Winter in the Apiaries

Winter is a time of patience for beekeepers - often the worst thing we can do is open up a hive to see that is going on. We just have to anxiously wait. Our FutureBee project is helping change that for the hives we have tech installed into by giving us regular reading.

Snowsdrops in Ashmore Green

Rare pollen sources

Bees need as much pollen as they can find in the winter and the Snowdrops are one of the earliest sources. Luckily for our bees based at Welford Park there are famous snowdrop woods just around the corner. The Welford Snowdrop event starts 28th January 2026 running until 1st March 2026. Our honey and honey soaps are being stocked in the shop for the event. You can purchase tickets here.

Tight clusters

Bees pass winter in a similar way to penguins. They form a tight cluster to preserve heat. When the weather is warmer they get more active.

Our future bee project enable us to monitor the hives internal temperatures so that we know that even though their has been snow on the ground - this hive for example has been around 20 degrees internally. We still have space for corporate sponsorship on our Futurebee project if you'd like to help us bring beekeeping into the 21st Century.