As the season draws to a close I can say with certainty that I’m glad to have got through it! Queens have been repeatedly superseded throughout the year and I expect more supercedure cells are still being summoned up as I type. I hope that the bumblebee colonies have had a better year, I haven’t been called to rescue any from building sites or barns this year to have one to keep an eye on. The wasps are certainly flourishing so hopefully that’s a good sign. The hives that got into their stride in July and were well placed to forage in August have made some honey which we have just pulled while we get hives ready for winter. I’m extracting it quickly to make the most of what we’ve brought in. Click here for new Raw Dorset Honey!
Raw Dorset Honey Haul 2024
The orchard is starting to look autumnal and the morning air has that crisp freshness to it that puts a spring in your step. It won’t be long now until we’re thinking about harvesting and pressing the fruit that is starting to shine through the thinning leaves.
The newly planted experimental trees have survived the slug onslaught and are all out of the tops of their guards. We are planning on expanding upon this next year with more old cider rows being replaced. Having the two lots of bee forage has also been really useful this year and we hope to increase the area of this we have for next year too. The clover forage mix we planted last year smelled fragrant and amazing towards the end of July and the honey it made was very popular when we took it to the oak fair at the end of the month. It remains to be seen what people think of the buckwheat blend but personally I absolutely love it, there isn’t enough to call it a single variety buckwheat but with the hedges and river banks around us they’ve made a really nice job. Lots of Himalayan balsam, blackberries, thistle, mallow, tillia, clover and meadowsweet to name but a few.
There was a fantastic array of pollen colours found in the hives this season.
- August – The Bee Season Draws to a Close. - 18th September 2024
- Best Laid Plans – May & June - 30th July 2024
- April – Busy Planting! - 3rd May 2024