I just noticed that Forum Auction is selling a 1st Edition of the Rev. Charles Butler’s The Feminine Monarchie or a treatise concerning bees, and the due ordering of them. This book, which was published in 1609, was the first full-length English language book on beekeeping and remained a valid guide for beekeepers until the […]
The First English Book about Bees Read More »
It felt like spring today which was a welcome change after what feels like weeks of grey skies seemingly made greyer b a cold east wind. But today no wind and the sun was shining and Hares Rise felt like a wonderful place to be. First stop was to check the bees. The hive was
February 22nd 2025 Read More »
Introduction Bee-keepers have probably been arguing about which is the best hive design for as long as there have been bee-hives and with the invention of the movable frame hive in the mid 19th century those arguments intensified. Bee-keeping periodicals from the second half of the 19th century are full of these debates and those
Choosing/Building a Bee-Hive pt.1: Thoughts and Considerations Read More »
When people ask why humans should care about bees the first answer is almost always ‘pollination’ and the explanation almost always always focuses on how humanity benefits from ‘pollination services’. There’s nothing wrong with this answer and pollination is vital not just for our well-being but for much of life on Earth. But maybe its
Why We Really Should Learn to Care about Bees Read More »
