Peaches Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 We've had a hive for a while and have been crossing our fingers that a swarm will appear and yesterday we got a telephone number of a someone with a swarm! We were at the Intro to Beekeeping Weekend of our local beekeeper's association, so had to start really concentrating then. Anyways, the bees arrived this morning in a box and an experienced member helped me shake them out, onto a board and up to our hive! O fabjous day! I've fed them with 1:1 water/sugar solution and I must not bother them ....... I am missing our girls so much (lost to a fox), so it's great to have the bees to be getting on with. Fiona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Congratulations on your bees any pics of the hive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Oooo great stuff - you lucky thing. I'd love bees, but can't have them here. One day! I adore honey. Mmmmmmm Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 congratulations! I'm waiting for a swarm. Did you know there's a sticky in the Self Sufficient section on Bee Chat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I'll just move this to Self Sufficiency........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fur 'n' Feathers Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 You will love keeping these. I grew up with an apiary. My father had 11 hives, plus looked after 7 hives belonging to a friend. I consider bees to be among my best friends!! Enjoy Feathers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 Thank you, peeps! I have posted a couple of pix on the bee sticky above (page 9). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Lucky you - lots of honey on the go then. I only have bumble bees, but they're cute to watch - just no honey for me. I always say "hello" to them when I go out the front door - just in case it's bad luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Lucky you sounds really exciting I immediately had a look for your location for a peek but lucky for you are miles away... Good luck let us know how you get on with them ie what the next step is...after leaving them alone indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 The swarm turned out to be a cast and the cast then turned out to be queenless! I would have to say that beekeeping is a very up and down experience. In the end we bought a nuc from a guy in our beekeeping group. The bees have a lovely temperament and are doing bee stuff. We've spotted the queen and even seen a waggle dance. I don't think we'll get any honey this year, but hopefully the bees will over-winter okay, and we can really get going on the beekeeping next year. Having had our experience, I'd say getting a nuc from a reliable source (so you can gauge the temperament of the colony) is probably the best way forward. We paid £80 for ours. BTW, we shook out the bees from the cast in another part of the garden. We then watched as they went back to the hive, hung around outside and the bees from the nuc gave them a lick and let them in! A very happy moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
