Almholme Honey

25/06/2023

Just when we thought swarm season was ending.

The warm weather twined with thunderstorms will 'keep them swarming over and over again,' one bee keeper said. | ITV National News

14/06/2023

01/06/2023

With the Nectar flow in full swing the bees have been extremely busy……
Spring Honey! Available soon

03/05/2023

Beekeepers response to swarm calls

Most swarms often occur on warm Sunny days in May to the end of July, between 11am – 4pm
Often there is a peak on a fine day after poor weather when temperatures approach high teens.
A real honey bee swarm can be dramatic involving many thousands of bees in a large noisy cloud, however they normally settle into a cluster within 15 minutes.
Expect to be asked for a photo if you ring a beekeeper.
The beekeeper will ask you questions about where the swarm is, how long it has been there.

A few questions you are likely to be asked:

Describe what you have seen or ideally send a picture.
Size of cluster/how many (e.g. football size etc.)?
Honey bee swarms are thousands not a dozen
Location/access/parking (indoors, outdoors, chimney, etc)?
Height (e.g. 1st floor, roof top)?
How long have they been there?
Have you called anyone else?
Address/location/directions/parking including postcode?
Contact number?
Please call the beekeeper back if the swarm leaves
Do not give multiple beekeepers the details once one has agreed to attend.
Things to know

Collecting a swarm is normally a 2 part process...
Part one – to get the bees into a box.
Part two - to return in the evening to remove bees and box.
Some beekeepers may ask for expenses.
If on arrival we find that it is not honey bees we are unlikely to be able to help.
Most honey bee swarms are not aggressive but please do keep away.
Honey bee swarming is natural and the bees are just looking for a new home.
Bumblebees are best left alone.
They are valuable pollinators, some are endangered.
Please don’t use chemicals or other products on them.
Don’t try to block entrance hole as they will try to find another way out possibly into the property.
They will die out naturally in late summer/autumn.
Therefore the cost of a pest controller is easily avoided.
Wasps may require a pest controller if in a dangerous position. Wasps are also good pollinators and eat pests in your garden
Beekeepers don’t remove wasps
Swarm collection is done by volunteer beekeepers at their own discretion.


Some information about honeybee swarms and swarm collection...

Swarming bees usually don’t sting but it is wise to stay away from the swarm and keep children & pets indoors

Beekeepers collect swarms on a voluntary basis; they are NOT paid to provide this service.

The beekeeper may not be able to come immediately; they have jobs and commitments of their own.



Beekeepers have to consider their own safety; it may not be possible to remove a swarm from hard to access areas.



Please call the beekeeper again to let them know if the swarm flies off or is collected by someone else.

05/04/2023

Bees are hard at work….. Let’s hope for a bountiful season 🍯

05/04/2023

They may be w**ds to us but they are great for bees

Welcome to National Dandelion day. So much more than just a w**d, a great source of early pollen and nectar.

04/04/2023

Fields local to my hives are starting to bloom with Oil Seed R**e. Great for Nectar and honey production

Oil Seed R**e (OSR) is coming into flower now. When it warms up it will yield nectar. A useful early forage although extraction is tricky. Adding sufficient supers needed. Then the timing of removing supers before granulation is critical. A refractometer is handy to determine when ready. Removing supers without the overnight delay of porter bee escapes and immediate extraction the same day are often suggested

04/04/2023

April is a good time for bees. It’s the start of their season and a great time to sow plants which assist in nectar flow.

04/04/2023

I still have some local honey for sale £5 a jar.

04/04/2023

Quite shocking…… That’s why you can’t beat locally produced and sourced Honey from a local beekeeper

After follow-up investigations of 44 EU importers, seven have been sanctioned.