Asian Hornets Threaten Britain
The Barefoot Beekeeper
The Asian Yellow-Legged Hornet - Vespa velutina - has rampaged through France and for the last three years has occupied Jersey in the Channel Islands, threatening to invade mainland Britain using any means possible.
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On Bovey Heath with Brigit Strawbridge Howard
The Barefoot Beekeeper
We were on the Bovey Heathfield Nature Reserve, near Bovey Tracey in Devon, looking for Heath Potter Wasps with the noted naturalist John Walters, so I took the opportunity to record a short interview... Brigit's new book, Dancing with Bees, is published by Chelsea Green and available from
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Beekeeping in Norway - a chat with Ragna Jorgensen of Bybi
The Barefoot Beekeeper
Ragna invited me to Norway to talk to beekeepers about the possibility of using different ways to look after bees, and different hives, including, of course, the top bar hive. I had a very enjoyable week in this beautiful country, thanks to my hosts Ragna Jorgensen and Joshua, who will feature in the next podcast, once I have finished editing our long discussion in the car, while driving around the stunning north western coastline of Norway. This recording was made in the woods outside Oslo, and I made the mistake of leaving my phone switched on (and receiving a swarm call) so please excuse...
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Bob Hogge from Jersey talks about the invading Asian hornet
The Barefoot Beekeeper
The Asian Yellow-Legged Hornet, Vespa velutina, is a serious threat to bees and beekeeping in Britain, given its predatory nature and the fact that a large nest may contain 10-12,000 hungry insects. It also poses a secondary threat to birds and bats, as it has the ability to consume massive numbers of their prey, while themselves being virtually immune from attack by any of our native species. PLEASE LEARN ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS PEST and look out for news about it, preferably by checking the news page on and don't rely on newspapers, which regularly feature pictures of the...
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Are Black Bees Best for Britain?
The Barefoot Beekeeper
I hosted this discussion with about 25 other beekeepers at the Eden Project in Cornwall as part of the BIBBA SW Conference Febriary 16 2019.
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Willie Robson - comb honey production
The Barefoot Beekeeper
A talk from the 2018 BIBBA conference
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Jim Ryan - Beekeeping without too many mistakes
The Barefoot Beekeeper
Jim Ryan is a beekeeper with many years under his belt, who is not afraid to admit to making mistakes. He is current chair of the Galtee Bee Breeders. This talk was recorded at the 2018 BIBBA conference in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
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Bill Summers talks about the ZEST hive
The Barefoot Beekeeper
The ZEST hive is unusual in that it is made from solid building blocks arranged to form a long, deep container, with multiple, upper entrances. It is easy and relatively inexpensive to build, with the help of Bill's web site - www.thezesthive.com - and his YouTube videos.
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Ivy Bees, with Brigit Strawbridge Howard
The Barefoot Beekeeper
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Willie Robson: Heather Honey in the North of England
The Barefoot Beekeeper
Willie Robson and his family have been keeping bees in Northumberland since the 1950s. Few people know more than he does about honey farming with the native black bee, and fewer still have successfully kept them for so long in a commercial context. This is one of two talks by Willie that I recorded at the 2018 BIBBA conference in Cirencester. The Robson family run Chainbridge Honey Farm and you can see their web site at
info_outlineThis episode features a short 'catch-up' interview with Brigit Strawbridge; discussion of hive insulation, the eco-floor and the periscope entrance; and a session I call 'live at the hive', recorded at my 'Perone-style' apiary near Buckfastleigh.