Our bees are all raised by ourselves, here on Dartmoor in South Devon. We handle them with care and gentleness. They are very hygienic bees, excellent honey producers and are noted for their gentle behaviour. Their health and well-being is of paramount importance to us and we only use naturally occurring elements and good husbandry.
One of our worker honey bees may visit 2,000 flowers per day and will produce about a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.
(Click on these photos to enlarge them)
At the end of the summer when the honey is harvested, we don’t take all the honey. We always leave every colony with their own honey for winter stores, even if this means taking no honey. We feel that this benefits the bees and the beekeeper in the longer term.
Apart from checks to ensure their continued health and wellbeing, our bees remain largely undisturbed throughout the year. If we open a colony up for inspection it is always planned, working efficiently but not rushed and it is carried out by both of us. We treat the bees with care and respect. We generally only use a smoker to encourage bees away from hive parts being reassembled – to avoid crushing or injuring them.
Our Honey bees on a brood frame. Look carefully to see pearly white Larvae.
Hives in the Spring (Wood Anemones and Daffodils)
