You can buy his book here at Amazon Honeybee Democracy
it’s a brilliant read for anyone interested in bees and will help you make and place the ideal bait box. Honeybees make decisions collectively–and democratically. Every year, faced with the life-or-death problem of choosing and traveling to a new home, honeybees stake everything on a process that includes collective fact-finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building. In fact, as world-renowned animal behaviorist Thomas Seeley reveals, these incredible insects have much to teach us when it comes to collective wisdom and effective decision making. A remarkable and richly illustrated account of scientific discovery, Honeybee Democracy brings together, for the first time, decades of Seeley’s pioneering research to tell the amazing story of house hunting and democratic debate among the honeybees.
In the late spring and early summer, as a bee colony becomes overcrowded, a third of the hive stays behind and rears a new queen, while a swarm of thousands departs with the old queen to produce a daughter colony. Seeley describes how these bees evaluate potential nest sites, advertise their discoveries to one another, engage in open deliberation, choose a final site, and navigate together–as a swirling cloud of bees–to their new home. Seeley investigates how evolution has honed the decision-making methods of honeybees over millions of years, and he considers similarities between the ways that bee swarms and primate brains process information. He concludes that what works well for bees can also work well for people: any decision-making group should consist of individuals with shared interests and mutual respect, a leader’s influence should be minimized, debate should be relied upon, diverse solutions should be sought, and the majority should be counted on for a dependable resolution.
An impressive exploration of animal behavior, Honeybee Democracy shows that decision-making groups, whether honeybee or human, can be smarter than even the smartest individuals in them.
My bait box worked this year.
My bait box was made last year for placing in a church yard where there were bees. We didn’t catch a swarm and the box ended up in my shed over winter. In spring I needed the room in my allotment shed and so shoved the box out on to the sides of the compost bin next to the shed. I was planning on taking it to my in laws garden to put on their flat roof garage but one Saturday morning I had a call from Andy on the allotment telling me there were bees going in to the bait box. I went out and sure enough, bees were moving in! There’s no sign of eggs yet which is a worry but I am still hopeful and will be inspecting them again very soon.
Watering Spike £6.99
A ‘Fill it and Leave it’ waterer, the Watering Spike not only cuts down on the chore of watering but works in harmony with your plants and the elements. The warmer the weather the faster it drips; the cooler it gets the slower it drips. Use indoors or outdoors. It gets water right to the roots where it’s needed, and one filling can last 1-3 weeks!
GreenFingers reduced the price on these items today
Textiline Reclining Chair was £49.99 now £36.99
An ultra comfortable weather-proof Textiline Reclining Chair to relax in on a sunny day in your garden. Featuring an easy locking mechanism it is a smart stylish chair with a headrest for extra comfort. You can use in an upright position or adjust it to a reclining position for when you wish to lie back and snooze or top up your tan. It is manufactured from a powder coated durable steel frame and has quick drying textiline fabric on the seat back and pillow. Textilene is a very handy material should those summer showers strike! It is a great garden chair for your patio balcony or decking it also neatly folds down making it easy to store or pop in your car boot for days out or to take on camping trips. Open dimensions: approx. L178 x W65cmUpright Height: approx. 112cmFolded flat: approx. L45 x W65 x H12.5cmLoad capacity: 120kgPlease note: To recline this chair press the lever mechanism under the front end of each arm and ensure that the chair clicks securely into its new position.
Chaselink Handigger Garden Tool £7.99
This Chaselink Handigger Garden Tool is the next stage of evolution in hand diggers for the garden. Handigger is an ergonomic mini-shovel especially designed for people with osteoarthritis and rheumatic pain.Made from tough robust plastic this ergonomic spade saves your wrists from any added pressure and it has been designed to be the only multi tool that you will need in the garden.Its many uses include but are not limited to scooping out or moving compost from the bag to the flower bed levelling out soil or being used as a planting tool in the garden or pots.The handle has a soft feel ridged section for your fingers to get a good grip on and the whole unit itself is a styling masterpiece that will grace any modern garden.Ergonomic handleMany uses 2 differently shaped bladesAdditional uses include using the tool as a scoop for horse feed or salt spreading in winter and being plastic there is no fear of your new garden tool going rusty.
Square Wire Obelisk £77.00
The Square Wire Obelisks Are Supplied In 2 Distinctive Finishes – Natural Rust, A Timeless Look For Traditional Or Contemporary Gardens That Is Supplied As Unpainted Steel Which Quickly Develops An Even Rust Coating; Or The Classic Matt Black Powder Coating Used On All Harrod Steel Products – Both Finishes Have A 10 Year Structural Guarantee.these Stunning Garden Obelisks Measure 2.12m/6ft11″ High And 0.39m/1ft3″ Wide And Are Supplied With Solid Steel Anchor Bars (30cm L X 12mm Diameter, 4 Per Obelisk) For Securing In Place.the Square Obelisks Can Be Used Singly, But Work Really Well In Pairs And All Feature A Metal Sphere Finial At The Top Making A Real Statement In Your Garden. exclusive Designed Made By Us In Uk10 Year Structural Guarantee2 Distinctive Finishes – Natural Rust Matt Black Powder Coatingmeasures 2.12m/6ft11″ High X 0.39m/1ft3″ Widealso Available In 2 Other Designs – Pyramid Round10mm Gauge Round Steel Rods – Double The Thickness Of Many Similar Designstopped With A Sphere Finialsupplied With Solid Steel Bar Anchors – 4 Per Obeliskideal For Climbing Plants And Roses
Gardens and Homes Direct just added these new items
Tavistock Oak 1.8m Extending Dining Table £569.99
Hand-crafted with a solid oak frame in a warm chestnut lacquer finish, our Tavistock Oak 1.8m Extending Dining Table is in clean simple lines and is designed to seat six diners comfortably and up to eight when extended to 2.3m. The extension is a simple integrated butterfly” mechanism making it quick and simple to extend the table in seconds, then fold it back without the need for any additional panels, screws or pegs.The solid oak frame is craftsman-built and constructed with mortice and tenon jointing and rigid wooden supporting brackets. The warm chestnut silk lacquer finish enhances the beautiful natural grain pattern of the oak. Features: Beautiful solid oak dining table extends with butterfly mechanism extension. Warm chestnut lacquer finish. Extends from 1.8m/71in to 2.3m/90in. Traditional,…”
Veg Trug 1m + FREE Cover & Frame £109.99
1m VegTrug – The stylish way to grow delicious, nutritious fresh vegetables on your patio! Create a productive mini veg garden on your patio with our sturdy and attractive VegTrug. It provides a veg patch at easy working height (ideal for the elderly or wheelchair users), and is V-shaped so takes less filling while still allowing you to grow crops that need deep soil (like carrots). Made from sustainably sourced fir, with plastic feet and an internal membrane to protect the wood, and treated with veg-friendly wood stain. Flat packed for home assembly. 1m (3’3) wide x 76cm (2’6) deep x 80cm (2’7) high. Capacity 210 litres.PLUS – FREE COVER & FRAME WORTH 27.99!MICROMESH COVER – 0.6mm mesh which protects against insects and birds, with velcro straps and easy zip access & FRAME – A robust black frame with easy push-fit connectors and fixing brackets.
We've found a reduced price today on this item at Crocus
Digitalis ‘Spice Island’ (foxglove) was £6.99 now £3.49
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moist, humus-rich soil Rate of growth: average to fast-growing Flowering period: June to July Hardiness: fully hardy These plants are mainly biennial so will flower in their second year and then die off. Garden care: Ensure that the soil is kept moist in summer. After flowering cut back the flowered spikes to encourage more sideshoots. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the plant in early spring.
Clematis montana var. montana (clematis (group 1)) £9.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: fertile, well-drained, neutral soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: May to June Flower colour: white Hardiness: fully hardy Vigorous and early flowering, this deciduous climber produces large numbers of single white flowers in late spring and early summer. It is ideal for training through trees or for scrambling up a tall wall in a sunny or partially shaded position. Garden care: No routine pruning is necessary. If the spread of the needs to be restricted prune immediately after flowering, cutting back overlong shoots to healthy buds. Apply a slow-release balanced fertiliser and a mulch of well-rotted garden compost around the base of the plant in early spring.
Do you love potatoes?
I’m itching to start digging up my news potatoes! This week! I will post photos I promise of my crop! In the mean time enjoy this little heart shaped spud!
