A visit to the home of Karl Von Frisch

Karl Von Frisch was the famous Austrian Nobel Prizewinner, who discovered how honeybees communicate by dancing.

Honeydew Honey

The honey from some of my honeybee colonies this year is dark, rich, honeydew honey - and this is rather special!

Honey Flow

Most places have a number of nectar flows, which beekeepers tend to call honey flows, through the year and these vary with location, habitat and weather.

Bees in the roof of the hive.  Photo M.Malcher

A Swarm of Bees Lands

Do you know what a swarm of honey bees arriving looks like?
My doorbell rang. "There's a swarm of bees, come and get them!" Ok, just around the corner? "let's see then..." I went and looked. Yes, a lovely swarm of honey bees, about 12 metres (40 feet) up a Scots Pine tree...

Summer's End

October 2014 has been very mild in south-east England and the bees have been making the best of the sunshine to bring home stores of nectar and pollen from the ivy and himalayan balsam..

Bees at the end of the Summer

Marvellous Wasps

I was high up on a moor, on the rocks of a granite tor on a hot sunny day. The air was clear, sweet and, as I reached the top, filled with a loud hum...

Woking Palace Weekend, May 2014

It was windy and sometimes rainy at Woking Palace for the May weekend Open Days. This didn't deter the visitors who were able to take a guided tour and learn about the history of the site. The Vault was open, laid out with a Tudor feast lit by candlelight, and finds from the archeological excavations were on show. Surrey Wildlife Trust were also on hand to explain their work.
Visitors were offered a taste of my honey, to talk about bees and we wondered how the honey might have tasted when King Henry VIII visited in days gone by.

Woking Palace Open Day - Honey Tasting

My thanks to the Friends of Woking Palace for letting me be part of this excellent event and for keeping the tents firmly attached to the ground.

An April Swarm

I was called out to collect a swarm on Maundy Thursday, 17th April, after a spell of lovely sunny days.

Easter Swarm
Photo : Marion Malcher

Dandelion Time

With their bright golden flowers full of nectar and pollen, Dandelions are a treasure for bees.

Photo by Guérin Nicolas CC

Planting Bulbs for Bees

What could be nicer than planting bulbs to bring a splash of colour in the Spring? and the bees will appreciate the flowers too!
Older people living in more than 150 of Anchor Care's retirement properties and care homes are planting bulbs as part of their Bee Friendly national campaign over the next six weeks. I was delighted to be invited to help launch their campaign at West Hall, West Byfleet in Surrey.

Bee Friendly Launch at West Hall

What bulbs will you choose?

Mating flight of the Queen bee

Film director Markus Imhoof used mini-helicopters and high-speed cameras to film a princess mating on the wing.

Nectar Gatherers in Old Hall Copse

Honeybee

The brambles are out and providing rich nectar for bees and butterflies

A Silver Spoon

These bees had landed in an oak sapling.

According to the traditional rhyme "a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon"

The Bee Photographer

Beautiful and informative pictures of honeybees taken by photographer Eric Tournaret

Early forage

It will not be long before the bees find the first pollen and nectar of the New Year.