Santa Baby...

If you know of a budding beekeeper and they have been extremely well-behaved this year (or just not too naughty) then perhaps you’ll consider buying them something bee-related for Christmas. You could also treat yourself instead of waiting for someone else to get the hints you have been dropping for the past few weeks….!

Here are some gift ideas:

A starter kit, consisting of a hive plus frames, a beesuit, gloves, a smoker, a hive tool, a brush and a queen clip. New beekeepers will welcome starter kits which contain all they will need (minus the bees) to set up an apiary, along with the protective clothing that is a must-have. There is a school of thought that advocates ‘bare-handed beekeeping’ but this is espoused by people who have dealt almost exclusively with stingless bees and who are lucky enough not to react badly to bee venom. We would always advocate that you protect yourselves as well as you can, which means wearing a veil and gloves as a minimum.

The power of imagination

Warning:  this post contains a little ask 😉

When did our addiction to digital gossip, reality TV and the 24/7 need to be connected start?  Was it sudden or, like us, does anyone else think that it's been a bit like the boiling frog urban myth?

 

Here at 13 Bees we think it wouldn't hurt to slow down a little and to help others do the same.  To this end, the ever-creative Amanda brought together her love of honeybees and telling stories to publish her first children's book on Kindle. If you know any 7-11 year-olds who might just appreciate something that isn't Fortnite, Tiktok or a PS5, this might be just up their street..... 

 

It tells the story of an intrepid (but not always smart) honeybee named Thistle as she faces all the joys and challenges that our bees face in real life.  It reminds me of the stories my grandparents used to tell that fired our imaginations when we were kids 😁  At 99p, why wouldn't you give it a try?  You might even help to inspire the next generation of beekeepers and imagineers (that's a real word, we checked).

Follow the link to read a preview over at Amazon:

https://amzn.to/3sWCrgK