Kermit Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Oh my - lots to read here... Surprised to see a picture of our garden - didn't realise Peaches had posted one. We had a look at the hive on Saturday (12 days after getting it) and have come to the conclusion that we had a cast not a swarm, as they are only covering the centre 3 frames. Didn't see the queen, but I think I saw some eggs. So I reckon that she was a virgin queen who left the hive with some workers. Hence the reason for no brood yet. Does this sound right? Even better, Fi came home last night having been offered a cast in a nuc from a guy at work . Looks like no honey this year, but 2 colonies for next - so long as they over winter. Olly, I would really like to see some pictures of the hive you've built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Finally ... I am pleased with the Thornes budget kit, but a few observations. Firstly, the instructions are pretty basic - ok if you're a competent DIY-er, but there were a few trial-and-error moments where I put bits in place and then thought 'hang on, that doesn't look right'! They also supply exactly the right number of nails, pins etc - I'm not complaining, but if like me you often bend nails, or drop them on the garage floor, suffice to say that a lot of time was spent searching for ones I'd lost! The instructions kept saying 'check that the box is square' which worried me because I didn't know what to do if it wasn't, however I have got a try-square and it all seemed ok, and the roof, floor and queen excluder all fit so it must be the right shape! So - here's the box, which was so heavy I couldn't lift it without removing half the stuff. Here's the kit for making the floor, experts will spot that at this point I had got the queen excluder there because I was so confused about which bit was which! Here's the complete floor, Here's the brood body completed, and here's the hive! I've made up a super since then as well. I'll try and get a better picture of the whole hive, including the place where I'm planning to put it. It's still in the garage at the moment, and the frames are in the house in case of mice/wax moth. Instructions say you can treat the hive with linseed oil, has anyone done this? Anyway ... getting a bit despondent about ever keeping bees, I rang the lady who's organising this month's apiary visit. I mentioned my beeless-ness, and she said 'oh, we're running out of people to give swarms to, we get all the ones for this area'. So she has got my number, and she said don't give up hope, they have had lots lately! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Having seen your pics Olly, I am so cross with myself that I didn't remember to take any pics of my hive being assembled. I too got the Thorne's "Bees on a Budget" kit and made a few (fortunately correctable) errors at first. It's now all put together (more or less square ) and yesterday I picked up my bees from the apiary! It's all very exciting. They were a bit cross last night after the journey home in the car, but now they are settling in nicely to their new home. It was fascinating watching them fly out of the entrance and spiral around looking for a flightpath. I've just been outside and there are still some late foragers flying home. It's amazing that they are able to build a whole new mental map so quickly, bless them. OH took some pics this evening, so I'll try and upload a couple when he's processed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Well, even better I came out of my choir practice tonight to find a message on my mobile, and it was the husband of the lady I spoke to this afternoon - he said that if he doesn't get a swarm in the next two days, which is quite probable apparently, then he will make me up a nucleus from a swarm that he collected a couple of weeks ago and which is in hive in his neighbour's garden. So I'm meeting him in a pub car-park on Friday night! BEES! I'm going to have bees! There really ought to be a bee dance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Well if there is a bee dance, please tell me how to do it because.........(drum roll please!).......the family has just increased by I have no idea how many little honey monsters The problem now will be keeping away from them & letting them get settled Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 3, 2009 Author Share Posted July 3, 2009 Congratulations both!! There is a bee dance .........but it has to be performed at dawn.....naked...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Well I was called last night and told I could collect a swarm if I wanted ... unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I had drunk four glasses of champagne so I couldn't drive and couldn't find a friend to take me either. Maybe just as well, as I would be a bit anxious about collecting a swarm. So Plan B(ee) is still on track, I'm collecting a nucleus tonight (much better for me, and the chap has kindly said he will mark the queen for me). WildMum, glad to hear your bees are increasing! You're obviously doing something right. I was tempted to do the dance you're describing Lesley, when it started raining this morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 We have an awful problem with honey bees at the moment. They set up house in nextdoors shed roof in the spring (stone shed with felt flat roof). They live up in the roof and we can have hundreds of bees in the garden at once. With this hot weather the 'hive' in the roof must have got very hot. At least three days in a row there has been a swarm of bees filling up my garden, so we have had to have the chickens locked in and all house windows closed. Masses of bees still living in the roof, so it must be just a breakaway swarm. Talking to a local pest controller they are not considered a pest and he says even if all the bees went if the honey is left in the roof it will attract a new swarm anyway. He suggests they are removed over the winter whilst dormant and the roof needs to be replaced and all trace of honey removed. As the house is empty and being sold I think the owners are wanting to leave the problem for any new owners to sort out. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 It's been a very stressful evening! Laid the last few slabs down, and got the hive out of the garage, put it in position on the pallets I carefully stacked up last week. Stood back ... eek - what's that gap there? Turns out I'd managed to nail one of the locking bars in upside down. Now I finished the bloomin' thing about a month ago, how had I not noticed this? Much furious bashing and s"Ooops, word censored!"ing to withdraw the nails (to the detriment of the wood, naturally) and turn it round. I put the hive back in position, and put the frames in for the first time - and to my horror, when the frames are in there's a gap at the side which I'm sure should not be there! See this photo ... the frames are resting on top of the brood body, not inside it, and so the super isn't an exact fit. I have racked my brains and can't see that I have put the brood body together wrongly, there's only one way it could go as far as I can see. Part of the problem I found in putting it together is that I didn't have a hive to compare it with and the instructions were pretty minimal. Here's the frames from above. The ends of the frames are resting on top of the brood body, so I can't see how the super is ever going to fit. When I made it up and put the roof on, it seemed ok - this is the first time I've had the frames in AND the super on top. I'm panicking now - I don't know if this is normal or if I've done something wrong. Surely there shouldn't be a gap there, and the queen excluder will have to go on top as well ... help! Anyone else out there who bought the flat-pack? There were grooves in the side walls, for the inner walls to fit into so they can't possibly be any further apart than they are. I just can't see how the frames can fit inside. The overall box is the exact size of the crown board, which came ready-made. I collected a five frame nuc tonight in a travelling case, and have stuck it on top of the hive - tomorrow on the apiary visit I'm going to find out how to put the bees into the hive. Only now I'm worried that it's not fit for purpose. Luckily I think they can stay in the travel case for a day or two while I sort it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 OK, please ignore last night's panic posting ... I was Googling pictures of beehives till about 1.00 am. It was a long day yesterday, including an hour spent waiting for the Bee Man to arrive at the local British Legion club, where I was meeting him. I don't think single females are a common sight there, and I was an object of some interest although I was made very welcome! Anyway, I've been out with a tape measure and a clear head, and it's now obvious ... the top locking bars are not symmetrical, and I've managed to put them in upside down. Both of them. If I reverse them, then there shouldn't be a gap and (I hope) the frames will fit inside them, and not on top. Of course, I've now parked the travelling case on top of the hive so I'm going to have to move it, and then get the hammer, pliers etc out again ... I think it might all wait till tomorrow. I'm going on an apiary visit this afternoon so I'll take a good look at the hives there! I'm going back to bed ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Olly, I like the pictures, the hive looks v nice, but I understand your confusion. I have plans to make a hive and these show how the top bars go into the sides. Take a look at: http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/index.php You need to register and they take themselves a bit more seriously than here - but they really know their stuff. The DIY and maintenance section is what you want. Alternatively: http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/britparts.html has plans and construction info. Had a look at the hive today and may have a big problem - queen doesn't seem to be laying worker brood. Looks like we might need a new queen . Brian, our friendly beekeeper, is coming over tomorrow to see if we are panicking or we really do have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Thanks for that tip - I'm going to register on there, as it might be useful just to read up on things. I've been to an apiary meeting, and I must say that everyone in the local group is so friendly, at least two people came up and offered to help. We looked at several hives on a large commercial site, and it was so useful - I picked up loads of things just from talking to people, and I'm now feeling more confident about transferring my bees into the hive, in fact they demonstrated putting a swarm into a hive. I need to retrieve the hive (which is currently under the travelling case) and take it apart to sort it out , I think I'll wait until the end of the day today before moving it, and then hopefully tomorrow I should be in a position to put them in. I feel an idiot for not having realised it was wrong before, but I've never had all the component parts together. I'm feeling a lot calmer today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 OK, I can see I'm turning into 'most prolific poster on bees'. You'll have to forgive me, I'm a bit needy at the moment! I took the bold step of moving the travelling case and removing the hive this evening, took it apart (luckily I'm rubbish at DIY things and so the nails weren't too hard to remove) and rotated the locking bars. Instantly it's obvious that they were wrong before - now the edges are all flush, and there's a lovely deep rebate for the ends of the frames. Hurrah! I decided to go ahead and hive them, as my book says early evening is good for this. I got the smoker going, tiptoed up the garden and put my beesuit on behind the chicken-run as I'm not keen the neighbours know about them until I can say 'bees? oh yeah - been there for months'. I popped them quickly into the hive, with a feeder of sugar syrup, and put the lid on - Ididn't take any time to examine them. There are still quite a lot outside the hive when went up about half an hour ago, I just hope that the queen is in there and they will all settle down now. Two major mistakes, firstly the smoker went out. Secondly, I forgot to put wellies on, and went up there in trainers with bare ankles. Yes, bees do climb upwards, yes one did go up my trouser leg, and yes I received my first sting! It didn't hurt much and is not swelling up, which is a relief. I haven't put the queen excluder on, I think I need to wait until I'm sure she's in there ... although will I ever be sure! Crumbs, this beekeeping is hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Gulp! Olly you've had an interesting weekend! I am going to ask my mentor to come over in the next day or two so I can do my first check of the hive, failing that the nearest beekeeper who is about a mile up the road. I told a friend about the hive arriving and she said my face lit up like a beacon when I was talking about them, and DH says that I am very funny to watch when I'm explaining things to people as I get so animated I've spent quite a while over the past few days, standing out in the garden watching the little sparkly dots zipping around the hive & they seem to have become more methodical yesterday and today rather than when they were obviously orientating themselves and getting their bearings on Friday. I went to a plant sale today & bought 16 lavender plants for the bees, so those will be planted in the front border tomorrow in place of the thistles(!!), along with 6 more raspberry canes and 4 pots of strawberry plants for the princely sum of £31, which I thought was pretty good! And DH, who up until this year has been positively anal about his "bowling green" lawn, has suggested we let the half of the lawn nearest the hive go to meadow. I think this is more self-preservation than bee preservation as he doesn't fancy a shirtful of miffed bees when mowing, but who can blame him!!! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Our lavender garden is in full bloom.......... but we still don't have many bees. The ones we have are looking more normal though. Instead of just pottering around, they seem to have a purpose. We were out most of the weekend and didn't find time to open up and have a look - it looks like it might be Wednesday before we get the weather to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I agree Lesley, today is certainly not looking promising; wind & showers....has summer finished?! I mustn't get maudlin....the garden needs the rain....the garden needs the rain...the garden etc etc etc !!!! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 If it rains it saves me at least an hour by not having to water anything except hanging baskets and the polygreenhouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Glad you got your hive sorted out, Olly. I agree the assembly instructions weren't the most detailed. There seems to be quite a few of us who have just got our bees. I'm a great believer in the power of mutual support! I've found a couple of bees languishing on the ground near the hive. I'm just hoping that they are at the end of their short (6 week) lives, not that it's anything I'm doing wrong. When I put the sugar syrup feeder on and peeped through the crown board, there did seem to be loads of bees milling around and the foraging bees are coming back with full pollen baskets, so I hope this is all positive. I need to do my first proper examination of the frames in the next couple of days. I'm naturally a bit nervous, in case I don't see evidence of a laying queen, but I've no reason to suspect that. TAJ - If your neighbour contacts the local beekeeping association, they may come and relieve them of their shed colony. Surely that would be better than getting pest control to exterminate them? Especially with the current concerns as to the future of honeybees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 One of the pest controllers local to us will remove a swarm rather than exterminate, regardless of what the householder requests , not sure they are all of the same thought though! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 It is so useful to have a few others on here, although my local group are so helpful I don't really want to ring them up for a chat every time I'm worried about something! Wildmum and Medusa, you sound as if you're in exactly the same position as me ... I keep tiptoeing up to the hive to see if there are any bees around, I want to leave them alone for a few days before I inspect them, but I am really scared that the queen didn't go in and that the hive is empty. I think a few dead bees around the outside are pretty much normal, aren't they? Oh - and that bee-sting I was so blase about on Saturday night ... by Sunday it had swollen up and is now about 4" in diameter and rather hot and red! I think I'm a 'delayed reactor'. It hasn't put me off though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Sorry to hear about your reaction, Olly. I'm yet to receive my first bee sting, but not looking forward to it. I do take daily antihistamines for hayfever, so hopefully that will help when I do eventually get stung. When DD got stung on the eyelid she got secondary cellulitis and needed antibiotics . Take care to keep it clean and don't scratch! I'm glad it hasn't put you off. I understand from the "old hands" at my apiary that after the first thousand stings or so, you stop reacting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I have been away for a few days and haven't really got anything to report other than we still haven't seen the queen but there are eggs and plenty of nectar/pollen. I really see why we have the phrase 'busy bee' - they are so active We watched them 'cleaning' dead bees out on the landing board the other day! We also spend a lot of time 'panicking' about whether what we can see is normal (we've had brace comb and lots of building at the bottom of a frame, and the queen laying from the outside inwards of the brood box etc etc), so I'm in the same boat of newbie nervousness. I've finally succumbed and asked my mentor to come and check its all OK. In terms of building the hive, my neighbour did everything. But we couldn't figure out how the super fitted together (we were stuck until we looked at somebody elses) and then he realised he'd made the frames wrongly.... the instructions really are useless. BTW this leads to some odd conversations. Me 'Harold (mentor) is a very hard worker' (making hay at the mo). OH 'Is he? I hadn't noticed. I've never seen him do much' etc etc. Some time later it turned out I was talking about my mentor whilst OH was talking about our cockeral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 TAJ - If your neighbour contacts the local beekeeping association, they may come and relieve them of their shed colony. Surely that would be better than getting pest control to exterminate them? Especially with the current concerns as to the future of honeybees. The local beekeepers will only take away a nice settled swarm - they contacted them and that was the response. The pest controller I spoke to said they were not considered a pest, hence they wouldn't do anything and bees are listed on the council site as something they only provide advice on. Today the sold sign has gone up - I still think they will try and leave it to the new owners to have to deal with. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 TAJ - If your neighbour contacts the local beekeeping association, they may come and relieve them of their shed colony. Surely that would be better than getting pest control to exterminate them? Especially with the current concerns as to the future of honeybees. The local beekeepers will only take away a nice settled swarm - they contacted them and that was the response. The pest controller I spoke to said they were not considered a pest, hence they wouldn't do anything and bees are listed on the council site as something they only provide advice on. Today the sold sign has gone up - I still think they will try and leave it to the new owners to have to deal with. Tracy Oh well, at least they have tried to do the right thing, I suppose. Here's hoping your new neighbours are experienced beekeepers then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Went to the local meeting on Wed - fantastic. The apiary we visited was small - 5 hives and a couple of nucs - and was just at the side of a field next to the A1. Covered lots of things and they really made beginners welcome. I now know how heavy a full super is However, we have solved the problem of why we have problems with the brood - laying workers and no queen . So no real solution to this apart from hoping to find a new swarm pretty quick and dumping these girls out of their home. Apparently it is best to take the current hive about 25 yards away an knock them out. The normal workers can still fly and will return to the old site and hopefully join the new swarm (if we can find one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
