Cosy, snug, dry that’s how I imagine my bees these days as they cluster safe and warm in their hives conserving energy and resources as the temperatures hover below 0oC. As a beekeeper I much prefer this cold weather. I worried more during the recent long, mild, wet spell that settled on us during Autumn.… Continue reading Frost
Category: beeswax
Why aren’t our houses hexagons?
I can see the appeal of 90o angles for the practicalities of construction but… The bees are away ahead of us with the construction of their pantries of honey maximised for storage “It has been proven that making the cells into hexagons is the most efficient shape for using the smallest possible amount of wax… Continue reading Why aren’t our houses hexagons?
Amoeba
I’ve got maybe a wee bit carried away. I had a brainwave and an enabler (what more can anyone want), so we rigged up a contraption so that I could make 10-13 moulded beeswax candles at a time instead of 1 or 2. Oh, the excitement of it all! Morning and evening (in between… Continue reading Amoeba
Protest
I ran through the protesters to my shed. If they could carry placards, they’d read: Return what’s ours! Our hives, our honey! Beekeepers are criminals! Robber! The buzzing is like a low rev of an engine. It’s October, it’s not even warm, where did all these bees come from? The meagre bit honey in… Continue reading Protest
Dipped beeswax candles
How could you every bring yourself to burn a beeswax statue of an elegant maiden or a nativity scene or cute little duckling? The candles on display at a honey show are gorgeous. The variety of shaped moulded candles are unblemished and perfect. There are small beeswax animal shapes with little wicks sticking out of… Continue reading Dipped beeswax candles
Floor wax
On my hands and knees scraping the hardened rubbery, yellow/brown substance off the floor I promise to ban myself from the kitchen. The trouble is that I like honey but I love beeswax. It brings out my creative gene…there’s so many things that can be done with beeswax, apart from lodging blobs on the floor!… Continue reading Floor wax
