We’ve probably all seen or heard about Swarm Collectors and what they do. Some bees get to set up a new home and it can often be in people’s homes and gardens. This talk will show some examples of bee extractions from walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, trees and sheds to…
Genetics for the Beekeeper – Helen Mooney
Helen Mooney keeps 20 stocks of bees in the West of Ireland in County Mayo. The climate is tough on bees that are not locally adapted to harsh damp weather, and with 12 years of beekeeping experience she has come to value the survival traits of the Dark bee. There…
Inside the National Honey Show – Bob Maurer
The National Honey Show is a beekeeping institution. 2023 will be the show’s centenary. My plan for the talk is to give a bit of history of how the show has developed and then to take you behind the scenes to give you a taste of what it takes to…
Maximising Production with Native Honey Bees
– Colm ONeill
Colm ONeill has been beekeeping for over 50 years, he and his three brothers worked 30 colonies with their father until Colm took over the beekeeping operation in his early 20s. With his wife Imelda he manages 60 honey production colonies and supporting nuclei, producing honey, native queens, drones and worker bees.
They use only Amm bees for local adaption, ease of management and rapid Spring build-up. Both have full-time jobs, working the bees the weekends and queen rearing tasks as needed on weekday evenings.
He is education officer for his local association, a committee member for the Native Irish Honey Bee Society and holds beekeeping, bee improvement and queen rearing classes at his home apiary. Along with Jonathan Getty, he has been giving online training to the more than 200 members of the NIHBS Queen Rearing Group Scheme since 2021. Their management system gives them little or no swarming and facilitates the replacement of up to 50% of the brood combs each year. While there may be 20 or more frames with brood in a colony, only 14 frames need to be looked at during weekly inspections.
Live@theHive

Sustainable Bees & Queens: Chesterfield
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle climate.
Sustainable Bees & Queens: Kent
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle climate.

Sustainable Bees & Queens – South East
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle climate.

Sustainable Bees & Queens – South West
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle climate.

Sustainable Bees & Queens : Midlands
There is growing concern amongst beekeepers of all abilities and experience about the ever-increasing importation of bees and queens. This is on several grounds, including the possibilities of introducing pests, diseases and pathogens, aggression in subsequent generations and the unsuitability to our fickle climate.