The phrase “make hay whilst the sun shines” pretty much reflects the life of a bee colony. They gather nectar from the spring and summer flowers (and even the winter ivy if the weather is clement) and store it as a food source for when the weather prevents them from going out.

As a beekeeper, your job is provide just enough additional space for them to produce more honey than they need. And then you go in and steal it from them!

Of course you always leave enough behind so that they can sustain themselves. And you care for them throughout the winter months too, giving them a ready supply of fondant if they use their own resources too quickly.

The colony thrive in their “brood box” where the queen lays eggs and the bees tend to them. They make cells throughout in a honeycomb shape and use them to store pollen and honey as well as nurturing the eggs.

An additional box is placed on top (called a “super”) with a wired frame beneath (a Queen Excluder) which allows the worker bees to pass through, but the queen and the drones (the boys) who are bigger can’t access through this frame. The workers can therefore fill the super with honey, free from any interference.

They start by laying nectar into the cells. A combination of bee body heat, and fanning of their wings, reduces the water content. And when the honey is just the right consistency, they cap it to keep it free of mould ready for the winter. Then we pinch it!