In this week's Podcast: It’s the time of year when I start to look at our honey crop in terms of what we have for our customers, the type of honey we have and importantly, what water content is has. This last question is easily determined using a refractometer, listen in to my guide on how to get the most from one, and how best to use it for your honey crop.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 416 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Optical Refractometer

Digital Brix Refractometer

National Honey Show 2026

Thorne Beehives Sale Days

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: My Autumn preparations continue, and I’m over at our farm apiary, swapping out a damaged brood box, on a feisty colony, that suffered some woodpecker damage last year. One of those jobs that has always been on the list and has moved from being important, to now being important and urgent!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 415 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: Not quite a heatwave but temperatures locally are still several degrees above the average for this time of the year. How are your bees coping? Ours, well they’re are doing just fine, we continue to feed nucs and tidy up apiaries, for what must eventually be colder days and nights.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 414 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: September is the very latest month that I will inspect any colonies before the colder weather sets in. But not just any, or all of my colonies, there has to be a very good reason to disturb the bees, listen in to hear exactly why I might choose to inspect now.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 413 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: With the nights cooling and Autumn upon us, I’m getting short on time to make sure all my newest nucleus colonies are prepared for the Winter ahead. One such colony, with a new queen has only a cup full of bees. Listen into hear how I hope to help them through to next Spring.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 412 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: It’s time to consider feeding colonies for the Autumn and Winter ahead. I do have quite a number of boxes of fondant still and I would use these but I find myself mixing up sugar syrup. Listen in to find out why and my thoughts on the type of syrup I’m using and why.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 411 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: The weather has calmed down somewhat, we’ve even had some rain! I’ve been adding treatments to nucs and found some very small queen right colonies, if you can call them that, and I need to decide what to do with them before the Autumn sets in.

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 410 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show

In this week's Podcast: It’s been another scorching week and our honeybees seem to be taking everything in their stride. Positives this week are, lots of mated queens from our own raised queen cells and I’ve also been in the honey room, it’s sweltering once more!

Hi, I’m Stewart Spinks, welcome to Episode 409 of my podcast, Beekeeping Short and Sweet.

Please support us throught affiliate links below, they cost you nothing and help us continue to produce our content.

Thorne Beehives Bailey Board

Some of my Favourite Microscopy Books:

Pollen Loads of the Honeybee by Dorothy Hodges

Rex Sawyer's Pollen Identification

Pollen Grains and Honeydew by Margaret Adams

The Pollen Landscape by Joss Bartlett

Pollen Microscopy by Norman Chapman

The National Bee Unit Varroa Information can be found HERE

Bee Aware Varroa Information can be found HERE

Thorne Beehives Bees on a Budget Hive

The Beekeeper's Dictionary website

Ethyl Acetate for colony destructions can be found here

Gardening Potting Tray for effective frame cleaning

Stainless Steel Stock Pots for use as a double boiler. Get one slightly larger than the other to fit inside.

Gas Stove for outdoor use to render wax and old comb.

Contact Me at The Norfolk Honey Company

VMD Website: Click HERE

Join Our Beekeeping Community in the following ways:

• Early Release & Additional Video and Podcast Content - Access Here
• Stewart's Beekeeping Basics Facebook Private Group - Click Here
• Twitter - @NorfolkHoneyCo - Check Out Our Feed
• Instagram - @norfolkhoneyco - View Our Great Photographs
• Sign Up for my email updates by visiting my website here

Amazon links are affiliate links. I recieve a small commission should you choose to purchase.

Support the show