Winter 2026 Newsletter

Dafydd Jones • 22 February 2026

Cymraeg isod

 
Hive-Side Training

The Government's Animal and Plant Health Agency is funding free hive-side training for intermediate beekeepers. The Bee Farmers Association have been contracted to deliver this training. As a member of the Bee Farmers Association, Anglesey Bees have been chosen to deliver this training in north Wales. These free half-day training sessions cover focused hive inspections; apiary and hive hygiene; and disease, parasite and predator detection.

Be a better beekeeper

After attending a free hive-side training morning at Anglesey Bees, stay on for a "be a better beekeeper" afternoon course.

 The focus will be on:-

  • Understand how to react to the appearance of queen cells
  • Swarm prevention strategies
  • Switching off the swarming impulse
  • Dealing with queenless colonies and drone-laying queens
  • Raising queens and producing nucs on a small scale

Click here to find out more and book a place  on an afternoon "be a better" beekeeper course

On-line shop

We are pleased to launch our own on-line shop. This makes buying honey, booking onto training courses and experiences and buying gift vouchers far easier and payments by card using the familiar stripe platform gives confidence and security.


Click here to visit the on-line shop

We are always seeking out opportunities to collaborate with other local independent businesses and organisations that share our environmental and social values. Recently we have been present and selling our honey at the "Crafter's Table" in the foyer of the Award-winning Fron Goch Garden Centre near Caernarfon. Whilst we are proud to be associated with such a prestigious business, the table fee is donated to local charities. We are at Fron Goch next on 28 February and 1 March. See you there!

Having seen the need for a responsive local forum for discussion and information sharing, we recently established the North Wales Beekeepers and Bee farmers Facebook group. This group is for beekeepers, bee farmers and anyone interested in bees and honey with a focus on north Wales. The group operates independently of local beekeeping associations and aims to provide a platform for free discussion for both hobbyists and commercial beekeepers regardless of the type of bees you choose to keep and how you choose to manage them.

Follow the North Wales Beekeepers and Bee farmers Facebook group here

Finally, Mothers' Day 15 March is quickly approaching! A gift voucher for a beekeeping experience makes a unique and welcomed gift for this special occasion. Purchase a gift voucher from the online shop  to be emailed or printed and posted to you in time for Mothers' Day. There is no need to specify a date for the event at the time of purchase and gift vouchers are valid till the end of the 2026 beekeeping season.

Cymraeg

Hyfforddiant Ger y Cwch
Mae Asiantaeth Iechyd Anifeiliaid a Phlanhigion y Llywodraeth yn ariannu hyfforddiant ger y cwch am ddim ar gyfer gwenynwyr sydd a rhywfaint o brofiad yn barod. Cymdeithas Ffermwyr Gwenyn sydd wedi ennill y cytundeb i ddarparu'r hyfforddiant hwn ac fel aelod o Gymdeithas Ffermwyr Gwenyn, mae Gwenyn Môn yn hwb i ddarparu'r hyfforddiant hwn yng ngogledd Cymru. Mae'r sesiynau hyfforddi hanner diwrnod hyn am ddim ac yn ffocysu ar archwilio cychod yn fanwl; cynnal hylendid; a chanfod clefydau, plau ac ysglyfaethwyr.

Cliciwch yma i archebu eich lle ar sesiwn hyfforddiant Ger y Cwch gyda Gwenyn Môn

Hyfforddiant "Cael Gwell Hwyl ar Gadw Gwenyn"

Ar ôl mynychu bore o Hyfforddiant Ger y Cwch am ddim, gallwch aros ar gyfer cwrs prynhawn  "Cael Gwell Hwyl ar Gadw Gwenyn"

Bydd y pwyslais ar:-


  • Deall sut i ymateb i ymddangosiad celloedd brenhines
  • Strategaethau atal heidio
  • Diffodd y symbyliad i heidio
  • Delio â  chychod sydd heb frenhines a brenhinesau sy'n dodwy gwenyn gwryw yn unig.
  • Magu brenhinesau  a chynhyrchu cnewyll ar raddfa fachan


Cliciwch yma i ddod o hyd i fwy o wybodaeth ac archebu lle ar gwrs prynhawn "Cael Gwell Hwyl ar Gadw Gwenyn"


Siop ar-lein

Rydym yn falch o lansio ein siop ar-lein ein hunain. Mae hyn yn gwneud prynu mêl, archebu cyrsiau hyfforddiant a phrofiadau a phrynu tocynnau anrheg yn llawer haws, ac mae talu gyda cherdyn gan ddefnyddio'r llwyfan Stripe sy'n gyfarwydd, yn rhoi hyder a diogelwch.

Cliciwch yma i ymweld â'r siop ar-lein

Rydym yn aml yn edrych am gyfleoedd i gydweithio gyda busnesau a mudiadau annibynnol lleol eraill sy'n rhannu ein gwerthoedd amgylcheddol a chymdeithasol. Yn ddiweddar  bum yn bresennol ac yn gwerthu ein mêl ar "Fwrdd y Crefftwyr" yng nghyntedd Canolfan arddio Fron Goch ger Caernarfon. Rydym yn falch o gael ein cysylltu â busnes  o safon Fron Goch a chaiff y  ffi am y stondin ei rhoi i elusennau lleol. Byddwn yn Fron Goch nesaf ar 28ain o Chwefror a'r  1af o Fawrth. Welwn i  chi yno!

Ar ol gweld yr angen am fforwm lleol i drafod a rhannu gwybodaeth, aethom ati i greu grŵp Facebook Gwenynwyr a Ffermwyr Gwenyn Gogledd Cymru. Mae'r grŵp ar gyfer gwenynwyr, ffermwyr gwenyn ac unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb mewn gwenyn a mêl gyda ffocws ar ogledd Cymru. Mae'r grŵp yn gweithredu'n annibynnol o'r cymdeithasau gwenynwyr lleol ac mae'n anelu at ddarparu llwyfan ar gyfer trafodaeth rydd i rai sy'n cadw gwenyn fel hobi neu fusnes, waeth beth yw'r math o wenyn rydych chi'n dewis eu cadw a sut rydych chi'n dewis eu rheoli.


Dilynwch grŵp Facebook  North Wales Beekeepers and Beefarmers yma

Yn olaf, mae Sul y Mamau 15 Mawrth yn agosáu'n gyflym! Mae tocyn anrheg ar gyfer profiad cadw gwenyn yn gwneud anrheg unigryw  ar gyfer y digwyddiad arbennig hwn. Gallwch brynu tocyn anrheg o'r siop ar-lein i'w ddanfon trwy e-bost neu'i argraffu a'i bostio atoch mewn pryd ar gyfer Sul y Mamau. Nid oes angen nodi dyddiad ar gyfer y digwyddiad ar adeg y pryniant ac mae tocynnau anrheg yn ddilys tan ddiwedd tymor cadw Gwenyn 2026.

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Summer 2026 Newsletter

by Dafydd Jones • 2 August 2026
Cymraeg isod
Spring as arrived for beekeepers

Spring 2026 Newsletter

by Dafydd Jones • 9 April 2026
Spring 2026 newsletter from Anglesey Bees, the leading provider of beekeeping training and experiences in Wales and producer of award-winning wildflower honey.

Pre-Christmas Update

by Dafydd Jones • 27 November 2025
Cymraeg isod

Autumn 2025 Newsletter

by Dafydd Jones • 3 November 2025
Back in March, encouraged by our success last year with our Anglesey summer wildflower honey, we sent off two jars of our Anglesey spring wildflower honey to be judged by the adjudicating panels of the Great Taste Award. When the results were announced at the end of July, we were pleased to report that we got a two star Award! It seems that it was tasted by three panels of judges and their adjudications were as follows:- "An aroma of caramel lifted from this rich, viscous, amber honey. This a delightfully floral honey with a light astringency on the palate suggesting the bees may have been foraging on tree flowers." "There were the most delicious wafts of sun warmed woody notes. The burst of floral vanilla that initially filled the mouth followed by fruity musky notes with a savoury edge. This clever honey works in harmony on the palate to allow a burst of spring." "Wonderful amber colour with excellent viscosity and an enticing floral hit on the nose. A smooth texture coats the mouth with the delicate sweet flavour rich with floral clean notes singing of the environment these bees have been working." You can buy our honey directly from us in person or on-line or by calling at Anglesey Fine Foods , Valley or Glandwr Butchers Benllech. In addition to our Anglesey Spring and Summer Wildflower honey, we currently have a limited stock of a rare and unusual Eucryphia honey produced on Anglesey. Read about it in a previous blog.

In search for the source of a mystery honey

by Dafydd Jones • 9 September 2025
It started by accident back in 2022. In Early August, after harvesting the summer honey, I returned some boxes of empty honeycomb to the hives in an out-apiary on Anglesey so that the bees could lick them dry before I stored them in a stack, off the hives till the following spring. My intention was to remove these boxes of honeycomb from the hives after a few days but as is often the case, I was distracted by more pressing tasks and a week and a half had passed by the time I managed to recover them. To my surprise, the boxes were heavy when I lifted them off the hives and frame after frame were full to the edges of capped honey! Like a proud father carrying his new-born home from the maternity ward, I brought, what I soon discovered to be a rare treasure, home to be extracted. I proceeded as normal by uncapping the honeycomb and attempted to extract the honey from them by centrifugation. I was surprised that after a few minutes of spinning at low speed, virtually no honey had been flung out. I increased the speed - still nothing! I accelerated to top speed and suddenly with no warning - bang! bang! I slammed the emergency shut-off knob and the spinner ground to a halt. At the bottom of the extractor I found the shattered remains of four frames, still heavy with what appeared to be liquid honey! Bewildered, I came to the conclusion that this was not a late crop of bramble honey but something unusual and very very different to what we were used to. The honey appeared to be in a liquid state but refused to be extracted! Although I have no experience of harvesting heather honey, this honey seemed to have similar thixotropic properties. Both heather honey and our mystery honey have a gel-like consistency of a non-Newtonian liquid akin to ketchup or toothpaste. As a consequence it does not flow predictably and forms a gel at rest but can turn liquid when agitated or stirred. The viscosity of heather honey, due to its higher concentration of colloidal proteins, is so high that it makes the extraction of the honey from the comb very difficult. That’s why heather honey is extracted by pressure (instead of centrifugation), which destroys the combs. Although there was no expanse of heather within range sufficient for our bees to produce this honey, we concluded that we had little choice but to treat it like heather honey. We proceeded to cut the honeycomb from the wooden frames, pack it into a muslin sack and squeeze the honey out of it using a honey press, a device with a threaded shaft and T-shaped handles a bit like an apple press. The honey that it yielded had an unfamiliar bright o range glow, a jelly-like consistency and the taste was divine and unlike anything we had previously produced. We were flabbergasted!
A jar of

The Terroir of Anglesey Wildflower Honey

by Dafydd Jones • 17 August 2025
A discussion of the environmental and human factors that influence the terroir of Anglesey Bees' award-winning wildflower honey including climate, soil, topography and human influences.

Summer 2025 Newsletter, Anglesey Bees

by Dafydd Jones • 6 July 2025
Cymraeg isod. Spring honey now for sale!

Pollinator strips vs wildflower meadows

by Dafydd Jones • 5 January 2025
Creating a wildflower meadow or just a wildflower border may appear to be a fantastic way to support pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. They undoubtedly offer numerous benefits, both for the environment and for us. Wildflower meadows provide essential habitats and food sources for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. These pollinators play a crucial role in the reproduction of many plants, including crops that humans rely on for food. Wildflower meadows support a diverse range of plant and animal species. By creating a habitat based on a variety of native plants, you encourage a healthy ecosystem where different species can thrive. In addition to pollinators, wildflower meadows provide habitats for other wildlife, such as birds, small mammals. These animals contribute to a balanced ecosystem and can help control pest populations.

Swarming

by Dafydd Jones • 7 May 2024
Many beekeepers accept swarming as an inevitable event. Sadly, it results in a significant loss of bees and impacts honey yield and may result in complete colony loss. Furthermore, the need to remove swarms from buildings may cause distress, inconvenience, structural work and cost to neighbours. On our beginner and improver courses we stress the importance of swarm control and share effective management practices with our students that virtually eliminate the occurrence of swarming. First of all, lets investigate what happens when bees swarm and what triggers this to happen. Swarming is a natural process that honeybees undertake in an attempt to reproduce and spread by dividing and starting new independent colonies. In preparation for swarming, the colony initiates the rearing of new queens. Then the old queen and a significant proportion of the flying bees from the colony leave the hive in an attempt to set up home elsewhere. New queens are reared in specially constructed structures called queen cells. An egg, laid in these structures by the old queen hatch into larvae, that are then fed with copious quantities of a high protein diet of royal jelly, derived from pollen and provided by young nurse bees. Around the eighth day after the egg was laid, feeding stops and the queen cell is sealed with a cap of wax and the larvae pupate. It is on this day that the old queen and accompanying flying bees swarm from the hive, leaving behind some workers and some developing queens in their queen cells to hatch out in a further eight days.

Enriching the bees' environment

by Dafydd Jones • 29 February 2024
Trefnant Bach, the home of Anglesey Bees (along with our neighbouring Trefnant Wen and Trefnant Ddu has been in existence for a long time. There is a record of its existence in the 1841 census, earlier court and church records and tithe maps. Recently I discovered records of historical field names such as Cae Hen Gaseg; Cae Beudy; Cae Gamdda; Cae Flaen Drws; Waun and Parciau Mawr. I therefore have every reason to believe that the field boundary hedges consisting predominantly of hawthorn, blackthorn, dog-rose, sycamore and ash and associated ivy, brambles, gorse and rosebay willow herb are ancient. Since we became custodians of Trefnant Bach, we have managed them sympathetically and the sycamores, in particular make a valuable contribution to our spring honey. Furthermore, we manage the spread of ivy through the hedges. On one hand we encourage the contribution of autumn ivy nectar as a valuable top up to winter stores whilst on the other hand, we aim to prevent the collapse of hedgerows under the weight of ivy. Previously, our three fields were grazed by horses, resulting in selective close grazing in some areas and vast expanses of rejected, rank tussocky growth caused by repeated dunging. Stockproof fencing and a small flock of Llŷn sheep cured that over time, resulting in more of a bowling green appearance. The unimproved permanent pasture contained pockets of indigenous white clover, similar in appearance to the land-race, Kent Wild White. I applied the findings from my research in an earlier career as a pasture ecologist at what is now called The Institute of Biological and Environmental Research near Aberystwyth. When a grass/white clover pasture is grazed hard under rotational grazing, there is a change in the ratio of red:far red light reaching the clover stolons at the soil surface, caused by less absorption by the less dense sward. This causes a switch in the growth pattern resulting in more branching and the spreading of clover stolons at ground level. When the livestock were moved on to another field, the biomass accumulated and the resultant effect on the red:far red light perceived by the clover stolons, caused them to stop initiating more branches and produce leafy vertical growth instead and ultimately a mass of flowers which make a significant contribution to our summer honey.