Beekeeping is an ancient skill and there is evidence of beekeeping in Egypt which goes back as far as 3,000 BC.

Honey was popular for sweetening food long before sugar was discovered. In modern times there are beekeepers all over the world, some are bee farmers with hundreds of hives and, at the other extreme, some beekeepers may only have two or three hives tucked away in a friend’s field or a corner of a large garden.

Mendip Beekeepers is a division of the Somerset Beekeepers’ Association. We’re a group who meet to learn about bees and beekeeping and to support and help each other in our beekeeping exploits. Some of our members keep their bees to enjoy the honey harvest whereas others are more interested in the bees themselves. We meet at each other’s apiaries (a group of hives) and have guest demonstrators who teach about different methods of beekeeping or seasonal issues. Meetings usually end with tea and informal discussion.

Last summer’s hot weather proved interesting with some hives running out of food (stored honey and pollen) as the drought meant that flowers didn’t produce much nectar for the bees to make their honey. Other hives produced bumper crops as the summer stretched out longer than usual. Such variations are common, even with neighbouring hives, and can be influenced by the colony of bees in the hive, the location of the hive or other unknown factors. All of this is the cause for much conversation and comparison at the end of the year.

If you, or a friend or family member, would like to learn about keeping honey bees we are holding a six-week beginners’ course every Friday evening, starting on Friday, 3rd February at 7pm, which will teach all the basics of beekeeping and help you, or them, decide whether it’s for you, or them. So if you are interested, please visit: www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/mendip or contact Mark Hitchens on: 07555 966 964 to find out more.