A natural perspective to beekeeping

5 June 2017

A natural perspective to beekeeping

Tim Field explains what Daylesford Farm is doing to help bees.

  • At the end of May/beginning of June the bees start to swarm, and at Daylesford they are allowed to do this naturally; the queens do not have their wings clipped.  
  • The bees are kept as naturally as possible to try and obtain a population that is suited to the land.
  • At Daylesford, they have chosen to use WBC beehives, which provide good insulation for the bees to keep them warm over the winter months. 
  • Managing the environment around the bees is important. At Daylesford, wildflower meadows, sainfoin crops, hedgerows and woodland all act as fantastic sources of forage throughout the year; from snow drops at the start of the season to ivy at the end. 
  • Tim follows direction from Bees for Development and use their resources when in need of information/advice about beekeeping.  

Tim Field is Environmental Surveyor at Daylesford and is a member of the Agricology Executive Board.


As Tim mentions, you can find some of the Bees for Development resources on Agricology, have a look at:

(Editor's Note)

Tim Field's picture
Tim Field
Related farming theme: 

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