September is National Honey Month!

September is a very exciting month in the beekeeping year - it’s honey harvesting month!

To celebrate National Honey Month, we are delighted that The University of Sheffield’s Beekeeping Society were happy to answer some of our questions. A big thank you to Harvey (President) and Amelia (General Secretary) of BeeSoc for talking to us all about the society, the fascinating world of beekeeping, protecting our pollinators and of course...honey!

Thank you both for chatting to us for National Honey Month. Can we start by asking how you initially got involved in beekeeping?

Harvey: My parents have been beekeepers for around 30 years so it was a family hobby which I was introduced to when I was young. It was a very fun and unusual experience but one I’ve kept up ever since, as a family group and then at University.

Amelia: I remember seeing the society whilst walking around the Freshers’ Fair in the first week of University. I was really interested in joining as it was never a hobby I’d considered before. Joining at University made it a lot more accessible, so I went along to a few of the introductory sessions. The rest is history!

It certainly must be a really rewarding and interesting hobby. What is it that you love most about keeping bees?

Harvey: Seeing their colony activity such as their coordination and lifecycle is truly fascinating. Did you know that each bee has a 28-day life cycle and their age in days determines which jobs they have!

Amelia: Seeing them become a successful colony - with lots of bees producing lots of honey because you’ve looked after them - is really rewarding. Of course, they do most of this themselves as they are so clever, but it’s so interesting to watch how the colony changes over the year.

We’re big fans of a honeybee fact. Do you have any that you can share with us?

Harvey: I do! Bees are a perfect example of democracy. Only when the whole colony is in complete agreement on their location for the new hive do they decide to settle. They also measure the location's dimensions with their antenna, plus make notes about the flower and water quality nearby.

Amelia: There are so many! My favourite honeybee fact is that they can fly up to 3 miles from the hive to find food, and they do this at up to 20mph!

They really are fascinating creatures! Are there any challenges associated with beekeeping?

Harvey: Mainly disease and weather, especially in the UK as there is a very short honey season compared to warmer climates. The pressure from mites, as well as colony collapse disorder, makes each year a struggle but it's so rewarding when they make it through the season strong, especially if you've enough surplus honey to take some for yourself!

Amelia: Unfortunately, bees are faced with lots of different diseases which can make it really hard for them to get through the year. Something I didn’t realise until joining the society was that wasps can actually be an issue for bees, as they can go into the hive and steal their honey.

We’d love to learn a little more about BeeSoc. There are so many links between beekeeping and other hobbies and interests - do you have the opportunity to collaborate with other societies at the University?

Harvey: Of course, we've worked with baking society as well as allotment society - to name a few. We find that widening our social field and collaboration really helps people settle in as they get to meet even more people.

Amelia: Yes! It’s one of my favourite things that we do. Hosting socials with other societies means that people who may necessarily not have gotten involved with beekeeping become introduced to it, and that’s always great to see.

Aside from the very important job of looking after your bees, what other activities and events are organised for members?

Harvey: Coffee afternoons, quizzes, candle making, baking events, hive viewing, wax wraps making, Q&As, talks and we hope to do many more.

Amelia: We also organise walks and bakes with other societies - the list goes on!

That all sounds really good fun! The foundation has helped to introduce bees in five schools in Sheffield. Can you offer any advice to any budding beekeepers?

Harvey: Just give it a go, don't be afraid of the bees. They are always very calm and a good beekeeper won’t take you to them if they aren't very happy.

Amelia: Just to get involved! It can be quite daunting at first, there are a lot of techniques and things to remember. However, the more experience you get, the easier, more fun and rewarding it becomes. 

On a slightly more serious note, there are an increasing number of campaigns and news stories highlighting the decline of bees - is there anything that we can do as individuals to help protect our pollinators?

Harvey: Buying local honey is a massive help. The honey you buy from the shops is often not really what you would class as honey. Instead, it's a blend of honey and some sugars to produce the 'correct' liquid. Apart from that, planting of bee friendly flowers and feeding any exhausted, hungry bees you see is fantastic help.

Amelia: What Harvey said!

They are really useful tips - fortunately there are lots of local honey producers in Sheffield for us to keep an eye out for! Aside from learning how to look after honeybees, what other skills have you developed as a beekeeper?

Harvey: Making frames, looking for diseases, using all the products from the hives (e.g. wax wraps, cream from the wax and propolis, extraction of honey) good aseptic technique, timekeeping and keeping track of the hives is a good practice for planning jobs in everyday life.

Amelia: Patience, I think! Things you try to do to help the bees may not always work first time, but there are plenty of options and often you just have to wait to see if the bees will take to it. I’ve also gained more practical beekeeping skills, like making frames for the hive and being able to make products like candles and wax wraps from their honey.

Finally, as it’s National Honey Month, we can’t let you go without asking how you like your honey? Personally, I can never resist a swirl on my porridge in a morning!

Harvey: Straight from the hive still on the comb! For me, nothing beats the freshness. 

Amelia: Good question! I’d have to say on toast, now you mention it, with lots of butter and even more honey.

Great to talk to you both! Thanks for joining us and good luck with the start of the new academic year!

Keep up-to-date with news from BeeSoc by liking them on Facebook - University of Sheffield Beekeeping Society, or following their instagram page - @sheffieldbeesoc.