Bee keeping
- weatherwax
- Tom Good
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:26 pm
Bee keeping
Not sure this is the right place but I suppose they come under livestock
Anyone keep bees, it is something I have been interested in for a while, and really fancy having a go at it, but everything I have read about it makes it sound so complicated, especially collecting the honey.
So my question is do any of you keep bees and how difficult is it, ooh and one more thing, do they annoy the neighbours, mine are already very tolerant of the chooks
thanks
Anyone keep bees, it is something I have been interested in for a while, and really fancy having a go at it, but everything I have read about it makes it sound so complicated, especially collecting the honey.
So my question is do any of you keep bees and how difficult is it, ooh and one more thing, do they annoy the neighbours, mine are already very tolerant of the chooks
thanks
Geography is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it.
My New website www.dreadpirate.co.uk in it's temporary place, with link to new blog
My New website www.dreadpirate.co.uk in it's temporary place, with link to new blog
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Bee keeping
I don't, but I would like to (as a long-term project) and I was advised to get in touch with my local bee-keeping association and they should let you go along to meetings and other things they do, so you can talk to people who know what they're doing and get some experience.
They're not weeds - that's a habitat for wildlife, don't you know?
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Bee keeping
I'd recommend looking at topbar hives, they're much easier to maintain and easy to build. The downside is they're smaller, so you won't get as much honey per hive.
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- Living the good life
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Re: Bee keeping
Ellendra, do you have TBHs? I was thinking about making one this winter. As for size, isn't it possible to make them as long as you want?
Re: Bee keeping
I can't see how these work without a queen excluder.Ellendra wrote:I'd recommend looking at topbar hives, they're much easier to maintain and easy to build. The downside is they're smaller, so you won't get as much honey per hive.
I've read the description of TBHs but are brood cells kept separate from honey cells (by the bees) on individual combs ?
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
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- Living the good life
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Re: Bee keeping
I won't pretend to understand this just yet, but here's one answer.
For us natural type people, the very name "queen excluder" sounds just a bit off.
For us natural type people, the very name "queen excluder" sounds just a bit off.
Re: Bee keeping
Maybe, but isn't stealing the bees hard won winter stores "a bit off" as wellRod in Japan wrote:For us natural type people, the very name "queen excluder" sounds just a bit off.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
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Re: Bee keeping
I do note the grinning yellow thing, but in all seriousness, if and when I do make a TBH, the idea will be to take only what's fair recompense for building the accommodations and driving off the hornets.
On a slightly different tack, I'm perplexed as to where the bees have gone at the moment. There were masses of them in my garden in the spring. Now there are none whatsoever. My wolfberries are flowering and are visited by hoverflies and some species of wasp that I'm not familiar with, but no bees at all. I really should talk to a bee person here, but the last one I spoke to was a quite off-putting.
On a slightly different tack, I'm perplexed as to where the bees have gone at the moment. There were masses of them in my garden in the spring. Now there are none whatsoever. My wolfberries are flowering and are visited by hoverflies and some species of wasp that I'm not familiar with, but no bees at all. I really should talk to a bee person here, but the last one I spoke to was a quite off-putting.
Re: Bee keeping
Here is a link to an excellent Top Bar Hive beekeeping forum:
http://www.biobees.com/forum/index.php
I was going to start keeping bees in a TBH, but got a whole hive of bees in a National on Freecycle, so I've been plunged in at the deep end (definitely not complaining though!).
It's really not that complicated, it's probably like learning to walk or ride a bike - reading about it makes it sound impossible, but having someone to keep an eye on you and give you advice makes it all very possible.
Local beekeeping groups are generally very helpful and keen to teach beginners. They are also a good source of cheap/free equipment.
As long as you are careful about siting the hive they shouldn't annoy the neighbours - stings are very rare, but if you face the hive entrance out over the neighbours garden and they are in the flightpath it could worry them. Also, be aware of their washing line, bees are very tidy and won't poo in the hive so take cleansing flights. Your neighbour won't want all that over their washing!
Even if it's too tricky to keep them in your garden, many beekeeping associations have an apiary where you could keep them instead. Failing that, a local orchard/landowner or sympathetic gardener would probably welcome them.
You're starting at just the right time - you could spend the autumn/winter learning about it and collecting the equipment you need so you'll be all set for spring.
One thing - don't be in a hurry to get bees in the spring, there's usually a rush on and the price goes up. Wait a while, and once the swarms are out you could have 1, or 2 or more much cheaper.
http://www.biobees.com/forum/index.php
I was going to start keeping bees in a TBH, but got a whole hive of bees in a National on Freecycle, so I've been plunged in at the deep end (definitely not complaining though!).
It's really not that complicated, it's probably like learning to walk or ride a bike - reading about it makes it sound impossible, but having someone to keep an eye on you and give you advice makes it all very possible.
Local beekeeping groups are generally very helpful and keen to teach beginners. They are also a good source of cheap/free equipment.
As long as you are careful about siting the hive they shouldn't annoy the neighbours - stings are very rare, but if you face the hive entrance out over the neighbours garden and they are in the flightpath it could worry them. Also, be aware of their washing line, bees are very tidy and won't poo in the hive so take cleansing flights. Your neighbour won't want all that over their washing!
Even if it's too tricky to keep them in your garden, many beekeeping associations have an apiary where you could keep them instead. Failing that, a local orchard/landowner or sympathetic gardener would probably welcome them.
You're starting at just the right time - you could spend the autumn/winter learning about it and collecting the equipment you need so you'll be all set for spring.
One thing - don't be in a hurry to get bees in the spring, there's usually a rush on and the price goes up. Wait a while, and once the swarms are out you could have 1, or 2 or more much cheaper.
- weatherwax
- Tom Good
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:26 pm
Re: Bee keeping
Thank you some great advice
Geography is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it.
My New website www.dreadpirate.co.uk in it's temporary place, with link to new blog
My New website www.dreadpirate.co.uk in it's temporary place, with link to new blog
- contadina
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Re: Bee keeping
You only take combs which are well filled and capped, leaving others less filled the the bees to continue working a feeding on. You replace the bars you remove with a single empty bar which helps restore the equilibrium in the hive.Odsox wrote:Maybe, but isn't stealing the bees hard won winter stores "a bit off" as well
A wise beekeeper always leaves sufficient honey for his hive but unlike Langstroth hives where many are killed during honey extraction, the removal of honey from top bar hives is far less disruptive.
In light of the declining bee population top bar hives provide a viable alternative where supplements and pesticides are not required.
Oh and weatherfax, if you take your neighbours some lovely honey I'm sure they'll get used to having new neighbours.
Re: Bee keeping
I don't think that's entirely fair about Langs vs TBH - both systems have pros and cons and depend on the beekeeper's skill and experience not to make a mistake and kill any bees. Bees in TBHs still sometimes need to be fed, just like in any other type of hive, and are still prone to mites which need to be treated. The main reason I like TBHs is that the bees decide for themselves what type/size of comb to build to suit their needs which may have a knock on effect in decreasing mite populations, but it is just as easy to cut out most of the frame foundation so that they can do the same job in a National or Lang hive.contadina wrote:A wise beekeeper always leaves sufficient honey for his hive but unlike Langstroth hives where many are killed during honey extraction, the removal of honey from top bar hives is far less disruptive.
In light of the declining bee population top bar hives provide a viable alternative where supplements and pesticides are not required.
quote]
Re: Bee keeping
Yes Contadina, I did know that .. I was just having a friendly dig at Rod for having a friendly dig at me.contadina wrote:You only take combs which are well filled and capped, leaving others less filled the the bees to continue working a feeding on. You replace the bars you remove with a single empty bar which helps restore the equilibrium in the hive.
A wise beekeeper always leaves sufficient honey for his hive
As to killing bees in other style hives, I don't remember killing any when I kept bees in a national hive, maybe one now and again when replacing the supers but that surely applies with TBH when replacing the bars.
Or maybe I've forgotten the carnage I caused as it was over 50 years ago.
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
- contadina
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Location: Puglia, Italy
Re: Bee keeping
I guess what I'm saying is that TBH are far less intrusive - you don't need to bother the bees as much. For me that is the ideal form of beekeeping, and certainly one I think more suited to novice beekeepers. And yes, I know, all beekeepers may need to resort to feeding on occasion but leaving sufficient honey (rather than filling those extra jars) makes more sense to me.
As for organic beekeeping, biobees has several viable alternatives for controlling mites http://www.biobees.com/forum/about1476.html
As for organic beekeeping, biobees has several viable alternatives for controlling mites http://www.biobees.com/forum/about1476.html
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- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Bee keeping
Rod in Japan wrote:Ellendra, do you have TBHs? I was thinking about making one this winter. As for size, isn't it possible to make them as long as you want?
I have 2, but one got hit be the "Vanishing Bee" act, and the other . . . . didn't have enough stored to make it through the winter
My next ones will be longer, but I lost my woodworking space for a while, so I haven't got them built yet.