OpenHive Christmas Gift Boxes

We are delighted to launch our Christmas range - a personalised Christmas gift box containing our delicious raw Irish honey, two hand-rolled Irish beeswax candles, a hand turned beech wood honey dipper, native Irish wildflower seed bombs and two bars of artisan Bean and Goose chocolate. Each box is laser engraved to personalise it with a name of your choice.

Each gift comes with an exclusive queen rearing certificate. The recipient has the opportunity to name a new queen being reared in 2022. Each queen will go on to reign over a colony of roughly 50,000 native Irish honey bees by mid summer 2022. This is a Christmas gift that not only is a wonderful gift, it will help our native Irish honeybees to thrive. See our web store for more info: https://www.openhive.ie/shop/christmas-gift-box

Honeybees & social distancing

A fascinating article in the Guardian over the weekend that describes how bees know to change their patterns of food distribution and grooming based on how much Varroa was present in the hive. Strange times we face at the moment, but none too surprised to see that the honey bees are one step ahead of us when it comes to dealing with a threat using their intelligence and instinct!

Cut comb heather honey is here!

We are very, very excited to offer cut comb honey for sale for the first time here at OpenHive. Not only that but it is Heather honey. We love heather honey, and it’s a real delicacy. The heather in the Wicklow mountains only flowers for roughly 2-3 weeks per year so its always very reliant on getting good weather for that window. Thankfully this year we had a great harvest and are really proud of this delicious honey.

Heather honey been recently studied by Trinity and UCD (2018) to show it is comparable to Manuka honey. Ours comes from Wicklow and was harvested in the late summer.

Extracting this delicacy requires a lot more work than regular honey. Each year we move the hives up to the heather when it begins to flower. Heather is generally located in remote areas of the mountains which can be difficult to access. The honey is also known as a thixotropic honey, meaning it is like a gel rather than a liquid, and therefore, can not be spun out like regular honey.

You can order it here - enjoy!

NIHBS Book

The Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS) was established in November 2012 by a group of beekeepers who wished to support the various strains of the native Irish honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) throughout the country. It is a cross-border organisation, open to all, that consists of members and representatives from all corners of the island of Ireland.

We are proud members of NIHBS and have really enjoyed the information we have learned from the society and the contacts we have made as well. Recently NIHBS produced a wonderful book about our native honeybee that we are very much enjoying reading. The attention to detail and had work gone into the book is very impressive. Well done to all involved!

Buy the book: https://nihbs.org/product/the-native-irish-honey-bee/

Visit the NIHBS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NIHBS/ or the website: https://nihbs.org/

TED Talk: Marla Spivak: Why Bees Are Disappearing

By no means a new talk, or indeed packed with ground-breaking suggestions, it remains a very worthwhile, well presented and easy-to-watch introduction to how people can help bees. This 15min TED Talk sees Marla Spivak (an American entomologist) explain what has been happening to bees and that the future is not without hope. We enjoyed it and thought that you might too.

Every one of you out there can help bees in two very direct and easy ways. Plant bee-friendly flowers, and don't contaminate these flowers, this bee food, with pesticides.

https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing

Want to be happier? Connect with nature!

One of the main reasons we do what we do here at OpenHive is to spend time in nature allowing us to relax (even in the face of bees!), to focus on the tasks at hand and to get away from the demands of everyday life. We often see beekeeping as a form of mediation/therapy for us, much like most beekeepers up and down the country. Well, it now seems like the newspaper columns agree with us too!

In yesterday’s Independent we read:

Last year researchers using data from the 2012 European Quality of Life Survey released the findings of a study looking at the link between Europeans’ happiness and the species diversity in their surroundings.

“It showed that the happiest Europeans are those who see the most bird species in their day-to-day life,” said Patrick Croke, technical officer at Connecting to Nature.

“Being connected with nature, rather than simply being exposed to it, is about feeling close to the wider natural world and is more important for our mental wellbeing.”

Connecting to Nature: https://connectingtonature.ie/

Read more: https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/birds-and-bees-secret-weapons-to-raising-happiness-levels-40865669.html

Swarm season!

We are currently in swarm season - May and June being the primary months for this wonderful natural phenomenon. We get calls every year from lots of different people to come and help rehouse swarms. One such swarm is in the picture below. The bees are extremely docile when swarming, contrary to popular belief, and very rarely sting when on the move en masse like this. They will often stop mid-move to rest as the scout bees look for a suitable new home. This is what is happening in the photo. We gently assisted them into a nuc and they are now well-fed and cosy in their latest home!

OpenHive Seed Bombs are back!

Our Irish wildflower seed bombs are back in stock! You can pick them up here.

Each packet of Seed Bombs contains hundreds of seeds and 18 species of native wildflowers. The seeds are mixed with locally sourced, unfortified soil. The clay supports and protects the seeds whilst they germinate and spreads them as it breaks down after watering.

Seed balls are an ancient method of farming that is less destructive to the wildlife buried in your garden, less labour intensive and increases germination rates. Used throughout the world for hundreds of years, we are now using this ingenious method to help bees, and other pollinators!

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First Asian Hornet found in Ireland

Over the weekend the first confirmed sighting of the Asian Hornet in Ireland was recorded in Dublin where a dying hornet was found. This has sent a frisson of fear and worry through beekeeping circles, naturally enough, given the hornets’ ability to destroy colonies of honeybees.

A combination of size, aggression, large numbers, speed of travel and adaptability make the Asian hornet quite the predator. That said, there are many questions to be asked regarding the find - was it a queen? How did it get there? Where was it found? And so on. The arrival of the Asian hornet from UK/France/further afield is inevitable - how we deal with its arrival will be very important to beekeepers across the country.

Here is how to identify it:

Student Internships with OpenHive

Are you a student beekeeper? Are you studying horticulture or science? Are a marketing student looking to work with a growing Irish company?

OpenHive is an Irish beekeeping and honey company. We were founded in November 2019 by Kyle Petrie and Mark Earley and are based in Dublin. Our ethos is based around sustainability and conservation in modern beekeeping. We want to build a community of beekeepers and honey aficionados who feel the same way we do and we need help to achieve that goal.

We are offering the following internship roles within our company:

  • Beekeeping

  • Digital Marketing

  • Operations Management

Please contact us with your CV and any other relevant details at info@openhive.ie. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Irish Bumblebees

We often get asked questions about bumblebees and sent photos and videos of these beautiful bees buzzing around the place. We found ourselves learning more and more about them and thought we’d pass on some of that knowledge.

Did you know?

  • There are 21 species of Irish bumblebees

  • The easiest way to identify bumblebees is to start with their tail - at the end of their abdomen. Irish bumblebee tails can be white, red, ginger or blond

  • Four of Ireland’s bumblebees are endangered and 2 are vulnerable. The Great yellow bumblebee is on the verge of extinction from Ireland

  • Some of the species of bumblebees in Ireland are cuckoo bumblebees - they kill the real bumblebee queens and lay their eggs in the nest!

  • Bumblebees are social bees living in colonies with a queen, many female workers, and some males.

For more information go to:

Beekeeping in the Irish Times

A couple of weekends ago we came across this article in the Irish Times and thought we’d share it. Well worth a read for anyone starting out. You can find it here: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/i-thought-beekeeping-would-be-easy-the-bees-had-other-plans-1.4518836

I learned two things (on my first visit). Firstly, how fascinating these insects were in their thousands, as they flew around me, and equally, I learned how fast I could run away.

Then, I thought beekeeping would be straightforward, practical and dare I say easy. I thought that with a certain amount of book reading and YouTube tutorials, I too would become a successful beekeeper. I thought I could turn my hand to this formidable hive and master them. The bees, it turned out, had other plans.

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How to start keeping bees

We are often asked for advice about starting off as a beekeeper. We always give the same kind of answer, with STEP ONE being the most important of all, but thought it might be nice to put up a blog post about it. Hopefully this will help you on your journey!

  • STEP ONE: Find your local beekeeping association and join up! Why? Well, it is through the association that you will meet people, learn more and find all the information you need. As well as that, your membership fee will give you all sorts of useful benefits - insurance, membership to your national association (FIBKA), access to monthly beekeeping magazines, deals on equipment, access to queen breeders/nuc sellers and much more. As well as that, it supports the community you are looking to be a part of.

  • STEP TWO: Do a beekeeping course. Start with a basic beginner course and if you enjoy it you can move on to the more serious courses at a later date. Buy books and start reading about bees!

  • STEP THREE: Visit an apiary and get a feel for being near bees. Maybe join in on an inspection with a local beekeeper. It’s important to know what it is like to be around bees before you start.

  • STEP FOUR: If you are certain you are going to get bees and start beekeeping go through our “the basics” checklist:

    • Do you have an appropriate place to keep hives?

    • Can you afford the time and money you will need to invest in the hobby/skill?

    • Are you buying your bees from a reputable source? There is a list of well known and trustworthy sellers on the FIBKA website in the member section - once you’re a member).

    • Are you supporting Irish beekeeping shops? (list below!)

    • When you start, we advise to start with two colonies side by side. You can correct any issues from one with the other. It also helps to show if something is out of kilter if you have a comparison!

  • STEP FIVE: Always ask your mentor/local beekeeper friends for help. Everyone learned their trade from somebody else - the beekeeping community is a friendly one built on shared information. Someday you too will be able to share your knowledge.

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STEP SIX: Always listen to the experts!

We are learning from those around us on a daily basis. The world of beekeeping is huge - there is way more to know that any one person can take in. Keep your mind open and absorb all the knowledge available to you. There should be more than enough to keep you interested!

  • STEP SEVEN: Enjoy! It is a lifelong skill that will bring you so much pleasure and learning. There will be tough times as well but they come with all hobbies and passions. Have fun and be safe!

HELPFUL LINKS

We use the following suppliers for all our equipment:

You can find all the information you need on the FIBKA (Irish Beekeepers Association) website here: https://irishbeekeeping.ie/

FYI - we are all paid up members of the County Dublin Beekeeper’s Association. You can visit their Facebook page and website if you like!

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Curated European Honeys

As part of one of our broader goals of education we want to share with Irish honey consumers tastes from further afield. We’d like to invite you to come with us on a voyage of discovery as we present to you various exceptional honeys from different corners of the continent of Europe. After a long, and very tasty, selection process we have handpicked a small group of honeys to share with you. We will release them one by one with details about the beekeepers involved, about the bees who make the honey, about the areas that the bees forage in and more. 

We are passionate about transparency, local produce and showing you a clear line between you the consumer and the beekeeper who makes the honey in the jar in front of you. We will not blend the honeys or add anything to the honey. It is pure honey straight from the beehives. 

The sale of these European honeys will be used to fund our native Irish bee conservation program, which includes a native Irish bee queen rearing program and building more apiaries full of Apis Mellifera Mellifera black Irish bees. 

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SLOVAKIAN FOREST HONEY

The first honey of OpenHive’s curated European honey is a Forest Honey from from Nižná, in northern Slovakia. 

Produced by a local beekeeper called Pavel Kozacik, this honey is a rich dark honey with an intense, fruity and spicy taste to it. Pavel has decades of experience keeping bees and is well known locally for this expertise and the high quality of his produce. The majority of Slovakian bees are from the Carniolan race - Apis Mellifera Carnica, known for their productivity and ability to forage in lower temperatures.

This honey (pictured below during the jarring process) will be on sale via our website later this week.

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Easter Gift Pack now on sale!

Our Easter Gift Packs are on sale in our store now. We have a limited number of them and they are only on sale until Tuesday night so get your orders in nice and quickly!

In each pack there is:

  • A jar of raw Irish OpenHive honey

  • 1 hand-rolled Irish beeswax candle

  • 1 Naomi Good Ceramics candle holder

  • 2 bars of Skelligs Irish chocolate

  • 1 native Irish seed bombs package and

  • A wooden honey dipper

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Honeybee Castes

There are three castes of honey bees:

  • Drones (male)

  • Queens (female)

  • Workers (female)

Here is a brief explanation of each caste:

Drones

Drones are male honey bees. The drone’s head and thorax are larger than those of the females. Drones’ large eyes touch on the top centre of their head, which makes them appear more “fly-like.” Their abdomens are thick and blunt at the end rather than pointy like the abdomens of the females. A drone is 15-17mm long. They are heavier and stockier in appearance with bigger abdominal muscles to power broader wings.  

Queens

Honey bee queens are the reproductive females of the species spending most of her time laying eggs in the hive. The queen’s head and thorax are similar in size to those of the worker. However, the queen has a longer, plumper and more pointed abdomen than the worker - she is 18-19mm long. Her abdomen carries large ovaries. Her legs are long and stout, with no pollen-collecting sacs. Her sting is curved and less barbed and does not cause her to die when used.

Workers

Worker honey bees are non-reproductive females. They are the smallest in the physical size of the three castes, approximately 12-15mm long. Their bodies are specialised for pollen and nectar collection as well as wax production with pollen sacs on their legs and wax glands on their abdomens. They have a barbed sting that if used causes the worker to die.

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