Bee keeping

[sanman]

Well I've had a pretty torrid time with bees. I somehow managed to loose my queen. The bees tried to raise a new one but failed. I therefore had to purchase one and introduce her to the hive. Without a queen the bees can become very aggressive. On one visit I was stung five times, this is through gloves and a beekeeping suit I put the new queen inside a cage into the hive so that the bees wouldn't kill her. The idea is that the queen will ask the workers to feed her and that they will gradually get used to her scent and accept her as their new queen. I left her like this for three days and then went back to hive. She was alive so the workers were obviously feeding her. I released her into the hive, shut it up very quickly and left them with some sugar syrup to keep them busy. I've left it a week and went up yesterday to see how things were. The bees were much quieter and I spotted the queen going about her business and obviously accepted as the new Monarch.

I've given them some more sugar syrup and will treat for varroa in the next couple of weeks. I want the hive to be in the best possible condition for winter. No honey this year but I will hopefully make up for this in 2008.

[Juniper]

Hi, I'm new here and have read with great interest the bee-thread. I am in my first year of keeping the girls and loving it. My local council, however, refused permission to keep on the allotment - despite overwhelming support from all the other allotmenteers. Does anyone know if there is a way to over-rule their rule?!

[Headfry]

Hi Juniper and a huge welcome to the vine!
I keep my girls on my plot, but it a trust run site! Like you say, I have found everyone on the 'plots' supportive and highly interested in the bees! When will the councils learn.
Are you a member of BBKA? you have insurance of up to 5million with them (up to 3 hives!) maybe this will help your case. contact the BBKA see if they can help with your plight!
I am putting my apiguard on tomorrow eveing... a week or two late but weather is nice at the moment, will also reduce the entrance down to help stop robbing- oh and a mouse guard, and woodpecker guard has to be made. A busy time for the bee keeper!
How many hives do you have and of what type?
Good luck Juniper, please keep us posted!

[seasprout]

I like this thread....

Just read all through this thread, it was very interesting, Hence me posting on here to resurrect it.

If Juniper ever come back for a read, I have heard of Bee hive being kept in allotment sheds with a hole to the outside for entering, a very covert way of keeping apparently.

Might look into bee keeping myself, when at college many years ago i helped a beekeeper open up and faff with hives but flower arranging classes started and i did them instead.