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Airedale Beekeepers Association


ABKA Honey Show 2024
A glorious autumn day at Cliffe Castle was the perfect setting for our honey show as part of the Museum's annual Apple Day event. Our...
chris5470
Nov 13, 20241 min read
18


Bee have a winner!
Congratulations to young visitors Lilly and Joe, both aged 9 years, who suggested the name that was chosen for our new queen of 2024. She...
Linda
Sep 16, 20241 min read
19


Moving out over winter
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #18 If you visit Cliffe Castle now, and any time before the Easter school holidays 2025, I’m afraid you will...
Linda
Sep 11, 20242 min read
20


Final inspection of the year
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #17 Anthony and I checked the bees this morning (2nd September), the last inspection before they go to their...
Linda
Sep 3, 20241 min read
23


A visit from Caroline
Lee and I were joined by Caroline, from the National Bee Unit team*, when we completed our weekly check today. Caroline was visiting to...
Linda
Aug 20, 20242 min read
27


New Queen (take 3)
After a glitch last week that prevented us from completing an inspection, Steve and I visited this morning to find our new queen has...
Linda
Aug 13, 20241 min read
22


Third time lucky...?
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #14 I’m very pleased to say, that after another, long, 3 weeks of waiting Lee and I spotted our latest new...
Linda
Jul 29, 20241 min read
47


Our new queen name will have to wait...
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog # 13 Oh dear! Today’s inspection found that our new queen had left the hive in a swarm. She had laid up an...
Linda
Jul 10, 20242 min read
38


Competition time!
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #12 On Monday 1st July, guest Observation Hive Team member, Mike Latham, kindly stood in for Lee, who was...
sam75282
Jul 4, 20242 min read
19
Let's try again
2024: Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #11 Steve and I went back to the Observation Hive this morning to provide the bees with material from which...
Linda
Jun 10, 20241 min read
12


Waiting for summer...
2024: Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #10 Sadly, the poor weather we are experiencing this “summer” must have affected our new queen managing to...
Linda
Jun 10, 20241 min read
13
A new Queen
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #9 We had a good inspection on Spring Bank Holiday Monday. Steve and I checked the bees for the first time in...
Linda
May 31, 20241 min read
8
Making royal preparations in the hive
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #8 On 12 May, Mike and I went back to check for any new queen cells raised by the bees since 6 May in the...
Linda
May 14, 20242 min read
15


Swarm preparations
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #7 Mike and I found charged, but damaged, queen cells on the bottom of one frame and some cells on other...
Linda
May 6, 20242 min read
8
Colony expanding nicely
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #6 Steve and I checked the bees at the Observation Hive this morning and found them developing apace. We now...
Linda
Apr 29, 20241 min read
4


Things are hotting up!
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #5 Luckily the weather held this morning, as Anthony, our newest team member, and I completed the inspection...
Linda
Apr 22, 20241 min read
4
Giving the bees a break
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #4 Given the weather forecast, we decided to give the Observation Hive bees a break today. They have space...
Linda
Apr 15, 20241 min read
4

Blooming marvellous
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #3 Mike and I completed the first check on the Cliffe Castle colony on Monday 8 April. Not the best of days,...
Linda
Apr 13, 20241 min read
1


The bees are back
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #2 Ruby Wax and her daughters have returned to the Cliffe Castle Observation Hive for the new season, just in...
Linda
Mar 30, 20241 min read
20


It's nearly spring!
2024 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #1 As the days get longer, the birdsong louder and the sun feels ever warmer when it escapes the clouds, our...
chris5470
Mar 12, 20242 min read
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