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chickenanne

I have bees!!!!!!

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Congratulations! - I hope the weekend weather is fine so that you can take a proper look at them.

 

To all of you on courses at the moment - do your expert beekeepers discuss native bees?

 

Stratford Beekeepers are very keen to breed these black (dark) bees and discourage members from buying imported bees or queens. Native bees are more docile and friendly and also more suited to weather conditions in this country. Our first Nuc. was of imported Italian bees (from a man at the Stoneleigh group we attended first) - they didn't survive the winter - our swarm from last year were lovely docile bees and appear to be native black bees. They have built up to a good sized colony and are thriving. Both the last two summers have been really bad for beekeeping so it has been a good test - we will be staying away from imported bees.

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ours didn't - tho we did keep hearing about the european bee vs more international ones and we heard loads about our small geographic area and how it affected when you should be doing things. I've heard that before about 'imported' vs native and your post makes it even clearer. I suppose the problem is if you start out by waiting for a swarm (which most of my classmates seem to be doing - we have a local swarmcatcher) it might be a bit cheeky if it turns out to be made up of european bees and you don't want it!

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Our course only really suggested that "the darker the bee the better" on the basis that Uk bees are dark coloured, and they are hardier, more placid, and better suited to local conditions.

It's a bit of a hot topic really, as most commercial bee breeders have to raise some/most overseas (Slovakia etc) to get the numbers required, but a lot of beeks would ideally want to keep more native-type bees (also limiting some spread of dieseases).

However unless your local association is very good, the chances are that not all beginners /not everyone who wants them will get a local swarm in any given year.

So how do you balance between beginners wanting their first nuc, and existing beekeepers not wanting imported queens coming into the area? The only way to do it is for Associations to try there utmost to rear nucs/queens for beginners, and get swarms, which is a big ask in years like the last summer, where bees weren't doing so good.

 

Pretty much all UK bees are mongrels, so I guess it's a question of degree: proportion of each which a given colony has.

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I am so excited!!!! OH and I were watching Hugh FW Spring River Cottage and bees came on. I mentioned that I'd like to keep bees. To my surprise he was very welcoming of them and positive, especially when he saw hives in Hackney!!

 

So I will contact the local beekeeping tomorrow. I would like to buy a book for beginners but which one? I have also enrolled on a beekeeping course. :D:D:D:D:D:D

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We have that book as well - really good.

 

Our Association is rearing queens and nucs for new members and our next meeting is on Queen Rearing. They did have a bad two years but are still managing to give decent nucs to most people who need them.

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I am on a Bee Keeping course in a couple of weeks! Very excited... but the book that got me confident enough to take the plunge was this one...

 

Bees

 

It's a lovely book and really interesting. Thanks for all the Bee stories, it's been really interesting to read other peoples experiences.

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Hi all you bee bods, I picked up this gem of info from the post office red elastic band thread on the Nestbox & thought it may be of some use to you....

We collect them from our postie and use them in our beehives to hold wild comb onto the frames - it is a well known usage of them in beekeeping and they are always in short supply as they just the right size for the frames.

 

Sha x

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Well i've read two bee keeping books and spoken to a local lady who keeps bees. I've priced up all the hive and kit needed. I am waiting until my practical course before buying in case it's not for me. I feel a bit apprehensive but I do remember feeling a bit like that before getting the chooks.

 

Thornes do a 'bees on a budget' deal and there's loads of others out there too. . .

 

Roll on May and my course.

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I'm attending my first group meeting tomorrow evening with the local bee inspector who is supposed to be a wonderful speaker as well as bee man! Unfortunately Pam can't attend, but hopefully my Dad may come along & hold my hand (if my Mum will let him out to play!!)

 

I can't wait! We also are doing the reading & course route before the ultimate decision is made...

 

Sha x

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Im so chuffed that so many of you are taking up bee keeping. Its brilliant.

We are seeing lots of new keepers at the Cheshire BBKA too.

 

Lesley, we have some black native bees too and we are finding they are faring much better than the European colonys. Ours have come through the winter nicley and are doing well. They 'sound' good. Like a well oiled engine, and have been out in force enjoying the lovley weather we have been having.

 

Good luck to all you newbees :D

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Oh no! I know there are various things you can do (icing sugar, amongst others) - can you speak to someone from your local bee-keeping association for advice?

 

Eek - this is the sort of thing that worries me about keeping bees, the responsibility!

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Hi Olly, yep - can dust with icing sugar/talc, also drone brood uncapping, but neither of these will be efficient enough to get rid of such a high level of varroa (well, I don't THINK they will be). Alternatives (e.g Oxalic acid) don't work on varroa that are in capped brood cells. And Apistan and the like are useless now due to resistance.

 

The prob is I don't think they were treated for varroa last year (remember I've only had them a week, and the gentleman whose bees they were passed away at the end of Jan) so numbers have built to horrible levels.

 

I think the only option is to use Oxalic Acid (or Formic acid perhaps), encourage loads of drone-laying (which i can then uncap regularly), and dust with powder weekly. And keep fingers crossed. Will call the guy from the Assoc this evening though.

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ooh good, a Bee sticky is probably all we need - it will ensure it's easy to find.

 

I've just been to the local meeting; I keep wavering between really wanting bees, and thinking I'm too busy, but everyone there was so encouraging and friendly that I am swinging back towards getting some now.

 

Haven't even got a hive yet, but then again I haven't got any bees in view either! I really want to get some local bees if I can, which might mean waiting for a swarm. I'm going to visit someone's hives in a week or so, and then she'll come and advise whether my possible site is suitable. I need to do some major clearance work at that end of the garden before she visits!

 

ChickenAnne, what did you decide about the varroa treatment?

I think this could be really useful, we can all learn from each other.

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My plan for the varroa is treat with an oxalic acid sublimation (gas). Let me rephrase: my bee mentor suggests that's what I do, and in fact he is going to do it for me (what a star!) not least because the idea of handling highly acidic volatile gases doesn't massively appeal - I'm just such a girly :oops:

If I were you Olly, I'd hold fire on getting a hive until you've been to more classes and handled some bees. I think swarms and nucs will be in very short supply until much later in the summer anyway, so I'm sure you'll not miss out by doing this.

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