Bee keeping

[Paulottie]

Very interested in bee keeping. Thanks for this I'm gettig inspired to get on with it. Good luck to you all for sting free honey and good fruit crops.

[Headfry]

sanman, I too have gone for the National!
Thanks for kind wishes Paulottie, you CAN do it too!

[sanman]

Hi Paul

Thanks for that. It really is very interesting, I can't wait until I get my own hives.

Cheers
Mark

[Headfry]

Lesson 3 tonight, though they say its going to be a very wet evening!
what will we learn tonight! yipee

[Headfry]

Got, and Mr H has built my BEE HIVE!......
overwhelmed

[madderbat]

Oooh, I wish we could, but apparently we can't keep any livestock except chickens (and presumably not a cockerel!) Bubblewrap is not keen either, but I would love too have some bees, there is a magic in them.

I heard somewhere that if you keep bees you should always tell them what is going on with the family. I don't know why, but I'd rather have them onside.

[Headfry]

I too will tell my bees what goes on! They will be 'my girls' My Queen bee will have a name- daft I know but I dont' care, she will be called Molly Harris!
They are so enchanting. For me the honey is just a by-product...it's the bees I love.

[sanman]

Hi Headfry

I agree, the honey isn't that important o me either. The bees are just so fascinating

[wellie]

I had a lovely conversation on Wednesday with people I house/dog-sit for, and they are looking into keeping bees. They already have chooks, guineas, floppsies etc. (but not for eating....) and when I came home and told Trousers, I said, let's learn from them first, but I'd like to do that.

Elderly Next Door told me this evening that there used to be three people in our village that had Hives in years gone by - but no-one does now.
How fabulous that would be to start one up again.
Great thread here, thank you, and I shall watch it with interest.

[Headfry]

Wellie- GO for it! - and welcome to the enchanting world of bees!
Mr H and I collected my 'flat pack' National hive last saturday- spent the best ever wet sunday building it! My kitchen smells of new cedar and wax foundation!
I cant wait to get some bees!

Please keep us posted on how things go!

[sanman]

Third week of my course this week. Weather wasn't too good but we went up to the hives to feed the nucs that we created in the first week. We didn't put any protective gear on as it was vey much a quick in and out operation. Went back inside and went through all the things to consider in siting your apiary and also touched on diseases and pests. Instructor informed us that people will start receiving their bees next week and will get them in the order that people joined the course. Looks like I'll be another 3 or 4 weeks yet but it gives me time to hopefully find a suitable apiary site. I can hardly wait

[Headfry]

Ooooooh sanman, how exciting, you are so lucky! I have to miss my next lesson as we are on our hols- gutted as that for me will be a 3 week gap :-(
Stil,l I can play 'pretend' bee keepers with my hive as its sitting in the dining room.
I have 30+ frames to make up, that should keep me content.....
I will need strong hands for the smoker...it's new and quite stiff!
Good luck, I will be counting the weeks with you !

[sanman]

I've just been round local farmers etc trying to find someone who will allow me to keep my hives on their land. I called in my local plant nursery to ask if they would put a poster up for me and they offered to let me keep my hives there. They have a peice of unused land that is on a south facing slope, but is terraced so the hives will be on the flat. The land is about 30-40 yards away from the public areas and can be accessed via a gate other than the public entrance. The site is well hidden from view but easily accessible by car.

It looks ideal

[Headfry]

Just back from hols, great news to come back to sanman!
keep me posted please!
built up our frames yesterday (Wet Monday!) great fun- they smell so nice!

[sanman]

Some of the other enquiries I made regarding hive sites have come to fruition. I am going out with one of the other local landowners to day to look at a couple of prospective sites for my hive, I'm a little unsure about the nursery site because of the public. Am also going out on Thursday night to see a gent who owns large areas of heather moorland so that he can show me a couple of sites for my hives when the heather is in flower