1/5 Honey checks

After a wet and cold summer, we've been keen to see if the recent warm dry spell has helped with honey production

The bees have not been able to get out much so anything they have made through the summer, they have been eating themselves on poor weather days

2/5 The good weather has meant they have started to gather nectar, bring it back to the hive and with the help of worker bees, turn it into honey

This is deposited into the wax comb cell, which is in a wooden frame that sits in the super (above the main hive brood box)

3/5 During the nectar gathering process, they pick up lots of pollen on their travels

Different plants have different coloured pollen

One of our favourite jobs is to try and work out what plants our bees have been working from the kaleidoscope of colours that come back in

4/5 When the honey is dried and nice and sticky, the bees cap the honey with wax

This protects the honey for storage and only then is it ready for us to harvest

We don't take much honey every year, making sure to leave the majority for the bees who need it over winter

5/5 Working with bees requires time and patience

We try to disturb them as little as possible throughout the year

But we are seeing how important their work is as pollinators

And the honey is as pure and sweet as liquid gold

We love our adventures in beekeeping!