Selfsufficientish.com

ok, so bees are not strictly speaking livestock, being insects, but mine are happily ( I think) living in their hive in the shed on my allotment. Apparently you can keep bees anywhere and no one has the power to make you move them. At least that's what the Council and all the bee books say. Next year I'll have honey...I may not be self sufficient yet, but I am getting nearer.

Cool! bees are something that really apeal to me, I love the idea of homing this busy insect while it pollinates crops and at the same time gain honey. There's a guy on our allotment with a couple of hives and I've never heard anyone want him to move them. They have quite an area to roam over and an orchard nextdoor so I'm sure they're happy bees- hope yours settle in, happy buzzing!

kind thoughts
Deb

Oh, I'm so jealous! Bees is what I want to do next. That's very interesting about being able to put them anywhere you want. The head honcho of our allotment association said bees aren't allowed, but another allotment holder says he always says that whatever you ask him and everyone just ignores him and does what they want anyway. I don't want to p*ss him off, though. But bees! Ooh, bees!

How did you get started? I was thinking of going on a course to learn about them and have a try and see if I'm scared. I'm a little bit scared but I think I'm fascinated enough to overcome it. And isn't all the gear expensive? At the prices I've seen it'd be a long while before the money you saved buying honey made up for the initial investment. What kind of hive do you have? A National or a WBC? You should know I'm very jealous.

Enjoy your bees.

you can have bees on your allotment because they are insects and, strictly speaking, not yours. TRhere are probably bees already there ...they are just coming from somewhere else....even if ther is no hive.
I joined the local beekeeping society which I found on the internet. The societies run a foundation course each April but I was too late for ours. I went to meeting they have foe new beekeepers each Sunday and I bought my bees and hive from them. It's a second hand national hive...there are some on e bay too.
I bought a starter kit from Sherriff ( a bee supplier which I found on the internet) but again ther are some on e bay. It will take ages to recoup my costs but I am doing it to be self sufficient rather than to make/ earn money....Have a look at the British beekeeping Association on the web...and good luck

Great news Diver!

Nev