Our bees: The heart of our honey
Discover the unique world of Duneaton & Wandel Honey Bee Apiaries. Learn about our resilient bees, their pristine Scottish habitat, and the sustainable practices that make our honey truly special. Join us in celebrating the extraordinary life of our local honey bees.
Resilient bees, exceptional honey
Our bees live at around 900ft above sea level, enduring long and harsh Scottish winters.
This challenging environment needs hardy bees that are selected for their resilience to these tough upland conditions.
At Duneaton & Wandel, we exclusively use locally adapted bees alongside home-reared queens to head our hives, ensuring they are perfectly suited to their surroundings.
This dedication to local genetics and natural adaptation is a key secret to the exceptional quality and unique flavour of our honey.
A natural paradise in the upper Clyde Valley
The upper Clyde Valley, where our bees reside, is predominantly used for sheep and cattle grazing. This agricultural landscape provides an ideal and undisturbed environment for our bees.
Here forage is natural and seasonal, boasting a rich variety of flowers including dandelion, white clover, hawthorn, rosebay willowherb, and ling heather, alongside many other wild flowers, trees, and shrubs.
This diverse and pristine natural forage is what truly makes our honey distinct and individual from many others, capturing the essence of the Scottish countryside.
Sustainable care for our bees and environment
Our commitment to the well-being of our bees and the local environment is paramount. We house our bees in both traditional wooden hives and modern, lightweight high-density polystyrene hives. These polystyrene hives offer excellent insulation properties, which is crucial for our bees during the long winter months. Furthermore, we always ensure our bees are left with ample supplies of their own honey to sustain them through the cold season, reflecting our deep respect for their natural needs and health.
The incredible queen bee: The heart of the hive
Did you know that all worker bees in each hive are direct daughters of just one queen? She is the undisputed head of the hive, and without a queen, the colony simply could not survive. While a queen bee can live for over three years, a worker bee in the bustling summer months has a lifespan of only about six weeks! It's a fascinating testament to the intricate and delicate balance of nature within every beehive.