiary, honey production, the list is endless really.

The days will include lunch and all refreshments, all you will have to bring is a spotlessly clean bee suit and your wellies or stout boots. They are going to be held at my fishing lakes apiaries where you will be able to see how lucky I am to have such a beautiful location to keep bees.

I shall restrict the number of beekeepers that can attend each day so you can get the maximum amount of time with me in front of the bees and we’ll finish the day with a questions and answers session over a drink and slice of cake. There always ha

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 89 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. With winter upon us, it’s time to talk oxalic acid treatments. So let’s look at what it is, how it works and the options available for beekeepers to take care of their bees this Winter.

Links discussed in this week's podcast:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterinary-medicines-directorate

Research Paper discussed: Towards integrated control of varroa: 2)comparing application methods and doses of oxalic acid on the mortality of phoretic Varroa destructor mites and their honey bee hosts 


Welcome back once more to my weekly podcast, we’re back on track now after my recent absence and we’ve lots to talk about over the coming weeks as we head into Christmas and the New Year. I reckon we’ve got about 12 weeks before we might be able to have a first sneaky peek into the hives at the start of the new season, somewhere around the middle of March. But of course that all depends on the weather, this year I was looking at giant colonies being moved onto the oilseed rape fields in the middle of March whereas in 2018 we had just seen the last of the snow melt away so if we are able to open hives it won’t be full inspections of course, just a quick look to make sure all is well and the bees have been able to see off the long winter months. I say long Winter months but the time seems to be sprinting through, here we are at the beginning of December, there’s a crisp frost outside, the skies are a pale, Wintery blue colour and for once there’s not a cloud in the sky. What’s that dead pool expression, It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas!

So my last week has been a busy one, I’ve been getting a few large honey orders ready to go out but have been slowed up a little by a lack of labels. I’ve been redesigning labels and trying out a new label supplier, the first batch, a special Christmas hamper label was a great success and so I’ve decided to switch all of my labels to this printers. I’m just waiting for them to arrive and then I have several hundred jars of honey to label and deliver. I’ll probably be out delivering honey as you listen to this podcast if you’re listening to it hot off the press as it were.

The rest of the week has been spent dealing with a lot of online enquiries for next year’s experience days that I run. Lots of beginner beekeepers will be getting a trip to my apiaries next season and I’m always really excited to share my beekeeping knowledge with them and help them start their beekeeping journey.

On the subject of Experience Days, I have a special offer for all of my Patreon supporters.

I’m going to run Experience Days specifically for patrons who have signed up to my $5 or $10 for at least six months prior to the date of the experience day which will be held in June and July.

The dates, which I’ve yet to add to the diary, will be specifically designed to answer question you might have regarding your beekeeping. So depending on the topics you’d like covered we could look at queen rearing basics, more advanced queen rearing techniques, disease inspections, setting up an apiary, honey production, the list is endless really.

The days will include lunch and all refreshments, all you will have to bring is a spotlessly clean bee suit and your wellies or stout boots. They are going to be held at my fishing lakes apiaries where you will be able to see how lucky I am to have such a beautiful location to keep bees.

I shall restrict the number of beekeepers that can attend each day so you can get the maximum amount of time with me in front of the bees and we’ll finish the day with a questions and answers session over a drink and slice of cake. There always ha

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2232278 Fri, 27 Dec 2019 07:00:00 +0000 1242 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 89 full false Episode 88: Planning for 2020 Episode 88: Planning for 2020 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 88 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. It’s never too early to start planning for the new season so this week I’m starting to look at my plans for next year so stay tuned for some new hive plans and some thoughts on what we’ll be getting up to for 2020


Welcome to another podcast, and as I prepare this week’s update I’m looking at some very dull, grey skies outside. We’ve had more rain, although today is dry and we’re settling into that familiar late Autumn, early Winter feel to conditions. Unfortunately, the forecast is for possibly more rain. It would be nice to have a prolonged spell of dry weather now, just to let the land soak up all of the surface water that we have.

Spring always seems such a long way off at this point and although we’ve only just put our hive tools down it seems such a long time ago that we were inspecting bees.

That’s not to say there isn’t work to be getting on with, sometimes, as a small commercial beekeeping outfit, it can seem like there is just too much to do. I find myself in the space between having enough for one person to get on with and needing further full-time support to really move the business forward. I’m sure there are many people out there running their own businesses trying to grow and finding challenges at every corner. I have to say the dreaded back problem has been a constant niggle, improving but always there to remind me not to go too fast. I think I get frustrated knowing I could do so much more but limited in the available space that we have. Time to put some major plans down on paper, and, I guess, if I share my plans and goals with you I might just have to go through with them. I’m even thinking of giving you a monthly update of each of the goals just to keep me focussed. As you are probably aware, I do get distracted quite easily and what was once the number one priority sometimes slips down the pecking order.

So today’s podcast is an opportunity for me to share with you, in no particular order as yet, my thoughts on how to proceed next year to build my business and enjoy the journey at the same time.

So, first up is an overhaul of the Patreon page, I need to improve the way the videos and podcasts are delivered. I think the quality of the videos is pretty good, we have some great camera gear and apart from an occasional out of focus shot, I think we get a pretty good image of what we’re trying to do. That said, I want to create a series of videos for the season, following a particular method or apiary or colony. A kind of “warts and all” reality TV series. I was thinking maybe we could set up a brand new apiary with new colonies created for the purpose, to show how someone might start with just a couple of hives and end up with an apiary of 8 to 12 hives by the end of the season.

Perhaps we should concentrate on queen rearing again as I know this is an area that I get a lot of questions about. I have over the previous few seasons created a number of queen rearing videos but I don’t think we’ve created a full series showing start to finish what happens, the good bits, the bad bits and of course all of the mistakes that happen along the way.

If anyone out there has any thoughts on a video series for next year please do get in touch.

I also want to offer a few beekeeping days specifically for my supporters on Patreon so do look out for news about those on the Patreon website, these will be heavily discounted days for those long term supporters, a way for me to say thank you for sticking with me.

I’ve mentioned before that I want to build a top bar hive, well I think I have just the material to be able to do it now, well, at least part of the material. I was given some very long pallets with some very good looking wood. The pallets are about 3 metres long so I intend carefully breaking them down and using the wood to make a top bar hive. I’ve had some downloa

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 88 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. It’s never too early to start planning for the new season so this week I’m starting to look at my plans for next year so stay tuned for some new hive plans and some thoughts on what we’ll be getting up to for 2020


Welcome to another podcast, and as I prepare this week’s update I’m looking at some very dull, grey skies outside. We’ve had more rain, although today is dry and we’re settling into that familiar late Autumn, early Winter feel to conditions. Unfortunately, the forecast is for possibly more rain. It would be nice to have a prolonged spell of dry weather now, just to let the land soak up all of the surface water that we have.

Spring always seems such a long way off at this point and although we’ve only just put our hive tools down it seems such a long time ago that we were inspecting bees.

That’s not to say there isn’t work to be getting on with, sometimes, as a small commercial beekeeping outfit, it can seem like there is just too much to do. I find myself in the space between having enough for one person to get on with and needing further full-time support to really move the business forward. I’m sure there are many people out there running their own businesses trying to grow and finding challenges at every corner. I have to say the dreaded back problem has been a constant niggle, improving but always there to remind me not to go too fast. I think I get frustrated knowing I could do so much more but limited in the available space that we have. Time to put some major plans down on paper, and, I guess, if I share my plans and goals with you I might just have to go through with them. I’m even thinking of giving you a monthly update of each of the goals just to keep me focussed. As you are probably aware, I do get distracted quite easily and what was once the number one priority sometimes slips down the pecking order.

So today’s podcast is an opportunity for me to share with you, in no particular order as yet, my thoughts on how to proceed next year to build my business and enjoy the journey at the same time.

So, first up is an overhaul of the Patreon page, I need to improve the way the videos and podcasts are delivered. I think the quality of the videos is pretty good, we have some great camera gear and apart from an occasional out of focus shot, I think we get a pretty good image of what we’re trying to do. That said, I want to create a series of videos for the season, following a particular method or apiary or colony. A kind of “warts and all” reality TV series. I was thinking maybe we could set up a brand new apiary with new colonies created for the purpose, to show how someone might start with just a couple of hives and end up with an apiary of 8 to 12 hives by the end of the season.

Perhaps we should concentrate on queen rearing again as I know this is an area that I get a lot of questions about. I have over the previous few seasons created a number of queen rearing videos but I don’t think we’ve created a full series showing start to finish what happens, the good bits, the bad bits and of course all of the mistakes that happen along the way.

If anyone out there has any thoughts on a video series for next year please do get in touch.

I also want to offer a few beekeeping days specifically for my supporters on Patreon so do look out for news about those on the Patreon website, these will be heavily discounted days for those long term supporters, a way for me to say thank you for sticking with me.

I’ve mentioned before that I want to build a top bar hive, well I think I have just the material to be able to do it now, well, at least part of the material. I was given some very long pallets with some very good looking wood. The pallets are about 3 metres long so I intend carefully breaking them down and using the wood to make a top bar hive. I’ve had some downloa

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2188715 Fri, 20 Dec 2019 08:00:00 +0000 988 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 88 full false Episode 87: Our Beekeeping Season 2019 Episode 87: Our Beekeeping Season 2019 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 86 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week I’m taking a look back at how this season’s beekeeping has been for me personally and sharing my plans for next year as we head into the long Winter haul.


Firstly, this week, I wanted to send my best wishes to all of the beekeepers around the globe currently dealing with the most unexpected and shocking losses of honeybee colonies through flood and wildfires. It’s easy to get caught up with our own struggles in beekeeping and forget that there is usually someone out there having a more difficult time. This month it’s really hit home here in the UK as quite a number of beekeeper have been hit with flooding in their apiaries and have seen colonies swept away in flash floods. Those lucky enough to escape seeing colonies destroyed are looking at apiary sites completely cut off and unable to get to hives. Luckily, it is a quieter time for us and the bees can, for the most part, be left to their own devices, for now, hopefully, the water will drain away quickly and the apiaries will dry out.

Worse still are those beekeepers currently facing wildfires around the world, I don’t know of any specific beekeepers that have suffered losses but imagine having an apiary site in the path of one of those terrible fires. It can only end in the utter destruction of colonies and hives and it must be heartbreaking. If you’re one of those beekeepers out there who has suffered due to these sudden catastrophic losses, our thoughts are with you and if you’d like to chat about your experiences on my podcast please do get in touch.

Here in Norwich, things are very much quieter, we have had long periods of rain but also some sunny intervals, I think there is more rain on the way but I’m fortunate to have my apiary sites in fairly risk-free locations. It’s the time in the beekeeping calendar where not much is happening to be honest. The bees are settled in their hives, still getting out and foraging the very late Ivy and fetching water, perhaps going out on cleansing flights, but other than that the frantic rush of the Spring and Summer are long gone.

For the most part, drones will have been kicked out of the colonies, newcomers to beekeeping won’t mind being reminded I’m sure that the drones are the male honeybees. They really only serve one major purpose and that’s mating with the virgin queens, however, they are needed within a colony generally, it seems they keep the atmosphere mellow and without them a colony can get quite fractious. I’m not sure if there are any scientific studies out there showing other important roles that drones play but their main task is an obvious one.

Thinking about why they would be kicked out through the Winter, I think most beekeepers here in the UK understand that whilst honeybees don’t hibernate in the Winter, like the bumblebees and wasps, they do reduce their activity dramatically, and with the obvious absence of food availability it makes sense for honeybee colonies not to waste their time and resources in trying to produce virgin queens and therefore need drones for them to mate with.

Add to this the demand on food stores and you can see what many colonies kick out their drones in the late Autumn and wait until Spring to produce more.

I’ve mentioned previously that I’ve seen drones in colonies through the Winter months so I think that while the majority of drones get the cold shoulder, there are some that manage to stick around. Of course, I’m not including any colony that has become a Winter, drone laying queen Colony.

So most of the colonies now will be settled down, food stores set aside and we don’t have much to worry about, at least not for a few weeks.

That got me thinking about how quickly the seasons seem to come round and once again I’m thinking about what went well this year and where I managed to mess things up. What can I do to improve on

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 86 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week I’m taking a look back at how this season’s beekeeping has been for me personally and sharing my plans for next year as we head into the long Winter haul.


Firstly, this week, I wanted to send my best wishes to all of the beekeepers around the globe currently dealing with the most unexpected and shocking losses of honeybee colonies through flood and wildfires. It’s easy to get caught up with our own struggles in beekeeping and forget that there is usually someone out there having a more difficult time. This month it’s really hit home here in the UK as quite a number of beekeeper have been hit with flooding in their apiaries and have seen colonies swept away in flash floods. Those lucky enough to escape seeing colonies destroyed are looking at apiary sites completely cut off and unable to get to hives. Luckily, it is a quieter time for us and the bees can, for the most part, be left to their own devices, for now, hopefully, the water will drain away quickly and the apiaries will dry out.

Worse still are those beekeepers currently facing wildfires around the world, I don’t know of any specific beekeepers that have suffered losses but imagine having an apiary site in the path of one of those terrible fires. It can only end in the utter destruction of colonies and hives and it must be heartbreaking. If you’re one of those beekeepers out there who has suffered due to these sudden catastrophic losses, our thoughts are with you and if you’d like to chat about your experiences on my podcast please do get in touch.

Here in Norwich, things are very much quieter, we have had long periods of rain but also some sunny intervals, I think there is more rain on the way but I’m fortunate to have my apiary sites in fairly risk-free locations. It’s the time in the beekeeping calendar where not much is happening to be honest. The bees are settled in their hives, still getting out and foraging the very late Ivy and fetching water, perhaps going out on cleansing flights, but other than that the frantic rush of the Spring and Summer are long gone.

For the most part, drones will have been kicked out of the colonies, newcomers to beekeeping won’t mind being reminded I’m sure that the drones are the male honeybees. They really only serve one major purpose and that’s mating with the virgin queens, however, they are needed within a colony generally, it seems they keep the atmosphere mellow and without them a colony can get quite fractious. I’m not sure if there are any scientific studies out there showing other important roles that drones play but their main task is an obvious one.

Thinking about why they would be kicked out through the Winter, I think most beekeepers here in the UK understand that whilst honeybees don’t hibernate in the Winter, like the bumblebees and wasps, they do reduce their activity dramatically, and with the obvious absence of food availability it makes sense for honeybee colonies not to waste their time and resources in trying to produce virgin queens and therefore need drones for them to mate with.

Add to this the demand on food stores and you can see what many colonies kick out their drones in the late Autumn and wait until Spring to produce more.

I’ve mentioned previously that I’ve seen drones in colonies through the Winter months so I think that while the majority of drones get the cold shoulder, there are some that manage to stick around. Of course, I’m not including any colony that has become a Winter, drone laying queen Colony.

So most of the colonies now will be settled down, food stores set aside and we don’t have much to worry about, at least not for a few weeks.

That got me thinking about how quickly the seasons seem to come round and once again I’m thinking about what went well this year and where I managed to mess things up. What can I do to improve on

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2085522 Fri, 06 Dec 2019 09:00:00 +0000 1028 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 87 full false Episode 86: Treatments, Trucks and Trailers Episode 86: Treatments, Trucks and Trailers Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 86 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, The bees are settling down for the long Autumn and Winter haul but here at Beekeeping HQ there’s seems to be more than ever to sort. Stay tuned for the latest update on my beekeeping journey including Trucks, Trailers and Treatments.

Finally, I’m back on my feet and moving around with some degree of ease, this recent bout of back pain and particularly Sciatica has been quite troublesome and I really feel for anyone out there who suffers from back problems on a regular basis. I’m lucky in that it seems to be every couple of years or so and at the moment it seems to hit during the quieter period of beekeeping over the Autumn and Winter months. There’s still lots to do but the timetable isn’t quite so rigid and I have been able to delay a number of jobs until I’m back on my feet. I do still have to be cautious and I get a strange numb feeling in my right foot, it’s a bit like the after-effects of being caught by stoning nettles, once the pain of the sting has gone you’re left with a tingling sensation, well that’s exactly how it feels. It’s so much better than before though so I am very grateful to be back in front of the computer and able to get back to work.

I woke to a crisp frost this morning, it was one of those misty, almost foggy mornings, a real sense of the colder days to come, which I really enjoy, we are very lucky here in the UK to still enjoy a seasonal climate, Warm Autumnal days drift into the colder conditions of Winter and through into the rush of life in Spring and on to the heat of Summer and so it goes round. We love talking about the weather, it is, of course, a national pastime but for beekeepers, it’s so much more than just another rainy day. We worry about the last time we inspected and what should happen if we miss an inspection or we sit and watch the cold, apparently lifeless hive in the middle of Winter hoping we’ve done enough to see the colonies through to Spring. I remember that sense of relief, as several bees flew out of my first few hives on cleansing flights on days when a little warm winter sunshine allows them to fly. It’s at this time of year I question if I’ve done all I can to see my colonies through Winter and into next season. The mental checklist of all the various jobs that needed to be done in order to give them the best chance possible.

This year has been somewhat challenging and I will have to adapt my routine a little but I’m sure we will get through ok. Preparations for Winter started in August. First up was the treatments for the Varroa mite. This year you will recall I used Apivar, the thin strips placed two per hive, hanging between the frames near the brood nest. The Amitraz active ingredient can give rise to the development of resistance in the Varroa so it’s important that it’s removed at the appropriate time. This happened to fall a week or so ago and I was so happy to have the help of Steph and Pete to travel around with me and clean out all of the strips. It’s not a difficult job, just remove the roof and crown board, ease the strips away from the frames, of course, they’ve been well and truly stuck down with wax and propolis but a quick flick with the hive tool releases them easily enough. Gently pull the strips out so as not to damage any bees that may be in the general area and particularly the queen because if she is damaged now there is little hope for that colony and they must be united with another. Removing the treatment strips also gives a chance to look down on the bees within and judge the size of the colonies. As ever, we have a large variation of colony sizes. I wondered how Pete actually managed to get the crown board back on with some of them such was their enormous size yet others seemed to have reduced in size to just a few seams of bees and I’m left wondering if they are large enough to see out the Winter. We have united several colonies so I t

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 86 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, The bees are settling down for the long Autumn and Winter haul but here at Beekeeping HQ there’s seems to be more than ever to sort. Stay tuned for the latest update on my beekeeping journey including Trucks, Trailers and Treatments.

Finally, I’m back on my feet and moving around with some degree of ease, this recent bout of back pain and particularly Sciatica has been quite troublesome and I really feel for anyone out there who suffers from back problems on a regular basis. I’m lucky in that it seems to be every couple of years or so and at the moment it seems to hit during the quieter period of beekeeping over the Autumn and Winter months. There’s still lots to do but the timetable isn’t quite so rigid and I have been able to delay a number of jobs until I’m back on my feet. I do still have to be cautious and I get a strange numb feeling in my right foot, it’s a bit like the after-effects of being caught by stoning nettles, once the pain of the sting has gone you’re left with a tingling sensation, well that’s exactly how it feels. It’s so much better than before though so I am very grateful to be back in front of the computer and able to get back to work.

I woke to a crisp frost this morning, it was one of those misty, almost foggy mornings, a real sense of the colder days to come, which I really enjoy, we are very lucky here in the UK to still enjoy a seasonal climate, Warm Autumnal days drift into the colder conditions of Winter and through into the rush of life in Spring and on to the heat of Summer and so it goes round. We love talking about the weather, it is, of course, a national pastime but for beekeepers, it’s so much more than just another rainy day. We worry about the last time we inspected and what should happen if we miss an inspection or we sit and watch the cold, apparently lifeless hive in the middle of Winter hoping we’ve done enough to see the colonies through to Spring. I remember that sense of relief, as several bees flew out of my first few hives on cleansing flights on days when a little warm winter sunshine allows them to fly. It’s at this time of year I question if I’ve done all I can to see my colonies through Winter and into next season. The mental checklist of all the various jobs that needed to be done in order to give them the best chance possible.

This year has been somewhat challenging and I will have to adapt my routine a little but I’m sure we will get through ok. Preparations for Winter started in August. First up was the treatments for the Varroa mite. This year you will recall I used Apivar, the thin strips placed two per hive, hanging between the frames near the brood nest. The Amitraz active ingredient can give rise to the development of resistance in the Varroa so it’s important that it’s removed at the appropriate time. This happened to fall a week or so ago and I was so happy to have the help of Steph and Pete to travel around with me and clean out all of the strips. It’s not a difficult job, just remove the roof and crown board, ease the strips away from the frames, of course, they’ve been well and truly stuck down with wax and propolis but a quick flick with the hive tool releases them easily enough. Gently pull the strips out so as not to damage any bees that may be in the general area and particularly the queen because if she is damaged now there is little hope for that colony and they must be united with another. Removing the treatment strips also gives a chance to look down on the bees within and judge the size of the colonies. As ever, we have a large variation of colony sizes. I wondered how Pete actually managed to get the crown board back on with some of them such was their enormous size yet others seemed to have reduced in size to just a few seams of bees and I’m left wondering if they are large enough to see out the Winter. We have united several colonies so I t

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-2016510 Fri, 29 Nov 2019 07:00:00 +0000 1058 beekeeping, stewart spiks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 86 full false Episode 85: October Questions and Answers Episode 85: October Questions and Answers Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 85 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, It’s the road to recovery for me and our regular monthly Questions and Answers session for everyone else!

Firstly, Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts regarding my back problems, I’m hopeful that things are starting to settle down and normal service will soon be back. It’s been a frustrating period of time for me, and I really appreciate everyone’s messages of support, your patience and also some of those suggested remedies! But enough of my bad back, let’s get straight into the questions.

First up is from Fran Barham

My question is about the Thornes 'Wasp Out' hive entrances.  I have three on my hives right now and they have done a great job to prevent robbing and wasp ingress.  Do you think I can leave these on over winter instead of putting on mouse guards?

Hi Fran,
Nice to hear the Wasp Out entrances have served you well, I’m not familiar with them but checking them out online they look like a piece of plastic conduit channel attached to the entrance block. I guess as long as they’re not affected by the cold weather they should be fine.

The entrance just needs to be shallow enough to prevent the mice from being able to squeeze themselves inside and judging by the images online I think the wasp out entrance will do the job perfectly well.

Eva Loysen

Hello Stewart

My question is about a very full to bursting hive - I'm convinced they will swarm on the first warm day of the Spring, so please could you advise how to prepare for an artificial swarm to prevent this, and how early could I do this? Many thanks and all good wishes.

Hi Eva,
Thanks for the question and it’s nice to see someone preparing for Spring already.

The good news is that you have plenty of time to prepare for Spring swarms next season and although your colony looks huge now there will be a significant reduction in size over Winter and as such the colony will need to rebuild in the Spring prior to swarming.

Keep an eye on them over Winter and watch as they start to develop again in the early months of next year.

Remember also, that colonies won’t swarm until there are plenty of drones around for the new virgin queens to mate with so a really good indication that colonies are getting ready is the early production of drone cells. Talking of which, all the books will tell you the drones get kicked out over Winter but I don’t think that’s always the case, I’ve seen drones in colonies, and no, before anyone out there posts me a message, it wasn’t a drone laying queen! So, keep a careful watch for drones. Having said all that, to answer your question, an artificial swarm simply removes two of the three parts of a near swarming colony, those three parts being the Queen, the flying bees and the brood.

You simply move the old hive to one side, add a new hive, move the queen on a frame with empty cells into the new hive fill it up with foundation and allow all the flying bees to go back to her.

In the old hive, you can no do several things, if there are eggs, you could remove all the queen cells and have the remaining bees produce a new batch, this puts you in control of the timings. Alternatively, you could remove all bar one of the queen cells and let this queen emerge. You could also split the brood down into nucs and give each one a sealed queen cell. I did this earlier in the year this season and produced six nucs from one colony and I’m glad to say that all are thriving and ready for the Winter.

I hope that gives you a flavour of how it works, I do have several videos showing the process and I have a memory jogger pdf that I can post for you to download.

Next up is Robert McDonald

I'm busy planning expansion for next year and working out what I need to buy. Do you bother painting or oiling your wooden hives?

Hi Robert, and again, I’m delighte

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 85 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, It’s the road to recovery for me and our regular monthly Questions and Answers session for everyone else!

Firstly, Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts regarding my back problems, I’m hopeful that things are starting to settle down and normal service will soon be back. It’s been a frustrating period of time for me, and I really appreciate everyone’s messages of support, your patience and also some of those suggested remedies! But enough of my bad back, let’s get straight into the questions.

First up is from Fran Barham

My question is about the Thornes 'Wasp Out' hive entrances.  I have three on my hives right now and they have done a great job to prevent robbing and wasp ingress.  Do you think I can leave these on over winter instead of putting on mouse guards?

Hi Fran,
Nice to hear the Wasp Out entrances have served you well, I’m not familiar with them but checking them out online they look like a piece of plastic conduit channel attached to the entrance block. I guess as long as they’re not affected by the cold weather they should be fine.

The entrance just needs to be shallow enough to prevent the mice from being able to squeeze themselves inside and judging by the images online I think the wasp out entrance will do the job perfectly well.

Eva Loysen

Hello Stewart

My question is about a very full to bursting hive - I'm convinced they will swarm on the first warm day of the Spring, so please could you advise how to prepare for an artificial swarm to prevent this, and how early could I do this? Many thanks and all good wishes.

Hi Eva,
Thanks for the question and it’s nice to see someone preparing for Spring already.

The good news is that you have plenty of time to prepare for Spring swarms next season and although your colony looks huge now there will be a significant reduction in size over Winter and as such the colony will need to rebuild in the Spring prior to swarming.

Keep an eye on them over Winter and watch as they start to develop again in the early months of next year.

Remember also, that colonies won’t swarm until there are plenty of drones around for the new virgin queens to mate with so a really good indication that colonies are getting ready is the early production of drone cells. Talking of which, all the books will tell you the drones get kicked out over Winter but I don’t think that’s always the case, I’ve seen drones in colonies, and no, before anyone out there posts me a message, it wasn’t a drone laying queen! So, keep a careful watch for drones. Having said all that, to answer your question, an artificial swarm simply removes two of the three parts of a near swarming colony, those three parts being the Queen, the flying bees and the brood.

You simply move the old hive to one side, add a new hive, move the queen on a frame with empty cells into the new hive fill it up with foundation and allow all the flying bees to go back to her.

In the old hive, you can no do several things, if there are eggs, you could remove all the queen cells and have the remaining bees produce a new batch, this puts you in control of the timings. Alternatively, you could remove all bar one of the queen cells and let this queen emerge. You could also split the brood down into nucs and give each one a sealed queen cell. I did this earlier in the year this season and produced six nucs from one colony and I’m glad to say that all are thriving and ready for the Winter.

I hope that gives you a flavour of how it works, I do have several videos showing the process and I have a memory jogger pdf that I can post for you to download.

Next up is Robert McDonald

I'm busy planning expansion for next year and working out what I need to buy. Do you bother painting or oiling your wooden hives?

Hi Robert, and again, I’m delighte

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1939166 Fri, 22 Nov 2019 08:00:00 +0000 1119 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 85 full false Episode 84: Bad Backs and Brood Box Capacity Episode 84: Bad Backs and Brood Box Capacity Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 84 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, This week I have a question for you, how big is your brood box? Having just taken ownership of my first 14 by 12 hives I thought I would take a look at how this brood box compares to the other hives I have, so stay tuned for some interesting results.

Catch up with my latest podcasts here

First up this week a little moaning whinge, I’m still suffering from a bad back and it’s really frustrating me, I managed to get the 14 by 12 hives moved finally but the journey and humping the hives around has caused my back problem to flare up again so I’m stuck resting up when I’d really like to be out changing floors still.

Ok, that’s my moaning over with, it’s no good moaning about it for long, it is what it is and I just have to work around it. Looking back at my week there are some really positive highlights, for one, I managed to get the 14 by 12 hives moved as I mentioned and the apiary looks fantastic now the hives are on the stands. I do need to get over and inspect them as I wasn’t able to last week because of the back issue and that has been a major issue for the last seven days. Elsewhere I did get into the BS Honey nuc and check out the two, three frame nucs and as I suspected, the mini colony that looked a little out of sorts were completely broodless and there were no signs of the queen, no eggs and I certainly didn’t spot the queen. As time was getting little short, and to be honest as I was getting a little frustrated, I decided to remove the core divider and let the two, three frame colonies unite themselves. I’ve done this on a number of times now and despite beekeepers telling me that they will fight, they always seem to sort themselves out and settle down, maybe it’s because they are being united laterally rather than vertically, who knows. All I know is, one side was queen right and the other queenless so hopefully they’ve got themselves sorted now.

The collection of the 14 by 12 hives went well, I travelled over to collect them from a beekeeper near Peterborough so it’s about a four-hour return journey for me and of course there are the obligatory conversations about beekeeping to be had that it delayed me a little too. In the end I didn’t leave for home until nearly 9pm and had to make a quick stop for some fuel so didn’t get tot he apiary until around 11:30pm but it was a pleasant moonlit night and quite mild still. The bees travelled back just with their open mesh floors, no travel screens this time as although it was a mild night, travelling at speed in the open back of the truck meant they were quite cool enough, no overheating and no need to spray with water to help them keep cool.

If you’ve seen the Patreon videos you’ll be well familiar with the apiary site by now, in amongst the fishing lakes nicely secluded and completely protected by locked gates. The beauty of having completed the work to open up the apiary meant that I could literally drive the truck right up to the hive stand and simply lift the hive off the back of the truck and down onto the stand, no walking through brambles and nettles as it would have been previously.

If you’re moving hives to new sites it’s important to give them a little time to orientate themselves to their new location before disturbing them with inspections and the like. My intention was to give them forty-eight hours and then go back to inspect them but as I say, the back pain has just got worse and I was in no fit state to get into the hives.

I’ll hopefully get back to them this weekend and inspect them, they’re also going to need feeding and although it’s getting late I do have some heavy sugar syrup to feed them and the forecast does look ok for the next couple of weeks. By that, I mean overnight temperatures are going to hold up in low double figures so the bees won’t yet be forming cluster

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 84 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, This week I have a question for you, how big is your brood box? Having just taken ownership of my first 14 by 12 hives I thought I would take a look at how this brood box compares to the other hives I have, so stay tuned for some interesting results.

Catch up with my latest podcasts here

First up this week a little moaning whinge, I’m still suffering from a bad back and it’s really frustrating me, I managed to get the 14 by 12 hives moved finally but the journey and humping the hives around has caused my back problem to flare up again so I’m stuck resting up when I’d really like to be out changing floors still.

Ok, that’s my moaning over with, it’s no good moaning about it for long, it is what it is and I just have to work around it. Looking back at my week there are some really positive highlights, for one, I managed to get the 14 by 12 hives moved as I mentioned and the apiary looks fantastic now the hives are on the stands. I do need to get over and inspect them as I wasn’t able to last week because of the back issue and that has been a major issue for the last seven days. Elsewhere I did get into the BS Honey nuc and check out the two, three frame nucs and as I suspected, the mini colony that looked a little out of sorts were completely broodless and there were no signs of the queen, no eggs and I certainly didn’t spot the queen. As time was getting little short, and to be honest as I was getting a little frustrated, I decided to remove the core divider and let the two, three frame colonies unite themselves. I’ve done this on a number of times now and despite beekeepers telling me that they will fight, they always seem to sort themselves out and settle down, maybe it’s because they are being united laterally rather than vertically, who knows. All I know is, one side was queen right and the other queenless so hopefully they’ve got themselves sorted now.

The collection of the 14 by 12 hives went well, I travelled over to collect them from a beekeeper near Peterborough so it’s about a four-hour return journey for me and of course there are the obligatory conversations about beekeeping to be had that it delayed me a little too. In the end I didn’t leave for home until nearly 9pm and had to make a quick stop for some fuel so didn’t get tot he apiary until around 11:30pm but it was a pleasant moonlit night and quite mild still. The bees travelled back just with their open mesh floors, no travel screens this time as although it was a mild night, travelling at speed in the open back of the truck meant they were quite cool enough, no overheating and no need to spray with water to help them keep cool.

If you’ve seen the Patreon videos you’ll be well familiar with the apiary site by now, in amongst the fishing lakes nicely secluded and completely protected by locked gates. The beauty of having completed the work to open up the apiary meant that I could literally drive the truck right up to the hive stand and simply lift the hive off the back of the truck and down onto the stand, no walking through brambles and nettles as it would have been previously.

If you’re moving hives to new sites it’s important to give them a little time to orientate themselves to their new location before disturbing them with inspections and the like. My intention was to give them forty-eight hours and then go back to inspect them but as I say, the back pain has just got worse and I was in no fit state to get into the hives.

I’ll hopefully get back to them this weekend and inspect them, they’re also going to need feeding and although it’s getting late I do have some heavy sugar syrup to feed them and the forecast does look ok for the next couple of weeks. By that, I mean overnight temperatures are going to hold up in low double figures so the bees won’t yet be forming cluster

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1770826 Fri, 18 Oct 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1068 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 84 full false Episode 83: Autumn Syrup and Apiary Chat Episode 83: Autumn Syrup and Apiary Chat Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 83 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, and this week I’m returning to the topic of Sugar Syrup and the various types available out there if you choose not to make your own and I’ve also been continuing the apiary clean up at the fishing lakes.

The distractions continue and caused quite a disruption to my planned workload over the weekend. Late last Wednesday I finished tweaking the podcast, yes, I do in fact attempt to polish it by editing and adjusting it, anyway, I scheduled the podcast for release to my Patreon page for Friday and then jumped in the truck to head out to move a couple of beehives from the fishing lakes apiary so I could continue cleaning out the brambles, and again the truck let me down, this time as I turned the key to start up all I got in return was a very loud, fast clicking sounds like those clacking toys I remember from way back, you know the ones, two plastic balls dangling from a handle each attached to a piece of cord. The idea being you shake them violently and they hit each other bouncing back and forth making a kind of castanet type noise only most of the time they would smash you on the back of the hand, anyway, that’s the noise I was hearing from my engine. A little research initially had me thinking it was going to be an expensive starter motor replacement but eventually it turned out to be an almost flat battery. The only problem was that the research had taken a while and after a couple of days of tinkering and cursing I finally gave up and called in my brother who fairly quickly got to the issue. I don’t know why the battery had failed, it’s never happened before but it seemed I needed a new battery. I popped down to our local battery specialist store, a place called Multicell, I’d called earlier in the day to make sure they had the right battery in stock and when I visited spoke to the same guy that I’d chatted to on the phone. He offered to test the battery for me rather than simply swap it out as a new battery was going to cost over a hundred pounds.

He used a really neat, handheld computer gadget which tested the voltage and capacity of the battery and discovered that all I needed to do was give the battery a good charge and he said it would be fine. It’s always nice to find a company that isn’t just out to sell you kit that you don’t necessarily need, I’ve used Multicell before, they supplied me with the battery for my ProVap Oxalic Acid sublimator and were really helpful with that as well.

Back home, I used the same battery charger I use on the ProVap cell and left it overnight to charge and all now appears to be sorted. It does leave me feeling slightly nervous each time I get in the truck to start it but so far, touch wood, it’s been fine. I think I might get a cheaper version of the tester that he used so I can keep an eye on the capacity of the battery every week or two, just until I feel confident with it again.

All of this meant the recording schedule went out of the window too, and my aim of swapping out all of the floors in the apiaries is a long way off. The very good news is that Tony, the fisheries manager at the lakes apiary has very kindly taken his brush cutting tractor through the Number one apiary and finished in forty minutes what would have taken me at least a day to do. I’ll probably have posted some pictures on my Patreon page by the time the podcast is released so do take a look there at what has been happening.

Unfortunately, my back problem has reappeared,  some of you will know I suffered two prolapsed discs a few years ago, I’m 6’3” tall and have always struggled with backaches but the prolapsed discs were another level up. It’s meant that every year or so I seem to have a couple of weeks of stiffness and pain which once rested seems fine again and the Doctor said, once you have a weakened back it’s likely to always be vulnerable. That said I have been to pilates classes

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 83 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, and this week I’m returning to the topic of Sugar Syrup and the various types available out there if you choose not to make your own and I’ve also been continuing the apiary clean up at the fishing lakes.

The distractions continue and caused quite a disruption to my planned workload over the weekend. Late last Wednesday I finished tweaking the podcast, yes, I do in fact attempt to polish it by editing and adjusting it, anyway, I scheduled the podcast for release to my Patreon page for Friday and then jumped in the truck to head out to move a couple of beehives from the fishing lakes apiary so I could continue cleaning out the brambles, and again the truck let me down, this time as I turned the key to start up all I got in return was a very loud, fast clicking sounds like those clacking toys I remember from way back, you know the ones, two plastic balls dangling from a handle each attached to a piece of cord. The idea being you shake them violently and they hit each other bouncing back and forth making a kind of castanet type noise only most of the time they would smash you on the back of the hand, anyway, that’s the noise I was hearing from my engine. A little research initially had me thinking it was going to be an expensive starter motor replacement but eventually it turned out to be an almost flat battery. The only problem was that the research had taken a while and after a couple of days of tinkering and cursing I finally gave up and called in my brother who fairly quickly got to the issue. I don’t know why the battery had failed, it’s never happened before but it seemed I needed a new battery. I popped down to our local battery specialist store, a place called Multicell, I’d called earlier in the day to make sure they had the right battery in stock and when I visited spoke to the same guy that I’d chatted to on the phone. He offered to test the battery for me rather than simply swap it out as a new battery was going to cost over a hundred pounds.

He used a really neat, handheld computer gadget which tested the voltage and capacity of the battery and discovered that all I needed to do was give the battery a good charge and he said it would be fine. It’s always nice to find a company that isn’t just out to sell you kit that you don’t necessarily need, I’ve used Multicell before, they supplied me with the battery for my ProVap Oxalic Acid sublimator and were really helpful with that as well.

Back home, I used the same battery charger I use on the ProVap cell and left it overnight to charge and all now appears to be sorted. It does leave me feeling slightly nervous each time I get in the truck to start it but so far, touch wood, it’s been fine. I think I might get a cheaper version of the tester that he used so I can keep an eye on the capacity of the battery every week or two, just until I feel confident with it again.

All of this meant the recording schedule went out of the window too, and my aim of swapping out all of the floors in the apiaries is a long way off. The very good news is that Tony, the fisheries manager at the lakes apiary has very kindly taken his brush cutting tractor through the Number one apiary and finished in forty minutes what would have taken me at least a day to do. I’ll probably have posted some pictures on my Patreon page by the time the podcast is released so do take a look there at what has been happening.

Unfortunately, my back problem has reappeared,  some of you will know I suffered two prolapsed discs a few years ago, I’m 6’3” tall and have always struggled with backaches but the prolapsed discs were another level up. It’s meant that every year or so I seem to have a couple of weeks of stiffness and pain which once rested seems fine again and the Doctor said, once you have a weakened back it’s likely to always be vulnerable. That said I have been to pilates classes

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1740166 Fri, 11 Oct 2019 08:00:00 +0100 795 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 83 full false Episode 82 Syrup for Autumn Feeding Episode 82 Syrup for Autumn Feeding Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 82 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Following on from last week, today, I’m talking about Autumn preparations and looking at the sugar syrup I used to feed my bees through the Autumn to help the bees get through to next Spring.

Catch up with the very latest podcasts here

My Cycle Ride Challenge can be found here

It’s been another busy week here in Norfolk and I’m spending a bit more time at the workshop sorting out replacement floors for my colonies prior to them settling down for Winter. It’s not so much the floors that need sorting, rather, the varroa inserts. I wonder how many of you out there are like me in that you have a range of kit, none of which is standard and so specific bits of equipment are not interchangeable. The main point of my focus this week has been setting up floors in preparation for December Oxalic Acid treatments. In order to carry out the treatment, I need to insert the varroa boards beneath my open mesh floors. You would think this to be a simple task, grab a board and slide it home, but no, over the years I’ve acquired equipment, bought at sales, been given some stuff too and of course, none of the manufacturers makes to the exact same spec. So specifically looking at floors I have inserts that will fit, for example,  an economy Thorne’s floor but that board is too small for a Maisemore open mesh floor and the board that fits the Maisemore open mesh floor is way too big for the floors I was given recently by a beekeeper who was retiring. Now last year, Pete and I walked around the apiaries and measured the floors in use and cut new varroa inserts for them all. We’ve used 5mm ply which worked great. Some of the floors I have came with plastic core inserts and over the years these have simply degraded and crumbled so we needed to replace some inserts anyway. All of the floor inserts were numbered and I managed to get some plastic numbers to staple onto the floors, only, we didn’t get round to stapling the numbers to the floors, I know, I only have myself to blame, well, actually I have Pete and Steph to blame but I take full responsibility and promise to do better this year. Add to that, we carried out the usual Spring cleaning and replaced most of the floors and the situation has become quite confused, and that’s the polite description of the muddle I find myself in. It’s obviously time to take action, it’s no good waiting until December when we want to treat with the ProVap Oxalic Acid Sublimator and end up with a truckload of plywood inserts and waste time offering up each size to the rear of the floors to see which one might fit, that’s not really how I want to spend my December days at all!

So, this week I’ve been getting organised, We’re going to visit each apiary site in turn and swap out each floor with a newly scraped, scorched, painted and numbered floor. Each one has been assigned a ply insert which has been numbered accordingly. It’s so simply you’ll be wondering why I didn’t do it last year, well that was indeed my intention but I do tend to get a little distracted as you may be aware.

Talking of distractions, I’m taking part in a challenge to cycle 300 miles during the month of September along with lots of other people in aid of Cancer Research UK, 300 miles might not seem a long way but when you’ve been away from cycling as long as I have it’s a good little challenge to have. I’ve not advertised the fundraising aspect as I wanted it as a personal challenge really but I will be making a personal donation to Cancer Research UK to thank them for their encouragement and the obvious good work that th

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 82 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. Following on from last week, today, I’m talking about Autumn preparations and looking at the sugar syrup I used to feed my bees through the Autumn to help the bees get through to next Spring.

Catch up with the very latest podcasts here

My Cycle Ride Challenge can be found here

It’s been another busy week here in Norfolk and I’m spending a bit more time at the workshop sorting out replacement floors for my colonies prior to them settling down for Winter. It’s not so much the floors that need sorting, rather, the varroa inserts. I wonder how many of you out there are like me in that you have a range of kit, none of which is standard and so specific bits of equipment are not interchangeable. The main point of my focus this week has been setting up floors in preparation for December Oxalic Acid treatments. In order to carry out the treatment, I need to insert the varroa boards beneath my open mesh floors. You would think this to be a simple task, grab a board and slide it home, but no, over the years I’ve acquired equipment, bought at sales, been given some stuff too and of course, none of the manufacturers makes to the exact same spec. So specifically looking at floors I have inserts that will fit, for example,  an economy Thorne’s floor but that board is too small for a Maisemore open mesh floor and the board that fits the Maisemore open mesh floor is way too big for the floors I was given recently by a beekeeper who was retiring. Now last year, Pete and I walked around the apiaries and measured the floors in use and cut new varroa inserts for them all. We’ve used 5mm ply which worked great. Some of the floors I have came with plastic core inserts and over the years these have simply degraded and crumbled so we needed to replace some inserts anyway. All of the floor inserts were numbered and I managed to get some plastic numbers to staple onto the floors, only, we didn’t get round to stapling the numbers to the floors, I know, I only have myself to blame, well, actually I have Pete and Steph to blame but I take full responsibility and promise to do better this year. Add to that, we carried out the usual Spring cleaning and replaced most of the floors and the situation has become quite confused, and that’s the polite description of the muddle I find myself in. It’s obviously time to take action, it’s no good waiting until December when we want to treat with the ProVap Oxalic Acid Sublimator and end up with a truckload of plywood inserts and waste time offering up each size to the rear of the floors to see which one might fit, that’s not really how I want to spend my December days at all!

So, this week I’ve been getting organised, We’re going to visit each apiary site in turn and swap out each floor with a newly scraped, scorched, painted and numbered floor. Each one has been assigned a ply insert which has been numbered accordingly. It’s so simply you’ll be wondering why I didn’t do it last year, well that was indeed my intention but I do tend to get a little distracted as you may be aware.

Talking of distractions, I’m taking part in a challenge to cycle 300 miles during the month of September along with lots of other people in aid of Cancer Research UK, 300 miles might not seem a long way but when you’ve been away from cycling as long as I have it’s a good little challenge to have. I’ve not advertised the fundraising aspect as I wanted it as a personal challenge really but I will be making a personal donation to Cancer Research UK to thank them for their encouragement and the obvious good work that th

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1701829 Fri, 11 Oct 2019 08:00:00 +0100 991 beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 82 full false Episode 81: Feeders for Beehives Episode 81: Feeders for Beehives Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 81 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week I’m looking at feeders for getting those all important stores into our colonies in time for the coming Autumn and Winter.

Catch up with more of my beekeeping journey by checking out the continually growing content list on my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Welcome back everyone to another podcast and a special hello to everyone studying at Penn State University over in the USA, particularly, hello to my daughter Beth who’s studying at Penn State and who I’ve not seen since last Christmas although with Skype and FaceTime it sometimes feels like she never went away. Hi Beth, stay tuned cos I know you’re desperate to hear how I’m going to be feeding my bees this Autumn!

Before I get into the detail of the feeders here’s this weeks beekeeping update, a quieter week last week, colonies appear to have realised Summer is over and are settling down in preparation for the months ahead, not a single queen cell to be seen in any colony inspected and all of them appear to be queen right at long last. I did spend a hot sunny morning with Pete cutting away brambles from a neglected tractor at the Alpaca apiary. The tractor sits at the entrance to the apiary but for various reasons it hasn’t been used for a few years and Pete has had his eye on it for a while so I suggested to the owners they might like to move it on and that’s why Pete and I spent an hour cutting away brambles and nettles to reveal the tractor in all it’s glory. I have to say, I wouldn’t mind have a run around in it myself to cut down some of the nettles and thistles that have grown so high this summer, some of the thistles are six feet tall! I think they’ve done so well because the apiary also happens to be beside the alpaca poo pile, plenty of fertiliser feeding into the ground so everything is looking very lush.

Anyway, the plan is to get the tractor working again, it currently has a dead battery, and to then get the nettles, thistles and brambles around the apiary all chopped down before Pete makes off with the tractor, then at least I might be able to get a mower in and keep on top of it. The apiary also happens to be the last remaining orchard area of the old farm that once stood here and it’s full of pear trees, I’m hoping that if I can clear a few more trees we might get a crop of nice pears for next year. Maybe I’ll be allowed to have a drive of the tractor too, if that happens I’ll be sure to get the camera running as it’s likely to end badly, probably knocking hives and feeders full of syrup off stands!

With that thought in mind I should turn my attention to the main topic of today’s podcast that of feeders and feed for the bees in the Autumn. I guess firstly it would be useful to discuss why we feed at all during the Autumn months and it is fundamentally as a result of removing a honey crop from our bees. For me, it provides an income, albeit relatively small compared with many commercial bee farmers, and as such is an important part of my beekeeping practices. I know there are many hobbyist beekeepers who leave a super full of honey on their bees to overwinter and that’s fine, if you are one of those beekeepers then a lot of what I’m discussing simply won’t be relevant as you already have food stores set up on your hives. For other beekeepers who do want to take a honey crop from their bees for personal use or for friends and family it will probably mean reducing the amount of available food stores for your bees to what remains in the brood box unless of course you have had a good year and want to remove maybe just one or two supers and leave one behind for the bees. As with many tasks and processes in beekeeping there are many ways of doing things and provided you’re not reducing the bees to a level where they may starve out I don’t think any one method should be thou

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 81 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week I’m looking at feeders for getting those all important stores into our colonies in time for the coming Autumn and Winter.

Catch up with more of my beekeeping journey by checking out the continually growing content list on my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Welcome back everyone to another podcast and a special hello to everyone studying at Penn State University over in the USA, particularly, hello to my daughter Beth who’s studying at Penn State and who I’ve not seen since last Christmas although with Skype and FaceTime it sometimes feels like she never went away. Hi Beth, stay tuned cos I know you’re desperate to hear how I’m going to be feeding my bees this Autumn!

Before I get into the detail of the feeders here’s this weeks beekeeping update, a quieter week last week, colonies appear to have realised Summer is over and are settling down in preparation for the months ahead, not a single queen cell to be seen in any colony inspected and all of them appear to be queen right at long last. I did spend a hot sunny morning with Pete cutting away brambles from a neglected tractor at the Alpaca apiary. The tractor sits at the entrance to the apiary but for various reasons it hasn’t been used for a few years and Pete has had his eye on it for a while so I suggested to the owners they might like to move it on and that’s why Pete and I spent an hour cutting away brambles and nettles to reveal the tractor in all it’s glory. I have to say, I wouldn’t mind have a run around in it myself to cut down some of the nettles and thistles that have grown so high this summer, some of the thistles are six feet tall! I think they’ve done so well because the apiary also happens to be beside the alpaca poo pile, plenty of fertiliser feeding into the ground so everything is looking very lush.

Anyway, the plan is to get the tractor working again, it currently has a dead battery, and to then get the nettles, thistles and brambles around the apiary all chopped down before Pete makes off with the tractor, then at least I might be able to get a mower in and keep on top of it. The apiary also happens to be the last remaining orchard area of the old farm that once stood here and it’s full of pear trees, I’m hoping that if I can clear a few more trees we might get a crop of nice pears for next year. Maybe I’ll be allowed to have a drive of the tractor too, if that happens I’ll be sure to get the camera running as it’s likely to end badly, probably knocking hives and feeders full of syrup off stands!

With that thought in mind I should turn my attention to the main topic of today’s podcast that of feeders and feed for the bees in the Autumn. I guess firstly it would be useful to discuss why we feed at all during the Autumn months and it is fundamentally as a result of removing a honey crop from our bees. For me, it provides an income, albeit relatively small compared with many commercial bee farmers, and as such is an important part of my beekeeping practices. I know there are many hobbyist beekeepers who leave a super full of honey on their bees to overwinter and that’s fine, if you are one of those beekeepers then a lot of what I’m discussing simply won’t be relevant as you already have food stores set up on your hives. For other beekeepers who do want to take a honey crop from their bees for personal use or for friends and family it will probably mean reducing the amount of available food stores for your bees to what remains in the brood box unless of course you have had a good year and want to remove maybe just one or two supers and leave one behind for the bees. As with many tasks and processes in beekeeping there are many ways of doing things and provided you’re not reducing the bees to a level where they may starve out I don’t think any one method should be thou

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1657006 Fri, 04 Oct 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1086 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks 1 81 full false Episode 80 August Questions and Answers Episode 80 August Questions and Answers Support the show

]]> Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1615921 Fri, 27 Sep 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1453 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 80 full false Episode 79: Microscopes, What3Words and Pizza Episode 79: Microscopes, What3Words and Pizza Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 79 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. I’ve got lots happening this week, wasps robbing, starving bees, an emergency location system and it’s pizza night at the beekeeping group.

I recently posted a 60-second video to my Patreon page showing some wasps raiding a very weak colony, so weak in fact that the bees could do nothing to prevent the robbing. The colony was in fact a drone laying queen colony and was one I had decided to unite but the wasps got in first and fast! Within a week of checking them, they were all but dead and the wasps were on every frame stripping it bare.

The question then comes of what to do with the hive, I think I’ve mentioned before about leaving it, as removing it runs the risk of just having thousands of wasps suddenly finding themselves without a location to rob and moving on to the next unsuspecting colony, so that’s what I’ve done. I had the same situation at another apiary, the wasps do seem to have enjoyed a very good year this year, I suspect it was the very early start that we all benefitted from. Anyway, at this other location, I decided to shut the entrance and was going to remove the hive but at that time was suffering from a rather sore back so left it in place. When I returned a week later, I found that the wasps were able to squeeze through the varroa mesh floor and get inside. They were amazingly small wasps but even so, I was surprised that they were able to get in. I had decided to remove this colony from the apiary instead of leaving it because all of the other colonies were very strong and I don’t think the wasps would have had any chance of getting in at all. And this is a good point to dwell on and mention, particularly for beginner beekeepers, there are lots of books out there giving advice and even more so-called expert beekeepers giving even more advice and sometimes it can be difficult to see the wood from the trees, but no two situations will be exactly the same, or at least very rarely the same, and making a decision as to what to do can seem quite confusing. The advice I would give is to do nothing, well, at least to start with. If you’re unsure as to what you should do just pause and grab a drink, have a sit down and think about what you’re actually seeing, take on board all the words of wisdom you’ve read and advice you’ve been given and set it against what you actually have in your apiary and then make a choice about the course of action you what to take and the reasons why you’re doing what your doing.

You won’t always get it right but at least you will have had a good think about it and arrived at a reasoned decision. If it doesn’t go to plan, add it to the growing list of things you’ve tried, save the experience for the next time you’re confronted with a similar situation and give something else a go.

Still, on the subject of wasps, I’ve decided I’m not going to use any wasp traps anymore, of any sort, in fact, I don’t think I’ll use any traps of any sort, I’m thinking here of Asian Hornet traps as well.

I did put out a couple of wasp traps this year but they seem to gather in a wide range of insects other than the targeted wasps, it appears I’m killing a whole range of insects that really don’t deserve to be killed and as I’ve mentioned before, strong colonies don’t suffer from wasp problems. The reason for not using hornet traps is the same, and I’m not able to visit my apiaries on a daily basis to check them so it makes the exercise pointless really. I think I have more chance of spotting an Asian hornet hawking in front of the hives than catching one in a trap. It’s just my decision but I would say that most beekeepers would probably do better concentrating on making their colonies stronger than setting out traps to catch the Autumn wasp population along with a myriad of other innocent bystanders!

All the colonies that needed treatments now have the Apivar strips in them, I

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 79 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. I’ve got lots happening this week, wasps robbing, starving bees, an emergency location system and it’s pizza night at the beekeeping group.

I recently posted a 60-second video to my Patreon page showing some wasps raiding a very weak colony, so weak in fact that the bees could do nothing to prevent the robbing. The colony was in fact a drone laying queen colony and was one I had decided to unite but the wasps got in first and fast! Within a week of checking them, they were all but dead and the wasps were on every frame stripping it bare.

The question then comes of what to do with the hive, I think I’ve mentioned before about leaving it, as removing it runs the risk of just having thousands of wasps suddenly finding themselves without a location to rob and moving on to the next unsuspecting colony, so that’s what I’ve done. I had the same situation at another apiary, the wasps do seem to have enjoyed a very good year this year, I suspect it was the very early start that we all benefitted from. Anyway, at this other location, I decided to shut the entrance and was going to remove the hive but at that time was suffering from a rather sore back so left it in place. When I returned a week later, I found that the wasps were able to squeeze through the varroa mesh floor and get inside. They were amazingly small wasps but even so, I was surprised that they were able to get in. I had decided to remove this colony from the apiary instead of leaving it because all of the other colonies were very strong and I don’t think the wasps would have had any chance of getting in at all. And this is a good point to dwell on and mention, particularly for beginner beekeepers, there are lots of books out there giving advice and even more so-called expert beekeepers giving even more advice and sometimes it can be difficult to see the wood from the trees, but no two situations will be exactly the same, or at least very rarely the same, and making a decision as to what to do can seem quite confusing. The advice I would give is to do nothing, well, at least to start with. If you’re unsure as to what you should do just pause and grab a drink, have a sit down and think about what you’re actually seeing, take on board all the words of wisdom you’ve read and advice you’ve been given and set it against what you actually have in your apiary and then make a choice about the course of action you what to take and the reasons why you’re doing what your doing.

You won’t always get it right but at least you will have had a good think about it and arrived at a reasoned decision. If it doesn’t go to plan, add it to the growing list of things you’ve tried, save the experience for the next time you’re confronted with a similar situation and give something else a go.

Still, on the subject of wasps, I’ve decided I’m not going to use any wasp traps anymore, of any sort, in fact, I don’t think I’ll use any traps of any sort, I’m thinking here of Asian Hornet traps as well.

I did put out a couple of wasp traps this year but they seem to gather in a wide range of insects other than the targeted wasps, it appears I’m killing a whole range of insects that really don’t deserve to be killed and as I’ve mentioned before, strong colonies don’t suffer from wasp problems. The reason for not using hornet traps is the same, and I’m not able to visit my apiaries on a daily basis to check them so it makes the exercise pointless really. I think I have more chance of spotting an Asian hornet hawking in front of the hives than catching one in a trap. It’s just my decision but I would say that most beekeepers would probably do better concentrating on making their colonies stronger than setting out traps to catch the Autumn wasp population along with a myriad of other innocent bystanders!

All the colonies that needed treatments now have the Apivar strips in them, I

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1581637 Fri, 20 Sep 2019 08:00:00 +0100 881 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 79 full false Episode 78: Cut Comb Honey, Tarts and Uniting Colonies Episode 78: Cut Comb Honey, Tarts and Uniting Colonies This week I’m in the honey room preparing cut comb and chunk honey, cleaning up after extraction week and I’ve also been in the kitchen cooking up a fabulous Honey, Taleggio Cheese and Red Onion Tart so keep listening for the recipe.

I’ve definitely seen a change in the activity within our colonies this last week, the local forage has all but disappeared and quite a number of our bees are now heading into urban gardens to seek out the strange and the unusual for those last few drops of nectar and tiny bundles of pollen.

One of the most unusual plants I’ve seen honeybees foraging on here locally is a giant spike of a flower which must measure at least three metres tall and is the thickness of a telegraph pole. It turned out to be a tree Echium, it was huge, if you get a chance to take a look online then do, it was enormous. It was actually at a local garden centre which specialises in exotic plants and while many of our native plants such as bramble are all but finished a lot of these plants seemed to be in full flower still. A real blessing for many different pollinators.

I’d like to plant one of these giant Echium’s but I don’t think my garden or wallet will take the strain, maybe I’ll stick with native varieties, Vipers Bugloss being the most well known I suspect.

It’s meant the bees are currently chasing around finding tiny amounts of forage and waiting for the Ivy to flower, I’ve actually seen some Ivy at the allotments apiary almost in flower, certainly, the buds are very swollen and ready, it won’t be long I’m sure. This presents a challenge to the bees and beekeeper where it is in large quantities. It’s a much needed Autumn, nectar and pollen source for the bees and they do really well on it until the temperatures cool down and at that point, the Ivy honey granulates solid in the comb making it quite difficult for some colonies to utilise effectively. In some colonies, it can form a solid block preventing bees from move over or around it to get to liquid honey. And this is where beekeepers who heft and don’t notice the hive hasn’t really become lighter through the winter find the bees had a full brood box of solid Ivy honey but starved.

Not all colonies struggle with Ivy and some seem to not only work it well but thrive on it through the colder months. It can also provide a late Autumn surplus for the beekeeper to harvest, I know a lot of beekeepers dislike the taste but actually, I find it a really nice flavour, strong tasting with a slightly medicinal finish, that sounds like a wine tasting! One trick you can use to reduce the strong flavour is to either blend it with other honey or leave it in the bucket for a few months when the strong taste seems to mellow somewhat. Either way, I really like it.

Back to this week though and some of my colonies have become quite grumpy, in fact, horribly grumpy, so much so I would class a couple of them as “double glovers”, it’s an expression that refers to the need to put on two pairs of nitrile gloves instead of the usual single pair. I made the mistake of picking up some supers for extraction without putting my boots on and cracking the supers off the clearer boards really wound them up and you just know they’re going to find the one vulnerable place you’ve left exposed! After several minutes of collecting supers with bees stinging my ankles I looked like I was walking barefoot across sun-baked sand, hopping and cursing as I went, funny now, but at the time, not so amusing!

The colonies will calm down again quite quickly, it’s that sudden loss of forage and this immediately followed by the beekeeper removing surplus honey that seems to get them a little feisty. We have the remaining treatments to put on this week, as I mentioned in previous podcasts we’re using Apivar and this needs to go in the hives after the honey has been removed hence the slight delay in some apiaries as we remove supers for extraction.

As we sorted through

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]]> This week I’m in the honey room preparing cut comb and chunk honey, cleaning up after extraction week and I’ve also been in the kitchen cooking up a fabulous Honey, Taleggio Cheese and Red Onion Tart so keep listening for the recipe.

I’ve definitely seen a change in the activity within our colonies this last week, the local forage has all but disappeared and quite a number of our bees are now heading into urban gardens to seek out the strange and the unusual for those last few drops of nectar and tiny bundles of pollen.

One of the most unusual plants I’ve seen honeybees foraging on here locally is a giant spike of a flower which must measure at least three metres tall and is the thickness of a telegraph pole. It turned out to be a tree Echium, it was huge, if you get a chance to take a look online then do, it was enormous. It was actually at a local garden centre which specialises in exotic plants and while many of our native plants such as bramble are all but finished a lot of these plants seemed to be in full flower still. A real blessing for many different pollinators.

I’d like to plant one of these giant Echium’s but I don’t think my garden or wallet will take the strain, maybe I’ll stick with native varieties, Vipers Bugloss being the most well known I suspect.

It’s meant the bees are currently chasing around finding tiny amounts of forage and waiting for the Ivy to flower, I’ve actually seen some Ivy at the allotments apiary almost in flower, certainly, the buds are very swollen and ready, it won’t be long I’m sure. This presents a challenge to the bees and beekeeper where it is in large quantities. It’s a much needed Autumn, nectar and pollen source for the bees and they do really well on it until the temperatures cool down and at that point, the Ivy honey granulates solid in the comb making it quite difficult for some colonies to utilise effectively. In some colonies, it can form a solid block preventing bees from move over or around it to get to liquid honey. And this is where beekeepers who heft and don’t notice the hive hasn’t really become lighter through the winter find the bees had a full brood box of solid Ivy honey but starved.

Not all colonies struggle with Ivy and some seem to not only work it well but thrive on it through the colder months. It can also provide a late Autumn surplus for the beekeeper to harvest, I know a lot of beekeepers dislike the taste but actually, I find it a really nice flavour, strong tasting with a slightly medicinal finish, that sounds like a wine tasting! One trick you can use to reduce the strong flavour is to either blend it with other honey or leave it in the bucket for a few months when the strong taste seems to mellow somewhat. Either way, I really like it.

Back to this week though and some of my colonies have become quite grumpy, in fact, horribly grumpy, so much so I would class a couple of them as “double glovers”, it’s an expression that refers to the need to put on two pairs of nitrile gloves instead of the usual single pair. I made the mistake of picking up some supers for extraction without putting my boots on and cracking the supers off the clearer boards really wound them up and you just know they’re going to find the one vulnerable place you’ve left exposed! After several minutes of collecting supers with bees stinging my ankles I looked like I was walking barefoot across sun-baked sand, hopping and cursing as I went, funny now, but at the time, not so amusing!

The colonies will calm down again quite quickly, it’s that sudden loss of forage and this immediately followed by the beekeeper removing surplus honey that seems to get them a little feisty. We have the remaining treatments to put on this week, as I mentioned in previous podcasts we’re using Apivar and this needs to go in the hives after the honey has been removed hence the slight delay in some apiaries as we remove supers for extraction.

As we sorted through

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1557376 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 08:00:00 +0100 903 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping 1 78 full false Episode 77 - Summer Extraction Time Episode 77 - Summer Extraction Time Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 77 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.
Who’d have thought we’d be extracting honey so soon, the Summer season has flown by and I’m heading into the honey room to get set up to extract the Summer supers over the weekend? Listen on for a rundown of my extraction set up and how I extract from over sixty colonies in a room that measures just 3 metres square.

Check Out my Patreon Page HERE

Equipment discussed in today's Podcast:
Stainless Steel Tables
Scales
Apimelter
Brush Uncapper
Extractor
Double Strainer
100kg Settling Tank
Honey Creamer
Bottling Machine


Before we head into the honey room I wanted to say a big thank you to Craig from Jedburgh, one of our Patreon supporters who very kindly drove down to Norfolk this week to spend a few days helping out and inspecting bees. Craig is new to beekeeping and has been absorbing all or my videos and podcasts on Patreon and offered to lend a hand for a few days so not wanting to turn away any help I swapped around the workload a little so we could get over to the workshop and clean up the rather large stack of frames and boxes that needed cleaning instead of extracting honey. 

A lot of the boxes are left over from the early season oilseed rape extraction where we had to cut out the comb and honey as it had granulated in the frames and couldn’t be extracted in the normal way. This leaves lots of frames that need to be roughly scrapped and tied into bundles before being boiled and cleaned ready to take fresh foundation in the Spring next year before going back out onto the hives. We also scrape out the supers and scorch them lightly as part of our ongoing disease management and this also entails removing frame runners and either washing them before replacing or if they’re too badly damaged we replace them. I think I might have mentioned before that I’m switching my super frames over to Manley frames, these are the straight, wide sided frames instead of the more traditional SN1’s or SN4’s, SN1’s are the narrow straight sided frames for supers and SN4’s are the Hoffman style spacing. It’s interesting that there are so many different types of frames that you could use and each beekeeper no doubt has a favourite. The same applies to the frame runners in the supers, I’ve always used castellated runners with set spacing for ten frames although I have tried eleven and nine frame runners. The point here is you start of using frames with foundation that have eleven frames meaning the frames are placed closer together and hopefully the bees draw out the foundation perfectly straight before progressing to ten frame runners and finally nine frame runners thereby getting more honey per frame which ultimately means less frames to extract.

The trouble with this is if you have more than a few supers it can get a bit confusing when you think you’ve got ten frame spacing and it’s eleven or nine. Add to that the need to get everything organised and in it’s prope

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 77 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.
Who’d have thought we’d be extracting honey so soon, the Summer season has flown by and I’m heading into the honey room to get set up to extract the Summer supers over the weekend? Listen on for a rundown of my extraction set up and how I extract from over sixty colonies in a room that measures just 3 metres square.

Check Out my Patreon Page HERE

Equipment discussed in today's Podcast:
Stainless Steel Tables
Scales
Apimelter
Brush Uncapper
Extractor
Double Strainer
100kg Settling Tank
Honey Creamer
Bottling Machine


Before we head into the honey room I wanted to say a big thank you to Craig from Jedburgh, one of our Patreon supporters who very kindly drove down to Norfolk this week to spend a few days helping out and inspecting bees. Craig is new to beekeeping and has been absorbing all or my videos and podcasts on Patreon and offered to lend a hand for a few days so not wanting to turn away any help I swapped around the workload a little so we could get over to the workshop and clean up the rather large stack of frames and boxes that needed cleaning instead of extracting honey. 

A lot of the boxes are left over from the early season oilseed rape extraction where we had to cut out the comb and honey as it had granulated in the frames and couldn’t be extracted in the normal way. This leaves lots of frames that need to be roughly scrapped and tied into bundles before being boiled and cleaned ready to take fresh foundation in the Spring next year before going back out onto the hives. We also scrape out the supers and scorch them lightly as part of our ongoing disease management and this also entails removing frame runners and either washing them before replacing or if they’re too badly damaged we replace them. I think I might have mentioned before that I’m switching my super frames over to Manley frames, these are the straight, wide sided frames instead of the more traditional SN1’s or SN4’s, SN1’s are the narrow straight sided frames for supers and SN4’s are the Hoffman style spacing. It’s interesting that there are so many different types of frames that you could use and each beekeeper no doubt has a favourite. The same applies to the frame runners in the supers, I’ve always used castellated runners with set spacing for ten frames although I have tried eleven and nine frame runners. The point here is you start of using frames with foundation that have eleven frames meaning the frames are placed closer together and hopefully the bees draw out the foundation perfectly straight before progressing to ten frame runners and finally nine frame runners thereby getting more honey per frame which ultimately means less frames to extract.

The trouble with this is if you have more than a few supers it can get a bit confusing when you think you’ve got ten frame spacing and it’s eleven or nine. Add to that the need to get everything organised and in it’s prope

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1517329 Fri, 06 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0100 961 full false Episode 76: Thoughts for August Episode 76: Thoughts for August Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 76 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. August has arrived and it’s time to start thinking about jobs that need to be completed in order to prepare the colonies for the colder months ahead.

Another week and it’s been a period of changeable weather, a few more thundery showers mixed in with some bright, warm Summery days, fairly typical for the time of year really. We seem to have moved on from the heatwave and I don’t think we’ll see temperatures of that order again this Summer, never say never of course but the next few weeks look like being “Unsettled” as the weather presenters on tv would say.

The ongoing saga of the newly mated queen that was attacked and recovered to mate and start laying eggs continues. I inspected the nuc a few days ago and found the queen had settled down and was laying, but not as rapidly as I would have hoped and there were a couple of frames that had plenty of space but no eggs. I actually spotted her and watch for some time and she wandered around the frame of empty cells dipping her head into an occasional cell but seemingly unimpressed with it walked on without laying. She did this for several minutes and I didn’t see her lay a single egg. Now, this could be down to several reasons but on the very next frame, I found a partially drawn queen cell with a growing larvae inside and on the next frame a sealed queen cell. Both queen cells were in what would be traditionally viewed as supercedure queen cell positions, about a third down from the top bar roughly central in the frame. It then becomes a guessing game to decide what the bees are up to. Is there a problem with the queen that isn’t visible to me, has she an issue in laying eggs, there were certainly eggs in cells so she hadn’t stopped entirely and they were definitely fertilised eggs producing workers. Sometimes we just have to accept the bees know best and let them get on with it. So I took the decision that indeed the bees know best and that these were in fact a supercedure cells and not swarm cells and left one of them to see what happens. I posted a video of the inspection to my Patreon page so do take a look at it there.

I also discovered a potential problem with some of the other newly emerged virgin queens last week. These were the ones we’ve been holding back in the hair roller cages as part of the Nicot system. It was time to release the queens from the cages and having experienced the attack on the first queen when I used the sugar syrup dunk method I decided to simply plug the end of the cage with fondant and let the bees gradually eat their way through to release the queen. Well, I checked last weekend and to my horror, the cap on the end of the roller cage, which is permanently attached to the cage by a small tab, had managed to curl back round and block the bees from getting to the fondant. This obviously meant the queen couldn’t get out either so I took the decision to release them onto a frame by uncapping them and running them down onto the brood frame. It worked fine, fine in all cases except one. This particular queen was in a super hurry to get out and no sooner than I’d opened the end of the cage, she was out, wings beating furiously, and in a flash, she was gone! She took to the air and disappeared over the blackberry bushes. I did that, desperate, childlike jumping in the air trying to catch her with my hands kind of move but she was too fast and was gone. It must have looked quite comical looking back at it. Oh well, these things happen.

The remaining queens all released without incident so I’m anticipating there will be eggs and young larvae the next time I inspect. Not like the earlier season matings which had been very protracted and in a lot of cases unsuccessful. I’ve mentioned it before but this year has seen a lot of Drone Laying Queens again but predominantly from the Spring matings, the Summer bred queens have all mated successfully

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 76 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. August has arrived and it’s time to start thinking about jobs that need to be completed in order to prepare the colonies for the colder months ahead.

Another week and it’s been a period of changeable weather, a few more thundery showers mixed in with some bright, warm Summery days, fairly typical for the time of year really. We seem to have moved on from the heatwave and I don’t think we’ll see temperatures of that order again this Summer, never say never of course but the next few weeks look like being “Unsettled” as the weather presenters on tv would say.

The ongoing saga of the newly mated queen that was attacked and recovered to mate and start laying eggs continues. I inspected the nuc a few days ago and found the queen had settled down and was laying, but not as rapidly as I would have hoped and there were a couple of frames that had plenty of space but no eggs. I actually spotted her and watch for some time and she wandered around the frame of empty cells dipping her head into an occasional cell but seemingly unimpressed with it walked on without laying. She did this for several minutes and I didn’t see her lay a single egg. Now, this could be down to several reasons but on the very next frame, I found a partially drawn queen cell with a growing larvae inside and on the next frame a sealed queen cell. Both queen cells were in what would be traditionally viewed as supercedure queen cell positions, about a third down from the top bar roughly central in the frame. It then becomes a guessing game to decide what the bees are up to. Is there a problem with the queen that isn’t visible to me, has she an issue in laying eggs, there were certainly eggs in cells so she hadn’t stopped entirely and they were definitely fertilised eggs producing workers. Sometimes we just have to accept the bees know best and let them get on with it. So I took the decision that indeed the bees know best and that these were in fact a supercedure cells and not swarm cells and left one of them to see what happens. I posted a video of the inspection to my Patreon page so do take a look at it there.

I also discovered a potential problem with some of the other newly emerged virgin queens last week. These were the ones we’ve been holding back in the hair roller cages as part of the Nicot system. It was time to release the queens from the cages and having experienced the attack on the first queen when I used the sugar syrup dunk method I decided to simply plug the end of the cage with fondant and let the bees gradually eat their way through to release the queen. Well, I checked last weekend and to my horror, the cap on the end of the roller cage, which is permanently attached to the cage by a small tab, had managed to curl back round and block the bees from getting to the fondant. This obviously meant the queen couldn’t get out either so I took the decision to release them onto a frame by uncapping them and running them down onto the brood frame. It worked fine, fine in all cases except one. This particular queen was in a super hurry to get out and no sooner than I’d opened the end of the cage, she was out, wings beating furiously, and in a flash, she was gone! She took to the air and disappeared over the blackberry bushes. I did that, desperate, childlike jumping in the air trying to catch her with my hands kind of move but she was too fast and was gone. It must have looked quite comical looking back at it. Oh well, these things happen.

The remaining queens all released without incident so I’m anticipating there will be eggs and young larvae the next time I inspect. Not like the earlier season matings which had been very protracted and in a lot of cases unsuccessful. I’ve mentioned it before but this year has seen a lot of Drone Laying Queens again but predominantly from the Spring matings, the Summer bred queens have all mated successfully

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1489957 Fri, 30 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0100 1064 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 76 full false Episode 75: Summer Heatwave and Varroa Treatments Episode 75: Summer Heatwave and Varroa Treatments Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 75 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

I’m sat in my office preparing this week’s podcast in 32 degrees heat which for us beekeepers here in Norfolk in the UK is somewhat uncomfortable but as I gradually melt my thoughts are turning to Late Summer Treatments in preparation for the coming Autumn and Winter months ahead. I’d like to share with you my plans for treating my bees against varroa and talk a little about preparing my bees for the colder months ahead.

Veterinary Medicines For Honeybees can be found listed HERE
Thorne Beekeeping Supplies for Apivar Varroa Treatment

Check Out my new weekly podcasts each week as they are released here

It’s been another interesting week of beekeeping, the hottest so far this Summer and it’s seen me heading out super early to carry out inspections before dashing back to shade and shelter away from the burning sun. It’s no over-exaggeration to say it can be quite dangerous being out beekeeping in such conditions and while I understand many beekeepers tend their bees in these kinds of conditions on a regular basis when you’re not familiar with this kind of heat and humidity it can catch you out quite quickly. Dehydration being the number one problem I think, so having plenty of drinks has helped. Of course, if you only have a couple of hives to inspect you can delay inspecting until the cooler part of the late evening or perhaps get up a little earlier and get started before the sun gets too hot. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing, inspecting from 6:30 in the morning until about 10 o’clock or thereabouts. By that time the heat is really starting to hit home and I struggle to see the bees through the sweat in my eyes! Even with the 70’s style bandana, I struggle so it makes sense to just stop and go back another time.

Most of my colonies will be fine if left alone, not many are attempting to swarm now so I’m happy to leave them an extra day or so.

You might recall from last week’s podcast that I had to reduce a virgin queen from a queenless nuc colony that set upon her and would have surely killed her if not for my intervention, I popped her back into the hair roller cage with a plug of fondant and crossed my fingers in the hope she would be uninjured and able to be accepted, get out and mate and settle into building a colony of her own. Well, I went back at the weekend and had a look fully expecting her to be either dead or too seriously damaged to be able to mate but I was very pleasantly surprised to see that not only was she alive but she had indeed been out to mate, had successfully returned and was already laying eggs by the frame load. It must have been a very quick mating from being released from the cage, especially when compared to quite a number of queens this year who seem to have taken forever to start laying. But I’m so happy she survived and I’ll now need to move them over to a larger box so she can continue to build the colonies strength.

In other news, my queen mother that was donating all of the eggs for my queen rearing program disappeared last week, she finally got the better of me and swarmed. It’s the first few weeks I’ve seen swarm cells in that colony and thought I had removed all of the swarm cells but obviously missed one. I can’t be too disappointed as she was a yellow dot queen and it was the first time this colony had tried swarming in almost three years, I guess I must have become complacent in thinking they were never going to swarm. The good news is, I’ve been able to raise several batches of queens from her so she lives on in her daughters, all that remains now is to assess how these queens dev

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 75 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

I’m sat in my office preparing this week’s podcast in 32 degrees heat which for us beekeepers here in Norfolk in the UK is somewhat uncomfortable but as I gradually melt my thoughts are turning to Late Summer Treatments in preparation for the coming Autumn and Winter months ahead. I’d like to share with you my plans for treating my bees against varroa and talk a little about preparing my bees for the colder months ahead.

Veterinary Medicines For Honeybees can be found listed HERE
Thorne Beekeeping Supplies for Apivar Varroa Treatment

Check Out my new weekly podcasts each week as they are released here

It’s been another interesting week of beekeeping, the hottest so far this Summer and it’s seen me heading out super early to carry out inspections before dashing back to shade and shelter away from the burning sun. It’s no over-exaggeration to say it can be quite dangerous being out beekeeping in such conditions and while I understand many beekeepers tend their bees in these kinds of conditions on a regular basis when you’re not familiar with this kind of heat and humidity it can catch you out quite quickly. Dehydration being the number one problem I think, so having plenty of drinks has helped. Of course, if you only have a couple of hives to inspect you can delay inspecting until the cooler part of the late evening or perhaps get up a little earlier and get started before the sun gets too hot. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing, inspecting from 6:30 in the morning until about 10 o’clock or thereabouts. By that time the heat is really starting to hit home and I struggle to see the bees through the sweat in my eyes! Even with the 70’s style bandana, I struggle so it makes sense to just stop and go back another time.

Most of my colonies will be fine if left alone, not many are attempting to swarm now so I’m happy to leave them an extra day or so.

You might recall from last week’s podcast that I had to reduce a virgin queen from a queenless nuc colony that set upon her and would have surely killed her if not for my intervention, I popped her back into the hair roller cage with a plug of fondant and crossed my fingers in the hope she would be uninjured and able to be accepted, get out and mate and settle into building a colony of her own. Well, I went back at the weekend and had a look fully expecting her to be either dead or too seriously damaged to be able to mate but I was very pleasantly surprised to see that not only was she alive but she had indeed been out to mate, had successfully returned and was already laying eggs by the frame load. It must have been a very quick mating from being released from the cage, especially when compared to quite a number of queens this year who seem to have taken forever to start laying. But I’m so happy she survived and I’ll now need to move them over to a larger box so she can continue to build the colonies strength.

In other news, my queen mother that was donating all of the eggs for my queen rearing program disappeared last week, she finally got the better of me and swarmed. It’s the first few weeks I’ve seen swarm cells in that colony and thought I had removed all of the swarm cells but obviously missed one. I can’t be too disappointed as she was a yellow dot queen and it was the first time this colony had tried swarming in almost three years, I guess I must have become complacent in thinking they were never going to swarm. The good news is, I’ve been able to raise several batches of queens from her so she lives on in her daughters, all that remains now is to assess how these queens dev

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1460971 Fri, 23 Aug 2019 08:00:00 +0100 823 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 75 full false Ben's Swarm Question S2:E28 Ben's Swarm Question S2:E28 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 74 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.
Catch up with the latest episodes HERE

This week I’m following up on a question posted by one of our Patrons regarding swarm management and general inspections through the active season. If inspecting your bee hive gives you a feeling of impending doom each time, stay tuned and I’ll hopefully give you some pointers to make the whole task more relaxed.

Before we get into the detail of Ben’s question I thought I’d recap on another busy week. Queen rearing has been interesting this week, we had half a dozen emerged virgin queens trapped in the Nicot hair roller cages that needed to be moved into queenless nucs and I attempted a new method of introduction which involved liberally covering the virgin queen with sugar syrup and simply letting her run onto a frame whereby the workers would get stuck into the sugar syrup and start cleaning the new queen thus accepting her and not attacking her.

This is the first time I’ve attempted something like this but the benefits of a successful introduction means saving a few days compared to a normal caged introduction. Having set up the nuc as queenless the day before I did as instructed and pretty much covered the queen in syrup, bless her, she really was covered, the syrup ran down onto the frame where the workers immediately started cleaning it up. I took this was the opportunity to run the virgin queen onto the same frame in the middle of the syrup and sure enough, the workers immediately set about licking the sugar syrup off the queen and generally cleaning her up. Success, I have to say I was feeling pretty smug about the whole operation and particularly glad that we had chosen to capture the exercise on video to post to the Patreon site for everyone to see.

That was until about twenty seconds after I ran the queen out of the cage and into the syrup. It all seemed fine but then one worker took exception to this new queen in their presence and started harassing her, first the worker climbed all over her and then started curling down her abdomen to try to sting her, I left it for a couple of seconds longer as it was only one worker but this worker obviously didn’t like her proposed new queen because when she couldn’t get enough purchase to sting her she started to bite her and it became more and more vicious and frantic. Then another worker decided to join in and that for me was enough. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch them attack my beautiful new virgin queen. The problem was the instigator of the attack had now got such a strong bite of the virgin queen's wing when I picked up the worker the queen came with her. I actually had to walk away from the nuc and spend several seconds encouraging the worker to let go which she did eventually and I was able to get he virgin queen safely into a cage for her own protection.

Now as I said, I’ve not attempted this before so it’s all been very new to me. Having considered everything I did, I have come to the conclusion that firstly, the nuc was far too large for the introduction of this virgin queen in this manner and secondly maybe I should have left them queenless for a longer period of time before trying to introduce a virgin queen who’s pheromones are not as strong as a fully mated queen, who knows. Suffice to say, the rest of the virgin queens for introduction were put into cages and introduced in a more traditional way. I’ll be back to check on them over the weekend so we’ll see if they’ve been released and accepted or not.

It’s been the last push to getting supers on colonies where needed, always a tricky proposition as I don’t like giving them too much space now we’re heading to the end of the Summer nectar flow. I want the bees to fill every last space in the supers they have before they move on to another one otherwise they’ll have supers half-filled and u

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 74 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.
Catch up with the latest episodes HERE

This week I’m following up on a question posted by one of our Patrons regarding swarm management and general inspections through the active season. If inspecting your bee hive gives you a feeling of impending doom each time, stay tuned and I’ll hopefully give you some pointers to make the whole task more relaxed.

Before we get into the detail of Ben’s question I thought I’d recap on another busy week. Queen rearing has been interesting this week, we had half a dozen emerged virgin queens trapped in the Nicot hair roller cages that needed to be moved into queenless nucs and I attempted a new method of introduction which involved liberally covering the virgin queen with sugar syrup and simply letting her run onto a frame whereby the workers would get stuck into the sugar syrup and start cleaning the new queen thus accepting her and not attacking her.

This is the first time I’ve attempted something like this but the benefits of a successful introduction means saving a few days compared to a normal caged introduction. Having set up the nuc as queenless the day before I did as instructed and pretty much covered the queen in syrup, bless her, she really was covered, the syrup ran down onto the frame where the workers immediately started cleaning it up. I took this was the opportunity to run the virgin queen onto the same frame in the middle of the syrup and sure enough, the workers immediately set about licking the sugar syrup off the queen and generally cleaning her up. Success, I have to say I was feeling pretty smug about the whole operation and particularly glad that we had chosen to capture the exercise on video to post to the Patreon site for everyone to see.

That was until about twenty seconds after I ran the queen out of the cage and into the syrup. It all seemed fine but then one worker took exception to this new queen in their presence and started harassing her, first the worker climbed all over her and then started curling down her abdomen to try to sting her, I left it for a couple of seconds longer as it was only one worker but this worker obviously didn’t like her proposed new queen because when she couldn’t get enough purchase to sting her she started to bite her and it became more and more vicious and frantic. Then another worker decided to join in and that for me was enough. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch them attack my beautiful new virgin queen. The problem was the instigator of the attack had now got such a strong bite of the virgin queen's wing when I picked up the worker the queen came with her. I actually had to walk away from the nuc and spend several seconds encouraging the worker to let go which she did eventually and I was able to get he virgin queen safely into a cage for her own protection.

Now as I said, I’ve not attempted this before so it’s all been very new to me. Having considered everything I did, I have come to the conclusion that firstly, the nuc was far too large for the introduction of this virgin queen in this manner and secondly maybe I should have left them queenless for a longer period of time before trying to introduce a virgin queen who’s pheromones are not as strong as a fully mated queen, who knows. Suffice to say, the rest of the virgin queens for introduction were put into cages and introduced in a more traditional way. I’ll be back to check on them over the weekend so we’ll see if they’ve been released and accepted or not.

It’s been the last push to getting supers on colonies where needed, always a tricky proposition as I don’t like giving them too much space now we’re heading to the end of the Summer nectar flow. I want the bees to fill every last space in the supers they have before they move on to another one otherwise they’ll have supers half-filled and u

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1430635 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 08:00:00 +0100 988 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 28 full false July's Beekeeping Questions and Answers S2:E27 July's Beekeeping Questions and Answers S2:E27 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 73 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

It’s our monthly Questions and Answers session today so stay tuned for some cracking questions and hopefully my helpful replies.

Before we get into the questions my weekly round-up has the distinct taste of disaster about it and not really about beekeeping! As you may have seen by the pictures I’ve posted, the Ranger pick up has had yet another major malfunction, this time it’s the clutch. I was driving along quite happily, had to change down a gear and that was followed by a bang and very rough grinding sound and feel as if I had missed putting it into gear properly. So I took it out of gear and it wouldn’t go back in. I pulled over to the side of the road and discovered a puddle of what I guess was clutch fluid beneath the engine bay. It’s beginning to feel like I’m rebuilding the truck this year, anyway, I was lucky to be able to get the truck transported back to the local garage where it remains currently waiting to have a new clutch fitted. Another major hole in my wallet, oh well.

I must get back to the queen rearing apiary by the weekend though as I have six developing queen cells in one of the queen rearing colonies and they will be well capped and getting ready to emerge. The last thing I want is for those to emerge and destroy each other before I get a chance to sort them out. As with most things in queen rearing, once you start the clock ticking you can’t easily put everything on hold. 

First up is Simon Rice, who asks

When queen rearing with larvae transfers, how do you stop the wax builders from creating burr comb between and around your queen cells please? I have had a number of attempts to raise queen cells this summer and each time they have enveloped the queen cells in this way.

Thank you.

Hi Simon and many thanks for your question;

This is an all too familiar issue when queen rearing and I’ve struggled with this problem myself including this season where I had three perfectly viable queen cells completely encased in brace comb. I spoke to a fellow queen rearing beekeeper who suggested putting a frame of foundation in a couple of frames away from the queen cells to give them something to draw out and the last time I tried it they worked the foundation and not the queen cells, so it might just be the answer! Give it a try and see how you get on.


Next up is a question from  Ben Hoen who says,

For me as a new beekeeper, this year has been hard.  I overwintered all three of my hives, but two swarmed early in the year when I was at work, and then both threw after swarms too while I was away.  One of those did not successfully re-mate so it is hopelessly queenless currently, and the other I am waiting to find out if it mated successfully.


It would be helpful to get a general description for swarm management.  For example, how often do you inspect the hives?  How thorough of an inspection to do you make?  (every frame, or just by tipping the box up)  Do you shake the bees off the frames during an inspection, or do you find you can do what you need while still having a frame covered with bees? Other than queen cups, what are you looking for?  If you find any queen cups do you knock them down?  Is there anything else you can do to reduce the likelihood of swarming? For example, if you learn to "give them more space" do you find that swarm pressures are usually eliminated?  Finally, on this last point, can you outline some of the methods you rely on to "give them more space"?  Thanks!!!


Wow, Ben, that’s quite a question, and one I’m going to save for next week. You ask some really important questions and it would take up an entire podcast to go through all of your questions with the fullest of answers. So, all I would say is, be patient, hold on until next week and

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 73 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

It’s our monthly Questions and Answers session today so stay tuned for some cracking questions and hopefully my helpful replies.

Before we get into the questions my weekly round-up has the distinct taste of disaster about it and not really about beekeeping! As you may have seen by the pictures I’ve posted, the Ranger pick up has had yet another major malfunction, this time it’s the clutch. I was driving along quite happily, had to change down a gear and that was followed by a bang and very rough grinding sound and feel as if I had missed putting it into gear properly. So I took it out of gear and it wouldn’t go back in. I pulled over to the side of the road and discovered a puddle of what I guess was clutch fluid beneath the engine bay. It’s beginning to feel like I’m rebuilding the truck this year, anyway, I was lucky to be able to get the truck transported back to the local garage where it remains currently waiting to have a new clutch fitted. Another major hole in my wallet, oh well.

I must get back to the queen rearing apiary by the weekend though as I have six developing queen cells in one of the queen rearing colonies and they will be well capped and getting ready to emerge. The last thing I want is for those to emerge and destroy each other before I get a chance to sort them out. As with most things in queen rearing, once you start the clock ticking you can’t easily put everything on hold. 

First up is Simon Rice, who asks

When queen rearing with larvae transfers, how do you stop the wax builders from creating burr comb between and around your queen cells please? I have had a number of attempts to raise queen cells this summer and each time they have enveloped the queen cells in this way.

Thank you.

Hi Simon and many thanks for your question;

This is an all too familiar issue when queen rearing and I’ve struggled with this problem myself including this season where I had three perfectly viable queen cells completely encased in brace comb. I spoke to a fellow queen rearing beekeeper who suggested putting a frame of foundation in a couple of frames away from the queen cells to give them something to draw out and the last time I tried it they worked the foundation and not the queen cells, so it might just be the answer! Give it a try and see how you get on.


Next up is a question from  Ben Hoen who says,

For me as a new beekeeper, this year has been hard.  I overwintered all three of my hives, but two swarmed early in the year when I was at work, and then both threw after swarms too while I was away.  One of those did not successfully re-mate so it is hopelessly queenless currently, and the other I am waiting to find out if it mated successfully.


It would be helpful to get a general description for swarm management.  For example, how often do you inspect the hives?  How thorough of an inspection to do you make?  (every frame, or just by tipping the box up)  Do you shake the bees off the frames during an inspection, or do you find you can do what you need while still having a frame covered with bees? Other than queen cups, what are you looking for?  If you find any queen cups do you knock them down?  Is there anything else you can do to reduce the likelihood of swarming? For example, if you learn to "give them more space" do you find that swarm pressures are usually eliminated?  Finally, on this last point, can you outline some of the methods you rely on to "give them more space"?  Thanks!!!


Wow, Ben, that’s quite a question, and one I’m going to save for next week. You ask some really important questions and it would take up an entire podcast to go through all of your questions with the fullest of answers. So, all I would say is, be patient, hold on until next week and

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1396393 Fri, 02 Aug 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1197 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 27 full false Another July, Another Beekeeping Jobs List S2:E26 Another July, Another Beekeeping Jobs List S2:E26 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 72 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. It’s July and the final month of our Summer nectar flow, the bees are busy filling Supers and we’ve been hit by another bout of CBPV. There are jobs that need attention for this month too, so keep listening for this week's updates.

Welcome back to another weekly podcast and we somehow find ourselves in July and what is for me the final month of our Summer honey production. I’ve moved all of the bees back to their permanent apiary sites and were in the process now of assessing colonies in preparation for the Autumn shutdown. It might seem a little early to be thinking of the coming Autumn and Winter but believe me, it will soon be here and if you’ve not got yourself prepared those precious few weeks in the late Autumn will become a panic as you try to treat and feed bees to ensure a successful Winter period.

If you're interested in submitting honey samples to the National Honey Monitoring Scheme check out their website here

There are, of course, jobs to do this month too but they all lead to setting up colonies to survive the darker months and ensure strong colonies for next Spring.

I was visited this week by a fellow beekeeper from Australia was explaining that they have active bees foraging for around 11 months of the year, imagine that! To have flying bees pretty much all year round and no really cold months seems on the face of it a perfect scenario but I’m sure it brings its own challenges. This past week has also brought some interesting beekeeping letters through the post, I recently signed up to the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s National Honey Monitoring Scheme, looking at their website for some details to share I found their introduction pretty much explains exactly what they are doing.

 The National Honey Monitoring Scheme aims to use honeybees to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the UK countryside. However, we need the help of beekeepers if this scheme is to work. Initially set up in 2018, the Honey Monitoring Scheme is a long-term programme that uses advanced analytical techniques to identify the species of plant pollen present in honey samples. This will tell us what bees are feeding on in different parts of the country and at different times of year. This information will help us identify possible threats to bees linked with floral resources.

The CEH website goes on to explain what the scheme will do:

  • State-of-the-art analysis: using DNA metabarcoding and high precision mass spectrometry of honey samples
  • Sample archive: for future research developing new analytics, such as disease detection 
  • Provide feedback to participating beekeepers
  • Generate robust scientific data to inform future policy decisions 


So I received a submissions pack which contains a couple of tubes that they need filled with honey samples and from that they can identify exactly the plants my bees have been foraging on. What’s is really exciting is that they will share this information with me onece the testing has been completed. Due to the size and complexity of the project I won’t get the results for some time but as soon as I do I will share them with you. If you’d like to take part in the National Honey Monitoring Scheme do check out their website www.ceh.ac.uk and look for the link to the relevant page, I’ll leave a link in the podcast notes to help direct you to their site.

The other letter I received was from a university student called Amy who is carrying out a third year dissertation project involving Varroa mites and was a request for samples. The project is looking into genetic diversification of Varroa and haplotypes within the species, that’s mites with a distinct mitochondrial DNA. It seems there is some

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 72 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. It’s July and the final month of our Summer nectar flow, the bees are busy filling Supers and we’ve been hit by another bout of CBPV. There are jobs that need attention for this month too, so keep listening for this week's updates.

Welcome back to another weekly podcast and we somehow find ourselves in July and what is for me the final month of our Summer honey production. I’ve moved all of the bees back to their permanent apiary sites and were in the process now of assessing colonies in preparation for the Autumn shutdown. It might seem a little early to be thinking of the coming Autumn and Winter but believe me, it will soon be here and if you’ve not got yourself prepared those precious few weeks in the late Autumn will become a panic as you try to treat and feed bees to ensure a successful Winter period.

If you're interested in submitting honey samples to the National Honey Monitoring Scheme check out their website here

There are, of course, jobs to do this month too but they all lead to setting up colonies to survive the darker months and ensure strong colonies for next Spring.

I was visited this week by a fellow beekeeper from Australia was explaining that they have active bees foraging for around 11 months of the year, imagine that! To have flying bees pretty much all year round and no really cold months seems on the face of it a perfect scenario but I’m sure it brings its own challenges. This past week has also brought some interesting beekeeping letters through the post, I recently signed up to the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s National Honey Monitoring Scheme, looking at their website for some details to share I found their introduction pretty much explains exactly what they are doing.

 The National Honey Monitoring Scheme aims to use honeybees to monitor long-term changes in the condition and health of the UK countryside. However, we need the help of beekeepers if this scheme is to work. Initially set up in 2018, the Honey Monitoring Scheme is a long-term programme that uses advanced analytical techniques to identify the species of plant pollen present in honey samples. This will tell us what bees are feeding on in different parts of the country and at different times of year. This information will help us identify possible threats to bees linked with floral resources.

The CEH website goes on to explain what the scheme will do:

  • State-of-the-art analysis: using DNA metabarcoding and high precision mass spectrometry of honey samples
  • Sample archive: for future research developing new analytics, such as disease detection 
  • Provide feedback to participating beekeepers
  • Generate robust scientific data to inform future policy decisions 


So I received a submissions pack which contains a couple of tubes that they need filled with honey samples and from that they can identify exactly the plants my bees have been foraging on. What’s is really exciting is that they will share this information with me onece the testing has been completed. Due to the size and complexity of the project I won’t get the results for some time but as soon as I do I will share them with you. If you’d like to take part in the National Honey Monitoring Scheme do check out their website www.ceh.ac.uk and look for the link to the relevant page, I’ll leave a link in the podcast notes to help direct you to their site.

The other letter I received was from a university student called Amy who is carrying out a third year dissertation project involving Varroa mites and was a request for samples. The project is looking into genetic diversification of Varroa and haplotypes within the species, that’s mites with a distinct mitochondrial DNA. It seems there is some

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1367704 Fri, 26 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0100 1015 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 26 full false Queen Cells and Wasps S2:E25 Queen Cells and Wasps S2:E25 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 71 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The queen rearing is in full swing and I need to create more finisher colonies, stay tuned for more queen rearing chat and simple details of how to unite two colonies.

More rain, thunder and lightning this past week, the night skies were lit up brightly overnight midweek and we had some very short sharp torrential rainfall. Being Summer, it tired up very quickly and by the following morning the roads were dry and you would know it had rained at all. The bees on the field beans have done their work and it’s time to get them moved to take advantage of the Summer flow from Blackberries, Limes and Sweet Chestnut but as I was getting prepared for that I ran into a problem.

I’ve had to have another costly job fixed on the Ranger. My Ford Ranger pick up has been a real workhorse for me this past year but I guess it’s at the age now where parts and components start to wear out and need replacing. I noticed a bit of a strange metallic grinding sound when I was at the field beans last week and figured something was going wrong, remember I’m not very mechanically minded but it was obvious something was not working as it should. It only happened when I turned the steering wheel when I was in four by four so I ended up crawling under the front of the truck in my bee suit and discovered that the black rubber sleeve things near the front wheels on both sides had split all the way around and you could see all the workings inside, a bit like when you watch a hospital operation on someone's joints and you can see all the tendons and sinews. Anyway, probably too descriptive there but this is an audio podcast after all. I always find these things tend to get worse if I don’t sort them immediately and this did seem quite serious, balls joints and things exposed to the elements and me driving across muddy fields wasn’t going to help. I booked a slot at my local garage, I say local, it’s about five miles away but I’ve always taken my vehicles to this particular garage and like any of these types of jobs you need to be able to trust the people who do the work. So, my thanks to the Spixworth MOT bay team who have taken care of my vehicles over the years. So, back to the story, apparently, these black rubber sleeves are called CV joint gaiters and cover the joints that connect the wheel to the other more technical bits, Sprout, the mechanic who looked at it for me did one of those long but sharp, intake of breath things and then tutted a few times. I’m not sure why they call him Sprout, he’s a little older than me I would guess so 55-60 and I think he’s stopped growing so that can’t be it. Maybe he likes Brussel sprouts, I’ll have to ask next time I go over.

Anyway, after a quick consultation, the truck was booked in and the job completed on Tuesday this week. Another dent to the bank balance but it’s not a job I could do myself, changing the light bulbs seems a challenge to me at the best of times. Once sorted the various metallic grinding noises were gone and everything is once again protected. Sprout said the noise was because the grease had been washed out of the joint which made sense.

Anyway, the reason for recounting the story is just to say when these things crop up they are not likely to go away on their own so it’s always best to get it sorted as soon as possible even though I could have done without the expense.

Talking of expense you might recall I was trying to get hold of a reptile incubator to incubate my sealed queen cells, well, one popped up on eBay and I managed to negotiate a decent price so that’s arriving this week and is quite exciting.

It’s one of the reasons I’ve been chasing around trying to get prepared with the finisher colonies. It’s all been kicking off again this week, normal for this time of year and with so many things to manage it sometimes gets away from me. Anyway, we now have around 18 o

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 71 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The queen rearing is in full swing and I need to create more finisher colonies, stay tuned for more queen rearing chat and simple details of how to unite two colonies.

More rain, thunder and lightning this past week, the night skies were lit up brightly overnight midweek and we had some very short sharp torrential rainfall. Being Summer, it tired up very quickly and by the following morning the roads were dry and you would know it had rained at all. The bees on the field beans have done their work and it’s time to get them moved to take advantage of the Summer flow from Blackberries, Limes and Sweet Chestnut but as I was getting prepared for that I ran into a problem.

I’ve had to have another costly job fixed on the Ranger. My Ford Ranger pick up has been a real workhorse for me this past year but I guess it’s at the age now where parts and components start to wear out and need replacing. I noticed a bit of a strange metallic grinding sound when I was at the field beans last week and figured something was going wrong, remember I’m not very mechanically minded but it was obvious something was not working as it should. It only happened when I turned the steering wheel when I was in four by four so I ended up crawling under the front of the truck in my bee suit and discovered that the black rubber sleeve things near the front wheels on both sides had split all the way around and you could see all the workings inside, a bit like when you watch a hospital operation on someone's joints and you can see all the tendons and sinews. Anyway, probably too descriptive there but this is an audio podcast after all. I always find these things tend to get worse if I don’t sort them immediately and this did seem quite serious, balls joints and things exposed to the elements and me driving across muddy fields wasn’t going to help. I booked a slot at my local garage, I say local, it’s about five miles away but I’ve always taken my vehicles to this particular garage and like any of these types of jobs you need to be able to trust the people who do the work. So, my thanks to the Spixworth MOT bay team who have taken care of my vehicles over the years. So, back to the story, apparently, these black rubber sleeves are called CV joint gaiters and cover the joints that connect the wheel to the other more technical bits, Sprout, the mechanic who looked at it for me did one of those long but sharp, intake of breath things and then tutted a few times. I’m not sure why they call him Sprout, he’s a little older than me I would guess so 55-60 and I think he’s stopped growing so that can’t be it. Maybe he likes Brussel sprouts, I’ll have to ask next time I go over.

Anyway, after a quick consultation, the truck was booked in and the job completed on Tuesday this week. Another dent to the bank balance but it’s not a job I could do myself, changing the light bulbs seems a challenge to me at the best of times. Once sorted the various metallic grinding noises were gone and everything is once again protected. Sprout said the noise was because the grease had been washed out of the joint which made sense.

Anyway, the reason for recounting the story is just to say when these things crop up they are not likely to go away on their own so it’s always best to get it sorted as soon as possible even though I could have done without the expense.

Talking of expense you might recall I was trying to get hold of a reptile incubator to incubate my sealed queen cells, well, one popped up on eBay and I managed to negotiate a decent price so that’s arriving this week and is quite exciting.

It’s one of the reasons I’ve been chasing around trying to get prepared with the finisher colonies. It’s all been kicking off again this week, normal for this time of year and with so many things to manage it sometimes gets away from me. Anyway, we now have around 18 o

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1340182 Fri, 19 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0100 918 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 25 full false The Beekeeping June Gap and Grafting S2:E24 The Beekeeping June Gap and Grafting S2:E24 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 70 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. June Gap, what June Gap? The Blackberries are in flower locally here and that hopefully signals the beginning of the Summer flow, All we need now is some warm weather and the supers will begin to fill again. This week, I’m looking forward to a weekend of queen rearing so keep listening to hear how I’m preparing for that.

Catch up with the very latest podcasts on my Patreon page here.
The Fondant Mentioned in the podcast can be found on the Happy Valley Honey Website

This past week I’ve seen a heap of chatter on social media about bees starving across the UK and to be honest it’s got me quite steamed up. I love the various social media feeds and get a lot of help and support from beekeepers across the world who I would never have been able to connect with if it wasn’t for the interweb.

But as with all things, there are always those who will not just impose themselves on it but almost bully their way along oblivious to how others might take their comments. They have the approach of, “You do it my way or you’re doing it the wrong way”. It’s not so much trolling, where someone picks on you specifically but rather a broad brush stroke attack, hitting as many people as possible with their self serving views. Steph has an expression for people like that but she’s told me I can’t repeat it on my podcast!

Anyway, before I get too deep into a rant I should pause and just rewind a little. We have this phenomenon called the June Gap, for those of you that haven’t heard it before it’s when the Spring forage finishes and we wait impatiently for the Summer flowering plants to get going. Sometimes the bees can get a little grumpy at this time, usually around mid-June as the name implies, so if your bees are being a little less friendly at the moment it may be due to the lack of forage.

That said, it’s a very variable problem if it’s a problem at all and here’s why you shouldn’t dash out and pour a gallon of sugar syrup into your bees without checking first.

If we look back at the Spring it’s been a very good start, the bees exploded into life and forage was abundant and varied. Sure we had some swarming issues and I’m still trying to get my head around the problems of new queens mating, or rather new queens not mating but that’s another issue. Specifically, the bees had plenty of time to fill up brood frames with honey and stash a surplus in the supers above.

But not all bees are made the same and this is one of the reasons you might be hearing cries of “Feed the bees”.

I have a range of what I term Norfolk Mixed bees, that is to say, a mixed gene pool with no specific subspecies dominating, all this despite my attempts to get back to near-native bees but that’s another tale. Within the various queens currently installed in my hives, I have dark bees, light bees and stripy bees, a real mix of genes and as a result a real mix of traits. One of these traits is a propensity to create brood, frames and frames and frames of brood. I have one particular colony that is in a commercial brood box and all twelve frames I have in it are full of brood. What I mean, to be specific is the frame is filled corner to corner with brood, not a drop of honey or pollen to be seen.

I have other colonies that are currently on about 6 frames of brood in a more traditional pattern of brood in the middle of the frame with an arc of pollen and honey around the top of the brood. The frames on the outside of the brood nest are full of stores, more honey and pollen.

More bees don’t necessarily mean more honey surplus though, the colony with only brood seems to be able to only produce brood, they didn’t contribute at all to the Spring honey crop and have for the most part sat in their box just producing brood. On the fac

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 70 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. June Gap, what June Gap? The Blackberries are in flower locally here and that hopefully signals the beginning of the Summer flow, All we need now is some warm weather and the supers will begin to fill again. This week, I’m looking forward to a weekend of queen rearing so keep listening to hear how I’m preparing for that.

Catch up with the very latest podcasts on my Patreon page here.
The Fondant Mentioned in the podcast can be found on the Happy Valley Honey Website

This past week I’ve seen a heap of chatter on social media about bees starving across the UK and to be honest it’s got me quite steamed up. I love the various social media feeds and get a lot of help and support from beekeepers across the world who I would never have been able to connect with if it wasn’t for the interweb.

But as with all things, there are always those who will not just impose themselves on it but almost bully their way along oblivious to how others might take their comments. They have the approach of, “You do it my way or you’re doing it the wrong way”. It’s not so much trolling, where someone picks on you specifically but rather a broad brush stroke attack, hitting as many people as possible with their self serving views. Steph has an expression for people like that but she’s told me I can’t repeat it on my podcast!

Anyway, before I get too deep into a rant I should pause and just rewind a little. We have this phenomenon called the June Gap, for those of you that haven’t heard it before it’s when the Spring forage finishes and we wait impatiently for the Summer flowering plants to get going. Sometimes the bees can get a little grumpy at this time, usually around mid-June as the name implies, so if your bees are being a little less friendly at the moment it may be due to the lack of forage.

That said, it’s a very variable problem if it’s a problem at all and here’s why you shouldn’t dash out and pour a gallon of sugar syrup into your bees without checking first.

If we look back at the Spring it’s been a very good start, the bees exploded into life and forage was abundant and varied. Sure we had some swarming issues and I’m still trying to get my head around the problems of new queens mating, or rather new queens not mating but that’s another issue. Specifically, the bees had plenty of time to fill up brood frames with honey and stash a surplus in the supers above.

But not all bees are made the same and this is one of the reasons you might be hearing cries of “Feed the bees”.

I have a range of what I term Norfolk Mixed bees, that is to say, a mixed gene pool with no specific subspecies dominating, all this despite my attempts to get back to near-native bees but that’s another tale. Within the various queens currently installed in my hives, I have dark bees, light bees and stripy bees, a real mix of genes and as a result a real mix of traits. One of these traits is a propensity to create brood, frames and frames and frames of brood. I have one particular colony that is in a commercial brood box and all twelve frames I have in it are full of brood. What I mean, to be specific is the frame is filled corner to corner with brood, not a drop of honey or pollen to be seen.

I have other colonies that are currently on about 6 frames of brood in a more traditional pattern of brood in the middle of the frame with an arc of pollen and honey around the top of the brood. The frames on the outside of the brood nest are full of stores, more honey and pollen.

More bees don’t necessarily mean more honey surplus though, the colony with only brood seems to be able to only produce brood, they didn’t contribute at all to the Spring honey crop and have for the most part sat in their box just producing brood. On the fac

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1308904 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0100 830 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping SHort and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 24 full false Rain, Queen Rearing and Beekeeping Disasters S2:E23 Rain, Queen Rearing and Beekeeping Disasters S2:E23 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 69 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. What a wet week we’re having, and guess which idiot decided it would be a good idea to move nucs to the mating apiary in preparation for the queen rearing. Stay tuned for my queen rearing update, getting stuck in the mud and other beekeeping disasters!

Check out all my latest Podcasts HERE

Apipasta Bee Fondant can be found Here

BS Honey 2 in 1 Nuc boxes can be found Here

Utterly drenched, that was me on Wednesday evening. To be honest, that was also me on Tuesday evening as well. This week has been crazy busy, mainly due to my own procrastination, I’ve been meaning to set up the queen rearing apiary for some time but just not got round to it and with the season racing away from me I just had to get out this week and get it sorted.

The first task was to set up the stands, but let me rewind a little and talk you through what I’m setting up. Here in Norfolk, I’m surrounded by beekeepers and each one of them has a mix of bee types ranging from pure Italian Ligustica, Germanic Carniolan’s, a few near natives but mostly the good old Norfolk Mix. Open mated and a collection of genes from around the world no doubt. Here am I, trying to get back to a near-native or perhaps better described as a locally adapt mix of bees but as you know by now I have a preference for the darker bee so I’m trying to be ruthless this year and move on any stripy or light coloured queens. Some of them perform quite well but my bees are not yet consistent enough and I’d love to be able to share them with other beekeepers but not until I’m sure of what I’m producing.

Anyway, in order to attempt to give myself a fighting chance, I’m moving around a dozen colonies containing dark drones into my mating apiary area at the fishing lakes. The plan is to flood the mating site with as many darker drones as possible to try to edge out any light or stripy drones. I’m also adding a few super frames to the brood boxes of these colonies to encourage the girls to build drone comb from the bottom and produce an excess of drones beyond the more normal levels that you might find in these colonies.

Close by to this apiary I have my mating apiary, it’s just a clearing with a load of nuc boxes filled with nucleus colonies ready to take virgin queens when the time comes, currently they’re all queen right and I’m balancing colonies for strength by shifting a few frames of brood from one to the other and adding a few frames of foundation here and there where needed.

Just switching topic for a moment, I had an email from our National Bee Unit yesterday advising that in this cooler, rainy spell nucleus colonies might be starving, if you’d seen my nucs you’d wonder where they’ve got all their stores from! at least two frames of food each so I’m not worried about the starvation issue at all. Different areas around the UK have struggled so if you have recently made up a nuc or a split it’s worth checking up on them, if they’re low on food give them a bag of fondant and they’ll be fine I’m sure.

Happy Valley Honey’s Apipasta is my favourite at the moment and well worth checking out. I’ll drop a link in the podcast notes for you. If you want it quickly, give Paul a call and make sure to mention where you heard about it. Paul has supported both my videos and these podcasts and he has some excellent products so do give him your support if you are able.

Anyway, back to the queen rearing apiary. I have stands set up to take four nuc boxes, these vary from my own Commercial plywood nucs to the BS Honey 2 in 1 nucs, it’s just what I have available. The stands are a new addition for me, remember I’m fairly useless at woodwork so thei

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 69 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. What a wet week we’re having, and guess which idiot decided it would be a good idea to move nucs to the mating apiary in preparation for the queen rearing. Stay tuned for my queen rearing update, getting stuck in the mud and other beekeeping disasters!

Check out all my latest Podcasts HERE

Apipasta Bee Fondant can be found Here

BS Honey 2 in 1 Nuc boxes can be found Here

Utterly drenched, that was me on Wednesday evening. To be honest, that was also me on Tuesday evening as well. This week has been crazy busy, mainly due to my own procrastination, I’ve been meaning to set up the queen rearing apiary for some time but just not got round to it and with the season racing away from me I just had to get out this week and get it sorted.

The first task was to set up the stands, but let me rewind a little and talk you through what I’m setting up. Here in Norfolk, I’m surrounded by beekeepers and each one of them has a mix of bee types ranging from pure Italian Ligustica, Germanic Carniolan’s, a few near natives but mostly the good old Norfolk Mix. Open mated and a collection of genes from around the world no doubt. Here am I, trying to get back to a near-native or perhaps better described as a locally adapt mix of bees but as you know by now I have a preference for the darker bee so I’m trying to be ruthless this year and move on any stripy or light coloured queens. Some of them perform quite well but my bees are not yet consistent enough and I’d love to be able to share them with other beekeepers but not until I’m sure of what I’m producing.

Anyway, in order to attempt to give myself a fighting chance, I’m moving around a dozen colonies containing dark drones into my mating apiary area at the fishing lakes. The plan is to flood the mating site with as many darker drones as possible to try to edge out any light or stripy drones. I’m also adding a few super frames to the brood boxes of these colonies to encourage the girls to build drone comb from the bottom and produce an excess of drones beyond the more normal levels that you might find in these colonies.

Close by to this apiary I have my mating apiary, it’s just a clearing with a load of nuc boxes filled with nucleus colonies ready to take virgin queens when the time comes, currently they’re all queen right and I’m balancing colonies for strength by shifting a few frames of brood from one to the other and adding a few frames of foundation here and there where needed.

Just switching topic for a moment, I had an email from our National Bee Unit yesterday advising that in this cooler, rainy spell nucleus colonies might be starving, if you’d seen my nucs you’d wonder where they’ve got all their stores from! at least two frames of food each so I’m not worried about the starvation issue at all. Different areas around the UK have struggled so if you have recently made up a nuc or a split it’s worth checking up on them, if they’re low on food give them a bag of fondant and they’ll be fine I’m sure.

Happy Valley Honey’s Apipasta is my favourite at the moment and well worth checking out. I’ll drop a link in the podcast notes for you. If you want it quickly, give Paul a call and make sure to mention where you heard about it. Paul has supported both my videos and these podcasts and he has some excellent products so do give him your support if you are able.

Anyway, back to the queen rearing apiary. I have stands set up to take four nuc boxes, these vary from my own Commercial plywood nucs to the BS Honey 2 in 1 nucs, it’s just what I have available. The stands are a new addition for me, remember I’m fairly useless at woodwork so thei

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1274557 Fri, 05 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0100 994 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 23 full false June Beekeeping Questions and Answers S2:E22 June Beekeeping Questions and Answers S2:E22 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 68 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The weeks are flying by quickly now as we rush headlong into June and It’s time for our monthly Questions and Answers roundup.

If you'd like to support us and help us create more content please check out our Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Sign up to my beekeeping newsletter at www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
The syrup I mention in the podcast can be found at Happy Valley Honey's Website HERE

The bees appear to have finished their manic swarming session at last and things have begun to settle down a little as new queens are mated and starting to come into lay. I have noticed that several of my new queens appear to have been poorly mated, you can see this by the laying pattern that develops, sporadic eggs and larvae scattered around the frames rather than a well-mated queen who will lay a full side of a frame with eggs before moving on to the next frame. I’m really not too sure how or why this happens, I guess with open mating it’s still very much left to chance and a percentage of queens will fail to get sufficiently well mated. I also have a couple of drone laying queens where they don’t appear to be laying any fertilised eggs at all so unfortunately those will have to go and we’ll start over again with those nucleus colonies. June is my month for some serious queen rearing, this year we aim to produce some very specific darker queens and it will be interesting to see the phenotype of the emerging queens, that’s basically what they look like, and also the traits that they express. I’m going to be ruthless this year and anything that’s not completely dark is not going to pass.

I’ll talk some more about my queen rearing strategy and processes over the next couple of weeks but for now we need to get stuck in to the monthly batch of questions submitted by my very kind supporters on our Patreon page, this is where you can access lots more content and at the same time support our efforts to produce more beekeeping content to post. I’ll leave details of how you can support us in the podcast notes that accompany this podcast. Please do take time to check it out and if you can sign up that would be great.

Our first question comes from Mark Deeble, who sent in the following;

Hi - If you live in a part of the country (on an exposed coast) where it is always windy and never gets above 20 degrees, would you provide insulation above the crown board year-round. If so, can the insulation (2" 'wool' type) sit directly on the crown board? Many thanks!

Hi Mark and thank you for your question, interestingly, I was chatting to another beekeeper a couple of days ago about insulating hives as we were talking about the poly hives I’m using at the moment. I’m not certain I would add insulation to the hive, rather, I think, I would look for a locally raised bee that was best able to cope with those conditions. You don’t say exactly the location but I know several beekeepers in Scotland and Wales who probably have the conditions you describe and they don’t insulate their hives but have near-native or native bees that are well suited to those conditions. I think the issue with insulation is it’s great for the bees inside the hive but once they get out into the cooler conditions are they going to cope? Depending on the type of bees your currently running, I would perhaps give them some insulation short term but look to raise queens from local stock or find a local beekeeper near you who have locally adapted bees.

Next up is a question from  Eva Loysen;

Hi Stewart - I've read that Autumn is the best time to unite a weak colony with a stronger one. However, my weak one is tiny and I'm wondering if I could combine them now? Many thanks.

Hi Eva and thanks for

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 68 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The weeks are flying by quickly now as we rush headlong into June and It’s time for our monthly Questions and Answers roundup.

If you'd like to support us and help us create more content please check out our Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Sign up to my beekeeping newsletter at www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
The syrup I mention in the podcast can be found at Happy Valley Honey's Website HERE

The bees appear to have finished their manic swarming session at last and things have begun to settle down a little as new queens are mated and starting to come into lay. I have noticed that several of my new queens appear to have been poorly mated, you can see this by the laying pattern that develops, sporadic eggs and larvae scattered around the frames rather than a well-mated queen who will lay a full side of a frame with eggs before moving on to the next frame. I’m really not too sure how or why this happens, I guess with open mating it’s still very much left to chance and a percentage of queens will fail to get sufficiently well mated. I also have a couple of drone laying queens where they don’t appear to be laying any fertilised eggs at all so unfortunately those will have to go and we’ll start over again with those nucleus colonies. June is my month for some serious queen rearing, this year we aim to produce some very specific darker queens and it will be interesting to see the phenotype of the emerging queens, that’s basically what they look like, and also the traits that they express. I’m going to be ruthless this year and anything that’s not completely dark is not going to pass.

I’ll talk some more about my queen rearing strategy and processes over the next couple of weeks but for now we need to get stuck in to the monthly batch of questions submitted by my very kind supporters on our Patreon page, this is where you can access lots more content and at the same time support our efforts to produce more beekeeping content to post. I’ll leave details of how you can support us in the podcast notes that accompany this podcast. Please do take time to check it out and if you can sign up that would be great.

Our first question comes from Mark Deeble, who sent in the following;

Hi - If you live in a part of the country (on an exposed coast) where it is always windy and never gets above 20 degrees, would you provide insulation above the crown board year-round. If so, can the insulation (2" 'wool' type) sit directly on the crown board? Many thanks!

Hi Mark and thank you for your question, interestingly, I was chatting to another beekeeper a couple of days ago about insulating hives as we were talking about the poly hives I’m using at the moment. I’m not certain I would add insulation to the hive, rather, I think, I would look for a locally raised bee that was best able to cope with those conditions. You don’t say exactly the location but I know several beekeepers in Scotland and Wales who probably have the conditions you describe and they don’t insulate their hives but have near-native or native bees that are well suited to those conditions. I think the issue with insulation is it’s great for the bees inside the hive but once they get out into the cooler conditions are they going to cope? Depending on the type of bees your currently running, I would perhaps give them some insulation short term but look to raise queens from local stock or find a local beekeeper near you who have locally adapted bees.

Next up is a question from  Eva Loysen;

Hi Stewart - I've read that Autumn is the best time to unite a weak colony with a stronger one. However, my weak one is tiny and I'm wondering if I could combine them now? Many thanks.

Hi Eva and thanks for

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1247894 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0100 1263 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Honeybees 2 22 full false Beekeeping Jobs for June S2:E21 Beekeeping Jobs for June S2:E21 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 67 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. After our first extraction session of the season, it’s time to consider what the month ahead will bring and also a brief update on how we’re doing so far.

Check out my Patreon page here www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

So we’re just out of the honey room and I’ve enjoyed a decent early season crop of Oilseed Rape honey, even with the numerous splits and swarms we still managed to extract plenty of honey. I say extract, those of you that have been watching the latest videos on my Patreon page will have seen just how much we had to cut out of the frames. Oilseed rape is a terrific early season honey but it does granulate very quickly in the comb. I’m not too disappointed though as I want to have a crack at making my own foundation this year, so need to stockpile plenty of fresh wax for the Autumn and Winter months. The honey room looks like a tazmanian devil has been let loose with a bucket of honey, I’m not sure how I manage to get it everywhere but it just seems to have a mind of its own, so that’s another cleaning job to add to the list. We’ve moved around 30 hives from the Oilseed rape site, I managed to pick the one morning that the skies decided to open up and it rained almost continuously for the entire time we were trying to move the bees. On the plus side, the bees were fairly calm and for the most part stayed in their hives, the flip side of the coin meant despite wearing waterproof walking boots the rain went down my trouser legs and puddled inside my boots making my feet squelch with each step, luckily I can report I didn’t suffer any permanent damage such as trench foot. We were moving the bees to a site of late planted field beans, the top field has a very nice grass track for us to drive along and a fairly flat, hard standing area for the pallets to sit on acting as stands for the hives. We weren’t so lucky with the lower site, the field has been left fallow for the year and the farmer had been over it and drilled some grasses or something into the field, I had to call him to make sure it was ok to drive across, which he confirmed, I obviously didn’t want to upset him on my first day, but the result was my truck tyres collected an additional four or five inches of muddy circumference as we drove across the field and my boots gradually got heavier and heavier with each step until it felt like I was about four inches taller. All that said, the very good news is the field beans have literally just started to flower and we’ve had some much-needed rain which I’m sure will help the plants produce lots of nectar and the weather for the next couple of weeks looks set fair so I’m certain the bees will be all over it. I watched the bees on their orientation flights yesterday, it was lovely to sit and just chill out for 20 minutes watching the bees as they fly out and locate themselves to their hives. I’m certain today and into the weekend they’ll be foraging in earnest with overnight temperatures staying in the double-digit area, sunrise is around 4:30 am so they’ll have some very long days coming up, I must make sure those extra supers are ready, another job for the “to do” list.

Talking of the jobs list, this month is an unusual one as historically, we used to describe it as the June Gap, where forage became more difficult to find and sometimes colonies needed feeding. Oh, one point about taking off the Spring crop, make sure you leave something for the bees, I noticed a couple of my colonies were literally all brood in the brood box with no stores at all, if I had taken all of the stored honey in the supers they would probably be starving right now. That is, if I hadn’t taken them to the field beans of course, but if the weather happened to have turned cold and wet preventing the bees from flying they would most certainly have starved, just be sure to take a close

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 67 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. After our first extraction session of the season, it’s time to consider what the month ahead will bring and also a brief update on how we’re doing so far.

Check out my Patreon page here www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

So we’re just out of the honey room and I’ve enjoyed a decent early season crop of Oilseed Rape honey, even with the numerous splits and swarms we still managed to extract plenty of honey. I say extract, those of you that have been watching the latest videos on my Patreon page will have seen just how much we had to cut out of the frames. Oilseed rape is a terrific early season honey but it does granulate very quickly in the comb. I’m not too disappointed though as I want to have a crack at making my own foundation this year, so need to stockpile plenty of fresh wax for the Autumn and Winter months. The honey room looks like a tazmanian devil has been let loose with a bucket of honey, I’m not sure how I manage to get it everywhere but it just seems to have a mind of its own, so that’s another cleaning job to add to the list. We’ve moved around 30 hives from the Oilseed rape site, I managed to pick the one morning that the skies decided to open up and it rained almost continuously for the entire time we were trying to move the bees. On the plus side, the bees were fairly calm and for the most part stayed in their hives, the flip side of the coin meant despite wearing waterproof walking boots the rain went down my trouser legs and puddled inside my boots making my feet squelch with each step, luckily I can report I didn’t suffer any permanent damage such as trench foot. We were moving the bees to a site of late planted field beans, the top field has a very nice grass track for us to drive along and a fairly flat, hard standing area for the pallets to sit on acting as stands for the hives. We weren’t so lucky with the lower site, the field has been left fallow for the year and the farmer had been over it and drilled some grasses or something into the field, I had to call him to make sure it was ok to drive across, which he confirmed, I obviously didn’t want to upset him on my first day, but the result was my truck tyres collected an additional four or five inches of muddy circumference as we drove across the field and my boots gradually got heavier and heavier with each step until it felt like I was about four inches taller. All that said, the very good news is the field beans have literally just started to flower and we’ve had some much-needed rain which I’m sure will help the plants produce lots of nectar and the weather for the next couple of weeks looks set fair so I’m certain the bees will be all over it. I watched the bees on their orientation flights yesterday, it was lovely to sit and just chill out for 20 minutes watching the bees as they fly out and locate themselves to their hives. I’m certain today and into the weekend they’ll be foraging in earnest with overnight temperatures staying in the double-digit area, sunrise is around 4:30 am so they’ll have some very long days coming up, I must make sure those extra supers are ready, another job for the “to do” list.

Talking of the jobs list, this month is an unusual one as historically, we used to describe it as the June Gap, where forage became more difficult to find and sometimes colonies needed feeding. Oh, one point about taking off the Spring crop, make sure you leave something for the bees, I noticed a couple of my colonies were literally all brood in the brood box with no stores at all, if I had taken all of the stored honey in the supers they would probably be starving right now. That is, if I hadn’t taken them to the field beans of course, but if the weather happened to have turned cold and wet preventing the bees from flying they would most certainly have starved, just be sure to take a close

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1212062 Fri, 21 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0100 973 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 2 21 full false First Spring Honey Extraction S2:E20 First Spring Honey Extraction S2:E20 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 66 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. It’s been a busy week as we clear some of the supers ready for extraction and begin the process of moving hives to field beans.

Join me each week for my latest podcast www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

This has to be one of the more exciting weeks of the year, as if beekeeping isn’t exciting enough, of course. We’ve been through the long, cold Winter……. well, it wasn’t that long or cold really and that seems a distant memory now. And I always get excited about the start of the new season, but then we get really busy and this year seems to have been quite swarmy, to say the least. I’ve managed to use that to my advantage and have seen a significant increase in colony numbers by making quite a number of splits and collecting several swarms that I missed from my own colonies.
 I’ve had an above average number of phone calls relating to collecting swarms, the majority of them being bumblebee nests. It always surprises me that more people struggle with the simple identification of our bumblebees. That said I guess people aren’t quite so connected with the natural world perhaps as they once were, I was very lucky growing up as my grandparents lived in the countryside, we visited regularly and I didn’t have the distraction of technology in quite the way that young people have these days.

Anyway, back to the excitement of this week. Firstly, my thanks to Steph and Pete, without whose help I’d really struggle. It’s always nice to have someone to lend a hand but also someone to chat to about beekeeping, it can get quite isolating if you are on your own beekeeping. I think it’s just that we get so busy we don’t normally have much time to stop and strike up conversations. I have to acknowledge here that technology really helps bridge that void sometimes, so I’m not averse to using the mobile phone when I’m out in the apiaries, as long as I can get a signal that is.

So, I have my willing helpers on hand to assist with the lifting and being on Oilseed Rape we certainly need a helping hand. Some of the boxes were very heavy indeed.

What I thought I would do today is explain the process that I use to go from a hive full of bees to honey in buckets. I think my methods for handling the various parts of the job can be adopted and adapted by most new or growing beekeepers, and I’m changing and adapting my various methods myself as our business grows and develops.

I was chatting to Pete yesterday and describing one of my funniest extraction day memories that I had when my brother came over to help me. This was many, many years ago now and shows how we have taken some fairly large steps to get where we are now. We had removed the supers from the few hives we had, I think there must have been maybe 10 supers of honey to extract so you can see we were a very small enterprise back then. I had an old, galvanised extractor and settling tank, not something you could use these days, everything has to be stainless steel or food-grade plastic but back then we were both a lot poorer and a lot more naive about the ways of extracting honey.

Anyway, I was living in a semi-detached house with a very nice but small sun lounge on the back of the property, south facing and lovely to sit in and have a glass of beer in the late evenings. This, however, was turned into our honey room and piled high with equipment and honey boxes. We had picked a lovely day for extracting but of course, we had to keep the doors and windows shut to prevent any bees from sniffing out the honey and invading our workspace. Well, by the time we had really got started the sun was up, the room was hot and getting hotter by the minute and we were stripped to shorts and t-shirts. I think that’s probably as much detail as I should go into regarding personal items of clothing but being keen to maintain a good&

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 66 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. It’s been a busy week as we clear some of the supers ready for extraction and begin the process of moving hives to field beans.

Join me each week for my latest podcast www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

This has to be one of the more exciting weeks of the year, as if beekeeping isn’t exciting enough, of course. We’ve been through the long, cold Winter……. well, it wasn’t that long or cold really and that seems a distant memory now. And I always get excited about the start of the new season, but then we get really busy and this year seems to have been quite swarmy, to say the least. I’ve managed to use that to my advantage and have seen a significant increase in colony numbers by making quite a number of splits and collecting several swarms that I missed from my own colonies.
 I’ve had an above average number of phone calls relating to collecting swarms, the majority of them being bumblebee nests. It always surprises me that more people struggle with the simple identification of our bumblebees. That said I guess people aren’t quite so connected with the natural world perhaps as they once were, I was very lucky growing up as my grandparents lived in the countryside, we visited regularly and I didn’t have the distraction of technology in quite the way that young people have these days.

Anyway, back to the excitement of this week. Firstly, my thanks to Steph and Pete, without whose help I’d really struggle. It’s always nice to have someone to lend a hand but also someone to chat to about beekeeping, it can get quite isolating if you are on your own beekeeping. I think it’s just that we get so busy we don’t normally have much time to stop and strike up conversations. I have to acknowledge here that technology really helps bridge that void sometimes, so I’m not averse to using the mobile phone when I’m out in the apiaries, as long as I can get a signal that is.

So, I have my willing helpers on hand to assist with the lifting and being on Oilseed Rape we certainly need a helping hand. Some of the boxes were very heavy indeed.

What I thought I would do today is explain the process that I use to go from a hive full of bees to honey in buckets. I think my methods for handling the various parts of the job can be adopted and adapted by most new or growing beekeepers, and I’m changing and adapting my various methods myself as our business grows and develops.

I was chatting to Pete yesterday and describing one of my funniest extraction day memories that I had when my brother came over to help me. This was many, many years ago now and shows how we have taken some fairly large steps to get where we are now. We had removed the supers from the few hives we had, I think there must have been maybe 10 supers of honey to extract so you can see we were a very small enterprise back then. I had an old, galvanised extractor and settling tank, not something you could use these days, everything has to be stainless steel or food-grade plastic but back then we were both a lot poorer and a lot more naive about the ways of extracting honey.

Anyway, I was living in a semi-detached house with a very nice but small sun lounge on the back of the property, south facing and lovely to sit in and have a glass of beer in the late evenings. This, however, was turned into our honey room and piled high with equipment and honey boxes. We had picked a lovely day for extracting but of course, we had to keep the doors and windows shut to prevent any bees from sniffing out the honey and invading our workspace. Well, by the time we had really got started the sun was up, the room was hot and getting hotter by the minute and we were stripped to shorts and t-shirts. I think that’s probably as much detail as I should go into regarding personal items of clothing but being keen to maintain a good&

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1183352 Fri, 14 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0100 1025 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 2 20 full false Queen Rearing Selection Criteria S2:E19 Queen Rearing Selection Criteria S2:E19 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 65 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. I’m gearing up to start my queen rearing program at the end of this month and so I thought I’d go over my selection criteria and maybe this year we’ll get some fantastic new queens.

The books I refer to are available here:
Queen Bee: Biology, Rearing and Breeding by David Woodward
The Principles of Bee Improvement by Jo Widdicombe
( These are affiliate links which cost you no more than you would normally pay for the books but I get a very small commission should you choose to make a purchase).

There’s an old beekeeping saying that goes something like “A swarm in May is worth a load of Hay, a swarm in June is worth a Silver spoon and a swarm in July isn’t worth a fly”.

I guess the meaning of the proverb is the earlier the swarm the more productive they can be. That’s not to say July swarms can’t be built up and be ready for the following Spring but May swarms can easily grow into full sized colonies and give a super of honey if everything falls into place.

Thinking back to the proverb and swarms in May, I’m going to need a barn to put all that hay in because my bees have really been going for it this Spring.

I’m not complaining, I’ve managed to either split colonies or collect swarms and have reached my target number of colonies for the year with plenty of time still to come so it’s currently looking quite positive. It would be easy to get pessimistic with all the posts by beekeepers proclaiming they’re having the best Spring ever with no swarming and more honey than they’ve ever seen before but just remind yourself that these are the exception and if you’ve seen my latest videos on Patreon you’ll see how things can quickly go sideways.

I had lots of good intentions for a bumper Spring honey crop and certainly the bees on the oilseed rape have been doing a fine job, it’s just they also decided they wanted to take advantage of the early windfall of resources and get their reproduction in early and who can blame them. Those swarms now have really good chance of building up strongly to see out the Winter to come. I can’t believe I said Winter already, oh well, always looking forward.

And that brings me on to today’s topic of my queen rearing plans for this year and how I intend to select my colonies firstly for the queen mother colony, that’s the donor colony that will supply the young larvae that will become new queens. And then the equally important colonies that will supply the drones to mate with the newly emerged virgin queens.

I’ve got quite a number of queen rearing books now, some of them really quite old, but my two favourite books for queen rearing are David Woodward’s Queen Bee: Biology, Rearing and Breeding, this is my “Go To” book when I need to remind myself what the heck I’m supposed to be doing.

The second book is a relatively new book by Jo Widdicombe called The Principles of Bee Improvement and I particularly like the simple Five qualities for selection used in the book from the Bee Improvement Programme for Cornwall or BIPCO for short.

I’ll leave full details of the two books in the podcast notes beneath the podcast on my Patreon page if you’d like to take a look at them.

Looking back at my experiences this year so far, they haven’t much different from other years in that colonies will swarm but it’s been the cocktail of that very mild Winter, the early warm Spring weather, followed by a rather chilly period in early May that we are just coming out of.

I think all of this helped the bees decide to swarm and regardless of how many swarm cells I removed the bees were building them up again faster than I could tear them down. The result has been quite frantic. Like I said, it’s a positive outcome for me as I’m now filling brood boxes and nucs with bees I would otherw

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]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 65 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. I’m gearing up to start my queen rearing program at the end of this month and so I thought I’d go over my selection criteria and maybe this year we’ll get some fantastic new queens.

The books I refer to are available here:
Queen Bee: Biology, Rearing and Breeding by David Woodward
The Principles of Bee Improvement by Jo Widdicombe
( These are affiliate links which cost you no more than you would normally pay for the books but I get a very small commission should you choose to make a purchase).

There’s an old beekeeping saying that goes something like “A swarm in May is worth a load of Hay, a swarm in June is worth a Silver spoon and a swarm in July isn’t worth a fly”.

I guess the meaning of the proverb is the earlier the swarm the more productive they can be. That’s not to say July swarms can’t be built up and be ready for the following Spring but May swarms can easily grow into full sized colonies and give a super of honey if everything falls into place.

Thinking back to the proverb and swarms in May, I’m going to need a barn to put all that hay in because my bees have really been going for it this Spring.

I’m not complaining, I’ve managed to either split colonies or collect swarms and have reached my target number of colonies for the year with plenty of time still to come so it’s currently looking quite positive. It would be easy to get pessimistic with all the posts by beekeepers proclaiming they’re having the best Spring ever with no swarming and more honey than they’ve ever seen before but just remind yourself that these are the exception and if you’ve seen my latest videos on Patreon you’ll see how things can quickly go sideways.

I had lots of good intentions for a bumper Spring honey crop and certainly the bees on the oilseed rape have been doing a fine job, it’s just they also decided they wanted to take advantage of the early windfall of resources and get their reproduction in early and who can blame them. Those swarms now have really good chance of building up strongly to see out the Winter to come. I can’t believe I said Winter already, oh well, always looking forward.

And that brings me on to today’s topic of my queen rearing plans for this year and how I intend to select my colonies firstly for the queen mother colony, that’s the donor colony that will supply the young larvae that will become new queens. And then the equally important colonies that will supply the drones to mate with the newly emerged virgin queens.

I’ve got quite a number of queen rearing books now, some of them really quite old, but my two favourite books for queen rearing are David Woodward’s Queen Bee: Biology, Rearing and Breeding, this is my “Go To” book when I need to remind myself what the heck I’m supposed to be doing.

The second book is a relatively new book by Jo Widdicombe called The Principles of Bee Improvement and I particularly like the simple Five qualities for selection used in the book from the Bee Improvement Programme for Cornwall or BIPCO for short.

I’ll leave full details of the two books in the podcast notes beneath the podcast on my Patreon page if you’d like to take a look at them.

Looking back at my experiences this year so far, they haven’t much different from other years in that colonies will swarm but it’s been the cocktail of that very mild Winter, the early warm Spring weather, followed by a rather chilly period in early May that we are just coming out of.

I think all of this helped the bees decide to swarm and regardless of how many swarm cells I removed the bees were building them up again faster than I could tear them down. The result has been quite frantic. Like I said, it’s a positive outcome for me as I’m now filling brood boxes and nucs with bees I would otherw

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1153157 Fri, 07 Jun 2019 08:00:00 +0100 900 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping 2 19 full true Beekeeping Questions and Answers May 2019 S2:E18 Beekeeping Questions and Answers May 2019 S2:E18 This week is my Questions and Answers week, for those of you listening for the first time, it’s where supporters from my Patreon page can post questions to me that they have maybe encountered and I’ll do my best to give an answer. If you’re listening via Patreon, my thanks for your continued support and for those of you listening to the later release of the podcast, don’t miss out on the latest podcast by simply signing up on my dedicate web page.
Get the very latest podcast by visiting my web page HERE

Well, it’s been an eventful week! I collected more swarms and promptly lost the biggest one, I posted a picture of it on Twitter and Instagram, and someone commented I would need a triple nuc to fit it all in, well, I only had a single nuc box  on board the truck so they went into that overnight and when I returned the following morning they had decided they didn’t like the new location and had disappeared. What was really sad was there was just one single drone left behind wandering around on the floor of the nuc trying to work out where the party had disappeared to. It reminded me of my teenage years, but that’s another story entirely that isn’t for this podcast!

Moving on to a slightly different topic it’s been a tricky week for inspecting, cooler temperatures again and some quite rainy days, interestingly, when I have been out to check on the bees, and I have to say I’ve not looked in many colonies this week, I’ve seen quite a few queen cells torn down. I suspect this is probably down to the weather and the bees not wanting to put effort and resources into queen cells during the colder weather. But, how do they know what the long range forecast is going to be? It’s not like they have the internet or access to the met office. Maybe it’s down to air pressure or something, I really don’t know. To take my mind off such complex thoughts I’ve just spent an hour or so at the workshop making up some clearer boards with Pete, another job done so at least the time isn’t wasted.

Lets get started with this weeks burning issues, first up is Paul Andrews who asks

“Hi Stewart,

How do you get the bees to read the books! This year has been manic, all going well until 3 weeks ago when I saw swarm preparations. I had given space and already split 2 hives, I moved the best queen cells into new nucs along with brood and left the queen behind in brood box. Phew, all done, shut up and did same in the rest of the hives. The next week all again! I cut cells out placed in mating nucs I had just bought after setting them up with bees. Then on Sunday Oh no, queens gone and no eggs, set up boxes with the best remaining cells and shut up. All hives had space in brood and in supers and queen, only a year to 2 old. Any ideas? Paul

Hi Paul,

Your tale of swarming colonies is not a solitary incident and I’m sure many beekeepers will have experienced exactly the same issues. I like that you took action and I’m sure you’ll get some really nice queens from the splits that you’ve made so not all is lost.

You questions seems to be asking having split the colony and reduced it’s size why did the queen still swarm?

I think the one thing that you don’t mention and I’m making an educated guess here, is that you left the queen in the original hive with the flying bees and some brood and  that I believe is the problem.

By leaving the queen with the flying bees and brood, albeit a reduced amount, you’re still giving them a chance to swarm. I would suggest if it happens again, removing the queen and leaving a single queen cell with the flying bees would be a more controlled way of splitting them. Reduce the number of queen cells to just one and the flying bees can’t swarm. You can still split nucs from the colony with queen cells if you’re looking to increase or reproduce queens but I would remove the queen and let her continue in a nuc building u

Support the show

]]> This week is my Questions and Answers week, for those of you listening for the first time, it’s where supporters from my Patreon page can post questions to me that they have maybe encountered and I’ll do my best to give an answer. If you’re listening via Patreon, my thanks for your continued support and for those of you listening to the later release of the podcast, don’t miss out on the latest podcast by simply signing up on my dedicate web page.
Get the very latest podcast by visiting my web page HERE

Well, it’s been an eventful week! I collected more swarms and promptly lost the biggest one, I posted a picture of it on Twitter and Instagram, and someone commented I would need a triple nuc to fit it all in, well, I only had a single nuc box  on board the truck so they went into that overnight and when I returned the following morning they had decided they didn’t like the new location and had disappeared. What was really sad was there was just one single drone left behind wandering around on the floor of the nuc trying to work out where the party had disappeared to. It reminded me of my teenage years, but that’s another story entirely that isn’t for this podcast!

Moving on to a slightly different topic it’s been a tricky week for inspecting, cooler temperatures again and some quite rainy days, interestingly, when I have been out to check on the bees, and I have to say I’ve not looked in many colonies this week, I’ve seen quite a few queen cells torn down. I suspect this is probably down to the weather and the bees not wanting to put effort and resources into queen cells during the colder weather. But, how do they know what the long range forecast is going to be? It’s not like they have the internet or access to the met office. Maybe it’s down to air pressure or something, I really don’t know. To take my mind off such complex thoughts I’ve just spent an hour or so at the workshop making up some clearer boards with Pete, another job done so at least the time isn’t wasted.

Lets get started with this weeks burning issues, first up is Paul Andrews who asks

“Hi Stewart,

How do you get the bees to read the books! This year has been manic, all going well until 3 weeks ago when I saw swarm preparations. I had given space and already split 2 hives, I moved the best queen cells into new nucs along with brood and left the queen behind in brood box. Phew, all done, shut up and did same in the rest of the hives. The next week all again! I cut cells out placed in mating nucs I had just bought after setting them up with bees. Then on Sunday Oh no, queens gone and no eggs, set up boxes with the best remaining cells and shut up. All hives had space in brood and in supers and queen, only a year to 2 old. Any ideas? Paul

Hi Paul,

Your tale of swarming colonies is not a solitary incident and I’m sure many beekeepers will have experienced exactly the same issues. I like that you took action and I’m sure you’ll get some really nice queens from the splits that you’ve made so not all is lost.

You questions seems to be asking having split the colony and reduced it’s size why did the queen still swarm?

I think the one thing that you don’t mention and I’m making an educated guess here, is that you left the queen in the original hive with the flying bees and some brood and  that I believe is the problem.

By leaving the queen with the flying bees and brood, albeit a reduced amount, you’re still giving them a chance to swarm. I would suggest if it happens again, removing the queen and leaving a single queen cell with the flying bees would be a more controlled way of splitting them. Reduce the number of queen cells to just one and the flying bees can’t swarm. You can still split nucs from the colony with queen cells if you’re looking to increase or reproduce queens but I would remove the queen and let her continue in a nuc building u

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1115102 Fri, 31 May 2019 07:00:00 +0100 1297 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping 2 18 full false My Very First Honeybee Swarm S2:E17 My Very First Honeybee Swarm S2:E17 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 63 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The bees have exploded into Spring and I’ve been out collecting swarms from various locations. Today I thought I’d share my memories of a very Special day back in the late 1980s when I collected my very first swarm.

Check out my Patreon page for early access to all of my content including my weekly podcast: Stewarts Patreon Page

Here's the picture of my very first swarm running up the board into the hive: First Swarm

Swarm collections, some beekeepers love them while other beekeepers don’t want to touch them with a barge pole, and I can see both views. If you’re new to beekeeping and only have one colony, or maybe you don’t even have one colony as yet and you’re waiting to be able to collect a swarm to put into your hive, then, when the phone rings, your pulse quickens at the anticipation of heading out to collect a ready-made colony of bees nestled in a hedgerow somewhere.

However, if you’ve got as many colonies as you want and are not looking for more swarm call outs, the ringing phone can be an almighty pain in the backside.

Let me explain both perspectives as I’ve encountered both emotions over the years.

Collecting swarms and rehousing them to start a new colony is something I think most beekeepers will experience during their beekeeping adventures.

It’s a simple task that most beekeepers can tackle, you need a minimal amount of equipment, a little patience and a steady hand, and that’s it really.

I’ve collected swarms from all manner of different locations over the years and each one has provided a range of challenges, laughs and frustrations.

Thinking back over the years I can actually remember the very first swarm that I collected way back in the late 1980’s.

At that time I only had three colonies and we had moved house from a small country mid-terraced cottage to a traditional terraced house in Norwich. We only had a small back garden, perhaps 8 metres wide by 20 metres long and the bees were on a concrete pad next to the shed at the end of the garden. I arrived home from work one afternoon to be told that the bees had swarmed and were now hanging from a cherry tree that was in full flower a couple of houses further down the road.

At this time in my beekeeping career, I hadn’t actually got a great deal of beekeeping equipment. My bee suit was an old boiler suit that had previously belonged to my father, slightly comical as I’m 6’3” tall and he was 5”8”, the legs were, needless to say, a little on the short side. To this I added a wide-brimmed hat with some net curtain pulled over the top and tucked into the boiler suit collar, some washing up gloves and a pair of wellington boots. I really looked the part.

Anyway, back to the swarm, They were about 8 feet high in the cherry tree and the weight of the swarm pulls the branch down to a point just out of my reach. Not to worry, I had a pair of step ladders in the shed. Now I’d never seen a swarm being collected or ever collected one myself at this point, all I knew came from reading books, no such thing as google or youtube to see what to do. It all sounded simple enough, shake the queen into a box and the rest of the bees would follow it said. So I found myself up a ladder with a cardboard box and a rather large prime swarm the size of a small torpedo hanging down nicely positioned to go into the box. I was all ready to collect them when I realised I had suddenly got myself an audience of friends and neighbours, there must have been seven or eight people standing around watching me, it suddenly felt quite intimidating.

Oh well, what could possibly go wrong. The important thing is to take a deep breath and go for it I told myself, be firm and shake all the bees into the box to make sure you get the queen, I rehearsed the whole process several ti

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 63 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The bees have exploded into Spring and I’ve been out collecting swarms from various locations. Today I thought I’d share my memories of a very Special day back in the late 1980s when I collected my very first swarm.

Check out my Patreon page for early access to all of my content including my weekly podcast: Stewarts Patreon Page

Here's the picture of my very first swarm running up the board into the hive: First Swarm

Swarm collections, some beekeepers love them while other beekeepers don’t want to touch them with a barge pole, and I can see both views. If you’re new to beekeeping and only have one colony, or maybe you don’t even have one colony as yet and you’re waiting to be able to collect a swarm to put into your hive, then, when the phone rings, your pulse quickens at the anticipation of heading out to collect a ready-made colony of bees nestled in a hedgerow somewhere.

However, if you’ve got as many colonies as you want and are not looking for more swarm call outs, the ringing phone can be an almighty pain in the backside.

Let me explain both perspectives as I’ve encountered both emotions over the years.

Collecting swarms and rehousing them to start a new colony is something I think most beekeepers will experience during their beekeeping adventures.

It’s a simple task that most beekeepers can tackle, you need a minimal amount of equipment, a little patience and a steady hand, and that’s it really.

I’ve collected swarms from all manner of different locations over the years and each one has provided a range of challenges, laughs and frustrations.

Thinking back over the years I can actually remember the very first swarm that I collected way back in the late 1980’s.

At that time I only had three colonies and we had moved house from a small country mid-terraced cottage to a traditional terraced house in Norwich. We only had a small back garden, perhaps 8 metres wide by 20 metres long and the bees were on a concrete pad next to the shed at the end of the garden. I arrived home from work one afternoon to be told that the bees had swarmed and were now hanging from a cherry tree that was in full flower a couple of houses further down the road.

At this time in my beekeeping career, I hadn’t actually got a great deal of beekeeping equipment. My bee suit was an old boiler suit that had previously belonged to my father, slightly comical as I’m 6’3” tall and he was 5”8”, the legs were, needless to say, a little on the short side. To this I added a wide-brimmed hat with some net curtain pulled over the top and tucked into the boiler suit collar, some washing up gloves and a pair of wellington boots. I really looked the part.

Anyway, back to the swarm, They were about 8 feet high in the cherry tree and the weight of the swarm pulls the branch down to a point just out of my reach. Not to worry, I had a pair of step ladders in the shed. Now I’d never seen a swarm being collected or ever collected one myself at this point, all I knew came from reading books, no such thing as google or youtube to see what to do. It all sounded simple enough, shake the queen into a box and the rest of the bees would follow it said. So I found myself up a ladder with a cardboard box and a rather large prime swarm the size of a small torpedo hanging down nicely positioned to go into the box. I was all ready to collect them when I realised I had suddenly got myself an audience of friends and neighbours, there must have been seven or eight people standing around watching me, it suddenly felt quite intimidating.

Oh well, what could possibly go wrong. The important thing is to take a deep breath and go for it I told myself, be firm and shake all the bees into the box to make sure you get the queen, I rehearsed the whole process several ti

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1082648 Fri, 24 May 2019 10:00:00 +0100 829 Stewart Spink, Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet 2 17 full false Buying a Nucleus Colony Of Honeybees S2:E16 Buying a Nucleus Colony Of Honeybees S2:E16 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 62 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. 

Oilseed Rape and Bees by Allan Calder

BBKA Guidance Sheet on Buying a Nucleus Colony

With May just around the corner, it’s a timely moment to talk about jobs for the coming month and also a little update on what my bees have been up to.

The end of April and into the beginning of May sees a lot of colonies building up strongly which inevitably raises concerns about swarming again. We’ve had some remarkably fine weather, some very warm days and a lot of colonies are well in advance of where they would normally be at this time of the year. On social media, I’ve seen reports of swarm cells in colonies and several beekeepers already being called out to collect swarms from colonies that have jumped at the chance to reproduce during this lovely spell of weather. And that reminds me to mention a word of caution to any beginner beekeepers out there who has one of those, month by month beekeeping guide books, remember they are just a guide, beekeeping is all about managing your bees in the prevailing conditions that you have. This time last year I was coming to terms with a long cold blast of icy weather from Europe and working out how to get cleaned up and start the beekeeping season proper. This year everything is a good three weeks ahead but I’ll come on to my beekeeping in a bit. I think most beekeepers here in the UK have enjoyed a very productive start to the season and most have supers added to their colonies as the brood nests expand and colonies grow larger day by day. That said, I’m looking at the forecast for the coming week and we’ve got rain and cooler conditions to come so things will slow down a little no doubt.

If you’re just starting out in beekeeping May is a great time to get started and is the month I recommend to beginners they should look to being their beekeeping journey. The risk of severe cold weather is usually long gone and nucleus colonies that have over-Wintered as bursting to get out of their nuc boxes and be transferred into a full sized hive. Of course, this year you could have started a few weeks earlier and had a very fast start. The key is to order your first nucleus colony well in advance in the Autumn of the year before you get going or you’re likely to have to wait until late May or even June to get a nice sized nucleus colony.

If you’re unsure of what you should be getting there are guidelines set outbid the British Beekeepers Association in the form of a useful pdf. I’ll post a link to it should you want to take a look.

Generally speaking, a nucleus colony should be around 5 or 6 frames in total and consist of at least three good frames of brood. It will have a good laying queen that has been marked and from either last season or this season so it’s important to know if the queen is marked and what colour mark she has.

Most suppliers of nucs will use the internationally recognised queen marking colour scheme which can be remembered as the acronym Will You Raise Good Bees, standing for White, Yellow, Red, Green and Blue. Each colour covers two years so for instance, last year was 2018 and the colour used was Red. This year 2019 is Green, 2020 will be Blue, 2021, White and 2022 Yellow. Then we start all over again.

Of course, if you don’t want the queen to be marked you can request this from the beekeeper selling you the nuc but for beginner beekeepers, it does make the whole experience less stressful and more fun when you get to spot the queen in those first initial inspections.

If ever I’m selling nucleus colonies I always like to give out nearly new frames. It isn’t necessary but most regular suppliers of nucs will be rotating their frames anyway so the frames will be nearly new, maybe one or two&

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 62 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. 

Oilseed Rape and Bees by Allan Calder

BBKA Guidance Sheet on Buying a Nucleus Colony

With May just around the corner, it’s a timely moment to talk about jobs for the coming month and also a little update on what my bees have been up to.

The end of April and into the beginning of May sees a lot of colonies building up strongly which inevitably raises concerns about swarming again. We’ve had some remarkably fine weather, some very warm days and a lot of colonies are well in advance of where they would normally be at this time of the year. On social media, I’ve seen reports of swarm cells in colonies and several beekeepers already being called out to collect swarms from colonies that have jumped at the chance to reproduce during this lovely spell of weather. And that reminds me to mention a word of caution to any beginner beekeepers out there who has one of those, month by month beekeeping guide books, remember they are just a guide, beekeeping is all about managing your bees in the prevailing conditions that you have. This time last year I was coming to terms with a long cold blast of icy weather from Europe and working out how to get cleaned up and start the beekeeping season proper. This year everything is a good three weeks ahead but I’ll come on to my beekeeping in a bit. I think most beekeepers here in the UK have enjoyed a very productive start to the season and most have supers added to their colonies as the brood nests expand and colonies grow larger day by day. That said, I’m looking at the forecast for the coming week and we’ve got rain and cooler conditions to come so things will slow down a little no doubt.

If you’re just starting out in beekeeping May is a great time to get started and is the month I recommend to beginners they should look to being their beekeeping journey. The risk of severe cold weather is usually long gone and nucleus colonies that have over-Wintered as bursting to get out of their nuc boxes and be transferred into a full sized hive. Of course, this year you could have started a few weeks earlier and had a very fast start. The key is to order your first nucleus colony well in advance in the Autumn of the year before you get going or you’re likely to have to wait until late May or even June to get a nice sized nucleus colony.

If you’re unsure of what you should be getting there are guidelines set outbid the British Beekeepers Association in the form of a useful pdf. I’ll post a link to it should you want to take a look.

Generally speaking, a nucleus colony should be around 5 or 6 frames in total and consist of at least three good frames of brood. It will have a good laying queen that has been marked and from either last season or this season so it’s important to know if the queen is marked and what colour mark she has.

Most suppliers of nucs will use the internationally recognised queen marking colour scheme which can be remembered as the acronym Will You Raise Good Bees, standing for White, Yellow, Red, Green and Blue. Each colour covers two years so for instance, last year was 2018 and the colour used was Red. This year 2019 is Green, 2020 will be Blue, 2021, White and 2022 Yellow. Then we start all over again.

Of course, if you don’t want the queen to be marked you can request this from the beekeeper selling you the nuc but for beginner beekeepers, it does make the whole experience less stressful and more fun when you get to spot the queen in those first initial inspections.

If ever I’m selling nucleus colonies I always like to give out nearly new frames. It isn’t necessary but most regular suppliers of nucs will be rotating their frames anyway so the frames will be nearly new, maybe one or two&

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1056179 Fri, 17 May 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1214 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 16 full false Honeybee Swarm Season is Here! S2:E15 Honeybee Swarm Season is Here! S2:E15  It’s Easter weekend, so a very Happy Easter to you all. Here in Norfolk, we’re expecting temperatures to rise to nearly 20 degrees centigrade, that’s around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s definitely T-Shirt weather and time to get some decent Spring inspections carried out.
Check out my Patreon Page to support this podcast www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Sign up to my fortnightly newsletter here www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

We’ve been waiting patiently since late Winter for our warmer weather to kick in, it’s been a little up and down with only the odd day warming up before dropping back down to what, in reality, is actually closer to the more normal, average temperatures for this time of year.

With the rise in temperature comes the inevitable start of the swarm season and it’s something we can all work with to ensure, for the most part, we don’t lose swarm after swarm from our hives and miss out on an early Spring crop of honey.

Today I wanted to take a look at the swarming process and look at opportunities we beekeepers can take advantage of, rather than viewing the coming weeks with dread and worry.

For the beginner beekeeper, understanding the process of swarming and knowing key features will allow you to gain control of the situation by knowing what is happening within the colony and how you can affect the outcome to best suit your beekeeping priorities. Now this may simply be that you don’t want any swarms or increases, perhaps you have a couple of colonies and that suits you very nicely. Alternatively, you might be looking to increase from a single colony that you purchased last year as a nucleus colony and you’re looking to grow the number of colonies you have this Spring. Of course, for the more experienced beekeepers out there you’ll already have a good handle on what’s likely to happen over the coming weeks and you’ll obviously have a plan and all the equipment you need at hand and prepared ready for one of our busiest periods of the beekeeping season. It doesn’t do any harm to just recap on the various factors with swarming, so I hope all you seasoned Pro’s out there will keep listening too, who knows I might say something that helps or you might find yourself dropping me a message to tell me a better way of dealing with swarms.

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]]>  It’s Easter weekend, so a very Happy Easter to you all. Here in Norfolk, we’re expecting temperatures to rise to nearly 20 degrees centigrade, that’s around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s definitely T-Shirt weather and time to get some decent Spring inspections carried out.
Check out my Patreon Page to support this podcast www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Sign up to my fortnightly newsletter here www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

We’ve been waiting patiently since late Winter for our warmer weather to kick in, it’s been a little up and down with only the odd day warming up before dropping back down to what, in reality, is actually closer to the more normal, average temperatures for this time of year.

With the rise in temperature comes the inevitable start of the swarm season and it’s something we can all work with to ensure, for the most part, we don’t lose swarm after swarm from our hives and miss out on an early Spring crop of honey.

Today I wanted to take a look at the swarming process and look at opportunities we beekeepers can take advantage of, rather than viewing the coming weeks with dread and worry.

For the beginner beekeeper, understanding the process of swarming and knowing key features will allow you to gain control of the situation by knowing what is happening within the colony and how you can affect the outcome to best suit your beekeeping priorities. Now this may simply be that you don’t want any swarms or increases, perhaps you have a couple of colonies and that suits you very nicely. Alternatively, you might be looking to increase from a single colony that you purchased last year as a nucleus colony and you’re looking to grow the number of colonies you have this Spring. Of course, for the more experienced beekeepers out there you’ll already have a good handle on what’s likely to happen over the coming weeks and you’ll obviously have a plan and all the equipment you need at hand and prepared ready for one of our busiest periods of the beekeeping season. It doesn’t do any harm to just recap on the various factors with swarming, so I hope all you seasoned Pro’s out there will keep listening too, who knows I might say something that helps or you might find yourself dropping me a message to tell me a better way of dealing with swarms.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1044854 Fri, 10 May 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1117 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 15 full false April Beekeeping Q&A S2:E14 April Beekeeping Q&A S2:E14 Another week another challenge here in Norfolk. I’ve managed to tweak my recurring back problem again and that’s causing some fun issues for me, particularly putting my socks on, however, it happened after we moved around 50 of our colonies to the Oil Seed Rape pollination and I think it was probably just tiredness and no doubt laziness that caused it so I’m resting up for a few days and hopefully it will be fine. I really must look into some lifting gear to help move hives around more easily, perhaps that will be something I can report back on in a later podcast.

So this week is my regular Questions and Answers session, thank you to everyone over on my patreon page for submitting some really great questions for this month, and there’s lots of them so let’s get stuck into them straight away. First up with have a question from Ben Hoen, Hi Ben, thanks for the question.

Ben asks:

I have heard the reversing deeps (in a 2-deep 10-frame configuration) can help reduce swarm tendencies.  True?  If so, when's a good time to do that? And any advice on how best to do it and what to watch out for?

Context: I have 2 very strong hives (out of three) coming out of winter (they have 8 frames wide of bees in the top box).  My concern is that they might not fill up the lower box and think they are out of space.  One hive is not using the lower entrance at all currently.  Both are 2 weeks into drone rearing and still appear to be fairly light when hefting them.  I heard that by reversing the boxes you can encourage them to build up, filling up the less-full what would then be the upper box (after reversing it from its lower position), and therefore discourage swarming.

What do you think?

Hi Ben, I think you have almost answered the question for me. I’ve heard beekeepers talk about this as well although I’ve never practiced it myself. I think a lot depends on the type of bees you have and whether they fill the brood boxes fully or if there is additional available space that the bees can utilise. I would also say that a lot depends on your reasons for keeping the bees in a double brood box set up. For me, the vast majority of my bees are very happy in a single commercial brood box and I only double up if I intend splitting at some point during that season.

Focussing on your specific question and I’m in agreement with your comments, I suspect it may help with swarming if the bees have plenty of space in the bottom box because the brood nest will naturally move up into the top box and expand there, this will leave the bottom box relatively empty with stores in just some of the frames, the rest being put above the queen excluder in honey boxes or supers. By reversing the boxes you immediately give the brood area more space and the queen can move up and continue to lay in the newly available cells above. I suspect that’s the reason people say it can help reduce swarming. I hope that helps Ben.

Next up is a question from Charlie Edge

Charlie asks;

when would be the earliest you would commence splitting? 

Also if you did an artificial swarm is there anything wrong with splitting the queen cells down into 2/3frame nucs instead of leaving 1 cell in the original brood box? 

Hi Charlie,
 That’s such a good question and perfectly timed for a lot of beginner beekeepers out there. Unless you have a specific set up for breeding and rearing bees I would say wait wait wait.

So many beekeepers attempt to split colonies way too early and they get set back by cold weather which almost seems to cause a bigger delay that if they’d left them a month before splitting. Smaller colonies, that’s the splits you’ve made, have to work so much harder than full sized colonies at regulating colony temperature and this early in the Spring the weather fluctuates so much that small splits can get dangerously cold at night, so my advice is to wait until t

Support the show

]]> Another week another challenge here in Norfolk. I’ve managed to tweak my recurring back problem again and that’s causing some fun issues for me, particularly putting my socks on, however, it happened after we moved around 50 of our colonies to the Oil Seed Rape pollination and I think it was probably just tiredness and no doubt laziness that caused it so I’m resting up for a few days and hopefully it will be fine. I really must look into some lifting gear to help move hives around more easily, perhaps that will be something I can report back on in a later podcast.

So this week is my regular Questions and Answers session, thank you to everyone over on my patreon page for submitting some really great questions for this month, and there’s lots of them so let’s get stuck into them straight away. First up with have a question from Ben Hoen, Hi Ben, thanks for the question.

Ben asks:

I have heard the reversing deeps (in a 2-deep 10-frame configuration) can help reduce swarm tendencies.  True?  If so, when's a good time to do that? And any advice on how best to do it and what to watch out for?

Context: I have 2 very strong hives (out of three) coming out of winter (they have 8 frames wide of bees in the top box).  My concern is that they might not fill up the lower box and think they are out of space.  One hive is not using the lower entrance at all currently.  Both are 2 weeks into drone rearing and still appear to be fairly light when hefting them.  I heard that by reversing the boxes you can encourage them to build up, filling up the less-full what would then be the upper box (after reversing it from its lower position), and therefore discourage swarming.

What do you think?

Hi Ben, I think you have almost answered the question for me. I’ve heard beekeepers talk about this as well although I’ve never practiced it myself. I think a lot depends on the type of bees you have and whether they fill the brood boxes fully or if there is additional available space that the bees can utilise. I would also say that a lot depends on your reasons for keeping the bees in a double brood box set up. For me, the vast majority of my bees are very happy in a single commercial brood box and I only double up if I intend splitting at some point during that season.

Focussing on your specific question and I’m in agreement with your comments, I suspect it may help with swarming if the bees have plenty of space in the bottom box because the brood nest will naturally move up into the top box and expand there, this will leave the bottom box relatively empty with stores in just some of the frames, the rest being put above the queen excluder in honey boxes or supers. By reversing the boxes you immediately give the brood area more space and the queen can move up and continue to lay in the newly available cells above. I suspect that’s the reason people say it can help reduce swarming. I hope that helps Ben.

Next up is a question from Charlie Edge

Charlie asks;

when would be the earliest you would commence splitting? 

Also if you did an artificial swarm is there anything wrong with splitting the queen cells down into 2/3frame nucs instead of leaving 1 cell in the original brood box? 

Hi Charlie,
 That’s such a good question and perfectly timed for a lot of beginner beekeepers out there. Unless you have a specific set up for breeding and rearing bees I would say wait wait wait.

So many beekeepers attempt to split colonies way too early and they get set back by cold weather which almost seems to cause a bigger delay that if they’d left them a month before splitting. Smaller colonies, that’s the splits you’ve made, have to work so much harder than full sized colonies at regulating colony temperature and this early in the Spring the weather fluctuates so much that small splits can get dangerously cold at night, so my advice is to wait until t

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1036155 Fri, 03 May 2019 08:00:00 +0100 1514 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 14 full false First Spring Beekeeping Inspections Get Started S2:E13 First Spring Beekeeping Inspections Get Started S2:E13 Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 59 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. We’re finally into some early Spring inspections and I’m gearing up to move some bees to their first nectar flow of the season.

Welcome back and this week has seen that lovely warm early Spring disappear down a rabbit hole and we’re once again back down to more normal temperatures for the time of year. A lot of days over the past week have been down into the single figures, temperature wise and the last couple of days have seen frosts on the truck windscreen which is as much frost as I think I saw all Winter.

I’ve been able to carry out inspections on all of my colonies during that warm spell and I have to say on the whole they are looking really strong and healthy, I have colonies with as many as eight frames of sealed brood ready to explode into life and with our main early nectar flow of Oils Seed Rape just starting to flower it looks as though we might see an alignment of good fortune and a decent early crop of honey.

That said, it’s way to early to be counting jars of honey on the shelf from a crop that’s not yet past 10% in flower, a lot can change between now and then and we have to be careful not to get too far ahead of ourselves.

I posted a lengthy video to my Patreon page showing my first inspections at the University apiary, overall it was a really good inspection but it did throw up a number of questions that I’d like to go over and hopefully give some explanation as to why I did some of the manoeuvres with the hives that I did.

If you haven’t seen the video, it’s available on my Patreon page, check it out here.
I carried out inspections on three very different colonies on video to show my approach to each one. The first was a straightforward single brood box colony, the second was an overWintered nucleus colony still in a nuc box and the third was a colony that had been under-supered for the Winter.

I obviously inspected all of the colonies in the apiary but these were the three I chose to show on the video.

The first colony was the one that had a massive varroa drop when I treated with Oxalic Acid in the Winter, they looked really well and were building up strongly. One of the benefits of this apiary site is the huge amount of early season pollen that’s available to the bees, this means strong, healthy brood and this year the bees were able to get out very early because the weather was so mild. This brings me to the main question that I’ve been asked since posting the video and it revolves around when to add a first super to a colony after Winter.

As with most things in beekeeping it boils down to a judgement call but you can make some initial assessments of the colony and that will help you in making that decision of whether to add a super and queen excluder or not.

When I inspected this colony it was obvious they had grown and were doing well but that alone isn’t enough to make me add a super. What I did notice however, was the large amount of sealed brood that was already present in the brood box which already had a large number of adult bees in it. With so much sealed brood it’s important to remember some of the time lines and numbers. A single frame of brood will produce enough bees to fill a couple of seams between frames so if they emerged over a few days apart they would quickly become congested in a single brood box. It’s easy to see in this colony that the brood had been sealed  for several days prior to me inspecting so I would expect the workers to emerge around the time of the next inspection if I were doing weekly inspections. However, with the possibility of the weather preventing an inspection a week later it might be the case that I would inspect for nearly two weeks and by that time the bees would have definitely emerged filling the brood box, becoming congested and potentially triggering a&

Support the show

]]> Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to Episode 59 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. We’re finally into some early Spring inspections and I’m gearing up to move some bees to their first nectar flow of the season.

Welcome back and this week has seen that lovely warm early Spring disappear down a rabbit hole and we’re once again back down to more normal temperatures for the time of year. A lot of days over the past week have been down into the single figures, temperature wise and the last couple of days have seen frosts on the truck windscreen which is as much frost as I think I saw all Winter.

I’ve been able to carry out inspections on all of my colonies during that warm spell and I have to say on the whole they are looking really strong and healthy, I have colonies with as many as eight frames of sealed brood ready to explode into life and with our main early nectar flow of Oils Seed Rape just starting to flower it looks as though we might see an alignment of good fortune and a decent early crop of honey.

That said, it’s way to early to be counting jars of honey on the shelf from a crop that’s not yet past 10% in flower, a lot can change between now and then and we have to be careful not to get too far ahead of ourselves.

I posted a lengthy video to my Patreon page showing my first inspections at the University apiary, overall it was a really good inspection but it did throw up a number of questions that I’d like to go over and hopefully give some explanation as to why I did some of the manoeuvres with the hives that I did.

If you haven’t seen the video, it’s available on my Patreon page, check it out here.
I carried out inspections on three very different colonies on video to show my approach to each one. The first was a straightforward single brood box colony, the second was an overWintered nucleus colony still in a nuc box and the third was a colony that had been under-supered for the Winter.

I obviously inspected all of the colonies in the apiary but these were the three I chose to show on the video.

The first colony was the one that had a massive varroa drop when I treated with Oxalic Acid in the Winter, they looked really well and were building up strongly. One of the benefits of this apiary site is the huge amount of early season pollen that’s available to the bees, this means strong, healthy brood and this year the bees were able to get out very early because the weather was so mild. This brings me to the main question that I’ve been asked since posting the video and it revolves around when to add a first super to a colony after Winter.

As with most things in beekeeping it boils down to a judgement call but you can make some initial assessments of the colony and that will help you in making that decision of whether to add a super and queen excluder or not.

When I inspected this colony it was obvious they had grown and were doing well but that alone isn’t enough to make me add a super. What I did notice however, was the large amount of sealed brood that was already present in the brood box which already had a large number of adult bees in it. With so much sealed brood it’s important to remember some of the time lines and numbers. A single frame of brood will produce enough bees to fill a couple of seams between frames so if they emerged over a few days apart they would quickly become congested in a single brood box. It’s easy to see in this colony that the brood had been sealed  for several days prior to me inspecting so I would expect the workers to emerge around the time of the next inspection if I were doing weekly inspections. However, with the possibility of the weather preventing an inspection a week later it might be the case that I would inspect for nearly two weeks and by that time the bees would have definitely emerged filling the brood box, becoming congested and potentially triggering a&

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1025260 Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:00:00 +0100 934 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 13 full false The Beekeeping Month Ahead - April S2:E12 The Beekeeping Month Ahead - April S2:E12 Welcome once again to my weekly podcast, That week seemed to fly by. I’ve been busy again at the workshop and when this podcast comes out to you on Friday I’ll be gearing up to head out to carry out first inspections on the remaining colonies I’ve not yet checked up on.
Please do check out my support page where you can listen to the very latest podcasts and watch all of my exclusive beekeeping videos. Click on the link below.
The Norfolk Honey Co.

I’m hoping the queen failures I encountered last week are the last of any immediate issues with our colonies. That will make a total of three failed colonies over Winter which is pretty good really in the big scheme of things.

Before I talk more about the colonies and my plans for the coming month I thought I’d update you on the progress out at the workshop.

Well, I seemed to have filled most of the available space pretty quickly. It’s starting to get a little cramped and I need to get a bit more organised. My main reason for taking so much equipment over there was to get it out of the rain. I need to make some repairs to a fair bit of very old equipment, mostly stuff I acquired when I first got started and is now starting to show it’s age. I have some old Langstroth floors that i bought as part of a job lot of Commercial beehive parts, what the beekeeper had done is screwed a piece of timber to the outside long edge on both sides and converted it to a square footprint to allow commercial and national brood boxes to sit on top. They work fine just like that but they are a little on the old side now and some of the wood had started to rot because water seeps in between the added pieces of wood and the main floor. It hasn’t helped with them being sat outside through the wetter months, although this Winter hasn’t been particularly wet or cold, even so, to sort them out I need them to dry out, hence I’ve moved them to the workshop where they are now sat prior to being repaired. There’s no point throwing them away only to have to buy new floors for my expansion plans.

I’m beginning to cultivate that “make do and mend” attitude lots of my fellow bee farmers have and I now understand why with the prices of beekeeping equipment seemingly increasing year on year. Even with price rises we could probably all do with a change in attitude regarding our throw away society, don’t repair it, just dump it and get a new one. We seem to have lost some of the skills in taking a broken thing and repairing it. Not everyone of course, Pete was telling me about an electric drill he managed to salvage because the battery had died and it’s previous owner just dumped it. Pete, for those of you who don’t know, has just started beekeeping and I’m mentoring in exchange for some help around the apiaries and at the workshop. It helps that he can bring hot coffee across the road to the workshop on his way to work but together we’ve made up a heap of kit recently and I’m excited to help him learn more beekeeping skills as the new season progresses.

If you’ve not got a mentor and you’ve only just begun beekeeping have a chat with members of your local association and see if you can go along to help out with a more experienced beekeeper some time. Stand, watch and listen, don’t be in too much of a rush to get your hands on frames, it’s amazing what you can learn from a more experienced beekeeper by watching how they handle their bees.

Anyway, back to Pete and the Drill, Pete managed to buy a replacement battery and the drill works just fine and it’s a decent brand too, so well done Pete for your “Make do and Mend” attitude.

It’s going to come in handy as I have a number of boxes that need mending too.

The workshop is about 10m by 12m so it’s nice size, some of you might have seen the recent videos shot in the workshop. I think it will become a makeshift studio when rain or cold stops us from getting into the bees&

Support the show

]]> Welcome once again to my weekly podcast, That week seemed to fly by. I’ve been busy again at the workshop and when this podcast comes out to you on Friday I’ll be gearing up to head out to carry out first inspections on the remaining colonies I’ve not yet checked up on.
Please do check out my support page where you can listen to the very latest podcasts and watch all of my exclusive beekeeping videos. Click on the link below.
The Norfolk Honey Co.

I’m hoping the queen failures I encountered last week are the last of any immediate issues with our colonies. That will make a total of three failed colonies over Winter which is pretty good really in the big scheme of things.

Before I talk more about the colonies and my plans for the coming month I thought I’d update you on the progress out at the workshop.

Well, I seemed to have filled most of the available space pretty quickly. It’s starting to get a little cramped and I need to get a bit more organised. My main reason for taking so much equipment over there was to get it out of the rain. I need to make some repairs to a fair bit of very old equipment, mostly stuff I acquired when I first got started and is now starting to show it’s age. I have some old Langstroth floors that i bought as part of a job lot of Commercial beehive parts, what the beekeeper had done is screwed a piece of timber to the outside long edge on both sides and converted it to a square footprint to allow commercial and national brood boxes to sit on top. They work fine just like that but they are a little on the old side now and some of the wood had started to rot because water seeps in between the added pieces of wood and the main floor. It hasn’t helped with them being sat outside through the wetter months, although this Winter hasn’t been particularly wet or cold, even so, to sort them out I need them to dry out, hence I’ve moved them to the workshop where they are now sat prior to being repaired. There’s no point throwing them away only to have to buy new floors for my expansion plans.

I’m beginning to cultivate that “make do and mend” attitude lots of my fellow bee farmers have and I now understand why with the prices of beekeeping equipment seemingly increasing year on year. Even with price rises we could probably all do with a change in attitude regarding our throw away society, don’t repair it, just dump it and get a new one. We seem to have lost some of the skills in taking a broken thing and repairing it. Not everyone of course, Pete was telling me about an electric drill he managed to salvage because the battery had died and it’s previous owner just dumped it. Pete, for those of you who don’t know, has just started beekeeping and I’m mentoring in exchange for some help around the apiaries and at the workshop. It helps that he can bring hot coffee across the road to the workshop on his way to work but together we’ve made up a heap of kit recently and I’m excited to help him learn more beekeeping skills as the new season progresses.

If you’ve not got a mentor and you’ve only just begun beekeeping have a chat with members of your local association and see if you can go along to help out with a more experienced beekeeper some time. Stand, watch and listen, don’t be in too much of a rush to get your hands on frames, it’s amazing what you can learn from a more experienced beekeeper by watching how they handle their bees.

Anyway, back to Pete and the Drill, Pete managed to buy a replacement battery and the drill works just fine and it’s a decent brand too, so well done Pete for your “Make do and Mend” attitude.

It’s going to come in handy as I have a number of boxes that need mending too.

The workshop is about 10m by 12m so it’s nice size, some of you might have seen the recent videos shot in the workshop. I think it will become a makeshift studio when rain or cold stops us from getting into the bees&

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1015176 Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:00:00 +0100 933 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 12 full false Selecting and Using a Beekeepers' Smoker S2:E11 Selecting and Using a Beekeepers' Smoker S2:E11 Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 57 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. I’ve been inspecting this week carrying out first Spring checks on some my colonies and it got me thinking about how I use a smoker, so here are my thoughts.

Websites mentioned in today's podcast:

My Website: http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
My additional videos and up to date podcasts Page: Norfolk Honey Co at Patreon
The smokers I currently use available from Bee-Equipment online

Welcome once again to my weekly podcast, If you want to catch up with the very latest podcast do check out my Patreon page where you can get up to date with all of my content as we head into the new season.

The last couple of days have been lovely, Spring days, each day has that characteristically chilly start but as the sun burns through the clouds so the day warms up and around lunchtime I’m talking T shirt weather and that’s just fine for checking the bees. To be specific I’m looking at something like 14 degrees, it’s on the edge for beginner beekeepers, but most experienced beekeepers who can inspect relatively quickly can get into a hive see what they need to see and get out without too much disruption.

Also, and I know I’m repeating myself here but know exactly why you’re checking your colonies. Have a check list in your head or even write it down if you need a reminder.

Size of colony, Large or small?, Food, Do they have enough? Brood, Is there a nice brood pattern forming, Eggs, Can you see eggs in any of the cells? Drones, are there any drones or drone cells? Queen cells, Unlikely in early March but keep an eye open, it’s been warm! Queen, but only if she’s spotted, don’t waste time searching for her.

That’s probably all you need on your list to start with, you can see most if not all of these things as you move through the frames with bees on, quickly and quietly, causing the minimum amount of fuss as you go. Finish off by moving all the frames back in place and close the hive down again. 

Remember to write up your inspection notes and grab cuppa while you think back to what you’ve seen and plan out the next steps.

Of course, you’ll already have checked over your notes prior to inspecting the colony so most of what you see shouldn’t be a huge surprise for the most part.

I’ve already picked out just three colonies that I intend to select as my queen rearing colonies. You have to be ruthless when selecting to raise queens, even if you have just three or four colonies, more often than not, one will stick out as a favourite or something about them will set them apart from the rest. It may be that they are super calm, or perhaps they produced more honey than the rest of your colonies put together last year. Whatever it is, if you just have a few colonies try to be very selective about the one you choose to raise new queens from. It will pay dividends in the end.

I have inspected a few hives this week, and for the most part all of them are doing fine, the warm Winter has allowed colonies to begin building up strongly and some colonies are filling with bees nicely. That’s not to say I’m going to rush out and add a couple of supers and a queen excluder, for me, it’s just too early still. There’s heaps of pollen coming in, mostly from willow now, bright yellow and covering the bees from tip to tail.

What I’m seeing are colonies with maybe 8 or 9 seams of bees and 4 or 5 frames of brood, a lot of that brood is capped and so when that emerges the colonies will have a sudden increase in bees and that’s when they are likely to need a little more space. That’s the point I shall add a queen excluder and super. Around 10 to 14 days time I would think and that’s way earlier than last year. We may be in for a good Spring, who knows?

Th

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 57 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. I’ve been inspecting this week carrying out first Spring checks on some my colonies and it got me thinking about how I use a smoker, so here are my thoughts.

Websites mentioned in today's podcast:

My Website: http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
My additional videos and up to date podcasts Page: Norfolk Honey Co at Patreon
The smokers I currently use available from Bee-Equipment online

Welcome once again to my weekly podcast, If you want to catch up with the very latest podcast do check out my Patreon page where you can get up to date with all of my content as we head into the new season.

The last couple of days have been lovely, Spring days, each day has that characteristically chilly start but as the sun burns through the clouds so the day warms up and around lunchtime I’m talking T shirt weather and that’s just fine for checking the bees. To be specific I’m looking at something like 14 degrees, it’s on the edge for beginner beekeepers, but most experienced beekeepers who can inspect relatively quickly can get into a hive see what they need to see and get out without too much disruption.

Also, and I know I’m repeating myself here but know exactly why you’re checking your colonies. Have a check list in your head or even write it down if you need a reminder.

Size of colony, Large or small?, Food, Do they have enough? Brood, Is there a nice brood pattern forming, Eggs, Can you see eggs in any of the cells? Drones, are there any drones or drone cells? Queen cells, Unlikely in early March but keep an eye open, it’s been warm! Queen, but only if she’s spotted, don’t waste time searching for her.

That’s probably all you need on your list to start with, you can see most if not all of these things as you move through the frames with bees on, quickly and quietly, causing the minimum amount of fuss as you go. Finish off by moving all the frames back in place and close the hive down again. 

Remember to write up your inspection notes and grab cuppa while you think back to what you’ve seen and plan out the next steps.

Of course, you’ll already have checked over your notes prior to inspecting the colony so most of what you see shouldn’t be a huge surprise for the most part.

I’ve already picked out just three colonies that I intend to select as my queen rearing colonies. You have to be ruthless when selecting to raise queens, even if you have just three or four colonies, more often than not, one will stick out as a favourite or something about them will set them apart from the rest. It may be that they are super calm, or perhaps they produced more honey than the rest of your colonies put together last year. Whatever it is, if you just have a few colonies try to be very selective about the one you choose to raise new queens from. It will pay dividends in the end.

I have inspected a few hives this week, and for the most part all of them are doing fine, the warm Winter has allowed colonies to begin building up strongly and some colonies are filling with bees nicely. That’s not to say I’m going to rush out and add a couple of supers and a queen excluder, for me, it’s just too early still. There’s heaps of pollen coming in, mostly from willow now, bright yellow and covering the bees from tip to tail.

What I’m seeing are colonies with maybe 8 or 9 seams of bees and 4 or 5 frames of brood, a lot of that brood is capped and so when that emerges the colonies will have a sudden increase in bees and that’s when they are likely to need a little more space. That’s the point I shall add a queen excluder and super. Around 10 to 14 days time I would think and that’s way earlier than last year. We may be in for a good Spring, who knows?

Th

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-1004534 Fri, 12 Apr 2019 08:00:00 +0100 997 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 11 full false The Beekeeping BeeTradex Show 2019 S2:E10 The Beekeeping BeeTradex Show 2019 S2:E10 Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 56 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The start of the new beekeeping season is almost upon us and last weekend I travelled out of the County to the first major Trade show of the season, BeeTradex.

Links for this week's podcast mentions;

http://www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
http://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk
http://www.bees-online.co.uk
https://www.thorne.co.uk
https://www.carl-fritz.de
https://en.swienty.com
http://beefarmers.co.uk
http://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk
https://www.bee-craft.com/

So, last weekend was the first of the major beekeeping trade shows here in the UK, BeeTradex, it’s held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire here in the UK, although it’s becoming much more than that with various lectures, AGM’s and business meetings also being held at the venue. The weather was much warmer this year and this resulted in a huge turnout of beekeepers and the show hall was constantly busy. The really nice thing was that the hall was large enough to accommodate everyone with room to move about and around displays without constantly bumping in to each other.

The weather was a bit bright and breezy, heavy rain showers blew across the event fair frequently so it was great that everything was under one roof. Those people who were smart had bought advanced tickets as the queue for buying tickets at one point must have been 100 beekeepers long if not more. The main hall was bright and roomy as I said and apart from wanting to chat to equipment suppliers and manufacturers I was also there for the Bee Farmers Meetings which were being held from midday so my morning was a little bit of a whirlwind.

It was great to stop and chat with a few beekeepers who had seen my videos, particularly those who are supporters on my Patreon page, particularly Gregg and Jackie Palmer who were lovely. It was nice to hear Gregg’s plans for the coming season and chat about how he was enjoying his beekeeping.

I was funny to hear how many people were really surprised that I was so tall, I’m 6’3” but I assume you don’t get to see that on the videos, for those of you who did stop to say hello, now you know why I have back problems!

The actual trade show itself was well attended by suppliers, there must have been 50 or 60 stands and i would think there were well over two thousand beekeepers passing through the main doors. Add to this the lectures that were available it all added up to a great day out for everyone.

Some of the highlights for me on the day were actually meeting some old friends  as well as making new friends as I wandered around the stands. I have to wish good luck to my very dear friend Sandra Gray who has just taken up the post of National Bee Inspector for the National Bee Unit. Sandra and I used to work together as seasonal Bee Inspectors and she is not only a fantastic beekeeper and inspector but a great administrator too so I’m sure she will do a fantastic job and with the ongoing challenge of the Asian Hornet incursion I’m sure she will have her hands full.

I also stopped at the Modern Beekeeping trade stand to chat with Paul Beardmore. Paul supplies the Honey Paw hives and the Zukan Apipasta that I’ve been using with very good results. It looks like he is expanding and has taken on the Modern Beekeeping business who sell the Paradise Honey Poly Hives and this will compliment his Honey Paw Langstroth hives as well as the various Zukan feed products and other bits of kit.

I tried to get a moment with the very nice people at Maisemore Apiaries, you’ll possibly remember they applied me with their own Commercial Poly Hives to try out in 2017. Those hives are doing great so far and the bees in them have come through the Winter strongly. I say I tried to chat with them because they were so busy I just couldn’t get anyone to stop for long enough to say hello, even Caroline was so busy she didn’t even see&

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 56 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. The start of the new beekeeping season is almost upon us and last weekend I travelled out of the County to the first major Trade show of the season, BeeTradex.

Links for this week's podcast mentions;

http://www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
http://www.modernbeekeeping.co.uk
http://www.bees-online.co.uk
https://www.thorne.co.uk
https://www.carl-fritz.de
https://en.swienty.com
http://beefarmers.co.uk
http://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk
https://www.bee-craft.com/

So, last weekend was the first of the major beekeeping trade shows here in the UK, BeeTradex, it’s held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire here in the UK, although it’s becoming much more than that with various lectures, AGM’s and business meetings also being held at the venue. The weather was much warmer this year and this resulted in a huge turnout of beekeepers and the show hall was constantly busy. The really nice thing was that the hall was large enough to accommodate everyone with room to move about and around displays without constantly bumping in to each other.

The weather was a bit bright and breezy, heavy rain showers blew across the event fair frequently so it was great that everything was under one roof. Those people who were smart had bought advanced tickets as the queue for buying tickets at one point must have been 100 beekeepers long if not more. The main hall was bright and roomy as I said and apart from wanting to chat to equipment suppliers and manufacturers I was also there for the Bee Farmers Meetings which were being held from midday so my morning was a little bit of a whirlwind.

It was great to stop and chat with a few beekeepers who had seen my videos, particularly those who are supporters on my Patreon page, particularly Gregg and Jackie Palmer who were lovely. It was nice to hear Gregg’s plans for the coming season and chat about how he was enjoying his beekeeping.

I was funny to hear how many people were really surprised that I was so tall, I’m 6’3” but I assume you don’t get to see that on the videos, for those of you who did stop to say hello, now you know why I have back problems!

The actual trade show itself was well attended by suppliers, there must have been 50 or 60 stands and i would think there were well over two thousand beekeepers passing through the main doors. Add to this the lectures that were available it all added up to a great day out for everyone.

Some of the highlights for me on the day were actually meeting some old friends  as well as making new friends as I wandered around the stands. I have to wish good luck to my very dear friend Sandra Gray who has just taken up the post of National Bee Inspector for the National Bee Unit. Sandra and I used to work together as seasonal Bee Inspectors and she is not only a fantastic beekeeper and inspector but a great administrator too so I’m sure she will do a fantastic job and with the ongoing challenge of the Asian Hornet incursion I’m sure she will have her hands full.

I also stopped at the Modern Beekeeping trade stand to chat with Paul Beardmore. Paul supplies the Honey Paw hives and the Zukan Apipasta that I’ve been using with very good results. It looks like he is expanding and has taken on the Modern Beekeeping business who sell the Paradise Honey Poly Hives and this will compliment his Honey Paw Langstroth hives as well as the various Zukan feed products and other bits of kit.

I tried to get a moment with the very nice people at Maisemore Apiaries, you’ll possibly remember they applied me with their own Commercial Poly Hives to try out in 2017. Those hives are doing great so far and the bees in them have come through the Winter strongly. I say I tried to chat with them because they were so busy I just couldn’t get anyone to stop for long enough to say hello, even Caroline was so busy she didn’t even see&

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-995942 Fri, 05 Apr 2019 09:00:00 +0100 954 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 10 full false Monthly Beekeeping Q&A March 2019 S2:E9 Monthly Beekeeping Q&A March 2019 S2:E9 This week sees the return of my regular monthly Questions and Answers podcast and we have some cracking questions as always.
Web addresses and links mentioned in todays podcast:
My Support page; www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
My Website; www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

David at Buzzed Bees; www.gofundme.com/Rescued-Bees-Drowned-In-Mudslide
Near Native Bees - Bibba www.bibba.com
Apipasta Syrup and Fondant - www.happyvalleyhoney.co.uk

Support the show

]]> This week sees the return of my regular monthly Questions and Answers podcast and we have some cracking questions as always.
Web addresses and links mentioned in todays podcast:
My Support page; www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
My Website; www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

David at Buzzed Bees; www.gofundme.com/Rescued-Bees-Drowned-In-Mudslide
Near Native Bees - Bibba www.bibba.com
Apipasta Syrup and Fondant - www.happyvalleyhoney.co.uk

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-986478 Fri, 29 Mar 2019 09:00:00 +0000 1181 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, beekeeping 2 9 full false Winter Honeybee Losses and How To Rebuild S2:E8 Winter Honeybee Losses and How To Rebuild S2:E8 Having just discovered my first overwintered queen less colony I wanted to discuss Winter losses and how to bounce back this Spring.

For the very latest Podcast check out my page here www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
You can also sign up to my fortnightly newsletter via my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Well, It’s been another week for record breaking temperatures here in the UK, we’ve hit temperatures in excess of 20 degrees centigrade where the seasonal average should be more like 6 or 7 degrees.

A lot has been made of the fact that last year we were in the grips of a very Icy blast from continental Europe which was named “The beast from the East” with overnight temperatures down in the negative double figures and snow and ice covering the hives, what an incredible change. It has given beekeepers a fantastic opportunity to get out and check colonies way earlier than anyone would normally suggest and this is where a dose of common sense is required. Temperatures are once again falling and the forecast is that there may even be snow next week in some parts of the UK.

I grabbed for one of the beekeeping books from my shelf that has a month by month guide for beginner beekeepers, each month has jobs to do and what to look out for. In the section for February it suggests hefting to gauge the weight and making sure the entrance is not blocked by dead bees and snow.

Sensibly, there is no mention of inspecting bee hives as you might expect.

If you’re a beginner beekeeper and have such a book or you’re looking online at what to do each month, remember it’s just a guide, you must take in to account the local conditions that you face and not just plow on with instructions without giving it some thought.

I’ve had probably the best Winter I can remember in a very long time, just one colony that appears queen less and without brood, all the rest are alive and well. Some of those colonies are a little on the small side and would possibly have succumbed in a harsher Winter but this year with the very mild weather and the addition of some fondant to help them along they have seen out February and now head into March.

They are a long way from being safe, March can be such a fickle month, one day warm and inviting, the next cold and harsh, so we have to be wary and not relax our guard but for the most part they should cope. Last year I wasn’t so lucky and suffered the lose of far more colonies, and it occurred to me that this can be such a very difficult time for beekeepers regardless of the number of colonies.

I’m always devastated when I lose a colony of honeybees even though I have nearly 70 and I’m sure it feels  as bad if not worse if you are a beekeeper with just one or two colonies and suffer the lose of one or both.

Very often it’s not the beekeepers fault, colonies die out for a number of reasons and I’ve talked about these previously. Sometimes it is the beekeepers fault, maybe through lack of experience or bad timing but as long as it is learning experience and you’re able to take steps to try to prevent it happening again it can be viewed as a positive learning experience.

So having suffered this loss what do you do. Firstly, the hive or hives need to be blocked up and moved to a position ready for cleaning, whether it be one hive or ten hives, get them away from the apiary ready fro cleaning but first remember to block up the entrance, you really don’t want other bees robbing out a dead hive, again, I’ve discussed the reasons for this in previous podcasts but disease in honeybees spreads very quickly so don’t give it a helping hand by leaving the lid off the cookie jar.

Once you have the hive in a location for cleaning out the first step is to check out what was going on inside, it’s time to turn detective and try to work out what happened and why the colony failed to get through the winter.

When you take off the roof and crown board you may det&

Support the show

]]> Having just discovered my first overwintered queen less colony I wanted to discuss Winter losses and how to bounce back this Spring.

For the very latest Podcast check out my page here www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
You can also sign up to my fortnightly newsletter via my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Well, It’s been another week for record breaking temperatures here in the UK, we’ve hit temperatures in excess of 20 degrees centigrade where the seasonal average should be more like 6 or 7 degrees.

A lot has been made of the fact that last year we were in the grips of a very Icy blast from continental Europe which was named “The beast from the East” with overnight temperatures down in the negative double figures and snow and ice covering the hives, what an incredible change. It has given beekeepers a fantastic opportunity to get out and check colonies way earlier than anyone would normally suggest and this is where a dose of common sense is required. Temperatures are once again falling and the forecast is that there may even be snow next week in some parts of the UK.

I grabbed for one of the beekeeping books from my shelf that has a month by month guide for beginner beekeepers, each month has jobs to do and what to look out for. In the section for February it suggests hefting to gauge the weight and making sure the entrance is not blocked by dead bees and snow.

Sensibly, there is no mention of inspecting bee hives as you might expect.

If you’re a beginner beekeeper and have such a book or you’re looking online at what to do each month, remember it’s just a guide, you must take in to account the local conditions that you face and not just plow on with instructions without giving it some thought.

I’ve had probably the best Winter I can remember in a very long time, just one colony that appears queen less and without brood, all the rest are alive and well. Some of those colonies are a little on the small side and would possibly have succumbed in a harsher Winter but this year with the very mild weather and the addition of some fondant to help them along they have seen out February and now head into March.

They are a long way from being safe, March can be such a fickle month, one day warm and inviting, the next cold and harsh, so we have to be wary and not relax our guard but for the most part they should cope. Last year I wasn’t so lucky and suffered the lose of far more colonies, and it occurred to me that this can be such a very difficult time for beekeepers regardless of the number of colonies.

I’m always devastated when I lose a colony of honeybees even though I have nearly 70 and I’m sure it feels  as bad if not worse if you are a beekeeper with just one or two colonies and suffer the lose of one or both.

Very often it’s not the beekeepers fault, colonies die out for a number of reasons and I’ve talked about these previously. Sometimes it is the beekeepers fault, maybe through lack of experience or bad timing but as long as it is learning experience and you’re able to take steps to try to prevent it happening again it can be viewed as a positive learning experience.

So having suffered this loss what do you do. Firstly, the hive or hives need to be blocked up and moved to a position ready for cleaning, whether it be one hive or ten hives, get them away from the apiary ready fro cleaning but first remember to block up the entrance, you really don’t want other bees robbing out a dead hive, again, I’ve discussed the reasons for this in previous podcasts but disease in honeybees spreads very quickly so don’t give it a helping hand by leaving the lid off the cookie jar.

Once you have the hive in a location for cleaning out the first step is to check out what was going on inside, it’s time to turn detective and try to work out what happened and why the colony failed to get through the winter.

When you take off the roof and crown board you may det&

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-975940 Fri, 29 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000 940 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 8 full false Crazy February Beekeeping Weather S2:E7 Crazy February Beekeeping Weather S2:E7 Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 53 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. As we head into the last week of February we’re expecting to be wearing shorts and T shirts as the crazy warm weather continues, the bees enjoy an early break from the Winter’s cold and I’ve finally found somewhere to expand and build my beekeeping business.

Welcome back to the podcast, the crazy weather continues, average top temperatures for February in our region are historically around 7 to 7.5 degrees C according to the Met Office data I was checking this morning and it looks likely we’ll double that this week with temperatures hitting 14 and possibly 15 degrees or higher. Winter hasn’t finished with us yet I’m sure, but I always look at February as the month where the Snow and Ice takes hold and we freeze our way into March but this year it looks like we’re on a mini heatwave as warm air is being dragged up from the Canary Islands and I’m sure lots of beekeepers will be jumping at the chance to have a look in their beehives.

This is where you expect me to say don’t inspect but I know some of you just can’t help yourselves so what I would say is make sure you’re going in with a plan and know exactly what you are looking for and why you’re inspecting. I’ve touched on why and how to inspect this early in the season before so I’m not going through all of that again today, just be sure to go carefully and quickly with your goal in mind.

I’ve been round all of my colonies and put fondant on the ones I wanted to feed. Everything’s looking good and with just the one colony currently being queen less we appear to heading out of February with plenty of strong hives for the start of the new season.

So I won’t be inspecting any bees this weekend, although I might have a quick look at the CBPV nuc I have at my allotment. I saw the bees flying from the nuc yesterday so they are still alive but I think the virus still has a firm grip on them. One of the benefits of living in the UK is we have a very active core of beekeeping associations all helping their beekeeping members to improve and develop their skills as beekeepers. One such association is the Cambridgeshire Beekeeping Association who hold an Annual one day event in March with guest speakers talking about a range of topics, this year I’m particularly interested to listen to Professor Giles Budge from Newcastle University who is talking about the ongoing research into Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus. This is the research to which I contributed a sample of my bees. Hopefully they can come up with a plan to help beekeepers who find this infection in their colonies.

The other reason for heading to the Cambridgeshire talks is they always provide a fantastic lunch! Food is never far away from my thoughts. On the subject of food, particularly food with honey as an ingredient, I saw a fantastic recipe for honey and peach pie on the tv last night. One of my favourite tv celebrity chefs, Rick Stein made this really simple dish so I’m going to give it a try and will post my efforts on video to the patreon page as normal. I hope those of you that have subscribe to the Patreon page have enjoyed my cookery exploits this Winter, I’ve certainly enjoyed making them. The Honey and Peach Pie looks really simple to make and has very few ingredients, I’ll post a blog with my efforts and recipe in the next couple of weeks so you can have a go too if you want to.

It’s going to be a busy couple of months coming up as I’ve been putting off some essential preparatory work for the new season. I’ve still not made up all of the frames and hive parts that I’ve recently bought and there is still some cleaning to be done. The reason for the delay is also the reason I have some exciting news to share this week. I don’t very often share personal stuff but it’s all relevant beekeeping challenges and I’m sure I’m not alone in the frustrations I’ve faced over the past few years.

As yo

Support the show

]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 53 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. As we head into the last week of February we’re expecting to be wearing shorts and T shirts as the crazy warm weather continues, the bees enjoy an early break from the Winter’s cold and I’ve finally found somewhere to expand and build my beekeeping business.

Welcome back to the podcast, the crazy weather continues, average top temperatures for February in our region are historically around 7 to 7.5 degrees C according to the Met Office data I was checking this morning and it looks likely we’ll double that this week with temperatures hitting 14 and possibly 15 degrees or higher. Winter hasn’t finished with us yet I’m sure, but I always look at February as the month where the Snow and Ice takes hold and we freeze our way into March but this year it looks like we’re on a mini heatwave as warm air is being dragged up from the Canary Islands and I’m sure lots of beekeepers will be jumping at the chance to have a look in their beehives.

This is where you expect me to say don’t inspect but I know some of you just can’t help yourselves so what I would say is make sure you’re going in with a plan and know exactly what you are looking for and why you’re inspecting. I’ve touched on why and how to inspect this early in the season before so I’m not going through all of that again today, just be sure to go carefully and quickly with your goal in mind.

I’ve been round all of my colonies and put fondant on the ones I wanted to feed. Everything’s looking good and with just the one colony currently being queen less we appear to heading out of February with plenty of strong hives for the start of the new season.

So I won’t be inspecting any bees this weekend, although I might have a quick look at the CBPV nuc I have at my allotment. I saw the bees flying from the nuc yesterday so they are still alive but I think the virus still has a firm grip on them. One of the benefits of living in the UK is we have a very active core of beekeeping associations all helping their beekeeping members to improve and develop their skills as beekeepers. One such association is the Cambridgeshire Beekeeping Association who hold an Annual one day event in March with guest speakers talking about a range of topics, this year I’m particularly interested to listen to Professor Giles Budge from Newcastle University who is talking about the ongoing research into Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus. This is the research to which I contributed a sample of my bees. Hopefully they can come up with a plan to help beekeepers who find this infection in their colonies.

The other reason for heading to the Cambridgeshire talks is they always provide a fantastic lunch! Food is never far away from my thoughts. On the subject of food, particularly food with honey as an ingredient, I saw a fantastic recipe for honey and peach pie on the tv last night. One of my favourite tv celebrity chefs, Rick Stein made this really simple dish so I’m going to give it a try and will post my efforts on video to the patreon page as normal. I hope those of you that have subscribe to the Patreon page have enjoyed my cookery exploits this Winter, I’ve certainly enjoyed making them. The Honey and Peach Pie looks really simple to make and has very few ingredients, I’ll post a blog with my efforts and recipe in the next couple of weeks so you can have a go too if you want to.

It’s going to be a busy couple of months coming up as I’ve been putting off some essential preparatory work for the new season. I’ve still not made up all of the frames and hive parts that I’ve recently bought and there is still some cleaning to be done. The reason for the delay is also the reason I have some exciting news to share this week. I don’t very often share personal stuff but it’s all relevant beekeeping challenges and I’m sure I’m not alone in the frustrations I’ve faced over the past few years.

As yo

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-964432 Fri, 22 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000 808 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 7 full false My Beekeeping Podcast One Year On S2:E6 My Beekeeping Podcast One Year On S2:E6 Today I’m celebrating my podcast’s first birthday! Fifty Two podcasts recorded and published.

I’ve covered quite a varied number of beekeeping topics over the past year and also attempted a few interviews which have been a little nerve wracking! I’m not a journalist or professional presenter, just a beekeeper looking to share my knowledge and views with other interested listeners. Hopefully I’ll be able to try out a few more interviews in the coming year.

You may be aware that I am sending out a fortnightly beekeeping newsletter with the same name as the podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, it’s early days at the moment and I’m trying to keep it light and image rich, so no massive pages of text to trawl through just a few interesting pictures with hopefully some useful links. I’ll be promoting various events and offers through the newsletter too, so do sign up, it’s quick and easy, just go to my website and leave your details when the sign up pop up appears.

Websites I referred to in the podcast:
www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
www.beetradeex.co.uk
www.scientificbeekeeping.com

Talking of events, we are fast approaching the Spring Sales events here in the UK, The first major event on Saturday 9th March is called BeeTradex, billed as The Biggest Beekeeping Show in 2019 it is a one day trade show with various lectures and talks being given. It’s held at the agricultural show grounds at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. It’s also a chance to pick up a bargain from one of the beekeeping equipment manufacturers or suppliers as they usually have discounts available. One of the nicest things about BeeTradex is that it gives me the chance to catch up with friends within the industry and also chat with fellow beekeepers who I would not normally have a chance to get together with. If you’re going along please do stop me and say hello. I’ll pop the Beetradex website link in the show notes.

With the temperatures on the rise, the bees have certainly been getting out and about, clusters have been breaking up, not that we’ve had many very cold days but the nights have been chilly falling to below freezing. I was out putting some fondant on some colonies a few days ago and was happy to see so many colonies with large numbers of bees, I would say an average of six seams of bees but some were around 9 seams which is excellent. That can obviously lead to a food shortage, particularly if the colony gets quite active in the warmer weather but fails to find any early food source. We’ve had lots of snowdrops in flower locally and now the crocus is exploding into flower with this milder weather. A vital source of food and we’re very lucky to have so many crocus plants flowering near our apiaries. It seems to be the number one Spring flowering plant of choice for our Norwich City council who appear to have planted millions of bulbs over the last few years all around our fine City.

That said, it is still February and the weather can as easily turn cold and wintery again so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. I spoke to a beekeeper a couple of days ago who said if the weather stays warm he was going to inspect at the weekend, I think this is a little too soon, I’m certainly not going to be inspecting my colonies although there are a couple I’m keeping a close eye on.

The first colony is the nuc I have in my allotment apiary, that’s the one with the Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, I popped some fondant on them last week, they’re still alive although the entrance was badly clogged up with dead bees so I think they are still suffering. I’d like to get into them as early as possible and see what’s going on.

The other colony is at one of my out apiaries, I was out treating with the Oxalic Acid trickle method a while back and as I finished treating this particular hive and was putting the roof back on a larger than normal bees flew across my eye line. The more experienced beekeepers out there will&

Support the show

]]> Today I’m celebrating my podcast’s first birthday! Fifty Two podcasts recorded and published.

I’ve covered quite a varied number of beekeeping topics over the past year and also attempted a few interviews which have been a little nerve wracking! I’m not a journalist or professional presenter, just a beekeeper looking to share my knowledge and views with other interested listeners. Hopefully I’ll be able to try out a few more interviews in the coming year.

You may be aware that I am sending out a fortnightly beekeeping newsletter with the same name as the podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, it’s early days at the moment and I’m trying to keep it light and image rich, so no massive pages of text to trawl through just a few interesting pictures with hopefully some useful links. I’ll be promoting various events and offers through the newsletter too, so do sign up, it’s quick and easy, just go to my website and leave your details when the sign up pop up appears.

Websites I referred to in the podcast:
www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
www.beetradeex.co.uk
www.scientificbeekeeping.com

Talking of events, we are fast approaching the Spring Sales events here in the UK, The first major event on Saturday 9th March is called BeeTradex, billed as The Biggest Beekeeping Show in 2019 it is a one day trade show with various lectures and talks being given. It’s held at the agricultural show grounds at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. It’s also a chance to pick up a bargain from one of the beekeeping equipment manufacturers or suppliers as they usually have discounts available. One of the nicest things about BeeTradex is that it gives me the chance to catch up with friends within the industry and also chat with fellow beekeepers who I would not normally have a chance to get together with. If you’re going along please do stop me and say hello. I’ll pop the Beetradex website link in the show notes.

With the temperatures on the rise, the bees have certainly been getting out and about, clusters have been breaking up, not that we’ve had many very cold days but the nights have been chilly falling to below freezing. I was out putting some fondant on some colonies a few days ago and was happy to see so many colonies with large numbers of bees, I would say an average of six seams of bees but some were around 9 seams which is excellent. That can obviously lead to a food shortage, particularly if the colony gets quite active in the warmer weather but fails to find any early food source. We’ve had lots of snowdrops in flower locally and now the crocus is exploding into flower with this milder weather. A vital source of food and we’re very lucky to have so many crocus plants flowering near our apiaries. It seems to be the number one Spring flowering plant of choice for our Norwich City council who appear to have planted millions of bulbs over the last few years all around our fine City.

That said, it is still February and the weather can as easily turn cold and wintery again so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. I spoke to a beekeeper a couple of days ago who said if the weather stays warm he was going to inspect at the weekend, I think this is a little too soon, I’m certainly not going to be inspecting my colonies although there are a couple I’m keeping a close eye on.

The first colony is the nuc I have in my allotment apiary, that’s the one with the Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus, I popped some fondant on them last week, they’re still alive although the entrance was badly clogged up with dead bees so I think they are still suffering. I’d like to get into them as early as possible and see what’s going on.

The other colony is at one of my out apiaries, I was out treating with the Oxalic Acid trickle method a while back and as I finished treating this particular hive and was putting the roof back on a larger than normal bees flew across my eye line. The more experienced beekeepers out there will&

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-956982 Fri, 08 Mar 2019 09:00:00 +0000 946 beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, 2 6 full false Queen Rearing Techniques S2:E5 Queen Rearing Techniques S2:E5 Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 51 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week it’s time to look at some of my favourite queen rearing techniques and one that I’ve particularly struggled with.

Gain access to more content, videos, early release podcasts and more at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

The Nicot System that I am using was kindly supplied to me by Bee Equipment, online beekeeping equipment suppliers, https://bee-equipment.co.uk/

Welcome back to another weekly podcast, seems strange to think that it’s been a full year since I started my podcasts, next week sees podcast 52 and with the exception of a couple of week’s break over Christmas I’ve managed to stick to my commitment of delivering to you a weekly podcast about beekeeping, I’m delighted to have reached this milestone but I couldn’t have done it without the support from those of you who take the time out of your busy schedules to drop me an occasional message of support, so thank you for that.

If there’s anyone out there listening who would like to support me further do take a look at my patreon page where you can gain access to more content and as we’re heading towards the start of the new season there’s never been a better time to get on board and through the active season I’ll be producing at least three videos per week with only one of those being available on YouTube the rest will only be available on my patreon page, As usual I’ll post a link in the notes to accompany this podcast.

So, Queen Rearing….

It might seem a little early to be talking about queen rearing, it is only the beginning of February, but, the season will soon be upon us and if you haven’t planned what you are going to do you could find yourself missing the boat and playing catch up instead of enjoying a full season.

I thought I would just talk through some of the queen rearing techniques I’ve used over recent times and give you some thoughts on which technique might best suit you and your beekeeping.

I’ll try to go through them in terms of the quantity of queen cells you want for your season starting with the back garden beekeeper with just a couple of colonies and work through to the methods that have the ability to produce hundreds of queen cells.

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]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to episode 51 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week it’s time to look at some of my favourite queen rearing techniques and one that I’ve particularly struggled with.

Gain access to more content, videos, early release podcasts and more at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

The Nicot System that I am using was kindly supplied to me by Bee Equipment, online beekeeping equipment suppliers, https://bee-equipment.co.uk/

Welcome back to another weekly podcast, seems strange to think that it’s been a full year since I started my podcasts, next week sees podcast 52 and with the exception of a couple of week’s break over Christmas I’ve managed to stick to my commitment of delivering to you a weekly podcast about beekeeping, I’m delighted to have reached this milestone but I couldn’t have done it without the support from those of you who take the time out of your busy schedules to drop me an occasional message of support, so thank you for that.

If there’s anyone out there listening who would like to support me further do take a look at my patreon page where you can gain access to more content and as we’re heading towards the start of the new season there’s never been a better time to get on board and through the active season I’ll be producing at least three videos per week with only one of those being available on YouTube the rest will only be available on my patreon page, As usual I’ll post a link in the notes to accompany this podcast.

So, Queen Rearing….

It might seem a little early to be talking about queen rearing, it is only the beginning of February, but, the season will soon be upon us and if you haven’t planned what you are going to do you could find yourself missing the boat and playing catch up instead of enjoying a full season.

I thought I would just talk through some of the queen rearing techniques I’ve used over recent times and give you some thoughts on which technique might best suit you and your beekeeping.

I’ll try to go through them in terms of the quantity of queen cells you want for your season starting with the back garden beekeeper with just a couple of colonies and work through to the methods that have the ability to produce hundreds of queen cells.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-947523 Fri, 01 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000 812 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 5 full false The Dark Art of Hefting Beehives S2:E4 The Dark Art of Hefting Beehives S2:E4 Today is the 1st of February, well, actually, it’s the 29th January but the first release of this episode is on the 1st of February, if you get what I mean. That means we are just weeks away from a possible start to the new season and our first inspections. Now I’m not suggesting you leap in to your hives in February and I’m also not suggesting that you don’t, but, from February onwards everything is so weather dependant. If we get a warm, Spring like day, then go ahead and have a quick look. If you’ve not listened to last week’s podcast, that’s podcast 49, check it out because that one explains what I do during my first inspections.

There are things to be getting on with and it won’t harm if you go around hefting each hive to heck up on it. That said, hefting needs some explanation because if you’re not experienced with it you may draw the wrong conclusions from it and lose colonies. That sounds rather dramatic, and I’m not trying to scare you but let me explain.

If you only have a few hives it’s quite possible you can remember the general feel of each colony as you heft them through the Winter, which reminds me, if you haven’t hefted any of your colonies at all over Winter it might not help that much if you start now. You see, what you’re looking for is a comparison between the last time you hefted and now, also, a comparison between colonies within the apiary is helpful. But this is where inexperience can give you a false impression. Let’s imagine I have an apiary with ten bee hives in it all the same type, Commercials.

I’ve been hefting them regularly throughout the Winter so far, every other week since the beginning of December. So far they have all appeared to be around the same weight, not overly heavy but not what you might call light.

This time however things have changed.

six of the colonies all appear to have about the same weight, one appears extremely light by comparison and three feel quite heavy.

Let’s start with the light one, remember if you’re going to remove the crown board always have your bee suit on and smoker lit and at the ready. You may never need them but the one day you don’t do this will be the day the colony gets grumpy and chases you down the garden path.

So, the light colony, when I look inside I find a reasonably large cluster, alive and well. I would do no more than pop a large pack of fondant on to the holes in the crown board and leave them to it. I have fondant in 1kg packages so I would place two packs on this colony. It appears they are well and healthy and just a bit light on stores. Close them up and check on them again next week.

The first of the heavy hives has a smaller cluster of bees than the one we just looked at however, checking on the frame next to the cluster I find it is full of liquid food stores and the bees have been using it. This colony appears to be fine, just a frugal colony that doesn’t use as much of their stores as other colonies. I can close them up without doing anything.

The second heavy hive has a smaller cluster, still alive but tight up against the side wall of the hive. Checking the frame nearest the cluster there is very little food in it apart from a large band of solid Ivy honey that has crystallised in the cells. looking at other frames in the box there appears to be plenty of liquid honey for them but the bees just don’t seem able to move over to it. This appears to be the start of isolation starvation and we’ve caught them just in time.

Isolation starvation is pretty common, a cluster of bees finds itself trapped away from food stores and for me I find it’s normally because they can’t bridge across solid stores of Ivy and get stuck in a spell of cold weather.

It could also be that the bees, having eaten their way through a couple of central frames, move the cluster towards the warm side of the hive where the sun has started to warm it up but in doing so leave an empty void with no food.

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]]> Today is the 1st of February, well, actually, it’s the 29th January but the first release of this episode is on the 1st of February, if you get what I mean. That means we are just weeks away from a possible start to the new season and our first inspections. Now I’m not suggesting you leap in to your hives in February and I’m also not suggesting that you don’t, but, from February onwards everything is so weather dependant. If we get a warm, Spring like day, then go ahead and have a quick look. If you’ve not listened to last week’s podcast, that’s podcast 49, check it out because that one explains what I do during my first inspections.

There are things to be getting on with and it won’t harm if you go around hefting each hive to heck up on it. That said, hefting needs some explanation because if you’re not experienced with it you may draw the wrong conclusions from it and lose colonies. That sounds rather dramatic, and I’m not trying to scare you but let me explain.

If you only have a few hives it’s quite possible you can remember the general feel of each colony as you heft them through the Winter, which reminds me, if you haven’t hefted any of your colonies at all over Winter it might not help that much if you start now. You see, what you’re looking for is a comparison between the last time you hefted and now, also, a comparison between colonies within the apiary is helpful. But this is where inexperience can give you a false impression. Let’s imagine I have an apiary with ten bee hives in it all the same type, Commercials.

I’ve been hefting them regularly throughout the Winter so far, every other week since the beginning of December. So far they have all appeared to be around the same weight, not overly heavy but not what you might call light.

This time however things have changed.

six of the colonies all appear to have about the same weight, one appears extremely light by comparison and three feel quite heavy.

Let’s start with the light one, remember if you’re going to remove the crown board always have your bee suit on and smoker lit and at the ready. You may never need them but the one day you don’t do this will be the day the colony gets grumpy and chases you down the garden path.

So, the light colony, when I look inside I find a reasonably large cluster, alive and well. I would do no more than pop a large pack of fondant on to the holes in the crown board and leave them to it. I have fondant in 1kg packages so I would place two packs on this colony. It appears they are well and healthy and just a bit light on stores. Close them up and check on them again next week.

The first of the heavy hives has a smaller cluster of bees than the one we just looked at however, checking on the frame next to the cluster I find it is full of liquid food stores and the bees have been using it. This colony appears to be fine, just a frugal colony that doesn’t use as much of their stores as other colonies. I can close them up without doing anything.

The second heavy hive has a smaller cluster, still alive but tight up against the side wall of the hive. Checking the frame nearest the cluster there is very little food in it apart from a large band of solid Ivy honey that has crystallised in the cells. looking at other frames in the box there appears to be plenty of liquid honey for them but the bees just don’t seem able to move over to it. This appears to be the start of isolation starvation and we’ve caught them just in time.

Isolation starvation is pretty common, a cluster of bees finds itself trapped away from food stores and for me I find it’s normally because they can’t bridge across solid stores of Ivy and get stuck in a spell of cold weather.

It could also be that the bees, having eaten their way through a couple of central frames, move the cluster towards the warm side of the hive where the sun has started to warm it up but in doing so leave an empty void with no food.

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-939131 Fri, 22 Feb 2019 07:00:00 +0000 697 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 4 full false Oxalic Acid Sublimation S2:E3 Oxalic Acid Sublimation S2:E3 Be Warned! Oxalic Acid Sublimation for the treatment of Varroa is a healthy and safety exercise first and foremost. You must take every precaution to ensure the safety of both yourself and those around you.
Today we're on location treating our colonies with Oxalic Acid Sublimation using the ProVap220 which is available from my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/provap220
Pete and I travelled to my University apiary to treat my colonies with Oxalic Acid to try to kill more varroa mites before the season kicks off. Remember, we are trying to kill phoretic mites which are those hitching a lift on the backs (and underside) of our honeybees.
Following lots of reading it appears that 2.25g of Oxalic Acid Dihydrate was the best dose to use to kill the maximum number of varroa whilst at the same time keeping honeybee mortality to a minimum. You can watch the video of our treatment process on my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney or my YouTube channel "The Norfolk Honey Company".
We rely upon the support of patrons on our Patreon page to continue to provide content for all beekeepers. If you feel you could support us please do take a look at that page where options start from as little as $1.
The paper that I refer to in the podcast can be found here: Hasan Al Toufailia, Luciano Scandian & Francis L W Ratnieks (2015) Towards integrated control of varroa: 2)comparing application methods and doses of oxalic acid on the mortality of phoretic Varroa destructor mites and their honey bee hosts, Journal of Apicultural Research, 54:2, 108-120, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2015.1106777

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]]> Be Warned! Oxalic Acid Sublimation for the treatment of Varroa is a healthy and safety exercise first and foremost. You must take every precaution to ensure the safety of both yourself and those around you.
Today we're on location treating our colonies with Oxalic Acid Sublimation using the ProVap220 which is available from my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/provap220
Pete and I travelled to my University apiary to treat my colonies with Oxalic Acid to try to kill more varroa mites before the season kicks off. Remember, we are trying to kill phoretic mites which are those hitching a lift on the backs (and underside) of our honeybees.
Following lots of reading it appears that 2.25g of Oxalic Acid Dihydrate was the best dose to use to kill the maximum number of varroa whilst at the same time keeping honeybee mortality to a minimum. You can watch the video of our treatment process on my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney or my YouTube channel "The Norfolk Honey Company".
We rely upon the support of patrons on our Patreon page to continue to provide content for all beekeepers. If you feel you could support us please do take a look at that page where options start from as little as $1.
The paper that I refer to in the podcast can be found here: Hasan Al Toufailia, Luciano Scandian & Francis L W Ratnieks (2015) Towards integrated control of varroa: 2)comparing application methods and doses of oxalic acid on the mortality of phoretic Varroa destructor mites and their honey bee hosts, Journal of Apicultural Research, 54:2, 108-120, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2015.1106777

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-923769 Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +0000 905 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 3 full false The First Beekeeping Inspection of Spring S2:E2 The First Beekeeping Inspection of Spring S2:E2 Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week I’m looking forward to the start of the new season with some thoughts of what to look out for in that first inspection of the season.


Although it’s quite cold outside and the frosts have begun in earnest, the sun is shining brightly today unlike yesterday when we had quite dense fog for most of the day, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Spring will be here soon.

The Hazel catkins are in full flower right now and a gentle tap showers the air with a cloud of pollen. I’ve collected some to look at under the microscope and to show how easy microscopy is, especially if you keep an eye out for my online beginners course coming soon.

Anyway, with it looking really lovely and sunny outside my mind drifted towards the start of the new season, it’s still some way off as this is still late January but just like those Summer holidays you book in Winter, they come around very quickly and are gone in a flash. So I Thought I would take a look ahead to what I’ll be doing in a few weeks time when we start to see the daytime temperatures increase and the bees start to get out in earnest.

Keeping a watchful eye on your colonies through the Winter is essential, although this doesn’t have to happen on a weekly basis it’s good to check up on them regularly to make sure there are flying bees and they have enough food stores. As the warmer weather approaches the temptation to carry out a thorough inspection grips many beginner beekeepers and too many put their bees in a dangerous position by inspecting far too early in the season.

The reason the colonies are put in danger isn’t because the beekeeper is clumsy or that there is some hidden risk it’s simply that the bee hive gets opened when the outside air temperature is far too cold to be carrying out any meaningful inspection.

As we head into Spring, the colonies should be building up nicely, with an increased brood area as the queen increases her egg laying day by day. Unfortunately this coincides with the Winter bees, those that have kept the colony alive throughout the dark , cold days of December, January and February, dying out and reducing the overall number of bees in the hive. Those bees left have to work harder to keep the larvae fed and protected, this mainly means protected from the cold outside temperatures. Remember the brood area is going to be kept at something like 34-35 degrees C and if you’re splitting open the brood nest in temperatures of single figures the bees are going to have a really difficult time in bringing the brood area back up to the correct temperature. the result of this is that it leads to something called Chilled Brood. What tends to happen is the bees will only be able to get the temperature of the brood area up from the middle out and so larvae on the outer perimeter of the brood nest are left in temperatures that are far too low for them to survive.

When you finally get back in to the colony to inspect you may find a ring of brood on the outside of the brood nest area that has died, that’s chilled brood and generally the fault of the beekeeper.

Better to sit on your hands and not inspect the bees until the daytime temperature is at least 15 degrees C, some beekeepers call it T shirt weather but I saw a chap out a few days ago in a T shirt and it must have been around 8 degrees C, so better to go by the thermometer rather than the goosebumps.

You’ll already know if you have a live colony in the hive as you’ll have been watching them over the previous few weeks so that first inspection is to check how they have coped through the Winter.

Pick a day when it’s not blowing a gale too, nothing chills a brood nest quicker than a keen beekeeper in a Spring brisk breeze. So wait for a calm, warm day and aim for the warmest part of the day, around lunchtime if possible.

The plan here is to be

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]]> Hi I’m Stewart Spinks and welcome to my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet. This week I’m looking forward to the start of the new season with some thoughts of what to look out for in that first inspection of the season.


Although it’s quite cold outside and the frosts have begun in earnest, the sun is shining brightly today unlike yesterday when we had quite dense fog for most of the day, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Spring will be here soon.

The Hazel catkins are in full flower right now and a gentle tap showers the air with a cloud of pollen. I’ve collected some to look at under the microscope and to show how easy microscopy is, especially if you keep an eye out for my online beginners course coming soon.

Anyway, with it looking really lovely and sunny outside my mind drifted towards the start of the new season, it’s still some way off as this is still late January but just like those Summer holidays you book in Winter, they come around very quickly and are gone in a flash. So I Thought I would take a look ahead to what I’ll be doing in a few weeks time when we start to see the daytime temperatures increase and the bees start to get out in earnest.

Keeping a watchful eye on your colonies through the Winter is essential, although this doesn’t have to happen on a weekly basis it’s good to check up on them regularly to make sure there are flying bees and they have enough food stores. As the warmer weather approaches the temptation to carry out a thorough inspection grips many beginner beekeepers and too many put their bees in a dangerous position by inspecting far too early in the season.

The reason the colonies are put in danger isn’t because the beekeeper is clumsy or that there is some hidden risk it’s simply that the bee hive gets opened when the outside air temperature is far too cold to be carrying out any meaningful inspection.

As we head into Spring, the colonies should be building up nicely, with an increased brood area as the queen increases her egg laying day by day. Unfortunately this coincides with the Winter bees, those that have kept the colony alive throughout the dark , cold days of December, January and February, dying out and reducing the overall number of bees in the hive. Those bees left have to work harder to keep the larvae fed and protected, this mainly means protected from the cold outside temperatures. Remember the brood area is going to be kept at something like 34-35 degrees C and if you’re splitting open the brood nest in temperatures of single figures the bees are going to have a really difficult time in bringing the brood area back up to the correct temperature. the result of this is that it leads to something called Chilled Brood. What tends to happen is the bees will only be able to get the temperature of the brood area up from the middle out and so larvae on the outer perimeter of the brood nest are left in temperatures that are far too low for them to survive.

When you finally get back in to the colony to inspect you may find a ring of brood on the outside of the brood nest area that has died, that’s chilled brood and generally the fault of the beekeeper.

Better to sit on your hands and not inspect the bees until the daytime temperature is at least 15 degrees C, some beekeepers call it T shirt weather but I saw a chap out a few days ago in a T shirt and it must have been around 8 degrees C, so better to go by the thermometer rather than the goosebumps.

You’ll already know if you have a live colony in the hive as you’ll have been watching them over the previous few weeks so that first inspection is to check how they have coped through the Winter.

Pick a day when it’s not blowing a gale too, nothing chills a brood nest quicker than a keen beekeeper in a Spring brisk breeze. So wait for a calm, warm day and aim for the warmest part of the day, around lunchtime if possible.

The plan here is to be

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-931617 Fri, 15 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000 822 beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 2 2 full false My New Year Beekeeping Plans S2:E1 My New Year Beekeeping Plans S2:E1 Planning for the new season is an important part of every year, making sure everything is in place for a successful start to the new beekeeping season.
My plans are fairly straighforward but it's always important to get something committed to paper so you know where you're heading. Once you have it fixed you can go back to your plan and make sure you're on track.

Support the show

]]> Planning for the new season is an important part of every year, making sure everything is in place for a successful start to the new beekeeping season.
My plans are fairly straighforward but it's always important to get something committed to paper so you know where you're heading. Once you have it fixed you can go back to your plan and make sure you're on track.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-916060 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +0000 879 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 2 1 full false A Happy Beekeeping Christmas S1:E46 A Happy Beekeeping Christmas S1:E46 This week is a brief review of this season's beekeeping. Another season gone and another Christmas upon us. I'm grateful for all the help and support I've had over the last year and want to thank everyone who has supported me in trying to bring beekeeping to as many people as possible.

Support the show

]]> This week is a brief review of this season's beekeeping. Another season gone and another Christmas upon us. I'm grateful for all the help and support I've had over the last year and want to thank everyone who has supported me in trying to bring beekeeping to as many people as possible.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-897147 Fri, 11 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +0000 836 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 46 full false Floors, Christmas Parties and Honey Regulations! S1:E45 Floors, Christmas Parties and Honey Regulations! S1:E45 More beekeeping chat about preparing our hives for the Winter oxalic acid treatments, the local beekeeping club has it's Christmas party and a start of a discussion about the Honey Regulations 2015

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]]> More beekeeping chat about preparing our hives for the Winter oxalic acid treatments, the local beekeeping club has it's Christmas party and a start of a discussion about the Honey Regulations 2015

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-889566 Fri, 04 Jan 2019 10:00:00 +0000 1050 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 45 full false Beekeeping Q&A for December S1:E44 Beekeeping Q&A for December S1:E44 My regular monthly Questions and Answers podcast with some timely questions about feeding bees overWinter.
Check out my full range of microscopes and books on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
You can find Randy Oliver's website at www.scientificbeekeeping.com

Support the show

]]> My regular monthly Questions and Answers podcast with some timely questions about feeding bees overWinter.
Check out my full range of microscopes and books on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk
You can find Randy Oliver's website at www.scientificbeekeeping.com

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-882432 Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000 899 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 44 full false Jobs in the Apiary for December S1:E43 Jobs in the Apiary for December S1:E43 Although there are not many jobs to be attended to in December there are a couple of important issues to be sorted. Making sure woodpecker damage doesn't occur it's important to get some protection on during this month.

I'm also thinking about repairs, renewal and replacement of equipment particularly my hive floors. I need to make up around 40 or more in total and have an idea for making up my own this Winter.
Remember to cehck out the new range of microscopes www.beekeepingmicroscopes.co.uk

I hope you enjoy the podcast this week. Next week, it's time for my Q&A session.

Support the show

]]> Although there are not many jobs to be attended to in December there are a couple of important issues to be sorted. Making sure woodpecker damage doesn't occur it's important to get some protection on during this month.

I'm also thinking about repairs, renewal and replacement of equipment particularly my hive floors. I need to make up around 40 or more in total and have an idea for making up my own this Winter.
Remember to cehck out the new range of microscopes www.beekeepingmicroscopes.co.uk

I hope you enjoy the podcast this week. Next week, it's time for my Q&A session.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-874465 Fri, 21 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000 939 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, microscopy, 1 43 full false Brunel Microscopes Interview with Alan Potter S1:E42 Brunel Microscopes Interview with Alan Potter S1:E42 In this week's podcast I travel down to Chippenham, Wiltshire. UK., to interview Alan Potter, Managing Director of Brunel Microscopes.
Brunel Microscopes supply equipment to a wide range of organisations and beekeepers for a small but important part of their customer base.
The exciting news is that we are now able to announce we have become Authorised Distributors of Brunel Microscopes and can supply all the equipment any beekeeper might possibly want in order to identify pollen, diseases and carry out dissections.
Do check out our website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk for all the relevant information.

Support the show

]]> In this week's podcast I travel down to Chippenham, Wiltshire. UK., to interview Alan Potter, Managing Director of Brunel Microscopes.
Brunel Microscopes supply equipment to a wide range of organisations and beekeepers for a small but important part of their customer base.
The exciting news is that we are now able to announce we have become Authorised Distributors of Brunel Microscopes and can supply all the equipment any beekeeper might possibly want in order to identify pollen, diseases and carry out dissections.
Do check out our website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk for all the relevant information.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-867189 Fri, 14 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000 1004 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Microscopes, Brunel Microscopes 1 42 full false How To Render Beeswax S1:E41 How To Render Beeswax S1:E41 Well, I don’t know about you guys but for me, As the season progresses we seem to be constantly accumulating beeswax in a range of different guises, brace comb, burr comb, frames that have become too old and need replacing, frames that have been drawn out just the ways the bees want it but completely at odds with how we would like it. 
The best way to deal with it is to render it down and save it for reuse with another project or take it to a show for wax exchange.

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]]> Well, I don’t know about you guys but for me, As the season progresses we seem to be constantly accumulating beeswax in a range of different guises, brace comb, burr comb, frames that have become too old and need replacing, frames that have been drawn out just the ways the bees want it but completely at odds with how we would like it. 
The best way to deal with it is to render it down and save it for reuse with another project or take it to a show for wax exchange.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-858031 Fri, 07 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000 728 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping Rendering Beeswax 1 41 full false Beekeeping Q&A for November S1:E40 Beekeeping Q&A for November S1:E40 My regular monthly questions and answers session where I reply to questions submitted via my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Questions about woodpecker protection, the dreaded wax moth in supers and the use of Oxalic Acid sublimation. The latter question I was able to answer with some details from a research paper and I promised to detail the paper here so her is the reference:
Hasan M Al Toufailia, Esmaeil Amiri, Luciano Scandian, Per Kryger & Francis
L W Ratnieks (2014) Towards integrated control of varroa: effect of variation in hygienic behaviour among honey bee colonies on mite population increase and deformed wing virus incidence, Journal of Apicultural Research, 53:5, 555-562, DOI:10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10

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]]> My regular monthly questions and answers session where I reply to questions submitted via my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney
Questions about woodpecker protection, the dreaded wax moth in supers and the use of Oxalic Acid sublimation. The latter question I was able to answer with some details from a research paper and I promised to detail the paper here so her is the reference:
Hasan M Al Toufailia, Esmaeil Amiri, Luciano Scandian, Per Kryger & Francis
L W Ratnieks (2014) Towards integrated control of varroa: effect of variation in hygienic behaviour among honey bee colonies on mite population increase and deformed wing virus incidence, Journal of Apicultural Research, 53:5, 555-562, DOI:10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-855297 Fri, 30 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000 1012 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 40 full false November Jobs, Fat and Thirsty Honeybees! S1:E39 November Jobs, Fat and Thirsty Honeybees! S1:E39 I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you Autumn has finally arrived and last weekend here in the UK, we turned our clocks back. With the turning back of the clocks we suddenly got hit with some colder weather and we’ve now had a couple of frosty mornings where I had to scrape the ice off the Windscreen of the pick up.

All of this means the one thing - Cluster time!

It’s a quiet period for us beekeepers and hopefully you’re sat listening to this with a hot drink and a smug grin on your face knowing you’ve completed everything you needed to in order to best prepare your bees for the coming Winter.

Although the bees are not as active, they will be popping out of the hive on cleansing flights and gathering water when the sun warms the daytime temperatures sufficiently. There may be some very late Ivy that they can still forage on, you might see some yellow pollen coming back into the hive if this is the case.

I recently spent some time reading about Fat Bees and Thirsty Bees! It's amazing how, when you dig a little deeper into the lives of the the honeybee just how everything fits so well together.
If you'd like to follow up on the various references and articles that I've been reading check them out here.
Tomas Erban, Petr Jedelsky, Dalibor Titera. Two-dimensional proteomic analysis of honeybee, Apis mellifera, winter worker hemolymph. Apidologie, Springer Verlag, 2013, 44 (4), pp.404- 418. <10.1007/s13592-012-0190-5>. 
Amdam, GV, K Norberg, A Hagen, SW Omholt (2003) Social exploitation of vitellogenin. PNAS 100(4): 1799-1802.

Altmann, G. & Gontalsl-ti, H. (1961) Uber den Wasscrhaushalt der Winterbienen.
Symposium Genet. Biol. llal. 12 : 308 –328
Chauvin, R. (1968) (Editor) Traité de Biologie de l‘Abeille. Musson er Cie, Paris, 2:
245-252
Furgala, Basil (1975), quoted by Grout, R. (Editor). The Hive and the Honey Bee,
(Rev.Edition) Hamilton, lll. USA. pp 472-473
Jeffree, E.P. & Allen, M.D. (1956) The influence of colony size and Nosema disease on the rate of population loss in Winter.
Amdam, GV, et al. (2004a) Hormonal control of the yolk precursor vitellogenin regulates immune function and longevity in honeybees. Exp Gerontol.39(5):767-73.

Amdam, GV, K Hartfelder, K Norberg, A Hagen, SW Omholt (2004b) Altered Physiology in Worker Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Infested with the Mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae): A Factor in Colony Loss During Overwintering? Journal of Economic Entomology 97(3): 741-747.

Amdam GV, et al. (2005) ; Social reversal of immunosenescence in honey bee workers Experimental Gerontology 40(12): 939-947

Amdam, GV, K Norberg, SW Ohmolt (2005b) Higher vitellogenin concentrations in honey bee workers may be an adaptation to life in temperate climates. Insects Sociaux 52(4)

Anon. 2007 Genetic links illuminate bee social life. Australian Life Scientist 13/03/200

Keller, I, P Fluri, A Imdorf (2005) Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees. Bee World 86(1): 3-10.

Kleinschmidt and Kondos (1977) The effect of dietary protein on colony performance. Proc. 26th Int. Cong. Apic., Adelaide (Apimondia).

Lin, H., C. Dusset & Z.Y. Huang. 2004. Short-term changes in juvenile hormone titres in honey bee workers due to stress. Apidologie 35: 319-328.

Mussen, Eric (2007) FOOD for thought. Apicultural Newsletter March/April 2007. Dr. Mussen’s newsletters are some of the best references on issues related to almond pollination. http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mussen/news.cfm

Nelson, CM, KE Ihle, MK Fondrk, RE Page Jr., GV Amdam (2007) The Gene vitellogenin Has Multiple Coordinating Effects on Social Organization. Public Library of Science http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/

Support the show

]]> I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you Autumn has finally arrived and last weekend here in the UK, we turned our clocks back. With the turning back of the clocks we suddenly got hit with some colder weather and we’ve now had a couple of frosty mornings where I had to scrape the ice off the Windscreen of the pick up.

All of this means the one thing - Cluster time!

It’s a quiet period for us beekeepers and hopefully you’re sat listening to this with a hot drink and a smug grin on your face knowing you’ve completed everything you needed to in order to best prepare your bees for the coming Winter.

Although the bees are not as active, they will be popping out of the hive on cleansing flights and gathering water when the sun warms the daytime temperatures sufficiently. There may be some very late Ivy that they can still forage on, you might see some yellow pollen coming back into the hive if this is the case.

I recently spent some time reading about Fat Bees and Thirsty Bees! It's amazing how, when you dig a little deeper into the lives of the the honeybee just how everything fits so well together.
If you'd like to follow up on the various references and articles that I've been reading check them out here.
Tomas Erban, Petr Jedelsky, Dalibor Titera. Two-dimensional proteomic analysis of honeybee, Apis mellifera, winter worker hemolymph. Apidologie, Springer Verlag, 2013, 44 (4), pp.404- 418. <10.1007/s13592-012-0190-5>. 
Amdam, GV, K Norberg, A Hagen, SW Omholt (2003) Social exploitation of vitellogenin. PNAS 100(4): 1799-1802.

Altmann, G. & Gontalsl-ti, H. (1961) Uber den Wasscrhaushalt der Winterbienen.
Symposium Genet. Biol. llal. 12 : 308 –328
Chauvin, R. (1968) (Editor) Traité de Biologie de l‘Abeille. Musson er Cie, Paris, 2:
245-252
Furgala, Basil (1975), quoted by Grout, R. (Editor). The Hive and the Honey Bee,
(Rev.Edition) Hamilton, lll. USA. pp 472-473
Jeffree, E.P. & Allen, M.D. (1956) The influence of colony size and Nosema disease on the rate of population loss in Winter.
Amdam, GV, et al. (2004a) Hormonal control of the yolk precursor vitellogenin regulates immune function and longevity in honeybees. Exp Gerontol.39(5):767-73.

Amdam, GV, K Hartfelder, K Norberg, A Hagen, SW Omholt (2004b) Altered Physiology in Worker Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Infested with the Mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae): A Factor in Colony Loss During Overwintering? Journal of Economic Entomology 97(3): 741-747.

Amdam GV, et al. (2005) ; Social reversal of immunosenescence in honey bee workers Experimental Gerontology 40(12): 939-947

Amdam, GV, K Norberg, SW Ohmolt (2005b) Higher vitellogenin concentrations in honey bee workers may be an adaptation to life in temperate climates. Insects Sociaux 52(4)

Anon. 2007 Genetic links illuminate bee social life. Australian Life Scientist 13/03/200

Keller, I, P Fluri, A Imdorf (2005) Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees. Bee World 86(1): 3-10.

Kleinschmidt and Kondos (1977) The effect of dietary protein on colony performance. Proc. 26th Int. Cong. Apic., Adelaide (Apimondia).

Lin, H., C. Dusset & Z.Y. Huang. 2004. Short-term changes in juvenile hormone titres in honey bee workers due to stress. Apidologie 35: 319-328.

Mussen, Eric (2007) FOOD for thought. Apicultural Newsletter March/April 2007. Dr. Mussen’s newsletters are some of the best references on issues related to almond pollination. http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mussen/news.cfm

Nelson, CM, KE Ihle, MK Fondrk, RE Page Jr., GV Amdam (2007) The Gene vitellogenin Has Multiple Coordinating Effects on Social Organization. Public Library of Science http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-848217 Fri, 23 Nov 2018 14:00:00 +0000 1101 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping short and sweet, beekeeping 1 39 full false American Foul Brood & European Foul Brood S1:E38 American Foul Brood & European Foul Brood S1:E38 As we head into the Autumn and Winter months I wanted to revisit some of the more important aspects of beekeeping. this week I wanted to talk about the two foul brood diseases, American Foul Brood and European Foul brood. 
A lot of the information I’m discussing in today’s podcast comes directly from the National Bee Units Foul Brood  Disease of Honey Bees Booklet that can be downloaded free of charge from the BeeBase website
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=26

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]]> As we head into the Autumn and Winter months I wanted to revisit some of the more important aspects of beekeeping. this week I wanted to talk about the two foul brood diseases, American Foul Brood and European Foul brood. 
A lot of the information I’m discussing in today’s podcast comes directly from the National Bee Units Foul Brood  Disease of Honey Bees Booklet that can be downloaded free of charge from the BeeBase website
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=26

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-841040 Fri, 16 Nov 2018 14:00:00 +0000 884 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 38 full false My Winter Oxalic Acid Treatments S1:E37 My Winter Oxalic Acid Treatments S1:E37 Oxalic Acid treatments over the Winter period are a great way to remove unwanted varroa mites prior to the start of the new season, in today's podcast I share my thoughts on how I will be treating my colonies this year.
Check out the Sublimator that I will be using on my website where you will find it available to purchase www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/provapp220
Two of the very best informative beekeeping websites that I mention in the podcast are Scientific Beekeeping which can be found here: http://scientificbeekeeping.com/
and The Apiarist which can be found here: http://theapiarist.org/
The scientific paper that I mention in the podcast can be found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10
Please do leave message via my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk or on my patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> Oxalic Acid treatments over the Winter period are a great way to remove unwanted varroa mites prior to the start of the new season, in today's podcast I share my thoughts on how I will be treating my colonies this year.
Check out the Sublimator that I will be using on my website where you will find it available to purchase www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/provapp220
Two of the very best informative beekeeping websites that I mention in the podcast are Scientific Beekeeping which can be found here: http://scientificbeekeeping.com/
and The Apiarist which can be found here: http://theapiarist.org/
The scientific paper that I mention in the podcast can be found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.5.10
Please do leave message via my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk or on my patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-834385 Fri, 09 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000 786 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 37 full false Monthly Beekeeping Q&A - October S1:E36 Monthly Beekeeping Q&A - October S1:E36 Support the show

]]> Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-826884 Fri, 02 Nov 2018 04:00:00 +0000 1290 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, SPinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 36 full false Beekeeping Jobs in the Apiary for October S1:E35 Beekeeping Jobs in the Apiary for October S1:E35 Support the show

]]> Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-818999 Fri, 26 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0100 765 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 35 full false Microscopy for Beekeepers S1:E34 Microscopy for Beekeepers S1:E34 Learn all about getting started in Microscopy for Beekeepers. During the long, cold Winter months it's nice to have something beekeeping related to turn to just to keep building on the knowledge gained in the season just ended. Microscopy is an excellent way to learn new skills and learn more about how our honeybees function. It is also a way of being able to self-diagnose some disease issues without having to wait for help or the following Spring when the bees become active again. Nosema is one of the diseases you'll be able to identify and after a little practice, it takes very little time. The identification of pollen is one of the fun aspects of microscopy for beekeepers, again it's a simple technique once practiced a few times and can open up a world of fascinating shapes and structures. It will also allow you to identify what plants your bees have been foraging on. All in all it's a great "Off Season" hobby that will enhance your beekeeping and see out those long Winter months as we wait to start over with our beekeeping in the Spring. Check out microscope kits at Brunel Microscopes www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk Get up to date with all of my podcasts as they are released by visiting www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> Learn all about getting started in Microscopy for Beekeepers. During the long, cold Winter months it's nice to have something beekeeping related to turn to just to keep building on the knowledge gained in the season just ended. Microscopy is an excellent way to learn new skills and learn more about how our honeybees function. It is also a way of being able to self-diagnose some disease issues without having to wait for help or the following Spring when the bees become active again. Nosema is one of the diseases you'll be able to identify and after a little practice, it takes very little time. The identification of pollen is one of the fun aspects of microscopy for beekeepers, again it's a simple technique once practiced a few times and can open up a world of fascinating shapes and structures. It will also allow you to identify what plants your bees have been foraging on. All in all it's a great "Off Season" hobby that will enhance your beekeeping and see out those long Winter months as we wait to start over with our beekeeping in the Spring. Check out microscope kits at Brunel Microscopes www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk Get up to date with all of my podcasts as they are released by visiting www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-815322 Fri, 19 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0100 653 Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping 1 34 full false Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus Update S1:E33 Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus Update S1:E33 Support the show

]]> Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-808909 Fri, 12 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0100 746 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus 1 33 full false September Beekeeping Q&A S1:E32 September Beekeeping Q&A S1:E32 Our monthly Questions and Answers session with questions sent in from our Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney If you're interested in checking out the Jumbo Green Rapid Feeders from Maismore then here's the link http://www.bees-online.co.uk/detail.asp?ID=378&name=Maisemore-Jumbo-Rapid-Feeder-(Green)

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]]> Our monthly Questions and Answers session with questions sent in from our Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney If you're interested in checking out the Jumbo Green Rapid Feeders from Maismore then here's the link http://www.bees-online.co.uk/detail.asp?ID=378&name=Maisemore-Jumbo-Rapid-Feeder-(Green)

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-802700 Fri, 05 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0100 1377 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 32 full false Uniting Weak Honeybee Colonies in September S1:E31 Uniting Weak Honeybee Colonies in September S1:E31 Jobs around the apiary for September include the important job of uniting weaker colonies, today I discuss this and some other important jobs to carry out this month. Don't forget you can catch up with the very latest podcast release on my patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney here you can not only listen to the latest podcast but watch all of my beekeeping videos and at the same time support my project to bring more beekeeping content to all beekeepers around the world.

Support the show

]]> Jobs around the apiary for September include the important job of uniting weaker colonies, today I discuss this and some other important jobs to carry out this month. Don't forget you can catch up with the very latest podcast release on my patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney here you can not only listen to the latest podcast but watch all of my beekeeping videos and at the same time support my project to bring more beekeeping content to all beekeepers around the world.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-796171 Fri, 28 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0100 680 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 31 full false A Rainy Beekeeping Day Out S1:E30 A Rainy Beekeeping Day Out S1:E30 Support the show

]]> Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-790221 Fri, 21 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0100 870 Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping 1 30 full false Feeding Honeybees in Autumn S1:E29 Feeding Honeybees in Autumn S1:E29 Feeding your honeybees in preparation for Autumn and Winter can be quite a traumatic time but never fear, help is at hand! In today's podcast, we follow on from last week's chat about making sure you have a queenright colony and that any treatments for varroa have been properly applied. I discuss feeding in general and more specifically how I feed my bees in preparation for the long Winter months ahead that seem to be approaching very fast indeed!

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]]> Feeding your honeybees in preparation for Autumn and Winter can be quite a traumatic time but never fear, help is at hand! In today's podcast, we follow on from last week's chat about making sure you have a queenright colony and that any treatments for varroa have been properly applied. I discuss feeding in general and more specifically how I feed my bees in preparation for the long Winter months ahead that seem to be approaching very fast indeed!

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-783399 Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0100 945 Beekeeping, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks, Honeybees 1 29 full false Autumn Approaches S1:E28 Autumn Approaches S1:E28 With August fast passing us by it's time to get the colonies in good shape for the Autumn and Winter ahead. I find there are three things I need to get sorted to make sure my colonies are in the best shape possible to get through the Winter successfully and ready for a fast start in the New Year. Make sure we have queenright colonies, make sure they have been treated for varroa where necessary and get enough feed into them to make sure they have enough stores to see them through the Winter.

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]]> With August fast passing us by it's time to get the colonies in good shape for the Autumn and Winter ahead. I find there are three things I need to get sorted to make sure my colonies are in the best shape possible to get through the Winter successfully and ready for a fast start in the New Year. Make sure we have queenright colonies, make sure they have been treated for varroa where necessary and get enough feed into them to make sure they have enough stores to see them through the Winter.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-777737 Fri, 07 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0100 793 1 28 full false Beekeeping Q&A for August S1:E27 Beekeeping Q&A for August S1:E27 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! This month's Q&A features wax moth, hive types, dark honey and a range of other interesting questions. 

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]]> Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! This month's Q&A features wax moth, hive types, dark honey and a range of other interesting questions. 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-771933 Fri, 31 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0100 1108 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beekeeping Short and Sweet 1 27 full false August in and Around the Apiary S1:E26 August in and Around the Apiary S1:E26 August already! How on earth did that happen, this is episode 26 and I have no idea how the weeks have just raced passed. For me August is a kind of a bittersweet month, on the one hand it’s really exciting as this is when I take off our Summer crop of honey and on the other hand it kind of signals the push towards the end of the season. For me, there is no move to the heather to grab a late crop of honey and I don’t have any Mid-Summer into autumn flowering crops to benefit from so it really is a time to take stock of the honey production that we have achieved to the end of July and this first week of August is our extraction week. How you deal with your bees locally will of course depend greatly on whether you have alternative crops to take your bees to but for me my focus now turns to extraction, treatments for varroa when necessary and then into autumn I’ll feed to ensure the colonies are as well prepared as I can make them for the Winter that is fast approaching! Of course, I’m saying all of this in the ongoing return of the heatwave we have been experiencing here in the UK this Summer, it seems a bit daft to be talking about Winter but now is the time to get prepared. So let’s look at what I’m up to this month and that may give you some pointers as to what you might want to do or maybe plan to do depending on your local conditions. One of the important jobs for me is making sure I have enough storage space for the honey crop and with that in mind I had to order in some additional honey buckets. This year, once again I've ordered them from C.Wynn Jones, lovely people who are always ready to help and their have some very competitive prices. Check out their website at www.cwynnejones.com Don't forget you can listen to my podcasts as they are released to my patrons by signing up at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> August already! How on earth did that happen, this is episode 26 and I have no idea how the weeks have just raced passed. For me August is a kind of a bittersweet month, on the one hand it’s really exciting as this is when I take off our Summer crop of honey and on the other hand it kind of signals the push towards the end of the season. For me, there is no move to the heather to grab a late crop of honey and I don’t have any Mid-Summer into autumn flowering crops to benefit from so it really is a time to take stock of the honey production that we have achieved to the end of July and this first week of August is our extraction week. How you deal with your bees locally will of course depend greatly on whether you have alternative crops to take your bees to but for me my focus now turns to extraction, treatments for varroa when necessary and then into autumn I’ll feed to ensure the colonies are as well prepared as I can make them for the Winter that is fast approaching! Of course, I’m saying all of this in the ongoing return of the heatwave we have been experiencing here in the UK this Summer, it seems a bit daft to be talking about Winter but now is the time to get prepared. So let’s look at what I’m up to this month and that may give you some pointers as to what you might want to do or maybe plan to do depending on your local conditions. One of the important jobs for me is making sure I have enough storage space for the honey crop and with that in mind I had to order in some additional honey buckets. This year, once again I've ordered them from C.Wynn Jones, lovely people who are always ready to help and their have some very competitive prices. Check out their website at www.cwynnejones.com Don't forget you can listen to my podcasts as they are released to my patrons by signing up at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-766015 Fri, 24 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0100 878 beekeeping short and sweet, beekeeping, stewart spinks, beginner beekeeping 1 26 full false Clearing Honey Boxes and Man Flu! S1:E25 Clearing Honey Boxes and Man Flu! S1:E25 Clearing our Honey boxes ready for extraction we prefer the Rhombus clearer boards but there are several different types out there, In this week's podcast I describe a range of methods of clearing supers and succumb to a bout of Summertime Man Flu!

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]]> Clearing our Honey boxes ready for extraction we prefer the Rhombus clearer boards but there are several different types out there, In this week's podcast I describe a range of methods of clearing supers and succumb to a bout of Summertime Man Flu!

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-761172 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0100 612 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Honeybees 1 25 full false Mid Season Beekeeping Update S1:E24 Mid Season Beekeeping Update S1:E24 Beekeeping short and sweet. A beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper in fact, just like me! With local schools about to kick out for the Summer holiday’s and our politicians about to go off on their Summer recess I figured it would be a good time to sum up how the season has progressed so far by way of a school report, I remember those school reports I received when I was a kid, just the thought of them sends a shiver down my spine! I never really looked forward to them, anyway, I’ve divided my report into several sections just like the subjects at school and I’ll talk a little about each one in turn.

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]]> Beekeeping short and sweet. A beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper in fact, just like me! With local schools about to kick out for the Summer holiday’s and our politicians about to go off on their Summer recess I figured it would be a good time to sum up how the season has progressed so far by way of a school report, I remember those school reports I received when I was a kid, just the thought of them sends a shiver down my spine! I never really looked forward to them, anyway, I’ve divided my report into several sections just like the subjects at school and I’ll talk a little about each one in turn.

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-754749 Fri, 10 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0100 882 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Stewart Spinks, Beginner beekeeping 1 24 full false Monthly Q&A - July S1:E23 Monthly Q&A - July S1:E23 Beekeeping Short and Sweet - A beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! This week's podcast is our monthly Q&A, my thanks to everyone that posted questions and comments, it helps me a lot to be able to address genuine questions. Please do take a look at Paul Beardmore's Happy Valley Honey website for the Poly Langstroth Hives. happyvalleyhoney.co.uk Any questions for next months podcast Q&A can be left via my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney or on my website contacts page www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

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]]> Beekeeping Short and Sweet - A beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! This week's podcast is our monthly Q&A, my thanks to everyone that posted questions and comments, it helps me a lot to be able to address genuine questions. Please do take a look at Paul Beardmore's Happy Valley Honey website for the Poly Langstroth Hives. happyvalleyhoney.co.uk Any questions for next months podcast Q&A can be left via my Patreon page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney or on my website contacts page www.norfolk-honey.co.uk

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-749685 Fri, 03 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0100 900 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Honeybees 1 23 full false The Apiary in July S1:E22 The Apiary in July S1:E22 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span! Welcome once again to my weekly podcast, it’s a really busy time of the year for me at the moment, notwithstanding all of the videos, podcast, occasional blog post and social media output, the bees are definitely in need of constant attention. Talking of social media don’t forget we’re on Instagram and Twitter, search for @norfolkhoneyco and you should find me. This week I'm chatting about the apiary in July, things to watch out for, things to do and of course things to enjoy. The website for checking out varroa drop rates can be feound at http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/BeeDiseases/varroaCalculator.cfm My thanks to those of you listening via the Patreon page I really appreciate your support. If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s a support page where you can help me create more content by signing up to one of my reward tiers and in return you gain access to additional content and support from me. These start from as little as one dollar per month so I believe with the regular, quality content I’m producing one dollar represents excellent value for money. Check it out www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney If you’ve not yet started beekeeping and looking for help and assistance, pop over to my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/getstarted and I’ll do all I can to help out with suggestions and recommendations for you. 

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]]> Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span! Welcome once again to my weekly podcast, it’s a really busy time of the year for me at the moment, notwithstanding all of the videos, podcast, occasional blog post and social media output, the bees are definitely in need of constant attention. Talking of social media don’t forget we’re on Instagram and Twitter, search for @norfolkhoneyco and you should find me. This week I'm chatting about the apiary in July, things to watch out for, things to do and of course things to enjoy. The website for checking out varroa drop rates can be feound at http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/BeeDiseases/varroaCalculator.cfm My thanks to those of you listening via the Patreon page I really appreciate your support. If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s a support page where you can help me create more content by signing up to one of my reward tiers and in return you gain access to additional content and support from me. These start from as little as one dollar per month so I believe with the regular, quality content I’m producing one dollar represents excellent value for money. Check it out www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney If you’ve not yet started beekeeping and looking for help and assistance, pop over to my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/getstarted and I’ll do all I can to help out with suggestions and recommendations for you. 

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-743474 Fri, 27 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0100 867 Beekeeping, Stewart Spinks, Beginner Beekeeping, 1 22 full false Queen Rearing using the Nicot System S1:E21 Queen Rearing using the Nicot System S1:E21 Queen rearing using the Nicot system has to be one of the easiest methods of producing a reasonable number of queen cells with the minimum amount of hassle. In today's podcast, I discuss a previous method of queen rearing called the Alley method which turned out to be my favourite from last season and then how I use the Nicot system for raising around 15-20 queen cells per batch.The Nicot system was sent to me to try out last year by UK based online beekeeping specialists Bee Equipment. Check out their website, https://bee-equipment.co.uk/collections/queen-rearing-kits/products/queen-cup-system-starter-kitThere are cheaper versions available online but they seem to be poorly made when compared to the original system, I'd always rather opt for kit that's going to work rather than a cheaper version that is going to frustrate me!Check out my Patreon page here; www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

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]]> Queen rearing using the Nicot system has to be one of the easiest methods of producing a reasonable number of queen cells with the minimum amount of hassle. In today's podcast, I discuss a previous method of queen rearing called the Alley method which turned out to be my favourite from last season and then how I use the Nicot system for raising around 15-20 queen cells per batch.The Nicot system was sent to me to try out last year by UK based online beekeeping specialists Bee Equipment. Check out their website, https://bee-equipment.co.uk/collections/queen-rearing-kits/products/queen-cup-system-starter-kitThere are cheaper versions available online but they seem to be poorly made when compared to the original system, I'd always rather opt for kit that's going to work rather than a cheaper version that is going to frustrate me!Check out my Patreon page here; www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-737164 Fri, 20 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0100 844 Beekeeping, Beefarmer, Queen Rearing, Honeybees 1 21 full false Summer Varroa Treatment and CBPV S1:E20 Summer Varroa Treatment and CBPV S1:E20 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!This week I take a look at my Summer Varroa Treatments and discuss a worrying infection in one of my colonies, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus.Through most of the Summer I use a mechanical method of removing varroa mites but when I split colonies I switch to a treatment. In today's podcast, I talk about how I use this.Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus has taken hold of one of my colonies and I'm not sure there's much I can do with it except wait and see!I have carried out a bit of research in the last month reading quite a few scientific articles about the problem but there doesn't seem to be much practical help out there for beekeepers.The website I used for the Varroa Calculation is the National Bee Units website http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/The scientific papers I have read can be found using Google Scholar and searching Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus.The primary source of my reading is a book called Honeybee Pests, Predators and Diseases edited by Morse and Flottum. You can grab a copy of this book via a link on my website https://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/beekeeping-booksCheck out my support page at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney were you can help me create more content and access special rewards in return.Keep the messages coming and I'll catch up with you all next week.

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]]> Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!This week I take a look at my Summer Varroa Treatments and discuss a worrying infection in one of my colonies, Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus.Through most of the Summer I use a mechanical method of removing varroa mites but when I split colonies I switch to a treatment. In today's podcast, I talk about how I use this.Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus has taken hold of one of my colonies and I'm not sure there's much I can do with it except wait and see!I have carried out a bit of research in the last month reading quite a few scientific articles about the problem but there doesn't seem to be much practical help out there for beekeepers.The website I used for the Varroa Calculation is the National Bee Units website http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/The scientific papers I have read can be found using Google Scholar and searching Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus.The primary source of my reading is a book called Honeybee Pests, Predators and Diseases edited by Morse and Flottum. You can grab a copy of this book via a link on my website https://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/beekeeping-booksCheck out my support page at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney were you can help me create more content and access special rewards in return.Keep the messages coming and I'll catch up with you all next week.

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-732894 Fri, 13 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0100 869 1 20 full false Spring Honey Crop and the Dyce Method S1:E19 Spring Honey Crop and the Dyce Method S1:E19 Support the show

]]> Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-727301 Fri, 06 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0100 720 1 19 full false Monthly Q&A - June S1:E18 Monthly Q&A - June S1:E18 My Monthly Beekeeping Q&A, Supers, swarms, Queens and more!A beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!This month we have some great questions relating to the National Bee Unit here in the UK, When to feed swarms, how to get bees to move into a super when they refuse and which way round to put on a queen excluder.I also discuss colonies that swarm and then return to the hive, when is it too late to start a first year nuc, drone foundation in the supers and much more.The NBU can be found at http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/Sign up to my patreon page for lots of rewards at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

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]]> My Monthly Beekeeping Q&A, Supers, swarms, Queens and more!A beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!This month we have some great questions relating to the National Bee Unit here in the UK, When to feed swarms, how to get bees to move into a super when they refuse and which way round to put on a queen excluder.I also discuss colonies that swarm and then return to the hive, when is it too late to start a first year nuc, drone foundation in the supers and much more.The NBU can be found at http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/Sign up to my patreon page for lots of rewards at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-721188 Fri, 29 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0100 1031 beekeeping, 1 18 full false Monthly Apiary Update - June S1:E17 Monthly Apiary Update - June S1:E17 June In The Apiary! Extracting Early Season Honey, Swarming and Inspections. Beekeeping Short and Sweet. A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! Welcome once again to my weekly podcast and My thanks to those of you listening via the Patreon page I really appreciate your support. If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s a support page where you can help me create more content by signing up to one of my reward tiers and in return you gain access to additional content and support from me. These start from as little as one dollar per month. I don’t charge per video or per podcast so I believe with the regular, quality content I’m producing one dollar represents excellent value for money. If you’ve not yet started beekeeping and looking for help and assistance, pop over to my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/getstarted and I’ll do all I can to help out with suggestions and recommendations for you. Again, I’ll leave links to the various websites in this week’s show notes as usual. 

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]]> June In The Apiary! Extracting Early Season Honey, Swarming and Inspections. Beekeeping Short and Sweet. A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! Welcome once again to my weekly podcast and My thanks to those of you listening via the Patreon page I really appreciate your support. If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s a support page where you can help me create more content by signing up to one of my reward tiers and in return you gain access to additional content and support from me. These start from as little as one dollar per month. I don’t charge per video or per podcast so I believe with the regular, quality content I’m producing one dollar represents excellent value for money. If you’ve not yet started beekeeping and looking for help and assistance, pop over to my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/getstarted and I’ll do all I can to help out with suggestions and recommendations for you. Again, I’ll leave links to the various websites in this week’s show notes as usual. 

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-716078 Fri, 22 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0100 782 1 17 full false Basic Queen Rearing Part 2 - Two Nucs S1:E16 Basic Queen Rearing Part 2 - Two Nucs S1:E16 In my second queen rearing podcast I discuss a very simple technique of creating new queens from an existing hive that has thrown up queen cells. I call it the "Two Nucs" method of queen rearing, a method that has been in use by beekeepers for many years and one that can create many new colonies over the course of a season. No complicated equipment is required just a couple of spare nuc boxes. If you would like to get early access to my weekly podcast please check out my support page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney I use a range of reference material including a few very good books, if you'd like to see the queen rearing books I use, check out my reading list on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/readinglist. Possibly one of the best sources of accurate beekeeping information currently available on the internet is a website managed by Roger Patterson here in the UK, originally set up by a beekeeper called Dave Cushman. www.dave-cushman.net

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]]> In my second queen rearing podcast I discuss a very simple technique of creating new queens from an existing hive that has thrown up queen cells. I call it the "Two Nucs" method of queen rearing, a method that has been in use by beekeepers for many years and one that can create many new colonies over the course of a season. No complicated equipment is required just a couple of spare nuc boxes. If you would like to get early access to my weekly podcast please check out my support page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney I use a range of reference material including a few very good books, if you'd like to see the queen rearing books I use, check out my reading list on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/readinglist. Possibly one of the best sources of accurate beekeeping information currently available on the internet is a website managed by Roger Patterson here in the UK, originally set up by a beekeeper called Dave Cushman. www.dave-cushman.net

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-709941 Fri, 15 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0100 841 Beekeeping, Queen Rearing, Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Stewart Spinks 1 16 full false Basic Queen Rearing - Part One S1:E15 Basic Queen Rearing - Part One S1:E15 If you're new to beekeeping then the thought of queen rearing might send a shudder through you, well, no worries, if you've lost a swarm, congratulations, you're already raising new queens! In this week's podcast I discuss the basic technique of queen rearing known as the Artificial Swarm. If you would like to get early access to my weekly podcast please check out my support page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney I use a range of reference material including a few very good books, if you'd like to see the queen rearing books I use check out my reading list on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/readinglist. Possibly one of the best sources of accurate beekeeping information currently available on the internet is a website managed by Roger Patterson here in the UK, originally set up by a beekeeper called Dave Cushman. www.dave-cushman.net

Support the show

]]> If you're new to beekeeping then the thought of queen rearing might send a shudder through you, well, no worries, if you've lost a swarm, congratulations, you're already raising new queens! In this week's podcast I discuss the basic technique of queen rearing known as the Artificial Swarm. If you would like to get early access to my weekly podcast please check out my support page www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney I use a range of reference material including a few very good books, if you'd like to see the queen rearing books I use check out my reading list on my website www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/readinglist. Possibly one of the best sources of accurate beekeeping information currently available on the internet is a website managed by Roger Patterson here in the UK, originally set up by a beekeeper called Dave Cushman. www.dave-cushman.net

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-705207 Fri, 08 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0100 885 1 15 full false May Beekeeping Q&A S1:E14 May Beekeeping Q&A S1:E14 Welcome back to my podcast, this week it's my monthly Q&A session. You can submit questions via patreon.com/norfolkhoney. Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a weekly podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! 

Support the show

]]> Welcome back to my podcast, this week it's my monthly Q&A session. You can submit questions via patreon.com/norfolkhoney. Beekeeping Short and Sweet, a weekly podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-700650 Fri, 01 Jun 2018 05:00:00 +0100 833 1 14 full false Beekeeping in May S1:E13 Beekeeping in May S1:E13 Beekeeping Short and Sweet. A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! Welcome back to my weekly podcast and this week is our monthly preview of the month ahead, May! If you would like to take a look at my Patreon page please visit www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney. May already, where is this year going and when will the beekeeping season finally get started! I'm hopeful the next week or two will see the weather warming up a little and that means without any doubt some colonies will start swarming! In today's podcast I discuss the long, slow, chilly start to the new season here in the UK, comb change, wax moth and a little about Oil Seed Rape!

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]]> Beekeeping Short and Sweet. A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! Welcome back to my weekly podcast and this week is our monthly preview of the month ahead, May! If you would like to take a look at my Patreon page please visit www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney. May already, where is this year going and when will the beekeeping season finally get started! I'm hopeful the next week or two will see the weather warming up a little and that means without any doubt some colonies will start swarming! In today's podcast I discuss the long, slow, chilly start to the new season here in the UK, comb change, wax moth and a little about Oil Seed Rape!

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-694640 Fri, 25 May 2018 05:00:00 +0100 881 Beekeeping, Starting Beekeeping, Learn beekeeping 1 13 full false Interview with Daniel Bates from BS Honey S1:E12 Interview with Daniel Bates from BS Honey S1:E12 Welcome to Beekeeping Short and Sweet - A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! In today's podcast I interview Dan Bates from BS Honey, a new beekeeping enterprise with a couple of really nice young chaps at the helm. BS Honey Bees UK was formed by business partners & Bee Farmers Daniel Bates & Tristan Sawczuk in Gloucester, set in the beautiful countryside of the Cotswold's. Since 2011 BS Honey Bees has strived to be the lead producer, distributor & importer of high-quality bees & queens. With hives based around a 15 mile radius of Brockworth, Gloucester. BS Honey Bees have a vast amount of colonies offering a huge variety of flora for the bees to forage on. Daniel & Tristan are childhood friends, working together in commercial Bee Keeping operations down under & in the UK. Both fully DASH accredited (Disease Accreditation Scheme for Honeybees), they began BS Honey Bees as a joint venture only aged 21 with a wealth of knowledge behind them proving that bee keeping is not just something restricted to age. If you would like more information about BS Honey check out their website at www.bshoney.co.uk For anyone interested in joining my growing band of beekeepers on my patreon page check out the details at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

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]]> Welcome to Beekeeping Short and Sweet - A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me! In today's podcast I interview Dan Bates from BS Honey, a new beekeeping enterprise with a couple of really nice young chaps at the helm. BS Honey Bees UK was formed by business partners & Bee Farmers Daniel Bates & Tristan Sawczuk in Gloucester, set in the beautiful countryside of the Cotswold's. Since 2011 BS Honey Bees has strived to be the lead producer, distributor & importer of high-quality bees & queens. With hives based around a 15 mile radius of Brockworth, Gloucester. BS Honey Bees have a vast amount of colonies offering a huge variety of flora for the bees to forage on. Daniel & Tristan are childhood friends, working together in commercial Bee Keeping operations down under & in the UK. Both fully DASH accredited (Disease Accreditation Scheme for Honeybees), they began BS Honey Bees as a joint venture only aged 21 with a wealth of knowledge behind them proving that bee keeping is not just something restricted to age. If you would like more information about BS Honey check out their website at www.bshoney.co.uk For anyone interested in joining my growing band of beekeepers on my patreon page check out the details at www.patreon.com/norfolkhoney

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-689667 Fri, 18 May 2018 05:00:00 +0100 924 Beekeeping, BSHoney, BeeFarmers 1 12 full false Interview with Belinda Bright from BBWear S1:E11 Interview with Belinda Bright from BBWear S1:E11 During my recent visit to the BBKA (British Beekeeping Association) Spring Convention 2018 I managed to grab a few minutes to chat with Belinda Bright, Co-Founder of BBWear. With their combined experience, they saw the opportunity to develop a range of British made protective clothing for beekeepers. BBwear clothing is now sold all over the world and they are considered a market leader. BBwear suits offer protection, comfort and quality that is proven to last for many years. Since they started, BBwear has grown considerably and now have their three sons, James, Steve and Paul working with them. The business continues to develop and expand. Steve is a keen beekeeper and now manages their apiary of 10 hives. If you are interested in purchasing one of their bee suits why not give them a call or order online and use our unique discount code NHCBBW10 to obtain a 10% discount off any of their bee suits. BBWear are actively seeking worldwide distributors and if you are interested in discussing this business opportunity with them please do give them a call on 01872 562731 or alternatively drop them an email shop@bbwear.co.uk

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]]> During my recent visit to the BBKA (British Beekeeping Association) Spring Convention 2018 I managed to grab a few minutes to chat with Belinda Bright, Co-Founder of BBWear. With their combined experience, they saw the opportunity to develop a range of British made protective clothing for beekeepers. BBwear clothing is now sold all over the world and they are considered a market leader. BBwear suits offer protection, comfort and quality that is proven to last for many years. Since they started, BBwear has grown considerably and now have their three sons, James, Steve and Paul working with them. The business continues to develop and expand. Steve is a keen beekeeper and now manages their apiary of 10 hives. If you are interested in purchasing one of their bee suits why not give them a call or order online and use our unique discount code NHCBBW10 to obtain a 10% discount off any of their bee suits. BBWear are actively seeking worldwide distributors and if you are interested in discussing this business opportunity with them please do give them a call on 01872 562731 or alternatively drop them an email shop@bbwear.co.uk

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-685533 Fri, 11 May 2018 05:00:00 +0100 835 Beekeepingshortandsweet, Stewart Spinks, BBWear, BBWearBeesuits 1 11 full false April Beekeeping Q&A S1:E10 April Beekeeping Q&A S1:E10 Beekeeping Short and Sweet - A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span! This week is our April Question and Answer session from our Patreon members, lots of really great questions ranging from Apivar treatments for varroa, bailey comb changes, cleaning out dead hives and much more. If you’ve not yet started beekeeping and looking for help and assistance, pop over to my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/getstarted and I’ll do all I can to help out with suggestions and recommendations for you. This podcast is sponsored in part by BBWear Beekeeping Clothing. British Made BBWear clothing offers Protection, Comfort and Quality proven to last for many years and now you can also grab a special discount off their latest lines by using discount code NHCBBW10 Use the code on their website www.bbwear.co.uk 

Support the show

]]> Beekeeping Short and Sweet - A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span! This week is our April Question and Answer session from our Patreon members, lots of really great questions ranging from Apivar treatments for varroa, bailey comb changes, cleaning out dead hives and much more. If you’ve not yet started beekeeping and looking for help and assistance, pop over to my website, www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/getstarted and I’ll do all I can to help out with suggestions and recommendations for you. This podcast is sponsored in part by BBWear Beekeeping Clothing. British Made BBWear clothing offers Protection, Comfort and Quality proven to last for many years and now you can also grab a special discount off their latest lines by using discount code NHCBBW10 Use the code on their website www.bbwear.co.uk 

Support the show

]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-679738 Fri, 04 May 2018 05:00:00 +0100 954 1 10 full false Beekeeping in April S1:E9 Beekeeping in April S1:E9 Our Apiary in AprilBeekeeping short and sweet, a podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!Welcome back and thank’s for joining me here in Norfolk in the UK where we find ourselves just easing out of a prolonged cold, late Winter and chilly early Spring. The weather has really played it’s part this year with our beekeeping routine having been delayed somewhat by the colder weather.My podcast is released on a weekly basis firstly to our Patreon page where you can catch up with all of our content, if you’re not familiar with it, my beekeeping channel on Youtube and now more generally on Patreon is funded in part by my supporters on Patreon for which I am very grateful and if you’d like to have access to all of my beekeeping videos and podcasts as soon as they are released please do take a look at my patron page www dot patreon.com/norfolk honey. It’s April and I’m still waiting to be able to open up the hives and start seeing how the colonies faired over Winter. Today I’m looking at where we need to be heading this month with things that need to be done and so much of that still depends on the weather but we are moving into a warmer Spring like period and it’s noticeable that the bees are definitely becoming more active. It’s time to make sure everything is ready for the early season plans that we have in place and a good time for you to revisit your plans and think about what needs to be done this month in the apiary.It’s very much sunshine and showers at the moment, the sun warms everything up and then the cool Spring April showers turn up and cool everything back down again so it’s a tricky time for all of us, both beekeepers and honeybees. Of course, you could well be seeing lovely warm sunshine and temperatures well into the high teens and we all need to take account of the local conditions, just because I am able to inspect doesn’t mean that my beekeeping friends in Scotland can open up their hives.When I do finally manage to get into my bees I'm looking out for some very specific things.As I open the colony, how are the bees? Are there plenty of them, how many top bars do they cover? Are they moving about nicely or are they terribly sluggish, could that be a problem or are they just cold? I encountered Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus late last year and the bees just staggered around the colony, shivering and looking very sorry for themselves. Unfortunately they didn’t see out the Winter and I’ve had to clean out the hive and prepare it for reuse.Removing frames I’m looking not just at how much stores they have left but I’m also looking at the condition of the stores, is it still ok for the bees or has there been a problem with mould or fermentation, basically can the bees still use it?I’ve had some pollen supplement on my bees for a couple of weeks and I’m now looking to replace it with an early Spring feed of syrup. But don’t be in too great a hurry to start feeding your bees syrup, know why you’re feeding them, is it because they are running low? Are you aiming for an early crop such as Oil Seed Rape, also called Canola.Perhaps you're looking to expand the number of colonies you have or want plenty of bees for early queen rearing, just be sure you know why you’re feeding your bees. Once it’s warmed up a little I feed one to one sugar syrup in a contact feeder, it’s a system that works best for me.You might find your colonies have expanded incredibly quickly, this can seem like a really good start but be careful they have enough space, I’ve seen colonies swarming in early April because they haven’t enough space so be mindful that they may need additional room.This could be another brood box, ideal if you’re looking to split the colony or you may simply add a queen excluder and super, I like to make the first super I add one that has already been drawn with comb, I always think trying to get the bees to draw out fresh foundation th

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]]> Our Apiary in AprilBeekeeping short and sweet, a podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!Welcome back and thank’s for joining me here in Norfolk in the UK where we find ourselves just easing out of a prolonged cold, late Winter and chilly early Spring. The weather has really played it’s part this year with our beekeeping routine having been delayed somewhat by the colder weather.My podcast is released on a weekly basis firstly to our Patreon page where you can catch up with all of our content, if you’re not familiar with it, my beekeeping channel on Youtube and now more generally on Patreon is funded in part by my supporters on Patreon for which I am very grateful and if you’d like to have access to all of my beekeeping videos and podcasts as soon as they are released please do take a look at my patron page www dot patreon.com/norfolk honey. It’s April and I’m still waiting to be able to open up the hives and start seeing how the colonies faired over Winter. Today I’m looking at where we need to be heading this month with things that need to be done and so much of that still depends on the weather but we are moving into a warmer Spring like period and it’s noticeable that the bees are definitely becoming more active. It’s time to make sure everything is ready for the early season plans that we have in place and a good time for you to revisit your plans and think about what needs to be done this month in the apiary.It’s very much sunshine and showers at the moment, the sun warms everything up and then the cool Spring April showers turn up and cool everything back down again so it’s a tricky time for all of us, both beekeepers and honeybees. Of course, you could well be seeing lovely warm sunshine and temperatures well into the high teens and we all need to take account of the local conditions, just because I am able to inspect doesn’t mean that my beekeeping friends in Scotland can open up their hives.When I do finally manage to get into my bees I'm looking out for some very specific things.As I open the colony, how are the bees? Are there plenty of them, how many top bars do they cover? Are they moving about nicely or are they terribly sluggish, could that be a problem or are they just cold? I encountered Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus late last year and the bees just staggered around the colony, shivering and looking very sorry for themselves. Unfortunately they didn’t see out the Winter and I’ve had to clean out the hive and prepare it for reuse.Removing frames I’m looking not just at how much stores they have left but I’m also looking at the condition of the stores, is it still ok for the bees or has there been a problem with mould or fermentation, basically can the bees still use it?I’ve had some pollen supplement on my bees for a couple of weeks and I’m now looking to replace it with an early Spring feed of syrup. But don’t be in too great a hurry to start feeding your bees syrup, know why you’re feeding them, is it because they are running low? Are you aiming for an early crop such as Oil Seed Rape, also called Canola.Perhaps you're looking to expand the number of colonies you have or want plenty of bees for early queen rearing, just be sure you know why you’re feeding your bees. Once it’s warmed up a little I feed one to one sugar syrup in a contact feeder, it’s a system that works best for me.You might find your colonies have expanded incredibly quickly, this can seem like a really good start but be careful they have enough space, I’ve seen colonies swarming in early April because they haven’t enough space so be mindful that they may need additional room.This could be another brood box, ideal if you’re looking to split the colony or you may simply add a queen excluder and super, I like to make the first super I add one that has already been drawn with comb, I always think trying to get the bees to draw out fresh foundation th

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-676314 Fri, 27 Apr 2018 05:00:00 +0100 593 Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, Beginner Beekeeping, 1 9 full false How to Use Pollen Substitute S1:E8 How to Use Pollen Substitute S1:E8 Beekeeping short and sweet - A Beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!In this week's podcast, I'm talking about Pollen Substitute, why you might use it, how to mix it up and how to use it.Unless you've been keeping honeybees for a prolonged period of time it can seem that at every turn there's yet another difficult choice to make. Here's my take on one of those choices, whether to feed your honeybees pollen substitute and if so, how to feed it to them.Following a long, drawn out Winter our honeybees sometimes struggle in the first few weeks of Spring, variable weather, certainly something we get all too often here in the UK, can see the bees explode from the hive en masse foraging for pollen and nectar on one day only to be huddled back up in a cluster the next.I suspect most beekeepers will have considered feeding some fondant to their bees at some point over the Winter months, maybe your bees seem to just munch through all the food stores you give them as quickly as possible (another reason for considering near-native or native bees as they tend to be more frugal) or perhaps you just got caught out with the amount of food or the length of Winter the bees have had.Either way, adding fondant is a simple process of mostly lifting the lid and adding a block of soft sugar fondant to the bees and replacing the roof.But what about Pollen Substitute? Why feed it, when should you feed it, what does it do and should you bother?Why Pollen Substitute at all?Stepping back to basics for a brief moment, most beekeepers know that honeybees collect nectar as a carbohydrate and pollen as a protein and it is this protein early in the season that helps the colony launch itself out of Winter and into that very important growth phase through Spring.In order to produce eggs the queen is going to need protein and for the workers to produce brood food for the ever-expanding number of larvae they also need protein, but that doesn't mean you should rush out and buy a sack of pollen substitute or start mixing your own concoction, it just might not be necessary.I've often explained to beginner beekeepers who contact me or attend my courses, with all things that you do in beekeeping there should be a reason, don't just launch into doing something because you read about someone (like me!) doing it or some old timer in the bee club was talking about what he was doing. Think through your beekeeping plans and have a plan of action to follow, have a purpose for everything you do in beekeepingSo, back to the Pollen Substitute, during early Winter you will see you bees out foraging perhaps on ivy, grabbing as much pollen as possible, storing this pollen gives the bees much needed protein for the long Winter period but also for the late Winter and early Spring period as they gradually start to build up again. If you're lucky you will have early Spring flowering plants and trees that will provide a source of pollen for them. I am very fortunate that here in Norfolk, UK we have at most of our apiaries a range of plants such as snowdrops, crocus, hellebores and many others that provide a much-needed injection of pollen. Everything really starts to kick in around early to mid-March when the Willow starts to flower and this is the main source of pollen that our bees have to forage.When to Feed Pollen SubstituteWhere I have chosen colonies that I want to be roaring away as early as possible I will give a light syrup stimulatory feed in early March and then, having encouraged the queen to increase her egg laying the bees are going to want more pollen and so I follow this light feed with the pollen Substitute. Timing will vary depending on where you are and how your season is unfolding but don't be tempted to feed syrup too early, it will simply act as a heat sink and draw away warmth from the brood nest.Here then is the dilemma and also the question fo

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]]> Beekeeping short and sweet - A Beekeeping podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a beekeeper, in fact, just like me!In this week's podcast, I'm talking about Pollen Substitute, why you might use it, how to mix it up and how to use it.Unless you've been keeping honeybees for a prolonged period of time it can seem that at every turn there's yet another difficult choice to make. Here's my take on one of those choices, whether to feed your honeybees pollen substitute and if so, how to feed it to them.Following a long, drawn out Winter our honeybees sometimes struggle in the first few weeks of Spring, variable weather, certainly something we get all too often here in the UK, can see the bees explode from the hive en masse foraging for pollen and nectar on one day only to be huddled back up in a cluster the next.I suspect most beekeepers will have considered feeding some fondant to their bees at some point over the Winter months, maybe your bees seem to just munch through all the food stores you give them as quickly as possible (another reason for considering near-native or native bees as they tend to be more frugal) or perhaps you just got caught out with the amount of food or the length of Winter the bees have had.Either way, adding fondant is a simple process of mostly lifting the lid and adding a block of soft sugar fondant to the bees and replacing the roof.But what about Pollen Substitute? Why feed it, when should you feed it, what does it do and should you bother?Why Pollen Substitute at all?Stepping back to basics for a brief moment, most beekeepers know that honeybees collect nectar as a carbohydrate and pollen as a protein and it is this protein early in the season that helps the colony launch itself out of Winter and into that very important growth phase through Spring.In order to produce eggs the queen is going to need protein and for the workers to produce brood food for the ever-expanding number of larvae they also need protein, but that doesn't mean you should rush out and buy a sack of pollen substitute or start mixing your own concoction, it just might not be necessary.I've often explained to beginner beekeepers who contact me or attend my courses, with all things that you do in beekeeping there should be a reason, don't just launch into doing something because you read about someone (like me!) doing it or some old timer in the bee club was talking about what he was doing. Think through your beekeeping plans and have a plan of action to follow, have a purpose for everything you do in beekeepingSo, back to the Pollen Substitute, during early Winter you will see you bees out foraging perhaps on ivy, grabbing as much pollen as possible, storing this pollen gives the bees much needed protein for the long Winter period but also for the late Winter and early Spring period as they gradually start to build up again. If you're lucky you will have early Spring flowering plants and trees that will provide a source of pollen for them. I am very fortunate that here in Norfolk, UK we have at most of our apiaries a range of plants such as snowdrops, crocus, hellebores and many others that provide a much-needed injection of pollen. Everything really starts to kick in around early to mid-March when the Willow starts to flower and this is the main source of pollen that our bees have to forage.When to Feed Pollen SubstituteWhere I have chosen colonies that I want to be roaring away as early as possible I will give a light syrup stimulatory feed in early March and then, having encouraged the queen to increase her egg laying the bees are going to want more pollen and so I follow this light feed with the pollen Substitute. Timing will vary depending on where you are and how your season is unfolding but don't be tempted to feed syrup too early, it will simply act as a heat sink and draw away warmth from the brood nest.Here then is the dilemma and also the question fo

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-671794 Fri, 20 Apr 2018 05:00:00 +0100 939 Beekeeping, Get Started in Beekeeping, Beginner Beekeeping, Pollen Substitute, Stewart Spinks, Norfolk Honey Co 1 8 full false Monthly Preview: March S1:E7 Monthly Preview: March S1:E7 Welcome back to the Podcast. This week is my monthly review of jobs that might feature in March. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was chatting about the tasks for February, Spring is definitely on the way. Having said that Spring will soon be here there is also a risk to our bees from a last Winter chill and with it our bees could well be eating through their final remaining stores so it's important to keep a watchful eye on what stores your colonies have left and give them a top-up of fondant if needed. By now most of the Winter repair and cleaning work should have been completed, unless of course you're anything like me and leave most tasks to the last minute, anyway, it's time to get stuck in to the final few jobs that need to be done to be prepared for the new season.

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]]> Welcome back to the Podcast. This week is my monthly review of jobs that might feature in March. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was chatting about the tasks for February, Spring is definitely on the way. Having said that Spring will soon be here there is also a risk to our bees from a last Winter chill and with it our bees could well be eating through their final remaining stores so it's important to keep a watchful eye on what stores your colonies have left and give them a top-up of fondant if needed. By now most of the Winter repair and cleaning work should have been completed, unless of course you're anything like me and leave most tasks to the last minute, anyway, it's time to get stuck in to the final few jobs that need to be done to be prepared for the new season.

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-666621 Fri, 13 Apr 2018 05:00:00 +0100 702 Beekeeping, Beekeeping made easy, getting started in beekeeping, beginner beekeeping, 1 7 full false Q & A March 2018 S1:E6 Q & A March 2018 S1:E6 Beekeeping, Short and Sweet. A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span. A beekeeper, in fact, just like me.This is my monthly Q&A session answering beekeeping questions submitted by my Patreon supporters. In this episode, we have questions relating to sloping apiaries, dummy boards and others.Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for the Q&A for March. It was really quite difficult to keep it "short and sweet" but I only overran by a few seconds.Some really great questions and hopefully as we move forward I will get better at the whole Q&A process.Keep the comments and suggestions coming, there will, of course, be a Q&A Podcast lined up for April.

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]]> Beekeeping, Short and Sweet. A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span. A beekeeper, in fact, just like me.This is my monthly Q&A session answering beekeeping questions submitted by my Patreon supporters. In this episode, we have questions relating to sloping apiaries, dummy boards and others.Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for the Q&A for March. It was really quite difficult to keep it "short and sweet" but I only overran by a few seconds.Some really great questions and hopefully as we move forward I will get better at the whole Q&A process.Keep the comments and suggestions coming, there will, of course, be a Q&A Podcast lined up for April.

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-661780 Fri, 06 Apr 2018 05:00:00 +0100 942 Beekeeping short and sweet, beekeeping, getting started in beekeeping, UK Beekeepers, Beginner beekeeping, 1 6 full false BIBBA - Abberton Reservoir Interview with Kevin Thorn S1:E5 BIBBA - Abberton Reservoir Interview with Kevin Thorn S1:E5 Today's podcast is the follow-on interview with Kevin Thorn, Group Coordinator for the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association and also the person heading up the project at the Abberton Reservoir near Colchester, Essex. UK.Kevin explains how the project got started, the processes that they went through and who is involved.

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]]> Today's podcast is the follow-on interview with Kevin Thorn, Group Coordinator for the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association and also the person heading up the project at the Abberton Reservoir near Colchester, Essex. UK.Kevin explains how the project got started, the processes that they went through and who is involved.

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-652276 Fri, 30 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0100 634 1 5 full false Interview with Kevin Thorn from BIBBA S1:E4 Interview with Kevin Thorn from BIBBA S1:E4 In today's podcast I meet up with Kevin thorn, Groups' Organiser for the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association here in the UK.I am a member of BIBBA and I wanted to share some information about the group so that other beekeepers could learn a little more about the organisation and maybe even decide that it was something worth getting involved in.The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association has its own informative website www.bibba.com where you can find lots of useful information about the group and ways to participate.If you are interested in any aspect of the association's activities please do get in touch with Kevin by email, kevinthorn@me.com

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]]> In today's podcast I meet up with Kevin thorn, Groups' Organiser for the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association here in the UK.I am a member of BIBBA and I wanted to share some information about the group so that other beekeepers could learn a little more about the organisation and maybe even decide that it was something worth getting involved in.The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association has its own informative website www.bibba.com where you can find lots of useful information about the group and ways to participate.If you are interested in any aspect of the association's activities please do get in touch with Kevin by email, kevinthorn@me.com

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-651600 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 04:00:00 +0000 694 BIBBA, Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association, Kevin Thorn, Beekeeping, Beekeeping short and sweet, keeping honeybees, practical beekeeping 1 4 full false Nosema - A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Control S1:E3 Nosema - A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Control S1:E3 A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a podcast, in fact, designed for a beekeeper just like me!Nosema is a spore-forming parasitic microsporidian. There are over 200 different species of Nosema, fortunately, only two of those affect our honeybees.Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae.Each one is slightly different and develops in the honeybee slightly differently but both can devastate a honeybee colony.If you would like me to check your honeybees for Nosema check out my website:http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/product/nosema-assessment/The Scientific paper I refer to in the podcast is;"Effect of thymol and resveratrol administered with candyor syrup on the development of Nosema ceranaeand on the longevity of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)in laboratory conditions" Costa, Lodesani and Maistrello.Apidologie 41 (2010) 141–150 Available online at:c INRA/DIB-AGIB/EDP Sciences, 2009 www.apidologie.orgDOI: 10.1051/apido/2009070

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]]> A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a podcast, in fact, designed for a beekeeper just like me!Nosema is a spore-forming parasitic microsporidian. There are over 200 different species of Nosema, fortunately, only two of those affect our honeybees.Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae.Each one is slightly different and develops in the honeybee slightly differently but both can devastate a honeybee colony.If you would like me to check your honeybees for Nosema check out my website:http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/product/nosema-assessment/The Scientific paper I refer to in the podcast is;"Effect of thymol and resveratrol administered with candyor syrup on the development of Nosema ceranaeand on the longevity of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)in laboratory conditions" Costa, Lodesani and Maistrello.Apidologie 41 (2010) 141–150 Available online at:c INRA/DIB-AGIB/EDP Sciences, 2009 www.apidologie.orgDOI: 10.1051/apido/2009070

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-648890 Fri, 16 Mar 2018 04:00:00 +0000 852 Beekeeping Short and sweet, beekeeping, beginner beekeeper, honeybee, Nosema, Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae 1 3 full false Oxalic Acid Sublimation Using The ProVap220UK S1:E2 Oxalic Acid Sublimation Using The ProVap220UK S1:E2 A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a podcast, in fact, designed for a beekeeper just like me!The ProVap 220UKIn Today's Podcast, I review the latest piece of equipment I have called the ProVap220UK Oxalic Acid Sublimator/VaporiserCheck out all of the product details on our website http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/product/provap220uk/

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]]> A podcast for the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span, a podcast, in fact, designed for a beekeeper just like me!The ProVap 220UKIn Today's Podcast, I review the latest piece of equipment I have called the ProVap220UK Oxalic Acid Sublimator/VaporiserCheck out all of the product details on our website http://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/product/provap220uk/

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-648888 Fri, 09 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000 737 Beekeeping short and sweet, beekeeping, beginner beekeeper, Provap220, provap220uk 1 2 full false February Round Up S1:E1 February Round Up S1:E1 My regular weekly podcast for beekeepers everywhere.This week is my first monthly round-up podcast looking at jobs I have to complete this month and taking a brief look at what follows on in March.Beekeeping, Short and Sweet."For the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span!"Hopefully, you might find it fun, interesting, informative and questioning. Perhaps helping you question why you keep bees the way you do or find you fighting your corner because of the way you keep your bees.Anything I say will be meant in a kind-hearted way and not intended to insult and with any luck, it might just start up a conversation!I hope you enjoy them and feedback is always encouraged via my Facebook page, Patreon page or website

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]]> My regular weekly podcast for beekeepers everywhere.This week is my first monthly round-up podcast looking at jobs I have to complete this month and taking a brief look at what follows on in March.Beekeeping, Short and Sweet."For the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span!"Hopefully, you might find it fun, interesting, informative and questioning. Perhaps helping you question why you keep bees the way you do or find you fighting your corner because of the way you keep your bees.Anything I say will be meant in a kind-hearted way and not intended to insult and with any luck, it might just start up a conversation!I hope you enjoy them and feedback is always encouraged via my Facebook page, Patreon page or website

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-648759 Fri, 02 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000 767 Beekeeping Short and Sweet, Beekeeping, Beginner beekeeper, Starting beekeeping, honeybee, beehive, 1 1 full false Beekeeping Short & Sweet - Introduction S1:E0 Beekeeping Short & Sweet - Introduction S1:E0 Beekeeping, Short and Sweet.In this introductory podcast I outline very roughly what you might expect, I've called my podcasts "Beekeeping - Short and Sweet" and it will run with the tagline of something along the lines of"For the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span!"The plan is to keep them short and interesting, enough to get you listening and not doze off because it's just too long.Hopefully, you might find it fun, interesting, informative and questioning. Perhaps helping you question why you keep bees the way you do or find you fighting your corner because of the way you keep your bees.Anything I say will be meant in a kind-hearted way and not intended to insult and with any luck, it might just start up a conversation!I hope you enjoy them and feedback is always encouraged via my Facebook page, Patreon page or website

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]]> Beekeeping, Short and Sweet.In this introductory podcast I outline very roughly what you might expect, I've called my podcasts "Beekeeping - Short and Sweet" and it will run with the tagline of something along the lines of"For the inquisitive beekeeper with a short attention span!"The plan is to keep them short and interesting, enough to get you listening and not doze off because it's just too long.Hopefully, you might find it fun, interesting, informative and questioning. Perhaps helping you question why you keep bees the way you do or find you fighting your corner because of the way you keep your bees.Anything I say will be meant in a kind-hearted way and not intended to insult and with any luck, it might just start up a conversation!I hope you enjoy them and feedback is always encouraged via my Facebook page, Patreon page or website

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]]> Stewart Spinks Buzzsprout-648885 Sun, 25 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000 261 Beekeeping short and sweet, Beekeeping, Start Beekeeping, Beginner Beekeeping, Honeybees 1 1 full false