The national campaign to encourage us all to take another look at bees is held annually on the 10th of July. As a beekeeper, I definitely see things differently. We don’t spray our fields and we leave lots of wild areas on our campsite and around our borders - everywhere really!
We have native black bees - starting with 1 hive we now have 4. This is not because we are excellent with bees but mainly because we miss a Queen, then there are 2 and one has to move out, taking her posse with her!
Last week Houdini the goat was very poorly. We had to catch him to give him some medication prescribed by the vet. In the chaos of catching a goat, we got too close to a hive - the bees chased after us, firstly to rest on Jan’s head then on mine. I’m quite calm with bees but this was pretty intense! We release a pheromone which bees hone in on. It’s best to stay calm and still - but sometimes it’s not so easy!
The Beirhope Bees are mainly the responsibility of the modern apprentice (MA). He checks the hives, removed queen cells, adds and removes the dupers (where we collect our honey from) and feeds the bees to get them over the winter. Given the MA is unable to feed himself, he does an exceptional job of feeding the bees. All 4 hives successfully overwintered and are thriving right now.
There’s nothing better than the taste of honey made from nothing other than the pollen collected around Beirhope. I find myself looking out for plants at certain times of the year and introducing trekkers to our bees out on the hill! I mean, with the average hive being around 60,000 bees, we haven’t named them individually but do admire how they work to gather pollen, make brood and of course honey. It's just magical.
So, as scary as bees might be to you they really aren’t interested in you! They have busy lives and need to gather in food.
National Don’t Step on a Bee Day is upon us. Ask us while you visit and we’ll show you how to make the very best bee bombs with alpaca fibre and seeds. Plant a wee pot and watch them enjoy 🐝