Get Adobe Flash player

ABOUT US

GET IN TOUCH

Tim Wright - 07970 289677
Email: sales@natureslittlehelpers.co.uk



OUR LOCATION

Natures Little Helpers
Unit 8

Mill Farm Industrial Estate
St. Mellons Road

Lisvane
Cardiff
Wales
CF14 0SH


OPENING TIMES

Thursday      10am till 4pm       

Friday           10am till 4pm
Saturday      10am till 4pm






SOCIAL LINKS

Facebook

Twitter


Instagram


Natures Little Helpers © All Rights Reserved.                           Cookies & Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

View Web Design

Not only do we provide the best but we also go beyond the call of duty with our after sales support.

NATURES LITTLE HELPERS

Home

WISE OLD DRONE

Shopping Cart

Submit

The Wise Old Drone’s Thoughts for May Bank Holiday…


WHY KEEP BEES? (Part 1)

 

The one great thing about keeping bees is that they never fail to surprise you. That is not to say that they are unpredictable creatures. There is a logic and efficiency in most of the things they do.


However even the most experienced beekeeper will sometimes encounter bee behaviour that cannot be explained during the course of the season.

 

This is the joy of keeping bees. Apart from the fact that you can get a crop of honey that is superior to anything you will buy from a supermarket, there is the thrill of observing them at work and seeing how they react to the changing year.

 

In an age that is conscious of its environmental responsibilities and ‘food miles’ there is nothing so carbon responsible as bringing in sugar from the garden. Bees make use of a resource that would otherwise go to waste.

 

There is nothing like the exquisite taste of blossom honey and a novice beekeeper can produce this almost as easily as someone with years of experience.


In fact, it would be extremely difficult not to produce better honey than is available at a supermarket.

 

Interested? More encouragement in the next instalment!

 

Or have I droned on too much?

Pete Shaw – Seasonal Bee Inspector, Beekeeper


Meet Pete, our wise old drone, who’ll be sharing his nuggets of wisdom on the website each month


Originally from Basseleg, his interest in bees was sparked after wandering into the Royal Welsh Show beekeeping tent, in the year of the drought 1975.


Without knowing anything, he bought a nucleus of bees, and took it home on the bus – prompting several strange looks in the process


Though stung relentlessly in the first year, Pete went into business as a bee farmer near Cwmbran, and in 1979 became the Beekeeping Officer for the whole of Glamorgan, for the Welsh Office Agricultural Division.


He met Tim in 2006 at a Bee Association training day, sold him some bees, and started mentoring him in the art of beekeeping. They then went on to work in partnership, after his wife told him, “You can’t be an official hippy any longer!” Growing Natures Little Helpers from a 2 hive hobby, to the popular and thriving business it is today.


Pete’s favourite memory is tapping off his first jar of honey in his Mother’s kitchen, after his very first honey crop, and the satisfaction he felt as a result.


His favourite time of the year is the first inspection in spring. “The bees are quiet and gentle, and with a bit of sun on your back, it’s definitely the best time of year for me!”


As a keen wine buff, baker of sticky ginger cake, archaeologist, chess champion, and avid reader, we’re sure Pete won’t be short of things to do now he’s decided to retire from the business side of things.


However, he does still plan to carry on producing tons of honey, as well as continuing to contribute his expertise as a Beekeeper and Inspector to our wonderful world of bees.


WHY KEEP BEES? (Part 2)

 

There are so many good reasons to keep bees.


It is extremely friendly to the environment, because it helps the pollination of fruit trees and bushes, as well as a host of garden flowers.


This is why a delayed spring will often lead to a more bountiful autumn, because there are more bees around to pollinate everything. Let us hope that this proves to be the case this year.

 

Honey is the perfect gift for friends, as your honey is a unique expression of the nectar gathered in a three-mile radius from your hive throughout the year. It provides you with a product that is very acceptable to friends and neighbours and yet each year is slightly different in terms of taste and colour.

 

Beekeeping is also a craft that pays you back or could even provide you with a small income.


It is hard not to be inspired by the bees’ sheer hard work and persistence and their resilience in the face of blunders by the beekeeper - you knock a hole out of the honeycomb and they go and repair it


In a hive you can have over 30,000 experts no matter how inexperienced you are.


Have I droned on too much? …more next month!