Learning to make skeps

Earlier this month we signed up for a skep-making course in Northumberland. It was not as complicated and challenging as I feared.



I want to have a go at housing a honey bee colony in a skep to see first hand the challenges those who kept bees hundreds of years ago faced before the invention of the modern beehive. We also have a plan to make small baskets for mini-jam hampers for the Christmas markets.

Obviously the more locally produced materials we use, the better. It is unlikely we can use modern straw as it is too short but we can pick reeds instead. The bindings are made from brambles, of which we have plenty in the area.