My eco solution to rat problems

[martinjhall]

I received my green Beehaus on Thursday, put it together on Sunday, a few bits missing but i am sure Omlet will put this right. I am setting it up in my Urban garden North of Bristol. I now eagerly await the bees (ordered for early next year). I have joined my local BKA but it seems that urban bees are not the norm.

I would be grateful for information from others who keep bees on a housing estate.

They will give my wife’s chickens something to think about rather than ripping the garden up any more.

Martin

[Sheilaz]

Congratulations Martin, hoping it goes well for you, and look forward to hearing more.

[laurmurf]

Welcome Martin and congratulations on your beehaus!

i've seen them 'in real life' and covet one

 

We'll be really keen to hear about how you get on with it in the spring.

[Olly]

Congratulations, Martin and welcome to the forum.

 

I would say around half of the bee-keepers in my local group keep them in urban settings. I'm not on a housing estate as most people would understand it, but it's a residential area with most houses built in the 1930s, luckily I have a 100' garden so they are well away from anyone else.

 

I'm a novice too, got mine in July although they're not in a Beehaus, however from what I have read urban bees often do better than rural ones in terms of foraging opportunities.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Welcome to the world of bees Martin ... I can't comment on the urban style of beekeeping given that we live in the middle of a field ...........I just know they are fascinating little creatures and could sit outside & watch them for hours

 

BTW, I doubt the chooks will take much notice of the bees, there's plenty of easier "prey" like flowers, veggies, grass...........just position their flight path away from the chooks to avoid any unpleasantness.

 

I wish you were closer, I'd love to have a look at a beehaus in person

 

Sha x

[Egluntyne]

Welcome aboard Martin. I shall be interested to hear how you get on with it in an urban setting, as I live in one myself.

[clootie]

Fantastic to hear we'll have some urbanite bees next year to watch - good on ya Martin. What colour did you opt for then?

[Guest]

Oh I like to hear of newbie beekeepers(as I one day will become one if OH lets me)

 

My grandmothers neighbour kept them in North London residential back garden for years and he had about 3 hives! Also my secondary school the hives were kept quite near a main road!!!

 

All were successful & I still remember sticking my fingers in the wax lids in the honey combe so wish you much good luck and keep letting us know how it progresses. Its nice to hear on here from the experts and newcomers, an interesting learning curve.

 

Congratulations anyhow indie

[Guest]

Hi martin and welcome aboard

 

Like you I am new to Beeking and the Omlet system, however unlike yourself I decided to get my bees this year so as to overwinter them in preparation for next year.

There is plenty of help and information out their and I am sure that that you will soon pick up the basics.

If you do decide to keep bees this year [and its not that late], then try for a docile colony, also go on Omlets taster bee course with somebody before you put bees in place. Your local BBKs will be able to assist you with the learning curve, and the necessary training. Also keeping a bee/hive record is apparently a legal requirement

 

Any questions etc just fire away

[pdcambs]

Also keeping a bee/hive record is apparently a legal requirement

 

I think keeping records is considered best practice, and while technically any medicines used in the care of animals within the human food chain should necessitate statutory record keeping by law, bees are most usually exempt form such regulation. Similarly, livestock medicines should normally only be sourced and administered by vets, but bees are also excluded from that legislation under specific exemptions.

 

So just to clarify, yes, record keeping is good practice (and useful for the beekeeper), but I have never heard of anyone getting into trouble with an authority for not keeping hive records; and anyway, such issues are unlikely to arise unless you sell your honey commercially.

[Olly]

As I understand it, it's useful to have records for two reasons - firstly if The Inspector calls, they like to see them although that's not a legal requirement, but secondly if you want to do beekeeping exams, you need to show that you've kept records.

 

I think it's good practice, and I'm hoping that next year it will help me to see how much I fed, when I put the apiguard in, how many frames of brood there were etc.

[Lewis]

Not knowing anything about bees and if it would be helpful, but could you post your hive records as a blog? Rob's videos are a good idea as he can look back next year and see what he did well, and not so well.

 

I'm not sure if others would benefit from it, just a thought as I think its a good thing to look back at what you've done and learn from it.