Recent content by Charente beekeeper

I just recently moved my 4 so we could fell a tree without risk of it falling on the hives in the process and move them to their new hive stand. I closed them up in the evening and left them for three days (i picked 3 days where the weather was likely to be bad and they wouldn't be flying...

I've just bought a mimosa! I do hope the bees like it but now i'm wondering! I've also bought some different viburnums (fragrant ones). I hope they will enjoy them. It's funny, this house is surrounded by woods. On our plot i think it's mainly oak, firs, chestnut, limes (not in flower)...

There's a lot of tinus in my new garden. I've never seen a single bee on it. On the other hand back in the north of France it was like a honeypot to the bees. Very strange!

We had a lot of those in the Pas de Calais. I had a very large yellow/white honeysuckle and there would be quite a few on there. It was like being buzzed by a chinook when we were sat out by it.

My first primrose flower will open tomorrow. One single flower. It will soon be a carpet though just in front of the hives.

Well here i think i have hazel pollen. Catkins everywhere. I gave one a shake. Loaded with pollen. It's only about 50m from the hives. Not checked the willow yet. When i bought them down last feb the flight path to the willow was a bee superhighway. It was obvious where they were off to...

That's a pity on both counts! These are picture perfect tree shapes but you can see from the limbs before the bole/knuckles they should be a lot bigger. I may just plant more elsewhere and let them do their thing if i'm going to have to keep these regularly pollarded. I can hardly wait to...

Thanks, i rather feared that might be the case. They are too close together to just let them rip unless i take every other one out or maybe pollard every other one alternately once i know how long it takes for the flowers to come back. Seems like a crime to have limes and not have them flower.

Question about limes if i may. I was thrilled to discover that out new place had 6 40 odd year old limes. I was less thrilled to see not one single flower this year. Not sure what it's called where they have been "pollarded"? At the end of various limbs to keep the size under control. Is...

Yes. Mine seem to be out foraging. My willow is looking quite vivid from a distance. I'll check to see if that has started. Thanks for the tips. I'm at 6s and 7s re timing of things! Here's the hornet i pulled out. Before it was marinated in the trap for a few days it was more of an...

Thanks for your reply Michael. I'm new to this climate here in Charente. I was 15 years in the Pas de Calais with bees for the last 5. Hornets were never an issue up there thankfully. Seeing my bees out and about en masse in December is very odd but i don't have a reference for what is...

Thanks all for the welcome. My bees are out and about and usually there is an asian hornet there. I found one dead in my trap. I've not seen one buzzing the hives for two days now so maybe it was just this one? Is that likely? Would it be a queen at this time of year? I'm very new to...

Hi, Just a quick hello. Recently moved to Charente with my four hives from the Pas de Calais. Loving the climate as do my bees apparently! Lovely sunny day and my bees are out and about. This takes some getting used to seeing (as do i in a tee-shirt outdoors in december!) I've had my first...