Category Archives: Life

Beekeeping Lifestyle for Sale

This might be of particular interest to aspiring beekeepers  out there with a cottage by the sea – because we would consider a swap!

Or this could be your exit from Brexit.

Anyway here is a gallery:

Beekeeper Lifestyle HereFlowering hawthorn hedgevirgin queen beeSwarming hiveSwarm heading into catcher hiveBeekeeping vehicle VW Transporter 4motionLing heather (Calluna vulgaris) honeyWicklow heather honeyCut comb heather honeySun hive entrance funnel

Traditional Irish farm house in rural west Wicklow within 35km of Dublin

Two bedrooms, Kitchen, Conservatory, Large living room with vaulted ceiling, Bathroom

Water from private well

Oil fired central heating

Two Clearview wood burning stoves

New triple glazed windows

Broadband

1 acre grounds with mature garden and 250 metre tree-lined avenue

Five  out-buildings

VW 4 wheel drive, short wheelbase, Transporter van (2015 T5)

45 National hives of native Irish bees

>100 supers

One occupied Sun Hive (bees untreated for 3 years)

7 apiary sites

Branded honey business with five year average annual income of €24,000

10 honey outlets

2x2m market gazebo and place on local markets

Electric 9 frame rotary extractor

Heather press

Warming cabinet

Honey bottler

Candle making equipment

Queen rearing equipment including: Jenter and Nicot kits, 50 Apideas and 12 nuc boxes

Click the photos below for full size image

Panorama
Bee-loud glade
One of the out-apiaries. Mixed timber and poly hives in a bee-loud glade.
Sunny November Bees
Bees in the avenue

This might be of particular interest to aspiring beekeepers  out there with a cottage by the sea – because we would consider a swap!

email Jane at info@beespoke.ie for further info

Click here to go to Janesbees website

Beeswax Fillings

You know that feeling –  happily munching on the sourdough and marmite breakfast toast when suddenly there’s a stone clattering about in the mix. How can this be?

If you are young and your teeth are white and shiny – then there probably is a stone in the mix and as long as you don’t crunch it – all will be well.

However, if you are not so young and your teeth are rickety like mine – there’s probably a lump of dentistry in there. And you know what that means don’t you. Dentist is what it means. Usually.

However, for us  beekeepers there is another possible, albeit temporary solution. Read on…

Continue reading Beeswax Fillings

Christmas – Bees and Wintering

Christmas is one of the four quarter days which mark the changing of the seasons.

The four quarter days are:

  • Lady day or the Feast of the Annunciation 25th March;
  • Midsummer’s day around 25th June;
  • Michaelmas 29th September;
  • Christmas 25th December – lest we forget. Fat chance.

They all approximately coincide with either an equinox or a solstice.

Continue reading Christmas – Bees and Wintering

Isle of Man Horse Power

If, like me, you went to the recent BIBBA conference on the Isle of Man you must also have noticed the horse drawn trams but did you know they too are threatened with extinction?

Kewin brings in the No.65 Douglas Horse Tram
Magnificent Kewin brings in the No.65 Douglas Horse Tram (http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk)

Manx Horse Power

Personally I was charmed and delighted by these lovely Clydesdales trotting along the promenade on hairy great feet with their ears all pricked and eager. In fact I was so charmed and delighted by them I looked them up on the Blithering Internet when I got home and was incredulous to discover that the Powers-That-Be in Douglas are planning to scrap them!

Click the photo above for a close up, look at that lovely, lovely horse and ask yourself how on earth can that be? Continue reading Isle of Man Horse Power