I am in shock. On Saturday (just 4 days ago) I was really happy as my bees were busy and there was lots of activity. In two days time I would have removed the Apiguard and fed them. There are still lots of flowers about and the weather has been pretty good, until the start of this week.
Today, I popped down after work to find Hive One was very quiet. I opened it up to find lots of dead bees and a few bees moving around very slowly. I pulled out a frame to find dead bees with their heads in the comb. I lifted off the brood box to find a pile of dead and dying bees. They had starved to death. There was nothing I could do as all the brood had died and the Queen was probably dead. Note: I did not harvest honey from this hive (I harvested from Hive Two).
This had been a healthy hive with a 2013 Queen. In my dreams it was going to produce 50lb of honey next year.
In my shock and state of denial (the first stage of bereavement) I have fed this hive. By tomorrow I will have accepted the inevitable, I’ll pour their syrup into the Hive Two feeder and clean up.
The videos and photos below say it all. So sad to see the remaining bees moving around slowly trying to do their chores.
I’ve now fed Hive Two (which seemed OK). Check your bees.
I had heard of these places whilst on beekeeping training courses and in whispered conversations. They had evoked more fear than curiosity … until now. Yes – I am talking about beekeeping equipment suppliers!
I imagined it to be like an old-school DIY store, the sort of place where beemen and beewomen would hang out to shoot the breeze. They would look me over and make me feel very small. It would be difficult to have a private, one-to-one conversation with the owner. “Yes I am a beekeeper. I’d like some bees and hives please,” I would ask quietly. “What type of bees and what type of hives?”, would start a conversation where I would gradually have to reveal the depths of my ignorance. I’d leave the store and they’d be thinking “I give him a year”.
But being a beekeeper and blogger I thought I should be brave and it was time I visited an equipment supplier rather than just buy online.
So, was the visit to be like my recent experience at a local DIY store to buy some curtain hooks? (After several visits I ended up buying all the packets of curtain hooks, none of which fitted).
Maisemore – My Local Supplier
Maisemore are just 45 minutes drive from where I live. I first read about them on their website and was really pleased to find that they operated 1,000 hives across a number of locations. They were still practicing beekeepers and would understand my issues. They are also a family run business in its 3rd generation.
Maisemore Apiaries Warehouse
I arrived to find a big warehouse, a shop, lots of planks of cedar wood and some beehives in operation. Not clean, shiny beehives like my own, but proper working hives that had been built decades ago and stood the test of time.
Maisemore Shop
Johnathan, who owns Maisemore with other family members, was behind the counter. Whilst I was there a few people came in asking about Queens and buying equipment, but nothing like the scary dudes of my imagination. Johnathan knew his stuff and we got chatting. We got on so well in fact, Jonathan kindly agreed to give me some equipment in exchange for some mentions on this blog – hence my new Beekeeping Equipment page!.
Why I Liked Maisemore
They know their stuff – They operate 1,000 hives and understand beekeeping. Their products are not over-engineered and they rely more on word-of-mouth than big budget advertising.
Great value – Their “Rock Bottom Bee Hives” are made of cedar and I couldn’t find any cheaper on my searches. I have listed and provided links to other suppliers here: Beekeeping Equipment Suppliers
Wide product range – They have all the equipment a new beekeeper needs. If you visit the shop, 95% of the equipment you would need is in the shop and I am sure Jonathan would be able to lay his hands on anything else you wanted, either out-the-back or in the warehouse
I got some free stuff!
If you do buy from their store, please give me a mention (they deliver nationally and internationally). Next year, I’d love to negotiate a good deal on this yellow suit for my “Guest Beekeepers” 😉
Beekeeping Equipment In Maisemore Shop
Read More
My wife has banned any further spending on beekeeping equipment and I have now started a very small relationship with Maisemore which I talk more about here: Beekeeping Equipment
As I have described in two previous posts, my apiary was 1 of 200 randomly selected in the UK to be part of an EU study to better understand colony collapse.
Previous inspections by the National Bee Unit have revealed deformed wing virus and confirmed that my bees died due to combining my hive of laying workers with my healthy colony – these workers then killed my queen and no new bees were produced.
This was the third and final visit and my two hives received a clean bill of health. No deformed, shiny or black bees. Healthy, laying queens. Healthy amount of brood. All looks set to start preparing for the Winter.
Bee Inspector – Inspecting Frame – August 2013
My book keeps saying things like the “pons asinorum of beekeeping”* is to find and mark the Queen, “see that you cross it and you will be a beekeeper”. I have been wholly unsuccessful in this – until now, whereby I can claim partial success, but I cannot yet say that I have fully crossed this bridge.
The inspector spotted both my Queens and I took the opportunity to mark them (blue) – bonus. They looked pretty big.
Marked Queen
I have updated my hive records and all is looking good as we prepare for Winter:
As most of you will know, last year there was a lot of beekeeping effort on my part – involving approx. 2 swarms, Queen Less colonies, high varroa and several panic attacks. And there was not a lot in return – 4 jars of honey, 2 of which were unripe and the other 2 scraped out of the comb. Read: The joys and guilt of harvesting my first honey for how my first harvest panned out.
This year however, I have actually PRODUCED! Or rather my bees have.
Yes – one of my hives has produced a surplus of honey – about 13lb which has filled 25 jars. It might not be enough to sell to shops, but it does mean that I have enough to give to friends (very discerning ones) for Christmas. Not bad for three frames of bees with a Queen that I put in their new home on the 9th June!
Frame Of Capped Honey
I consider the success a joint effort. Yes the bees have worked hard (to produce this quantity the bees have flown about 700,000 miles – that’s the equivalent of almost two trips from the Earth to the Moon and back and visited about 26,000,000 flowers) and I, of course, have done the vital task of peering at them occasionally (a.k.a. “inspecting”).
If you find these numbers mind blowing, check out my new page on Honey Facts.
The process of extraction was fun, if time consuming and sticky. Here’s my STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO EXTRACTION…
1 – FIND A LOCATION – And by this, I mean find somewhere other than your own home to do the extraction. In my case, it was my parent’s house. This was agreed with simply bribery and promises of a year long supply of honey.
2 – GET HELP – In my case, my Mum and Dad. Basically they couldn’t resist getting involved.
3 – DO NOT GIVE TOO MANY INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR HELPER (and definitely do not “ssshhhh” her when she is trying to give advice) – Or your mum might decide she can, in fact, ‘resist’ the urge to help you.
4 – MARVEL AT THE CAPPED HONEY FRAMES – It’s true! The evidence! These bees really do make honey.
Fat Supers Full Of Honey
5 – CUT THE CAPS – Uncapping the honey is like undressing a gorgeous woman. Only a little bit less intimidating and even more fiddly.
Cutting Caps Off Frame Of Honey
It’s fascinating to cut off the wax cappings and watch the honey ooze out and reflect on the process that has resulted in this golden liquid, before putting it in the extractor (which I borrowed from a fellow beekeeper) and spinning it.
Frame Of Uncapped HoneyHoney Frames In Extractor
It’s surprising to see that the comb is empty after just 1 minute of spinning. You think that you haven’t got much in the bottom of the tank but before you know it you need to empty it into a plastic tub. And 14 frames later you might have filled that 30lb tub.
Empty Honey Frame After Extraction
6 – STOP FOR TEA – It’s a long process. I optimistically started at 7.30pm thinking I’d be back in time for a bit of News at 10, but came staggering back home at 2am.
It’s a sad day when your late nights no longer involve snakebite, clubbing and kebabs, but tea, biscuits and your parents … Mind you, both have the same sticky floor effect.
Filtering Honey Using 1.5mm Filter
7 – TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR JARS – Yes! Finally a use for my labels! I am inordinately proud of my jars. Have a read of my labelling advice page to find out what you legally need to put on there, and how to go about producing them.
Wotton-under-Edge Honey
8 – TIDY UP – Or promise to. I had to come back the next day. My Dad and I (I know, it’s shameful) both had a go at mopping up the honey but the floor remained sticky three washes in.
I’ve subsequently spent some time researching the best ways to clean up honey and it seems it’s … hot water and hard scrubbing. Exactly what you do not want to hear.
9 – REMEMBER TO KEEP THE WAX CAPPINGS – I put the wet frames and cappings back on the hive and amazingly they were dry within a few days.
Wet Wax Cappings For The Bees
This video shows how dry they were:
Bee Update
In brief – the Queens are now marked (unbelievable I know), the varroa counts are low, the colonies are healthy and currently have Apiguard on top.
All the notes on the number of frames of bees, amount of brood and stores, feeding and treatments are detailed in my hive records. These include photos and videos.
When I blogged “Bees RIP” I got three times as many hits as usual for a posting within a few hours. I now understand why “there’s no news like bad news”. However, I thought a sensationalist headline like “Talking With Bees Gets Published” might drum up some interest too.
But firstly, I’ll update you on the bees – yes, I actually have bees again. Hive One: a Queen should have hatched out last Saturday and hopefully mated this week. Hive Two: contains Pete’s old Queen but on my last inspection, due to aggressive behaviour (by the bees) and a beekeeping suit that I have discovered allows bee stings through (!!! do they all do this??) I don’t have any further update.
Below is a photo of the two Queen bee larvae I culled from Hive One. I left two emergency Queen cells.
Queen Bee Larvae
Rather than blogging the details of my inspections, I have started publishing the hive records under My Apiary.
So yes, crikey, someone liked my ramblings enough to put them in print.
Now, I have spent a lot of time researching and writing about my thoughts on bees and perhaps the odd thought about people liking my thoughts and somehow getting a paragraph published in a beekeeping magazine one day. But despite all the effort, the phone is not abuzz from bee publishers. Ironically it seems the one post I devoted to updating you guys on becoming a father (a process that involves no research whatsoever) is the one that grabbed the attention.
My wife Heidi was completing a National Childbirth Trust (NCT) feedback form where they asked if anyone wanted to write about their experiences as a new Mum or Dad. She sent them a link to my post On Being A Dad and they liked it enough to include it in the Spring issue of their magazine.
Now it might not be the acclaim for all the hard work and devotion I have paid to this beekeeping pursuit that I was hoping for, but I reckon it still counts for me claiming to be a published author!
I can but dream of the phone call from the BBKA or Bee Craft asking, “hey, we love your stuff, please, please, please can we publish some of your articles?”
Crikey. My first bee experience of the new season, and my manliness is already under self-scrutiny.
What is it about me (my character) that Pete ended up hefting my hive around? Is it something I could do something about … like press-ups? Or is there somehow I could boost my alpha-maleness so that no one would even consider offering to help?
Or am I over-analysing this and is it simply that he is a strong-armed farmer and I am an office-working weedling? Perhaps I could help him out with some Excel spreadsheets? Probably not.
A similar thing happens when I am at Mum & Dads. If I don’t get asked to do the washing-up, I can definitely feel/anticipate the expectation … but somehow, before I even have the Marigolds on, Dad has started?
I’ve written a few times about the manliness issues that beekeeping has prompted. It’s not attractive! Have a read!!
It was like a scene from E.T. as Pete and I headed up the quiet estate on the back of an old Land Rover in our white (bee) suits with a radioactive device (beehive). Children were called inside and curtains were drawn.
Even before we started we were resigned to the fact that finding a Queen was as likely as finding alien life. So we split Pete’s hive and placed six frames of eggs, brood and bees into my hive body.
When we got to my “apiary” of two empty hives we decided to split the frames further so I would have three frames in each brood box. I then added frames with foundation to each hive and fed them with 1:1 sugar solution.
My New Apiary
Unknowns
I may, or may not, have the Queen
My new colonies may, or may, not raise emergency Queens
I may, or may not, have two functioning hives
Unknown unknowns
Probably
Challenges
Pete uses a standard national brood body whilst I use 14×12’s. I am expecting a lot of wild comb below the frames I inserted which is likely to make inspections more difficult. The plan is to shuffle these three frames to the side and remove them over the coming months. Any advice on the speed and timing of this much appreciated?
Final Thanks To Pete
Thanks for the bees, having a plan, spotting eggs and for lifting the hive body (it was really heavy; I have felt the need to write about this under Manliness Already Under Scrutiny). And thanks for the lettuces.
If in three weeks time, I have no Queen or eggs and the lettuces are dead … you might realise I am in need of more fundamental support?
If you want to get started and don’t want to buy a nucleus/package of bees, then you might want to read my how-to’s on Catching A Swarm and Hiving A Swarm. Please note my disclaimer on the How-To main page which clarifies “I am not Britain’s leading beekeeper or teacher …”.
You may be wondering how life has been for an enthusiastic/obsessive new beekeeper such as myself without bees. Well, I have descended further into insanity over the last few months. On the back of a foraging book I have taken to eating the Spring leaves from hawthorn hedges and the flowers of wild garlic. Instead of talking with bees I have been engaging in long, primeval squealing and screeching with our baby girl. I think I am imitating her … but it’s been going on so long now that she might be imitating me. I must try “da-da” a bit more, but it’s not as fun.
However, this post is a bit of a teaser to my main news! I have an update on the bee situation. I’ll download some photos and blog it in the next few days.
It’s really cold here in the UK. The bees are still holding onto each others hands and feet in an effort to keep warm. Beekeepers are feeding their bees and having to be patient and wait a while longer for their first inspection. So I thought it was time for some Bank Holiday Monday, beekeeping comedy and I found the following sketch with John Cleese & Rowan Atkinson. I’d be interested to know how this humour translates around the world. Let me know. Enjoy!
Sounds like a sensationalist, tabloid headline, along the lines of “Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster” – but in this case it’s probably the truth.
“Read All About It”
You might remember that my apiary (which now consists of zero hives though did peak briefly at two hives last year) was part of the EU Honeybee Surveillance Programme. At my last inspection, I discovered all the bees had died, so I called the bee inspector and he wanted to come and have a look as part of the programme.
The Inside Scoop
The evidence points to Laying Workers killing my Queen. This is what probably happened:
There was no mated Queen in the hive for these two months and the Workers became Laying Workers
There was also a spotted drone brood in the hive at this last inspection, a sign there were probably Laying Worker. We also found some Dwarf Drones.
He took a sample of bees but thought disease was unlikely.
Opinion Piece
The inspector’s advice was that when you have the possibility of Laying Workers, chuck the bees in the hedge and the flying (non-laying) ones will find your other colony and boost numbers.
He confirmed I did not need to destroy the hive. The stores are not useful to me as they are tainted with Apiguard and are mostly sugar syrup that they converted. I will use these standard frames in my 14x12s as part of my Varroa Management.
Beekeeping Guides
None of my books mentioned the problems of Laying Workers when combining hives. I have been developing some Online How-To Guides and have updated the Combining Hives Guide, to include a warning to novice beekeepers of the problems of Laying Workers.
If you want to be kept up-to-date with my beekeeping exploits and guides, please subscribe.
Read More
An Inspector Calls (Visit 3 of 3) – I got some more bees and the bee inspector came for a third and final visit as part of the EU Programme
My cheap, point and shoot camera does a basic job but there are times when I would like to be able to publish some quality honeybee photos.
I would be very grateful if you emailed me quality photos you have taken. Crucially, the photos need to be yours and you need to give me the right to use them. If I do publish them, you will be credited and links provided to your blogs (if you have one) on a main Honeybee Photos page.
I am particularly looking for:
Queen (in hive, attended by workers, mating, killing another Queen)
Workers (hatching, in hive, looking after brood, flying, foraging, pollen on legs)
It was warm and sunny at the weekend and I wanted to quickly inspect the bees to see if there was any brood. On the off-chance there was no brood I was going to apply a late Oxalic Acid Treatment. As it turned out, there was no brood, but neither were there any bees. The video speaks for itself.
Post-mortem
So. My first colony of honeybees are dead. The frames were full of honey. There were a few dead bees on the frames, but most were on the floor. There were about 15 drone cells, some with brood in. My initial diagnosis, and my fear over the last 6 months, was lack of a mated Queen and hence no new bees. Other possibilities were too small a cluster resulting in them freezing to death, too high a Varroa count or disease.
My small apiary, which now consists of an empty hive, was part of the EU Honeybee Surveillance Programme so I called the Divisional Bee Inspector. He concurred with my thoughts but wanted to check them for any disease. He is coming on Friday. I will let you know of any diagnosis and also get more advice on what to do with them all.
Will I have to burn the hive or will it be good for a many more seasons. And can I eat all the honey in there? Should I be having such thoughts at this time and so quickly?
Dealing With Death
I was not as traumatised as one might have expected. I am disappointed that my first colony of bees did not survive the Winter. I am disappointed that on warm days like we have had this week I will not see my bees out and about. I did not beat myself up and over-analyse if I was a bad beekeeper. Rather, I looked to the future …
Starting Again
One of the good things about beekeeping, and Spring in general, is renewal. Colonies will start swarming in April and May and I will get the chance to start the process all over again … except this year, my second year, hopefully, I will be a bit better and a bit braver.
This is a guest post by Alice Whitley. Alice is a freelance writer who covers a variety of topics on the outdoors, nature preservation, and sustainability.
For people who enjoy natural environments, there are few things as rewarding as finding a hobby that involves the outdoors. The harmony of natural environments can only truly be realized and appreciated if you become part of it yourself, and this is the source of the appeal for activities such as beekeeping. However, for some people, beekeeping is a bit too time-consuming to be a realistic hobby or activity. In these cases, it might be a nice idea to turn to gardening – but, with an eye toward engaging with the environment a bit more. Instead of simply growing a selection of favourite plants, consider the following ways to inspire natural harmony between plants and creatures, and to enjoy your garden more thoroughly.
Bring In The Bees
As any beekeeper or nature enthusiast understands, nothing quite demonstrates the harmony of an environment in its natural state like the relationship between bees and flowers. Bees are fascinating creatures as it is, which is why people enjoy keeping them in colonies – however, again, if this proves to be too time consuming or demanding of a hobby, it is still possible to bring bees into your garden. The simplest way to do so is simply by heading to Marks and Spencer or the nearest gardening centre to pick up a few flowers known to be particularly appealing to bees. Sunflowers and marigolds are generally good selections, but there are many flowers that are likely to attract bees naturally to your garden.
flowers
Bring In The Birds
Similarly, you can seek to improve the natural feel of your garden, and enhance its ties to the environment, by attracting birds. The most common ways to do this are by keeping a birdhouse or two in the garden space, or by having a birdbath present. These elements in your garden not only provide props that make the garden more appealing, but also bring in a variety of birds, inviting more nature to your garden. Additionally, birds help to provide natural, harmonious control of pests that can harm your plants – which in turn saves you from having to introduce harmful pest control substances to the environment.
Make It Comfortable
Finally, once you have designed your garden space to be appealing to nature, it is also worthwhile to make it appealing to you. Many gardens are designed without any thought to people actually spending time in them – they are merely decorations in these instances. However, if you are focused on joining your garden with the surrounding environment as a hobby and practice, it is also important to provide places to spend time within the garden space. Whether it’s a single bench, or a partially enclosed gazebo, or even a simple walkway depending on the size of your garden, inviting a human presence is another aspect of creating a pleasant natural garden environment.
Roger – Thanks Alice.
If you liked this post you might be interested in my Bee-Friendly Plants page.
I last heard some activity about 3 weeks ago when I knocked on the side of the hive and heard a friendly buzz … but nothing recently.
I saw a flying honeybee a few days ago and went down to my hive, in hope, to observe … nothing.
I took off the mouse guard and had a look in … dead bees everywhere.
Despite being an optimist, I was 100% sure the colony was dead. I felt pretty gutted – I was not going to see any of my bees flying around on a warm February day. The hive wouldn’t be building up for the first nectar flow.
I went down on Saturday (2nd Feb) to record the devastation. And then to my surprise and delight …
Wooo hoooo. On a warm day I might see some bees come flying out. I cleared the entrance and some of the bees from the floor to give them a hand.
Still not sure if their is a Laying Queen or if they will survive the Winter. But they are alive today. This was the most bee-ing I had done since I Gave My New Queen A Good Home. I am looking forward to Spring.
PS. Do the bees carry out their dead or do I have to do it for them?
Crikey. This was to be my third hive. I’ll soon have to bump up my BBKA insurance! Hmmmm … and I’d better start making some honey. Or maybe I just shouldn’t blog for a few years and start writing again when I have made a year’s supply of honey, rather than appear to be the beekeeper with all the gear and no idea.
The good news is that I am much improved at building a flat pack beehive. Yes … the frames are not perfectly square, yes it wobbles, yes there are gaps and yes, the bodge hammer made a few appearances … but the gaps are smaller than a bee, and with a few kilos of honey, some weathering and propolis from the bees … it should be alright.
Flatpack beehive
Even though it has been eight months since I built the last hive, the subconscious is a wonderful thing. It keeps on learning even after the event. This time I anticipated problems. Before I applied hive glue, I hammered in nails, so that they had gone through one piece of wood and nearly ready to go into the next one. I punched holes through plastic rails using the larger nails. I was on fire! It only took me two hours to build the hive stand and open mesh floor. I think this demonstration of anticipation, is evidence that my Man Intelligence (MQ) has increased in the last year.
As my own workbench had no vice or “things” (also known as vice pegs or clamping dogs) to stop the pieces of wood slipping around, it was a bit tricky, but the garage wall helped. Ironically, pieces of wood are more slippery after the glue is applied rather than more sticky. It often felt like a two man (or person) job but I was going to do this by myself.
Slowly, I am dissolving away the idealist in me that would like to make perfect square hives that don’t rock, and who would like to know what is going on in the beehive. I am trying to become someone who is happy when it’s good enough.
I am not yet that person … “where’s the bodge hammer”??!!
I usually write about bees and beekeeping but in my journey to find the good life I’m considering chickens. I’ve written a page on UK chicken coops, but for American readers I’ll write a post on USA coops.
I have written a review of the Eglu by Omlet – a beautifully designed, plastic, assembled hive, which houses 4, 6 or 10 chickens.
Amazon is also a good source for value chicken coops. The leading brands often put their products on Amazon and sell at a discount. I have researched flat pack and assembled chicken coops and identified the following three represent good value (and the third one is beautiful but a bit more expensive):
Small Chicken Coop
Large Chicken Coop
Larger Chicken Coop
- 4 bird chicken coop
- Sliding access door for chickens to enter and exit
- Hinged roof for easy food / water access and egg extraction
- Removable metal sliding pan allows for easy cleaning access
- Flat pack, requires assembly
- Up to12 bird chicken coop
- Plastic with the benefits of insulation, weather resistance
- Easy assembly, no tools required
- Up to 15 bird chicken coop
- 6 nest boxes
- 2 roost bars
- Requires 2 people for an afternoon to assemble
If you want to read more about keeping chickens, the following book is popular and well reviewed:
I usually write about bees and beekeeping but in my journey to find the good life I’m considering chickens.
I have written a review of the Eglu by Omlet – a beautifully designed, plastic, assembled hive, which houses 4, 6 or 10 chickens.
Amazon is also a good source for value chicken coops. The leading brands often put their products on Amazon and sell at a discount. I have researched flat pack and assembled chicken coops and identified the following three represent good value:
Small Chicken Coop
Large Chicken Coop
Assembled Chicken Coop
- 5 bird chicken coop
- Metal pull-out tray for easy cleaning
- Totally fox proof
- Flat pack, requires assembly
- 12 bird chicken coop
- Metal pull-out tray for easy cleaning
- Totally fox proof
- Flat pack, requires assembly
- 6 bird chicken coop
- Hand-built
RRP: £300, reduced to £100
RRP: £350, reduced to £125
RRP: £320
If you want to buy a book on keeping chickens, the following one is very popular:
I usually write about bees and beekeeping but I am a huge fan of the Beehaus (by Omlet) and in my journey to find the good life I’m considering chickens and the Eglu chicken coop (by Omlet). Us beekeepers are known for being frugal and looking for good value and as usual, I like to do lots of research and read online reviews. I thought I would write it all down as it might be useful to others out there considering what type of chicken coop to buy.
Eglu Classic Cutaway
Eglu Verdict (My Personal View)
Highly functional with excellent design – appeals to hearts and minds
Appears expensive, but: (A) cheaper chicken coops come as flat packs and take time/stress to assemble, (B) it has a fox guard, so less dead chickens (saving £20 a time), (C) the Eglu may help chickens produce more eggs and be less likely to get diseases (rationale: easier to clean, good ventilation). Hence, it might give better value than first meets the eye.
All reviews on the Internet are 3 to 5 stars with the vast majority being 5 stars
Eglu Options: Eglu Classic, Eglu Go, Eglu Cube
The table below may help you find which option is right for you.
Eglu Classic
Eglu Go
Eglu Cube
Suitable for 2-4 medium sized chickens or 2-3 larger breeds.
Suitable for 2-4 medium sized chickens or 2-3 larger breeds.
Suitable for up to 10 chickens.
From £450
From £360
From £699
Functionally the same as the Eglu Go but the production process is more expensive and you are paying extra for the design as compared to the Eglu Go
Better value than the Eglu Classic for 2-4 chickens.
Standard model houses 6 chickens, can be extended to 10 chickens
Overview
+ Pros: Low maintenance, easy to clean, fox resistant, easy access, good ventiallation, warm in winter, cool in summer
– Cons: Expensive
£ Value: Chickens will live in optimal conditions: this may lead to them producing more eggs and be less likely to have disease. Product will last a lifetime.
Assuming a chicken costs £20 and one a year would be killed by foxes. Assuming 3 chickens produce 3 eggs a week more due to optimal conditions and these 3 eggs are worth £0.80. Extra value per year could be up to £60. I appreciate these estimates are very rough. Some readers might consider that chickens will be equally productive in any coop.
Delivery: They ship to the whole of the UK, including the Channel Islands, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland and the United States. Use the links below.
Customer Reviews
The reviews from those who have bought and use the Eglu are overwhelmingly positive. You can read 100’s of reviews here: Eglu Customer Reviews
Useful Links
In the past they used to give a 10% discount when you bought online rather than over the phone. Follow these links and login (top right of page) to buy online. They often have other freebies on offer.
Eglu Classic – features, benefits, video of how to use
No not this blog!!! That would be crazy. But from actually talking with bees.
Well, for starters, they have NOT helped me regain my sanity. In 2012 they made me more anxious than being a parent.
What I learnt about beekeeping:
It’s complex
It’s frustrating
Many beekeepers talk about giving it up (and have been doing so since the 1600’s)
Bees are lovely (but a bit scary)
Do your best but don’t expect a healthy hive producing lots of honey
What I personally learnt:
To do my best and worry less about the bees and life in general
For an office worker such as myself it’s good to do something practical and work with my hands and animals
Looking after bees makes me feel more connected to the world, to plants, to bumble bees, to the weather, to the farmers market (hopefully, in the future), to people, to community
I wanted to see how many beekeepers were serious about giving it up, so I have set up a Beekeepers Attitude Survey. The results are pouring in. Please vote.
The memories of Heidi going through six days of labour were still very fresh, but the memories of building my last flat pack hive had faded enough that I bought another one. So either I could pop round to Dad’s and borrow his Workmate … or, now I have a garage, I could buy my own workbench.
As soon as I had the idea to buy one I was very excited and however much I analysed my actual, functional need, there was little that was going to dampen my emotional desire to own a workbench. I had to buy one. Not a pop up one, but a permanent fixture.
A real man would chop down a tree and build their own, chunky workbench. I went online, did my research and bought a flat pack workbench for £78. I could justify £78. £10 functional value, £68 emotional value. (If you’re interested in this workbench follow these links: UK Link, USA Link).
I assembled the workbench in less than an hour. Most of this time was spent wrestling the top shelf into the frame, but what a friend calls “the bodge hammer” sorted it out with a few bangs.
Workbench
Now my workbench was assembled and a little damaged from my efforts, my sister asked what I was going to do with it? I repeated the mantra that “every man needs a work bench”. But she persisted and asked “what for”? “I needed it”. “What for”? “To build my flat pack hive”. “And then what”? Errrrmmmm.
The truth is I want to be the type of man who has a workbench. The type of man who goes in his garage and bangs away with other people fearing the development in progress and comes out proudly holding a box of no particular use. I want my garage door to be the equivalent of a wardrobe door that takes me to a DIY Narnia where I am King. I want to sometimes leave my garage door open so elderly neighbours walking past can see my shiny but well used tools. I want my workbench to shout, he knows stuff, he makes stuff, and he can show Nick Knowles what to do with his wrench!
After buying the workbench, I was feeling newly masculated until I went to an NCT (National Childbirth Trust) house party. I was given a tour to discover that the Man Of The House had a Harley Davidson in his garage …
If you liked this post and want to know where the manliness anxieties started, you might like to read I Am Not A Beeman.
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