Loch Ness Honey Company

02/04/2026

28/03/2026

I think I have finaly sorted the payment issue on the website. Thank you to those that have been flagging up the issues.

Going forward I plan to be around up until 11 AM and after 1600 hrs. This means that I can catch up with folk and also get out to the bees and pest control work. If these times don't work then I can accomodate appointments.

At the moment I do not plan to go down the mail order route and am trying to build a local bee equipment outlet. I am not here to compete against you, I am here to support you!! Click and collect is an option on the website and of course if I am driving through your area then I will offer delivery where possible.

Over the next couple of weeks I plan a run to Inverurie for meeting points along the A96 please message.

Thank you for your support.

27/03/2026

Well it has been an interesting few days. The cannon ball reared its head on Tuesday which meant a few days off my feet at Raigmore Hospital.

The surgeon told me the only option was for laser to break down the stone, what he failed to say is that he was going to use my wee man like a 1980's joystick playing space invaders which has now left the wee man like nelly the elephants trunk.

As I went under anaesthetic the invetable bee conversation was underway..........yes I am probably the only person to put himself to sleep talking about bees, probably now the envy of George Nicol and Angie Dunn 🤣🤣

Now that I can p*e without it looking like raspberry cola and having the need to curl up in a ball after the event I am going home.

I will be on some light duties for a few days around the house so please feel free to shout if you wish to collect BS nucs or anything from the Abelo order which are all on the website

https://lochnesshoney.co.uk

Again I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the staff at Raigmore Hospital who have treated me extremely well.

25/03/2026

So yesterday was a bit of an uncomfortable day that ended up at the hospital. Now waiting to have the canon ball size kidney stone to be removed by full blown surgery ( bit like open heart surgery )as they are pretty sure it won't come out on its own...........no s**t sherlock 🤔.

So here I am accompanied by a varied mix of company. Sadly a couple of folk are waiting for a visit from the men in black. One guy is on facetime to his family giving running commentry about his colostomy bag filling up 🤮 while another is watching his facebook videos on full volume, oh and the other guy is laying there farting away while pretending to sleep. Life begins at 50 🤣🤣

Thank goodness the staff are pleasant.

On the plus side Abelo and BS Honey nucs (all listed on the website are being delivered on the weekend and will be available for collection next week.

With fuel prices and delivery costs we cannot gaurantee what the prices are going to be like for further orders, please purchase early to avoid paying more later in the season.

24/03/2026

W**d or Feed?

For beekeepers the Dandelion is a sign of the weather improving and ground frosts have been left behind. The Dandelion is one of the first strong nectar flows, providing pollen (protein) and nectar (carbs) for the colony to thrive. Very often it can produce hive busting honey loads.

For me the appearance of the Dandielion is a signal that the bees are at the stage of making honey and I start to think about adding honey supers for the season ahead.

Sadly for many keen gardeners and lawn lovers the dandelion is just another w**d. Some folk remove the root by hand while others pick off the flowers (strim/mow) before they seed. By leaving the flower out for a week or two it can support the bees and colony development.

Sadly if Dandelions are sprayed with a herbicide the poison can be carried back to the colony. The very trace of a herbicide such as glysophate entering a colony can have a catastrophic outcome killing the majority of bees in a hive.

If you are in a mind to use any w**d killers consider the time of day your spraying. Spray during the late evening, bees will be in the hive and not foraging. By the time the w**dkiller dries onto the plant the risk of spreading the poison will be greatly reduced.

Personaly I don't frown on the use of w**dkiller. I have been told a vinegar and soapy water solution works well or hot water. Consider Using Natural Treatments Save Our Bees.

21/03/2026

After a stop start week and catching up on outstanding jobs I had to go and get some ant bait from the store. The temptation of the dry day was too much not to get the van out for the first time this year. Quick prime of the pump and she went off like a rocket.

At 169.9 a litre for v-max it turns out money can buy you happiness!!

20/03/2026

Slowly getting caught up with adding stock to the website.

Frames, foundation, hives, jars, feed, courses and a few other things are available for collection in early April.

The feedback from suppliers is that the increase in oil prices will effect production and delivery costs. Please consider what you might need for the season ahead and place orders early. While we are going to be well stocked over the next couple of weeks we will not gaurantee availability or prices later in the season.

If there is something you would like please drop a message as we might have it bit not yet added to the website.

https://lochnesshoney.co.uk

19/03/2026

This is why we dont inspect in March

I have just come across this photo on social media of a beekeeper who's write up is claiming a good inspection has been carried out.

On opening the crown board of this colony it would have been evident that the box was only half full. Smoking the bees down into the box and removing one frame from the brood would have seen colony health without the need to pull the entire contents of the box out. Not entirely sure what the plastic spacers on self spacing frames are for.

This colony is very small, by placing all those frames of honey out like that it could and probably will encourage robbing. The colony might not be able to defend itself and the colony will become an easy target. The bees will probably be a bit p*e'd off and will no doubt repay the favour on the next inspection when the beekeeper will probably consider buying a new queen as his bees have become aggressive.

I can see the excuses now, the weather, I don't understand why they are dead they had plenty of stores, the queen wasn't the best.

Maybe this beekeeper should come on one of our courses or benefit from one of our hive side training sessions.

https://lochnesshoney.co.uk

18/03/2026

0900 hrs, 10 degrees. It looks like its going to be a scorcher. According to facebook it is time for first inspections.

NO it is not!!

One of the reasons why we need to inspect bees is to check for swarm signs and carry out swarm prevention. In Inverness our swarm season is May and June. The bees will not be thinking to swarm for atleast another month. We have had no flow, brood boxes should not be congested or over crowded. If your inspecting bees within the next month it is out of nosiness. Heft hives and top up feed, now is the period to add candipollen.

Imagine inspecting a colony of bees now and accidently damaging the queen, there are no queens available and no mature drones, the colony will die within a few weeks.

If you would like more direction and support in beekeeping feel free to book one of our courses or even a hive side training session.

https://lochnesshoney.co.uk

17/03/2026

Stock Update

2026 Equipment is to be delivered soon. What has been ordered and available is now on the website https://lochnesshoney.co.uk and can be pre ordered. Please note that by buying the stuff on 'back order' your stuff will be guaranteed and available as soon as it arrives.

I plan to do an equipment run as far as Inverurie in the first week of April for prepaid items. Collection points along the A96.

If you are after anything that is not listed on the website then please get in touch as soon as possible if we don't have it I can add it to the order over the next couple of days.

14/03/2026

I don't normaly favour copying and pasting other people articles but Dave at Highland classic car hire posted this which rung true.

This last week has seen me restricted in that I've not been able to lift anything heavy. This has restricted honey processing and jarring. Being a one man band means taking ownership and pride in what you do. This also prevents you from taking the offer of help with the things that take a bit of detail.

The good news is I have got the all clear to start lifting again. So getting some orders out now.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Br9HQtWJ2/

12/03/2026

All available dates and booking for the 2026 beginner courses are on the website along with equipment and bees.

If your looking to get started this year we will be holding back some over wintered nucs for those attending the course. Deposit required.

Please book early as a one man band these dates will be your only chance.

We will be receiving new stock at the end of March for April collection. Give the current situation with fuel adding to the cost of manufacturing we do not know how many stock deliveries we will manage later on in the season. Our 12 frame Abelo stock is last years price so please purchase early.

https://lochnesshoney.co.uk