The Local Hive Scottish Honey

16/09/2023

Bee update!!! 🐝🐝

Again, struggling to dedicate time to beekeeping these days and it’s beginning to show.

I’ve lost one hive from wasp attack, I think it’s probably down to the fact that I’ve mixed hive types that are not fully compatible and has allowed wasps an extra entrance to get in and rob out the honey.

The other hives have managed to defend themselves but generally the honey crop is significantly reduced this year. July 2023 was a tough month for nectar gathering.

Anyway, clearer boards are on (the latest time in the year I’ve ever put these on) and should get a few jars of honey from them. Then it’s treatment, feed & shutting them up for winter.

Must get better organised & prepared for next year. Hoping to have Julie Mcloughlin trained up as a fellow beek next year 🙏😜

Oh and I’ll need to move one hive because something (badger?) has decided to set up residence right at the foot of the hive!

02/08/2023

Bee update!! 🐝🐝

Checked on the swarm I hived at the weekend and they’re well on their way, drawing out comb.

Saw the queen, and she looks fine.

Gave them some sugar syrup to really get them going. The race is on to see if they can build up enough to a size that can make it through the winter.

Yes, I said winter, which is quite a depressing thought!

07/07/2023

30/06/2023

Honey update!!!! 🍯

First of the new batch jars going out tomorrow. Checked the moisture content, quite “dry” at 16.5%. This means it may crystallise / set quicker which is quite normal for honey from spring nectar.

28/06/2023

28/06/2023

Honey update!! 🐝🐝

Now taking orders for Spring 2023 honey! 🍯

Bit later this year but it’s settling in the tank so will be jarred and available over the next few days. Limited quantity due to me downsizing the number of colonies. The summer batch won’t be available until August time.

Selling 3 x 1lb (454g) jars for £20 again this year and any additional jars at £6/jar.

1 jar = £8
2 jars = £15
3 jars = £20
4 jars = £26
5 jars = £32
6 jars = £38 etc

N.B. Since this is a spring batch, the honey will granulate and set in the jar quicker than a summer batch would. It can be loosened again to make it runny by gently warming the jar.

Please send me a PM with your order and we can arrange payment / delivery / collection.

22/06/2023

Bee update!!! 🐝🐝

The 2023 Logie Spring honey is on its way! Clearer boards on tonight, supers off at the weekend, extracting, settling and jarring - should have jars available next week.

Only 5 supers this year, not all full, so the Spring batch will be a limited quantity.

I also have a new locally grown queen in residence. Always chuffed to see a homegrown queen successfully mated and laying.

Took a couple of stings tonight, first for a while. My own fault on both occasions, accidentally squashing bees between my hand and the hive tool so their last resort is to deploy the stinger.

21/05/2023

Bee update!! 🐝🐝

Well . . . this one has got me thinking!

So, last update was a bit disappointing, 4 colonies lost. Or at least that’s what I thought? On Friday I opened up the hive that I considered to have died out and had a carpet of dead bees on the floor and was met with a load of bees . . . and a laying queen . . . so either the hive wasn’t a complete dead out or a swarm has taken up residence in the empty hive.

There were some bees alive in the hive last week but not many, and now there is a full box, so unless some sort of devine intervention has occurred my money is on a swarm landing in the empty box and taking up residence. If that is what happened then that’s a first for me.

10/05/2023

Bee update!! 🐝🐝

Bad news.

Took an opportunity late afternoon to check-in on the bees. My fears have been confirmed.

3 dead colonies, 1 drone layer (which is as good as dead), 3 struggling with no nectar or stores and 1 colony which is bursting with bees but a couple of superscedure cells present which means they want to replace the queen.

I think that’s what you’d call a mixed bag.

Never good lifting off a brood box to be met with a 2inch deep carpet of dead bees. ☠️

Gave the 3 struggling hives some fondant to keep them going for a bit until we get a bit of warmth - there is nectar out there cause the booming colony was dripping with it. Found the drone laying queen and squished her.

Let’s see what next week brings.

09/05/2023

Bee update!!! 🐝🐝

Not a good news story I’m afraid.

The month of April and the start of May 2023 has been challenging for the bees. Cold, wet and generally miserable weather (‘driech’ I think best describes it!) which has meant that although daylight hours are increasing, which fires the queen up and gets her into laying eggs, the raising of new bees is hungry work. So with honey stores at a critically low level generally around this time, some of my “hungrier’ colonies have succumbed.

One dead out for sure and another two at least that are on the brink of starvation and collapse.

It’s crazy to think that some bee colonies are starving despite the Oil Seed R**e being in flower around us - just not been the warmth to start much nectar flowing.

On the other hand, the overwintering colonies that are very frugal, go through winter with a smaller nest, and don’t consume much stores during the very coldest months (and the ones I alway think will die) are now being flooded with bees bringing in pollen. All positive signs that they are doing fine.

I haven’t opened any hive yet (other than the one I could tell was dead) so hoping for an hour or two of decent weather this week so I can do my first proper checks.

Last night I moved 3 hives onto a new stand built by my dad, essentially just repositioning them about 1m behind where they were. This is close enough to allow the bees to find where home is and now they are on a nice level stand, raised higher off the ground which will save my back!

Back to the colonies that need some food, I will put some emergency fondant feed onto them and see what turns out. Update to follow . . .

15/04/2023

A great feature of this caravan is that the radio stereo sound is piped into the bathroom which means that while Clare McKenzie is having a shower she can still hear the beekeeping podcast I’m listening too. Which she really likes. Really really really likes. 😬🐝

26/03/2023

I can 100% guarantee that my honey is as pure as it gets.

I still have some honey left from last years harvest, it’s set now but can be softened by warming on a radiator or in the microwave for a minute.

Ten samples from Britain were suspected of containing cheap sugar syrup

23/03/2023

Bee update!!! 🐝🐝

Hoping I can find some time to check on the bees soon, work/life balance isn’t the best right now! 🤯

Still too early (cold) to open them up, would do more harm than good, but you can tell a lot of what’s going on inside the hive from what can be observed from outside.🥶

While I was out today I spotted the start of the nearby Oil Seed R**e (OSR) growth in the fields. This is the the plant that the bees get their first real nectar flow from.🌱

Still got a bit of growing to do. Before we know it the fields will be yellow. 🌼

12/03/2023

Bee update!! 🐝🐝

Checked on the bees, had been a bit worried about them - never had time to get fondant on to them before I went away for 12 days and Sod’s Law it snowed and we had sub-zero temperatures in Aberdeenshire for most of that time I was away. 😫

But, happy to report that all colonies are alive . . . not saying they’ll all still make it to the better weather arrives but they’re buzzing just now.

Gave every colony ~1.5kg of fondant to keep them going. Fingers crossed🤞

04/03/2023

Bee update!!! 🐝🐝

Winter in the UK is coming to an end . . . well that’s what the kitchen calendar says!! 📅

Critical time for the bees right now, food stores will be depleted and the number of mouths to feed is increasing. 😋

Time for a check on the colonies to see if they need some help (fondant) to get them through March when I get back from the U.S of A. 🇺🇸

Spotted a fellow beek while in Houston. I want to wrangle some bees with Ed. 77oF (25oC) today so I bet Big Ed’s bees don’t need any fondant.