About Sweet Apiaries
From a very early age, I’ve always had an interest in entomology and natural history; career(s) in the tech/creative world (3D/VR/photography and software development) steered me into other sectors, but the interest was always at the back of my mind (shelved for a later date). Curiosity and a fascination with bees finally fired me up to purchase a single hive around 10 years ago placed in the garden. After much research, I’d finally settled on Buckfast type bees (which proved the right decision) and the journey began. Brother Adams Buckfast bees still form the bulk of my operations.
Many hives are now located around Warwickshire including Studley Castle (Warner Leisure) for beekeeping experience days. We have specialist honey processing facilities, including a lab kitted out for disease and pest R&D and queen-rearing activities. As a member of the Bee Farmers Association, you can expect a high level of professional service and product.
We produce a range of honey and comb products, targeting seasonal crops and specific plants when the opportunity and conditions permit. These include; borage, field beans, echium, horse chestnut, lime and clover. Along with these are spring and summer honey from a wide range of forage around the Warwickshire countryside. We also sell high-grade cappings wax and related products. All honey is unprocessed and direct from the combs, nothing is added or taken away - just as the bee intended.
With a background in technology and problem solving, we are developing commercial hive management software with some interesting innovative features. There will be a dedicated section on this site covering that aspect.
Andy Sweet
Bee health and care
We take the health and care of our colonies very seriously and have a dedicated lab and equipment to help tackle the various diseases and pests that place bees under increasing pressure. In 2023 I passed the DASH training scheme jointly run by DEFRA (GOV) and the Bee Farmers Association (BFA). The scheme aims to increase the skill of bee-farmers at identifying and dealing with the most serious situations facing our bees. We practice professional hygiene standards between sites to minimise the spread of pathogens, specifically EFB.
We are also fortunate to have a registered Biomedical Scientist on the team to help with the deeper technical side of disease identification - Sam Sweet
Queen rearing and production is another area we cover. We aim to produce local stock and control the various important traits and disease resistance among the hives where possible. We have a full instrumental insemination lab for complete control over the mating process. Please see the dedicated section for more information.
