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Video Tutorial on How to Extract Honey from Honeycomb
I’m so pleased to let you know that I’ve just published a new YouTube video tutorial! It’s been some time since the last and this one follows the honey extraction process that I outlined in my last...
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Recipe for Spiced Winter Wine with Apple, Cinnamon, & Ginger
One of my favourite ways to socialise is to have dinner parties. They don’t have to be fancy but they always have great food, great company, fun and games, and boozy beverages. Admittedly, most of the...
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January Hive Inspection
Probably the vast majority of people assume that when winter rolls around, all insects, including Honeybees, go dormant until spring. While many do, Honeybees are different in that they stay relatively...
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The Honeybees in April
April is the lean time of year for gardens and honeybees alike. Hardy spring blossoms are everywhere but the ease of summer is still far away. It’s now that a winter storm can sweep in to decimate...
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What to do if you spot a Swarm of Bees
What would you do if a huge buzzing cloud of bees landed in your back garden? May and June are known as the swarming months and if you encounter a swarm, don’t be alarmed. In late spring and early...
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Calendula & Honey Funnel Cake
It’s been years since I had Funnel Cake. It’s one of those dishes that goes hand in hand with a holiday or event – in this case, American county fairs. Part of the fun of these crispy treats is having...
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Swarming Season and Brood-and-a-Half
The weeks between April and June are known as ‘Swarming Season’ and during this time it’s recommended that beekeepers check their hives every 9-10 days. What we’re doing at these visits is making sure...
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How to Naturally Color Handmade Soap
Natural soapmaking is an exciting craft that anyone can do from the comfort of their own kitchen. Using oils, essential oils, and the extracts of plants, flowers, minerals, and spices, you can be on...
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How to create a Wildflower Cottage Garden
The beginning of this year saw me pondering the triangular garden bed at the front of the house. Last year it was a headache due to its infestation of weeds that continued to strangle the plants I’d...
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Honeycomb in Jars
Earlier this year I decided to try an experiment based on some intriguing photos I spotted online. A few beekeepers in the USA have had success in putting mason jars into hives and allowing the...
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7 Herbs for Colds & Flu + how to use them
It’s almost unavoidable: the annual Cold & Flu season. Short of hiding out at home, you’ll be exposed to viruses each time someone sneezes on the bus, coughs in the grocery store, or a loved one...
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2015 Isle of Man Beekeepers Honey Show
It’s been years since I last visited the annual Honey Show. FOUR years in fact. I don’t know where the time has gone but I was told while helping myself to tea that my absence had indeed been noticed....
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Beginners Beekeeping Class with the Isle of Man Beekeepers
It’s been five years since I took the Isle of Man Beekeepers introduction course but I continue to recommend it to anyone interested in bees. Each January the Federation offer a six-week class for...
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Organic Aloe Face Cream Recipe + Instructions
The topic of handmade lotion came up over coffee today and I offered to show a friend how to make her own. It’s really a simple process and aside from being FUN, making lotion has some other attractive...
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The Allotment Garden & Honeybees in January
Getting a head start on this year’s gardening projects has been difficult this month. While occasional breaks in the wind and rain have given windows of opportunity, most of the time it’s been far too...
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Honeybee Threat: Danger of the Varroa Mite reaching the Isle of Man
Harry Owens, Chief Bee Inspector for the Isle of Man Government, spent two years meticulously looking through every colony of honeybees on the island to verify the belief that the Varroa Mite or either...
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Varroa lookalike & my beekeeping scare
Not even a week ago I interviewed Harry Owens, Chief Bee Inspector of the Isle of Man, about the fear that the Varroa Mite could be on our island. Our bees are very healthy and one of the last bastions...
View ArticleJanuary Hive Inspection
Probably the vast majority of people assume that when winter rolls around, all insects, including Honeybees, go dormant until spring. While many do, Honeybees are different in that they stay relatively...
View ArticleThe Honeybees in April
April is the lean time of year for gardens and honeybees alike. Hardy spring blossoms are everywhere but the ease of summer is still far away. It’s now that a winter storm can sweep in to decimate...
View ArticleWhat to do if you spot a Swarm of Bees
What would you do if a huge buzzing cloud of bees landed in your back garden? May and June are known as the swarming months and if you encounter a swarm, don’t be alarmed. In late spring and early...
View Article