Hollow & Hive Halstead

Hollow & Hive Halstead Small-scale, sustainable beekeeping in Halstead, Essex. Natural honey, straight from our hive.

20/05/2026

Happy World Bee Day 🐝
They do far more than just make honey!
Around a third of the food we eat depends on pollinators in some way. They help our flowers bloom and our ecosystems thrive.
A good day to appreciate the work they do for our planet every day.

15/05/2026

We’ve been a little quiet on here lately but it’s been very bee-sy behind the scenes 🐝
In less than 24 hours, we went from one hive of bees to three, thanks to swarm season and new Queens keeping us on our toes! We’ve gained some, lost some and learned a lot already so far!
We’ve also been busy pouring fresh batches of Hollow and Hive products in prep for the Essex Young Farmers Show in Chelmsford this weekend. You’ll find us with the Braintree Beekeepers this Sunday!

18/04/2026

If you look closely, you can spot new baby bees emerging head first beneath all the movement, chewing their way out of their cells!
With the warmer weather, we recently did our first full hive inspection of the season. Eggs, larvae, pollen and honey all coming along well and we’ve seen our pink Queen Beryl for the first time this year. We added their first Super to make sure they have room to grow into and help prevent them from swarming.
Looking good for the busy season ahead 🐝

10/04/2026

The blossom is out and the bees are loving it! đŸŒș
You could hear the buzz from this bush before you could see the bees! Spotted this little fluffy one amongst the honeybees, apparently it’s a Bee Fly!

03/04/2026

Pack and post an order with us!
Though our honey is sold out, our beeswax goodies are still available.
From scented wax melts to our nourishing paw balm, we’re still pouring and packing behind the scenes and working on some new products for this year!

It’s starting to feel like Spring!There’s plenty on offer already for the honeybees at the garden centre where their hiv...
19/03/2026

It’s starting to feel like Spring!
There’s plenty on offer already for the honeybees at the garden centre where their hive lives. Great to see this little one out and about on our last visit. Can you spot her?
Very much looking forward to having our first proper inspection of the hive in the next few weeks (fingers crossed the weather stays like this ☀) to see how the bees are preparing for the busy months ahead!

14/03/2026

In between the rain and hail today, we managed to have a very quick check of the bees. Great to see them looking strong and getting ready for the season ahead. We gave them a little extra food just in case needed over the next couple of weeks, while the unpredictable weather continues.

A little smoke helps keep the bees calm so we can safely check the hive. It masks their alarm signals and encourages them to focus on feeding rather than defending. A few gentle puffs near the entrance is usually all it takes before we lift the lid.

11/02/2026

Bees don’t hibernate. Even in the colder months, on a dry, bright day, you might spot one stretching her wings or having a toilet break.

Inside the hive, they’re clustered tightly around the queen, vibrating to keep warm. That’s why we don’t fully open the hive in winter, as breaking that cluster lets vital heat escape and uses up valuable energy.

Cold on its own isn’t usually the main problem — damp is. Bees can cope quite well with low temperatures, but wet conditions chills them quickly and makes it harder to regulate the hive.

So even in winter, the hive is quietly at work.

08/02/2026

After what feels like forever of rain, today we finally had our first visit to the apiary this year 🐝

It was such a relief to see that the bees are doing really well and surviving winter so far. Lots of coming and going, some with pollen packed on their legs, no signs of mite issues and still lots of stores to see them through. We added a homemade woodpecker guard and left them to it so not to disturb them too much.

Mostly, it was just lovely to hear the buzz again 💛

A little jar of golden comfort 🍯Perfect in tea, on toast, in baking
 or straight off the spoon (we won’t judge 😅)Nothing...
22/01/2026

A little jar of golden comfort 🍯

Perfect in tea, on toast, in baking
 or straight off the spoon (we won’t judge 😅)

Nothing fancy. Just real honey, made by our bees and jarred with love.

Tea or toast? What’s your favourite way to have honey?

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Halstead

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