Beekeeping the Natural Way using Oils and Herbs, Visit Jeff's home page in Llanelli, South Wales

Welcome to my website...My name is Jeff Davies, and I live near the town of Llanelli which is in the County of Carmarthenshire, South Wales. UK. I was brought up on a farm in the country, near to the village of Derwydd, a short distance away from the tranquility of Carreg Cennen Castle...

Friendly bees
A small 'cast' of 'friendly' bees' - Spring 2010
(Featured in BeeCraft magazine - Sept 2010)

I started bee-keeping, way back in 1988, starting off with just 2 National Hives, and intending to keep it that way. It was a mistake, however to register with the local Police, thus making myself available to collect swarms and as a result, over the years I have sometimes ended up with up to 10 hives or more!

I must admit though, that I really enjoy collecting swarms and always find it a fascinating experience, but new swarms need new homes, and every home requires lots of room. It looks like some of my colonies are slowly adapting to the Varroa mite which has been present for the last 10 years. For the last 5 years, I have not used any treatment to kill them, be it Oxalic Acid or Thymol or any other products. It seems that the bees are adapting and getting rid of the Varroa mites themselves and I am happy to report that there are very few if any of the mites in my colonies. It's best though to keep a watchful eye in order to help keep the number of mites under control.

Over the years I have gained some knowledge and experience in bee-keeping. I am still learning and I would like to take this opportunity of sharing my knowledge with you, which is the primary reason why I built this web site. There is now a great revival in doing things the natural way, and I believe that many of us have had more than enough of man made chemicals, and wish to go back to the 'old fashioned' way of doing things. I believe it's still not too late to turn back the clock, to work as closely as we can with nature. I am sure that future generations will reap the benefits.

I sincerely hope that you all find the following 'Hints and Tips' of benefit. There are many more pages (coming soon) throughout this website but I shall be adding all future tips to the above page.

I hope you enjoy visiting my website, please feel free to call by again soon as I will be adding many more pages.

Continued...

Jeff Davies

Spring: Check the weight of your hives on a weekly basis, to ensure whether the bees may require feeding.

Summer: Please ensure your bees have enough room to store surplus honey, and consider placing at least 1 or 2 frames with new foundation in the brood box. This will help ensure that the Queen has sufficient egg laying space, and will also assist in developing more healthy young bees to care for when Autumn comes along.

Autumn/Winter: Please ensure that your hives are waterproof, the mouse guards are fitted and that your precious bees have sufficient stores for the Winter.

Remember...By giving your bees tender loving care and attention throughout the seasons, you will be helping to ensure their survival and they will surely reward you with surplus honey when Autumn comes along!