Welcome to the eleventh edition of Worcestershire beekeeper, Jas Payne’s monthly column. Take a fascinating glimpse into the beautiful, industrious and vital role of bees in nature and experience life as an apiarist.

November has brought with it a winter chill, and we’ve seen rain and floods, snow and ice, high winds, and some warm days, too. It’s always a relief to check on the hives and find them secure, with a gentle hum coming from inside.

Bees don’t hibernate, but they do stay inside the hive when it’s cold. They cluster together around the queen and any brood (the eggs and larvae) to keep them warm, and wait until the temperatures rise above around 7°C to fly outside again.

Worker bees create heat by using the same muscles they use to fly, but instead of their wings moving, their bodies vibrate. When all the bees do this at the same time they are able to maintain a constant temperature of 35-37 degrees in the centre of the cluster, even when it’s freezing outside.

There’s not much I can do for my bees at the moment. The less they’re disturbed, the better. Even quickly lifting the roof to add food if it’s needed lets out warmth, so any visits to the apiary tend to just be a quick visual check.

That doesn’t mean I’m not busy.

Jars of honey, beeswax candles, and other bee-themed products are popular Christmas presents, and behind the scenes I’m busy making candles and jarring up honey.

For anyone interested in becoming a beekeeper, now is the perfect time to find out about beekeeping courses near to you.

They often run over the winter months (my beekeeping association – North East Worcestershire Beekeepers – runs a course that begins in January) and you will learn everything from where to place a hive and what sort of hive to choose to the theory of weekly hive inspections. The course ends with hands on sessions in the spring, where you get to don a beesuit and look inside a hive. It’s always best to check that you’re not phased by 60,000 bees buzzing close by before you buy your own hive and bees!

If you’re looking for a quirky Christmas present, they don’t come much better than a place on a ‘Beekeeping for Beginners’ course!