How to Build Bees for Free: The Power of the Two-Frame Nuc
BeginnerBeekeeping Want to grow your bee colonies without breaking the bank? Discover how to create a powerful two-frame nuc using just one frame of brood and one frame of food. Our…
BeginnerBeekeeping
Moving Bees Safely
Moving bees can be daunting for beginners, but with the right steps it’s easy. This guide explains how to safely relocate colonies or nucs, including the 3 feet or 3…
Are Beekeeping Associations Undercutting Commercial Beekeepers?
Tensions are rising between hobbyist associations and commercial beekeepers as questions of fairness, pricing, and competition come to the surface. Are beekeeping associations unintentionally undercutting professionals - or simply supporting…
Raw Honey in the UK: What It Really Means and Why Labels Matter
Raw honey is more than a buzzword - it’s honey as nature intended. Learn what “raw” really means, how it’s often misunderstood, and why knowing your beekeeper matters.
Shook Swarm
The shook swarm, or shakedown method, is a proven beekeeping technique for renewing comb, managing disease, and reducing varroa infestations. By moving bees onto fresh foundation and removing old comb,…
Apidea Expanded Polystyrene Mating Hives
Apidea mating hives are lightweight polystyrene nucs designed for efficient queen rearing. Each unit contains moulded plastic frames with recesses for queen cells and an integrated feeder. Though compact, they…
The Structure of the Honey Bee Sting
For many people unfamiliar with beekeeping, the honey bee is often seen as a threat because of its sting. In reality, bees do not sting at every opportunity, and the…
Jacques van Alphen
Professor Jacques van Alphen is an evolutionary ecologist and author of Honeybees: A Natural and Less Natural History. A leading advocate for sustainable, science-based beekeeping, his work highlights how wild…
Why Every Sustainable Beekeeper Should Read The Principles of Bee Improvement by Jo Widdicombe
In The Principles of Bee Improvement, Jo Widdicombe offers a practical, sustainable approach to breeding gentle, productive honey bees from local stock. Instead of relying on imported queens, Jo guides…
Jo Widdicombe
Jo Widdicombe is a Cornish bee farmer, author, and former BIBBA committee member dedicated to sustainable beekeeping. Best known for The Principles of Bee Improvement, he promotes the use of…