March Newsletter

Hello Beekeepers! Welcome to our very first newsletter!

To start off we have some Donegal Bees updates to share.

Our catalogue this year is being postponed until April or May unfortunately. The reason being the current unstable economic climate. Costs of raw materials fluctuate each week, and we believe it is better to wait until it settles before we can determine our own prices. Until then, we are keeping our prices up-to-date on our website so be sure to keep an eye out! If you’ve any queries, don’t be afraid to get in contact with our sales office at 074 9710140 or email us at enquiries@donegalbees.ie

We will soon be launching a Beekeeping Tutorial section with how-to videos demonstrating how to set up equipment, new equipment and what you might need when getting started. We aim to provide informative tips and tricks on beekeeping, and answer any questions and queries you may have.

Our recent Valentines Gift Box giveaway was a great success! Make sure to follow our social media accounts on Facebook (@DonegalBees) and Instagram (@donegalbees) to be in with a chance of entering and winning future competitions. Mother's Day is March 27th, and we will have a special Mothers Day Gift Box available from next week! We will keep you updated via our socials and website.

We also launched a new line of gifts just before Christmas last year, and we hope to expand the range throughout the year. If you haven’t had a chance yet, do check out our Candle & Soap Set and the Family Pack. We will be adding our own 100% beeswax candles to our shop very soon, so stay tuned.

As the days started to stretch out, brood production begins to get underway. Hopefully you have provided sufficient feeding with fondant or sugar syrup to aid them along. February is the time of year the bees will start collecting water to dilute their winter stores. Make sure there is a supply of water in an area that can be warmed by the sun – if a bee drinks cold water they may get chilled and be unable to fly back to the hive. Make sure you have cleaned around the hive of any dead bees, leaves or snow. 

  • Make sure that your colonies are flying well when the weather is good.
  • Check to see if pollen loads are being taken into the hive. 
  • On a warm day use a little smoke and lift the inner cover. [See our Tool and Smoker Kit - €50]
  • Tool and Smoker Kit
  • The bees should look as strong now as they did last September.  
  • Look for visible excreta on the top bars, which is a sign of dysentery. 
  • Remove the props under the inner cover and close the feed hole. 

  • Heft the hive and, if necessary, feed dilute syrup (1:1 sugar:water) in a contact feeder over the winter cluster. [See our Apimix (14kg) Drum - €23]
  • Apimix
  • Don’t feed until the weather is good enough for the bees to take flights to defecate on a nominal weekly basis.  
  • Don’t look at the brood nest too early or the bees may kill the queen.  
  • Wait for a warm day and you should be able to inspect your bees safely.

 List courtesy of the Haynes Bee Manual, available on our website.

Start prepping for the season ahead, making sure all equipment is in good working order and replacing anything which is needed for the season ahead. – Check out our Frames & Foundations here

If you’re looking to get started in beekeeping we have kits and packs available to make it a little easier for you – Check out our National Hive Kit in both timber and polystyrene.  

National Poly Hive Kit

The best time to order bees is in Jan/Feb –  Type 2 National Polystyrene Nucleus can be used to transfer your bees into your hive.

Continue to do your research! Read some guide books such as Haynes Bee Manual, Beekeeping for Beginners, and if you haven’t already, join your local beekeeping association.

March can be a tricky month as the temperatures change so quickly, and there’s not a lot of flowers yet for the bees. March is all about monitoring, feeding, cleaning and hoping for the best.    

This month we are keeping our 8 Frame Electric Extractors on sale for €570 which includes shipping. The tangential 8 Frame electric stainless-steel extractor with legs fits 4 Deep/Brood Frames or 8 Shallow/Super Frames, and has a 1 Year Warranty. This is a great time-saving tool for extracting honey from your frames without destroying the honeycombs. Sale lasts while stocks last.   

8 Frame Extractor Sale

As this is our first newsletter, we’d love to hear any questions or feedback you might have! Leave a comment below & we’ll get back to you shortly 😊


3 comments

  • Lovely newsletter. Nice addition to your great shop.

    Ed Sweetman
  • Thanks for the information

    Lexie Duncan
  • Thanks….. Very useful newsletter.

    David Leahy

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