We started beekeeping many years ago in Kent with the help of a wiley old local beekeeper who called himself “Bee Peter”. He set us up with a starter hive that promptly produced 80 kg of honey for us that first season. Beginners’ luck!
There have been less prolific years since, that’s for sure. And sadly beekeeping has become a lot more difficult with the changing environmental hazards. All the more reason to keep a few hives going to support the population and pollination. Studies show that wildflower pollination helps soft fruit pollination, producing significantly better strawberries. I no longer make any honey or even open the hives because it seems to weaken their defences against the European and Asian hornet. With several swarm going off during the season, the colonies are sometimes big and strong and sometimes diminished. when a hive is vacated, eventually another swarm moves in. The hives are well protected by rambling brambles and the best thing I can do for them is to keep a dry roof over their heads and otherwise leave well alone.
