How can I find my old pictures?

[Jules.]

Peter, I wonder if you would please share with us your experience of setting yourself up with your bees, to give us an idea of what its like to do so?

Thanks.

[The Dogmother]

Hi Peter

 

We always like to have 'pools of knowedge' contribute to this forum. It seems that you must have some interesting and valuable experience to impart; we'd be happy to hear any positive encouragement and advice to anyone who s considering keeping bees.

[pdcambs]

Peter, I wonder if you would please share with us your experience of setting yourself up with your bees, to give us an idea of what its like to do so?

Thanks.

 

Sure….

 

 

My father kept bees when he was at university, later when I was about 7 he got a hive to go on his allotment and tended the bees with his eldest son (me), but he suffered from the development of anaphylactic shock during the intervening years, so had to give up (a cautionary story there, but I'll skip over that) after just one year.

 

Seven or eight years ago (some thirty years after tending the bees with my father) I was working at a friends father's house when I noticed some hives in his back garden; after a chat about bees he gave me a book on beekeeping. My interest sparked I put a wanted add for books or equipment in the local free adds and the local association chairman got in contact (I had no idea there were associations)

 

That summer I attended the local association's public apiary displays every Sunday, eventually getting hands on experience of handling the bees, supervised of course. In the following spring I attended a very good beginner’s course, enrolling on their try-a-hive scheme, after which I collected my first swarm. Since then I've served on a couple of association committees and now have between 25 and 30 hives. I've given talks on beekeeping here locally and to beekeeping associations in the USA. I've worked with WBC's Nationals, Langstroths, Dartingtons, Warres and skeps. I've a reasonably large bee library and make and sell a couple of types of polish as well as candles and honey in local shops.

 

 

While I've only been keeping bees for six or seven years, the fact I have a relatively large number of hives and mentor several beginners every year means I have quite a few "hive years" under my belt compared to most beginners who will only have one or two hives; not that hive years of themselves make a good beekeeper; I would NOT call myself a very good beekeeper, rather I would leave that observation, one way or another, to others who know me.

 

 

 

I hope that sketches a portrait of my beekeeping background, if there is anything else you would like to know just ask.

[legend21]

Hello Peter I am a member of a bee club in Glasgow and have seen inside a hive and lots of other valuable information, I love my cube and dont see what the problem would be with getting a lovely beehaus no doubt it will be raised at the bee club but I would like to think that the members will be glad that people who perhaps had no interest in the life and diseases of bees are now taking an interest.

 

I must admit that all I have ever had from this forum is help and support and the encouragement to keep chickens, it is a wee bit strange the animosity that your comments are bringing and I am not happy to join in. I will just watch from the side lines

 

think I will go for the green haus

 

Jackie

[Guest]

I wonder if perhaps PD doesn't quite realise that Omlet are a small company who have done quite well but remain a small company. They are good at sales and marketing but they sell the product theirselvs - the chap on the telly with the Beehaus was Hans, one of the company founders, I had a lovely day with him at the Grand Designs show this year when I offered my services (paid) to help on the stand for the day. Thats the kind of company Omlet is - you phone and may very well get to speak to a founder. You email and the boys are busy and don't reply very quickly - how often has Claret said to us "phone them - you know they get too busy for email".

 

The product is british and they say they would recycle them - of course "Ooops, word censored!"ody has found that out as they hold their value so well on Ebay that people moving up to cubes just sell their eglus online - or do like me and keep a spare one for renting out and intros!

 

The Americans would have been spitting chips if the product has been being made in the US - they have waited and waited to get the cube! Fair play to a company for geting them made locally rather than shipped out.

 

I've just had an example of the brilliance of the cube. I got red mite and didn't manage to get shot of them before the holiday - currently ther are 2 gleaming cubes in pieces on my lawn having been thoroughly jetted - I knew a bikini and crocs were the order of the day!

[pdcambs]

Hello Peter I am a member of a bee club in Glasgow and have seen inside a hive and lots of other valuable information, I love my cube and dont see what the problem would be with getting a lovely beehaus no doubt it will be raised at the bee club but I would like to think that the members will be glad that people who perhaps had no interest in the life and diseases of bees are now taking an interest.

 

I must admit that all I have ever had from this forum is help and support and the encouragement to keep chickens, it is a wee bit strange the animosity that your comments are bringing and I am not happy to join in. I will just watch from the side lines

 

think I will go for the green haus

 

Jackie

 

Hi Jackie

 

I'm very sorry if it seems I come across negative, I hold no animosity to anyone here, how could I when I don't know any of you! Maybe I've got off on the wrong foot, expecting to get a response to my initial questions from someone representing Omlet, which unfortunately has not been forthcoming (nor has my direct email submitted via their website been answered ... maybe their office beehaus is keeping them too busy? [joke]) and equally maybe I have put some people on the defensive with my direct approach; which, if so, I regret and hope that will change.

 

When we got chickens, we looked into buying Eglus but settled on what we see as a greener and cheaper alternative and that does influence somewhat my opinion of Omlet I admit, but I'm only motivated to contribute as I have, through my concern over the spiralling numbers of potential beginners (which of itself is no bad thing but does have to be managed in partnership with beekeeping associations) and a genuine concern about plastic as a suitable material from a bee health perspective.

 

I've lots of other misgivings, like no public liability insurance when a beehaus owner's neighbours get stung (or die - both claims that can run into many tens of thousands of pounds compensation) but that does not mean I'm against change as one person has stated; and while it's good to see that those participating on the forum have gleaned it's nowhere near as simple as just buying a beehaus, reading the leaflet and waiting for your delivery of bees via TNT, it is quite likely that plenty of Eglu owners will think exactly that and it is beekeepers who will have to pick up the resulting pieces, not Omlet. Now, before anyone reaches for the keyboard to tell me how patronising I'm being, I'm not saying any more than a small minority might fall into such a bracket, and only then simply because they don't know any more about beekeeping than Omlet's PR has told them.....

 

" The beehaus is specially designed for keeping bees in your garden or rooftop. Developed to provide your bees with a safe, modern home in which to live it makes beekeeping straightforward and fun."

 

Almost every year, someone comes out with a new hive type to try, somewhere in the world, and some beekeepers will try them out. They are made or rediscovered primarily by beekeepers and sold to beekeepers. Some get good results, adopt them and swear by them, while others don't. But this is the first time I can recall a new manufacturer diversifying into beekeeping with a bold concept (no bad thing of it'self)which will likely be sold to their existing, non beekeeper customers, as the manufacturer capitalises on a popular vogue to support the honeybee. That has not happened before and poses more and diverse questions from the beekeeping perspective, than how much effort do I have to put in to maintain a non plastic alternative, or it's gotta be good because my chickens like their Eglu (sorry if that too sounds patronising but I am simply paraphrasing what others have said)

 

 

Anyway. I've another beginner stopping by in an hour to collect their second nuc (Have we discussed how in conventional hives it is idea to have at least three, no? another thread perhaps then....) so I'd better go get my tea now before it's too late.

 

 

 

Best regards

 

Peter

 

 

P.S. If I have drifted from addressing you specifically, to general ramblings... I apologise, I do have that tendency sometimes; sorry.... )

[Guest]

PD you say "Maybe I've got off on the wrong foot, expecting to get a response to my initial questions from someone representing Omlet, which unfortunately has not been forthcoming (nor has my direct email submitted via their website been answered ... maybe their office beehaus is keeping them too busy? [joke])"

 

Here is the reply you got - on page one of this thread, you seem to have missed it.

 

 

Hi guys,

 

Sorry for the delay in posting the response to this question about foulbrood.

 

It is seems to be a common misconception that you cannot sterilise plastic beehives, killing bacteria or spores. Plastic can be sterilised using common chemicals (e.g.bleach, caustic soda or virkon 5). This is made clear by Defra in their advisory leaflets ( https://secure.csl.gov.uk/beebase/pdfs/fbleaflet.pdf – page 34, under the head Chemical Sterilisation ). The only thing that chemicals cannot treat is wax - but you would remove this before doing the sterilisation. Wooden hives are only flamed because they have lots of nooks and crannies which you cannot reach and the wood absorbs the bacteria into its surfaces.

 

As beekeepers ourselves, we are aware of the requirements to completely sterilise a hive that has had EFB or AFB. So, we designed the beehaus to be easy to clean and sterilise. It is also very easy to replace any part you like – simply unbolt it. As with Omlet products, every part will be available quickly and at a reasonable price. If you were unfortunate to have either type of foulbrood – you can fulfill your statutory requirements without having to burn your hive and we would help you get your hive up and running again as quickly as possible,

 

Finally. I am sorry that you didn't get a speedy response from the general email – it has been a rather beesy day! Anyhow, if you have other concerns please email me directly james@omlet.co.uk or call me on my direct line: 01295 757 142,

 

Yours,

 

James

[Happy chickens!]

I'm just interested in keeping bees - in the longer term, on my allotment, it seems a natural 'fit', but clearly is more complicated than keeping chickens, so it's good to see some new faces on the forum with the experience to point us all in the right direction and other opinions are always valued here.

 

Any new product should rightfully be questionned - even the best of planning can be flawed, so any constructive criticism should be valued without us all needing to be very defensive of our much loved Omlet brand.

[pdcambs]

 

Here is the reply you got - on page one of this thread, you seem to have missed it.

 

 

 

Hi Penguinmad

 

 

Thanks for pointing that out, had missed it.

 

The full quote from that publication is....

 

Chemical sterilisation

 

There are no chemicals that have been shown

to be fully effectve for the sterilisation of

stored combs against foul brood. The spores

of AFB in particular are strongly resistant to

virtually all sterilising agents. Combs can,

however, be sterilised to destroy the spores of

chalkbrood (and Nosema disease of adult

bees), using acetic acid vapour. In general it is

better practice to melt down or burn old

combs and replace them with new frames

fitted with foundation.

Brood boxes, supers, queen excluders and

other bee-keeping equipment, which has been

thoroughly cleaned, of all wax and propolis

can be effectively sterilized by using

commercial disinfectants (e.g. bleach, Virkon S

and others). It is important that the

manufacturer’s instructions are complied with.

 

 

... to me two sentances stand out...

 

1. The spores

of AFB in particular are strongly resistant to

virtually all sterilising agents.

 

 

and

 

2. Brood boxes, supers, queen excluders and

other bee-keeping equipment, which has been

thoroughly cleaned, of all wax and propolis

can be effectively sterilized by using

commercial disinfectants.

 

... I think the former is self explanitory, while regarding the latter, we do have some plastic end spacers that are commonly used on frame ends by some beekeepers (I've used them myself in the past) and from experience I can tell you just how dificult it is to get these clean of all wax and propolis. I suspect it is far easier to say ... clean all the wax and propolis off, steralise with a bleach, then pop it in the dishwasher ... than it is to actually do it in the field. Maybe someone would like some of my old frame ends to try such?

[pdcambs]

I'm just interested in keeping bees - in the longer term, on my allotment, it seems a natural 'fit', but clearly is more complicated than keeping chickens, so it's good to see some new faces on the forum with the experience to point us all in the right direction and other opinions are always valued here.

 

Any new product should rightfully be questionned - even the best of planning can be flawed, so any constructive criticism should be valued without us all needing to be very defensive of our much loved Omlet brand.

 

 

Hi HC

 

 

Thanks for your well reasoned contribution.

 

Some allotments will allow one to keep bees on them, unfortunately mine does not. If you are lucky enough to get permission, I would keep four things in mind.

 

1. You need to find time to work your bees during the day when few other allotmenteers are about. consider another site if this is troublesome.

 

2. You will definitely need public liability insurance, obtainable through most beekeeping associations as part of your membership fee.

 

3. Try and find a corner where kids won't find your beehaus, vandals are seemingly drawn to nice new shiny things!

 

and

 

4. Have an alternative site available in case the temperament of your colony suddenly changes and you need to move it quickly.

 

 

 

Meanwhile make contact with your local association and see if they have a public apiary you can visit at weekends now, some will still be entertaining visitors for a few weeks yet, before they close down for the winter.

 

 

 

Good luck

 

 

Peter

[bronze]

Happy Chickens

 

Home Farmer are having a bit of a campaign on keeping livestock particularly bees on allotments. Might be worth seeing what their site has to say.

[Willow]

But this is the first time I can recall a new manufacturer diversifying into beekeeping with a bold concept (no bad thing of it'self)which will likely be sold to their existing, non beekeeper customers, as the manufacturer capitalises on a popular vogue to support the honeybee. That has not happened before and poses more and diverse questions from the beekeeping perspective

 

Whilst I get cross when people say eglu owners have more money than sense

 

I do agree with Peters concerns about an influx of new in-experienced beekeepers. Any regular omlet forum member going for bekeeping will research, do a course, get buddy's and think it through carefully but just as there are people who have bought eglu's and 2 chickens and given up when the first problem occurs there will be some who buy a beehaus without looking beyond the marketing and the consequences of getting it wrong are more significant...

[Guest]

Happy Chickens

 

Home Farmer are having a bit of a campaign on keeping livestock particularly bees on allotments. Might be worth seeing what their site has to say.

 

 

Hi All

 

Here is another link that I found Defra has some other good info on these spores and bugs etc

 

I am interested in Bees but dont know much at all & dont really want any(stings), however I am so sad to be reading negative non encouraging comments from self appointed experts we may as well all give up! But a lot of us on here dont want to be put off..... I think???

 

So if I was taking up Bee keeping would be trying to fill my brain with as much information as I can to keep bees well & healthy and this forum is so supportive we can ask questions from such a wide knowledge base, so here is one link I have found on Defra but there is lots of other information on their site.

 

https://secure.csl.gov.uk/beebase/pdfs/fbleaflet.pdf

 

I dont like reading abstracts as it can give a stilted view, always read articles in their entirety. Hope this link works, I have hopefully discovered linking articles new skill indie

[Guest]

My research is now putting me off the idea of having them by the front garden fence at the end of the driveway (no pavement out there and a LONG way from the house) There could be a problem with the neighbors dogs who roam free out the front a lot.

 

HOWEVER - one place these dogs don't roam is the neighbors unused field - bottom of which is a really good distance from any houses and they just mow it twice a year.....some persuasion and offers of free honey & eggs could be in order.

 

Or there is a strip of parish land a spit away that they like to rent out for peanuts ....It is next to a field used by a football team but again probably 2 pitch lenghts between where the apiary could be sited. Definatley wouldn't put a Beehaus there though - something cheap and cheerful that I could replace when it fell to bits methinks.

[Guest]

I can imagine that if its tucked away in a nice quiet spot it wouldnt be in anyones or dogs way! I can imagine the curiosity of a bee house wearing off for a dog, perhaps in the front garden you could surround the house with lots of bee friendly plants (my mothers neighbour had rows of lavender bushes and as a child I remember keeping well away from them they were right on the footpath..smelt great though, bees were more interested in lavender than me)

 

On part of the defra site I am sure it mentions insurances and public liability(we even have to have that for horses etc public liability..I dont think its that expensive it costs me about £50 for British Horse society )

 

good luck indie

[Guest]

http://www.omlet.co.uk/files/public/newsletter_august_7th_2009.html

 

Hope its ok to post this but I got sent this and its really encouraging I can imagine all the sticky..but I can remember as a child popping the little wax lids on my nans neighbours hives..yum indie

[Happy chickens!]

Thanks for the ideas and links; with holidays etc, won't have time to visit a hive probably this summer - but that's a great idea for the spring.

 

I already spoke to our allotment steward a while ago (long before the beehaus was mentionned) and he is very happy for me to have bees - and yes I would be very cautious and not do anything with the bees at busy times. Insurance sounds sensible. I agree that the beehaus in particular looks vulnerable to theft, but don't know what I will use yet, and the bees could always be moved to my garden if necessary.

 

Getting very practical now...... shame it's going to be a good while before I can really get serious.

[Couperwife]

oooh, we can have bees in our allotment

 

as long as we can personally identify each and everyone of them incase of a problem

 

hmmm, dont think we will be getting bees somehow

 

I must say that reading this thread has been very "interesting" to say the least

 

cathy

x

[bronze]

CW could they deny you knowing them though. So if they pointed one out oh yes thats George etc

[Couperwife]

but how on earth am I going to think up 30,000 names

 

they might get fed up if I keep calling them the wrong name

 

"oi, george"

"im not george, im lucas"

"oh sorry lucas"

"good grief, can you remember our names, huh"

"sorry lucas"

"he is teasing you, he is george really"

 

I can see it being a fun time at the plot

 

* must go and hide now , kev has just called the men in the white coats *

 

cathy

x

[bronze]

Just say you took your inspiration from George Foreman and call them all George

[Couperwife]

great idea

[beesontoast]

If "Ooops, word censored!"ody minds me dragging this topic back to its subject...

 

First, I am delighted that so many people are getting interested in beekeeping - ten years ago, when I first became interested in bees, the average age in most of the meetings I went to was well over 60. I see many more young people at meetings now, and at a recent weekend event in Gloucestershire, I would say that half of the 50 or so people there were under 30.

 

However, I suspect that a lot of the renewed interest is as a result of recent press coverage about the plight of bees, much of which has been (as usual) misrepresented and distorted by the media. This will probably result in a rapid rise in the popularity of beekeeping, followed by a drop-off as some people get bored, take up golf, or whatever else takes their fancy.

 

So, the fall-out from this will be a massive short-term shortfall in the ability of local bee keeping associations to provide training, which is not being funded by anyone and is almost entirely voluntary, followed by the old story of falling numbers.

 

OK, I'm rambling a bit, but stay with me.

 

What I would love to see is people going into beekeeping more for the sake of the bees than for the honey. That means, learning as much as you can about bees and their nature and habits before actually setting up a hive. Understand what bees do, how they reproduce, how they survive the winter, and you will get a lot more out of beekeeping than if you go in thinking that a shiny new plastic box will solve all your problems and there is nothing much to it.

 

As for diseases - and the thorny subject of whether it is possible to sterilize a plastic hive - that is much more complex than what has so far been posted here - but your beekeeping practices should always be aimed at keeping bees healthy, so diseases have no opportunity to take hold.

 

If you want to find out more, there is a busy site at http://www.naturalbeekeeping.org that has a lot of free information and lots of help for beginners.

[Happy chickens!]

Wow - that's a really comprehensive forum - have bookmarked it, thank you.

[Couperwife]

what I would love to see is people going into beekeeping more for the sake of the bees than for the honey. That means, learning as much as you can about bees and their nature and habits before actually setting up a hive. Understand what bees do, how they reproduce, how they survive the winter, and you will get a lot more out of beekeeping than if you go in thinking that a shiny new plastic box will solve all your problems and there is nothing much to it.

 

Hi bees

 

sorry for getting off topic (I do it all the time )

 

most people on this forum do take the owning animals thing very seriously.

for example, we looked into keeping chickens for 18 months before we got an eglu, we read book upon book, and spoke to loads of people to get loads of information. and I know that a lot of people on here did the same.

 

not many on here will look at the bee haus and say "oooh, that looks fun, ill get one" without serious consideration about the bees. bee keepers on here have spent months (some spent years) finding out about courses, before embarking on the right one

 

we might have a giggle - but we are rather sensible really

 

cathy

x