From Branch to Bottle!

More goodies we can thank our little pollinators for. Delicious and tart cloudy apple juice. We used a slow-juicer- they’re the best, but you wouldn’t want to be in a hurry! 👌🍎🍏

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Honey Harvest 2019

Some shots from our Honey Harvest, early September. We had the pleasure of showing DJ Monica Hayes from KCLR the ropes at the apiary. She recorded the lot, and made a fantastic short documentary on it for her show. Visit the link below to listen to it! https://kclr96fm.com/documentary/harvesting-honey/

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Bees at the National Ploughing Champs 2019

What an unbelievably busy and well-run event! There was great interest in the bees and in beekeeping at the FIBKA (Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations) tent. With 2 observation hives, it wasn’t hard to keep people interested in the bees. We also did 2 talks, one at the ICA stage and at inCarlow stage… well done all!

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Rathanna Hill Farming Showcase 2019

Another fantastic outing for the bees and beekeepers @ Rathanna’s Hill Farming Showcase. Our tent was constantly busy, and the beautiful sunny weather helped of course! 🌞

A visit to the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, Jan 2019

We were treated to an impressive exhibition of world culture and beekeeping history with an extra-sensory touch in Ljubljana last week. The pictures below only capture a glimpse of the experience…

Vintage skeps and hives, pictured below. Common materials used for making the skeps were willow, clematis and cow dung. Ancient skep-making techniques are still used today, although the skeps are primarily used for collecting swarms.

Men and dogs even do the job as a beehive, with the dog’s mouth serving as an interesting hive entrance!

Below, a vintage hive-carrying cart, and a beautifully crafted honeycomb dome structure photographed from the elevator above.

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Visit the museum’s website: https://semuzej.business.site

Visit Ljubljana: https://www.slovenia.info/en

AGM and Talk by Mary Coffey. 6th Dec 2018

Thanks to all who came to our AGM on Thursday. We’re delighted to welcome our new members who signed up. Our new committee was also elected, and we look forward to planning an active and fun-filled 2019! Huge thanks to Mary Coffey of Teagasc for her very interesting talk on bee diseases and treatment.

Building a tree-hive in the countryside!

The Beekeepers are at it again, making an attractive trap-hive in the beautiful Carlow countryside! It’s a work in progress, and we’ll post a mini-vid of the action soon. It’ll hopefully be irresistable to a swarm, and the lucky bees can thank Carlow beekeeper Shane Kavanagh for constructing their cosy new pad!
(*don’t try this at home!!)