Guest Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Oooooh I love the idea of keeping bees!!!! Two ladies on my allotment keep them and I buy their honey! I keep meaning to ask them if I could suit up and help them one day! I would love to see if It is for me! Louise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I found out that someone in the group is giving up bees...not that that's good, but they will decide what they want for each hive and colony and if the price is right I will have one of them I am so excited again Having just got our latest newsletter, the reason they are giving up is 3 visits to A&E this season with anaphalaxis (sp?) , somewhat put a bit of a damper on my excitement Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 You will have to let us know how much a hive and bees goes for from someone giving up! I would be interested as alot of the thing i have read say that the best way to start is get some equipment second hand from a member in your local BBKA. and west sussex isnt too far from slough either i could have some of thoes hives that are giving up!!! *starts car* hang on .. slow down toots, you havent even been to 1 meeting yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPoule Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I have been considering getting bees for a couple of years now, and am hoping to go on a course sometime this summer. However, I can't decide on the best place to site a hive. I have a very narrow garden (5m; 15') and very long (80m; 240') and most of it only has hedging/fencing on one side, so is totally open to the neighbouring gardens. There is a spot near the top which is quite quiet and generally the top of the gardens don't get much use, but there is a badger sett there, and I am concerned the badgers might attack the hive for the honey? Does this happen much? I will either erect a fence, or a grow a tall hedge to try to prevent the bees being too much of a nuisance to the neighbours, but I can't imagine this will deter the badgers. I can't find any decent photos of the whole garden, so will take one in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 LaPoule - the best thing would be to ask your local association if there is a local beekeeper who would pop along and give you advice re the siting of a hive. They may think of things you haven't and will know about badgers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 You will have to let us know how much a hive and bees goes for from someone giving up! I would be interested as alot of the thing i have read say that the best way to start is get some equipment second hand from a member in your local BBKA. and west sussex isnt too far from slough either i could have some of thoes hives that are giving up!!! *starts car* hang on .. slow down toots, you havent even been to 1 meeting yet! We are almost the furthest point in West Sussex from Slough!! Scroll back up to find out how happy Lesley was to drive in a car full of bees..... The owners are going away on holiday & will get back to all the interested locals, I don't think there will be any left for extras......however keen they are!!!! Lapoule, I contacted the local beekeepers association & had a lovely chap come round & check my garden (and told me he would have 6 where I was thinking of 2!!!) He's also offered to be my mentor It's well worth have an experienced keeper on side when you are thinking of starting up. Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowcloud Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 About badgers - they love honey and can smell it. They have very powerful legs and get under the hives, by digging or climbing under the stand, then pump their legs up to topple the hive over. You will, therefore, need to erect a fence of some description around the hive to make sure they can't get in. Doesn't need to be solid, normal livestock fencing would be fine, but it needs to be strong. Then they can't get in. Agree that getting in touch with your local beekeeping organisation is best to get an idea on siting; please do ask them, they are really helpful and love to hear from new people and are really keen to get people up and started... good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPoule Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Thanks for the advice - sometimes these badgers are more effort than they're worth! Going to contact the local group - they meet up the road from me - to find about courses this summer. I hope I can sort something out! Well, it's either bees or quail (the ducks and goats will have to wait until we have more land/ time ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 Don't forget all, that most beekeepers (at the moment) are retired........it's easy to look after 6 hives and take the honey off if you don't also have to go out to work or look after children (and, in most cases, have a wife to look after the house ) Carl keeps on about having more hives but we just don't have the time to properly look after more than two or three at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Well 1 session with the hives and im hooked! the Beekeepers in the slough area are great ppl! we saw the hive, learnt so much, and got to handle them! booking onto a course for the new year, then get a hive to start next april/may. In the mean time will keep going to the meetings as often as possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowcloud Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Another view of my new hive and bees, as someone was interested in how I made the stand... ... as you can see, it's just old bits of wood - although substantial wood joists that I had left over when I pulled a wall down in the house - don't like to waste anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Don't forget all, that most beekeepers (at the moment) are retired........it's easy to look after 6 hives and take the honey off if you don't also have to go out to work or look after children (and, in most cases, have a wife to look after the house ) Carl keeps on about having more hives but we just don't have the time to properly look after more than two or three at the moment. Oh my goodness I wasn't suggesting I get more than one plus an empty hive for now , he was only saying he would have 6...and this from an old gent who is becoming a mentor rather than a keeper as he can't manage to lift the hive any more, bless him! I must get in touch & see if he'll take me to see the other hives he mentors near me. Last time I spoke to him he was deliberating whether they would have to re-queen one colony as they were rather bad-tempered......... Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Don't just get one colony, it gives you no room to manoevre if you have problems: with two you can often solve some of the problems of hive A by using hive B. Personally, I would massively recomend starting with bees as early spring as possible (depending on what the forage around you is like of course), with a nuc rather than a colony: a nuc should build over the summer incrasin in number as you increase in confidence. Also, they are less likely to swarm in the first year. Spend this summer getting as much hands-on experience as possible. As to where to put them: even in town you can find a good apiary site, but that might not be your garden (railway sidings, factory /warehouse areas/ etc) They sting, and it hurts - and it is relatively common for people to be phobic of them. If you lose a swarm what if they set up in a cavity wall or chimney? Swarms are typically incredibly placid, but can look incredibly intimidating. Even very placid bees can become very aggressive in some situations: e.g. when they are queenless, or from poor handling. I love having bees, but would be wary of putting them in a back garden with near neighbours until I had more experience. I'm not trying to put anyone off, but bees need good PR! I do think there are other options for siting hives which are often better for bees and neighbours than a back garden, and it's so worth investigating these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Having wanted to keep bees for some years, DD and I have joined our local BKA this season. The apiary manager has visited the garden and agreed I had chosen a good site for a hive. I've had around 6 sessions so far and I would love to get going with my own colony but I've heard that Thorne's haven't got much in the way of kit at the moment. Has anybody ordered the "Bees on a Budget" kit from them recently? If so, how long did it take before delivery? Our experienced apiarists will (hopefully)soon have a nucleus colony they would be willing to let me have for a small donation, but I do need somewhere to put them. Getting really excited now. On a negative note, DD unfortunately got stung last week, on her eyelid, and after initial swelling, it appeared to settle down quite quickly. However last night it blew up again and she's now on strong antibiotics for cellulitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam42 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Hi I have recently bought the bees on a budget hive and it took a week to get here. It was well packed and came with clear instructions. The wood is cedar but is obviously seconds but still really good value for the money and bees seem to be ok in it. Sam x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 MY HIVE HAS JUST ARRIVED Took ages - they were all out of cedar supers (not Thornes) ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 On a negative note, DD unfortunately got stung last week, on her eyelid, and after initial swelling, it appeared to settle down quite quickly. However last night it blew up again and she's now on strong antibiotics for cellulitis. Nasty!! - I hope she is feeling a bit better now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I'm going on an expensive beekeeping day on Sat 27th! It's over double the cost of the ones in Cleveland where my sister lives. Unfortunately all the other courses near me are full and I can't get a place on them until next year. I will go on 27th although I do begrudge the cost I just can't wait!!! Is it too late to get bees in July? Will I have to wait until next year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Well I've been dithering a bit - but I rang the chair of our local BKA tonight, to let him know that I wouldn't be able to attend tomorrow's apiary visit at which our 'Beginner's Beekeeping' Certificates will be presented. He asked if I'd got a hive so I said yes, but no bees and he said 'get some frames made up, and when we get a swarm I'll ring you'. He sounds fairly certain that there'll be one! So now Plan Bee is back on ... I'm away this weekend, and really wishing I'd got on with making the frames/laying slabs where I want to put the hive/organising a stand! Thanks for posting the pics, Snowcloud - I've got some old pallets in the garage and I think one of the many jobs I need to do on Sunday is to saw a couple in half and create something like you've got for the hive to rest on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 OOOhh that sounds very positive for you. How exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I'm a bit scared ... but the local group are very helpful. Re getting bees in July - I believe you can, but they won't have time to make a lot of honey before the winter, so they would need extra feeding. (Someone with more experience will probably come along and say that's all wrong!) Enjoy the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 Taking bees in July is fine - it just means that you wouldn't take any or much honey at the end of summer but you would be in a position to build up a strong colony that will survive the winter and be ready to go next Spring. Another hot and humid weekend - ideal for swarms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Him Indoors has just mentioned that there is a bit of a todo at York Races today as a swarm of bees has appeared in the Paddock and it has had to be evacuated whilst they wait for a beekeeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 I'VE GOT A SWARM Right I'll stop using capitals now but I'm so excited. We were still frantically making up the frames this morning after my beekeeping next door neighbour noticed one of his hives had swarmed onto an apple tree. So, I've helped capture it (shaking them off the tree into a box on a sheet) and then carrying them in their box over the fence and up our garden and depositing them in an empty super on top of the brood box. Lid on. Admire!!!! Names anybody??!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Excellent news!! I think we should be able to think of enough names between us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
