Bee-keeping in Guildford
Getting our bees in May 2021, we’ve found that life as an amateur bee-keeper has not been simple. Rewarding? Mostly. Educational? Always. Simple? Not on your life! As much as they’re truly wondrous creatures, they do provide their fair share of worries and frustrations.
The articles that follow generally started their life as mini-posts on my Facebook page. They’re written with mixed tones, and hopefully have a little levity in them. They’re not designed to be training materials (far from!), and are written with the knowledge and mindset I had at the time of writing.
I take my bee-keeping incredibly seriously, knowing that I’m a guardian of the bees with some responsibility for their welfare. I also have a high awareness that bees can be threatening to some, and can result in medical emergency for others. So, when we’re managing them, and making decisions, our neighbours and local community in Onslow Village, Guildford are always front of mind.
Parental advisory: I’ve been known to swear at, around, and in relation to the bees.
Bee street party
Not for the first time, the girls get some sun, and stretch their wings over the garden.
Nowt so unpredictable as bees
If anyone other than our bees knows what our bees are doing, we'd love to know, as we're stumped.
Bloody bees
The price of our honey is increasing quickly, as our girls decide they want to live in a different postcode, and our lives are too full.
First inspection of 2022
Our first inspection of 2022 leaves us full of hope that this year will yield a bumper crop of honey, and the girls will be settled.
Amber nectar (sort of)
We crop our first season's honey, and enjoy the sense of fulfilment and learning that comes with this pass-time.
Our first swarms
The first that I knew that something was “up” was a subconscious awareness of buzzing. Looking up from my Zoom call, I could see a swirling black mass of bees…