Pesticides are one of the biggest threats to bees in the UK. Bees pollinate many of the crops we use for food, so it's important that crops are kept free of pesticides that are harmful to them. Neonicotinoid insecticides are particularly harmful to bees and have been shown to be directly linked to the decline in our bee population. Neonicotinoid products were outlawed in Europe and the UK in 2018 but recently the UK government has given emergency authorisation to use a product containing a neonicotinoid. In this blog we'll explore why that decision was made, what it means and why we should care...
The queen bee, as you might presume from her name, is a very important bee in a colony. For her to fulfil her role as queen it will also take the hard work of the whole hive. You might think that the queen bee has an easy life, lounging around in luxury every day, while thousands of worker bees take care of her every need but the role of queen bee comes with some big responsibilities...
Sleep quality is very important to our overall health and well-being. Having a bad night's sleep can affect our mental health and make us irritable, anxious and unable to think clearly. In this blog we'll take a look at some methods and ideas you can employ to improve the quality of your sleep...
Valerian root is the root of the Valerian plant (Valeriana officinalis), a herbaceous perennial that is native to Great Britain, mainland Europe and also parts of Asia. The Valerian plant has feather-like leaves and produces clusters of small pink or white flowers in the summer months. The flowers have an interesting smell that you could describe as a sweet, musky vanilla and it has often been used in perfume manufacturing for its scent. Valerian is also known to be a great nectar and pollen source for bees!...
Honey is an incredible, natural substance with many amazing properties. It's obviously a delicious food, but in this blog we explore some of our other favourite uses for honey.
Two solitary bees you’ll often find in the garden are the Red Mason Bee and the Leaf-cutting Bee and they are prolific pollinators. Recent research suggests that they can pollinate up to 120 times more than honey bees – so it’s a great idea to help them thrive!
One way you can help these bees is to put up a ‘bee hotel’ in your garden. These are safe little spaces for them to nest and you can either buy one or create your own. The good news is that it is much easier (and cheaper) than you might think to make a bee hotel and it involves upcycling – so it’s great for the environment in more ways than one!
During the summer months when our gardens are full of blooming bee-friendly flowers, warm sun and buzzing insects it's relatively easy to play our part in looking after our bees and other pollinators. The winter months however can be a tough time for bees.
The various common bee species in Britain have different ways to survive during winter and in this blog we'll give you some ideas for several ways we can help them...
Honey contains a wealth of skin benefiting properties, it has powerful antioxidants and enzymes as well as fantastic moisturising affects. Honey is also a gentle cleanser and won't strip your skin of its natural moisture like some cosmetic products can - it can even benefit more serious skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema!
We are highlighting three different masks in this blog today, the first is for dry skin, the second for oily skin and a third that's especially good for clearing up problem spotty skin. For the best ongoing results we would recommend using a honey face mask once a week as part of your regular skincare routine...
A lot of people aren’t familiar with bee propolis. I know this because I’m often met with a confused look when I mention it as another wonderful product that bees make.
Until a few years ago, I hadn’t heard of bee propolis either. It was only when I started to help out Dad with his beehives that I noticed each of the hive boxes were firmly stuck together with a glue like substance. This was propolis. But what is propolis and why and how were the bees making it?...
It's almost impossible to believe a whole year has passed since our last Christmas message, yet here we are again! It's been a great year for us as a company and that is because of you, our fantastic customers. So first off we'd like to thank you for all your support and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Honey has many natural properties that can help treat colds and coughs. Honey contains antioxidant, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties that fight against the virus and treats the cold and its underlying symptoms. It also helps to soothe a sore or scratchy throat naturally and it can boost the immune system when you are feeling under the weather. And it's not just us saying this! It has been proven by scientists at Oxford University!
In this blog we'll look at some other additional ingredients you can combine with honey to try and keep those seasonal colds and flu at bay...
Autumn is a great time to get outside and prepare your garden for the winter. While we do that, there are also many things we can do to help the bees over these cold months too!
In this blog we'll cover some gardening tips and some ideas for flowering plants that will be help our buzzy friends this winter...
