Bearded Barista Honey

04/09/2026

Did you know that Scytheing is one of Lees favourite past times. His hobby is volunteering at the orchard.

People: let’s make hay!!!

This Sunday, the weather is set to shine, and we have some serious hay to get making! The apple harvest is in danger of running in quickly this year, so we need to clear beneath all the trees and get ready!

Fancy joining us?! Scythe operators, wheelbarrow managers, haystack bosses - we need you all!

1.30pm - 4pm this Sunday in the orchard. You know the drill…. But if you don’t, just get in touch: [email protected] or messenger us. 🍎

All welcome - see you in the orchard!

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Holly Mount Orchard is the community orchard of Greenmount Village Community 🍎

04/09/2026

This weekend Lee is removing surplus honey from the hives. He leaves the bees a super of thier honey for thier winter food. Industry standard is remove all honey then feed sugar water. Lee never feeds sugar water unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Honey can be purchased at

The base Nuttall Park every weekend.

Village Butchers Tottington

Flixton Butchers

Or the website

www.beardedbaristahoney.co.uk

Where all jar sizes are available. Pay cash or card. Post or collection from Summerseat by appointment. Usually the day after the order. This year Lee has trialed lockers for paid pick ups. This seems to have gone down well.

04/09/2026

We have a great risk of Asian hornet with a nest found in Oldham.

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03/09/2026

A useful tip ahead of Yellow-legged Asian Hornet Week next week 🐝

Here's a timely observation shared by one of our Regional Bee Inspectors who has shared a subtle behaviour change at the hive entrance that can be an early sign hornets are targeting an apiary.

👀 If you notice bees congregating at the hive entrance seemingly without purpose and reduced foraging flights, it's worth spending some time watching that colony. Only one or two colonies in an apiary may show this, while the others carry on as normal.

The hornets themselves can be easy to miss. They tend to "just appear," flying low around the hives, often leaving and returning before targeting the bees, sometimes actively hawking, sometimes simply swooping around while scouting. Tellingly, the entrance behaviour can persist even when there's no hornet in sight at that moment, so the bees' reaction is itself worth heeding.

There can be other explanations for this behaviour, but at this time of year and with a nest recently confirmed in the North West (following Runcorn in 2025), a little extra vigilance in all areas is prudent.

🌿 And remember to keep an eye on the ivy which is coming into flower now. Hornets are drawn both to its nectar and to the masses of insects its blooms attract, making it another good place to watch.

For all the information you need on how to spot and report a Yellow-legged hornet, head to our website: www.bbka.org.uk/identify-report-asian-hornet

02/09/2026

Bee keeping season is coming to an end and we start the process of putting the bees to bed for the winter months.

02/09/2026

29/08/2026

Please be vigilant and report any sightings

15/08/2026

World Honey bee day.

🐝 Our very existence depends on bees and other pollinators. Yet these guardians of biodiversity are under threat from human activities.

The good news is that we can all help protect bees and support beekeepers by growing native plants, buying raw honey from local farmers, avoiding pesticides and taking climate action.

On Saturday's Honey Bee Day, join us in celebrating the vital role these pollinators play in our lives.

08/08/2026

Very busy bees today in the apairy.