Bee Board Survey- poll reopened

[Mrs Dobby]

Did our first full inspection today, brood, eggs and larvae in every hive, lots of bees, and plenty of stores, even some newly capped stuff! Really pleased at how strong all 6 of the colonies have come thru the winter!

[Nicos]

Really pleased for you Mrs D!!!

I was watching a bumble flying to and from from our peach tree blossom...would love to see where she (??) goes!


Was wondering how your gals are getting on!

[Alison]

Did our first full inspection today, brood, eggs and larvae in every hive, lots of bees, and plenty of stores, even some newly capped stuff! Really pleased at how strong all 6 of the colonies have come thru the winter!

Can't remember if I've asked you before but did you do any kind of course or anything to find out what to do before you started? If so then I'd be interested to know where etc as it could be useful to me and OH. Thanks

[Headfry]

Managed to get into both hives last weekend. Found both my blue dot queens and brood!
Happy skippy headfry -
Any beekeepers know anything about the councils trying to remove beekeepers - or should I say the keeping of bees on their allotment sites. This came by way of a friend.

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Alison,

We were fortunate enough to be introduced to a Beekeeper who works at Trafford Council with a friend of ours, who took us under his wing and taught us the basics, becoming a firm friend in the process, although Pat and Colin (our co-beekeepers) did go on the BBKA beginners courses, both the theory (12 weeks, usually in Jan to March) and their practical course (in their apiaries, April to August), although they did say they didnt learn a great deal more than they already knew!

As you arent far away, we could always do some basics with you, take you into the apiaries and show you whats what, perhaps even supply a nucleus of bees if you needed them?

Hi HF, not heard anything at all about this, the local Trafford Allotment Officer has a plot on our site, and both seh and the council seem very supportive of beekeeping on allotments, helps them to hit their wildlife friendly targets n stuff!

Gratz on the overwintering inspections, always feels good when your girls make it thru well!

[Headfry]

No bee section on the new look forum - would have put sad face smilie here but cant find one now :-( or is it

[gan heather]

Hoping somebody can help me...I'm putting together my new National hive. This is my first time doing it and I was shown how yesterday, but that seems like ages ago. I feel like I'm putting something together from Bee Ikea, but with worse directions.

The top of the frames need to be flush with the top of the box, right? The top of the runners need to be 7/16th of an inch from the top of the box...how do I measure 7/16 of an inch??! This is making me nuts. I know I almost have it, but something is just not quite right and I'm not sure what.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Headfry]

Hi gan heather

Sorry its been ages since I built mine- try the link below, not the best but it may help a little.


http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk...nal%20hive.pdf

Good luck and please let us know how it all goes

[ginger ninger]

I found this link for how to build a bee hive, I don't have room for one myself sadly, but I hope it helps peeps that do.

build a bee hive

[fruitylou]

A bee section would be fantastic, I would love to keep bees but need to restrain myself for a couple of years as we are so busy with other garden plans and I need time to convince the OH he is soo scared of them the ninny but its hilarious watching a 6"10 beast of a man abandon me and our toddler to run away from them lol. It would give me the chance to learn ahead though and I am sure there will be plenty of gorgeous pics like the ones in this thread to envy and dream about.

[Ballerina 6]

Top bar hives are a disaster.To get honey you have to destroy the hive in sofar as you have to remove honeyand comb. It takes 6 lbs of honey to make 1lb of wax so that is proof enough!
How do I vote for a bee section as some of the replies sem to have done?

[Ballerina 6]

I bet you are putting a Thornes hive to gether. They only use imperial measure and metric people are lost.
I have had a go at hem but they refuse to give both metric and imperial. Get a imp and meric rule and you can see both. Yes the top of the frames are exactly level with the top of the brood box or the super Get a magnifying glass on the directions and be very careful to get it right as if it is Thornes they are miniscule and do send them a rude letter!

[Mrs Dobby]

Hoping somebody can help me...I'm putting together my new National hive. This is my first time doing it and I was shown how yesterday, but that seems like ages ago. I feel like I'm putting something together from Bee Ikea, but with worse directions.

The top of the frames need to be flush with the top of the box, right? The top of the runners need to be 7/16th of an inch from the top of the box...how do I measure 7/16 of an inch??! This is making me nuts. I know I almost have it, but something is just not quite right and I'm not sure what.

Any help would be appreciated.

Depending on what type of hive you are assembling, the frames may well be flush at the top (in a bottom bees space hive such as a National), or they may be recessed down by 7/16ths (such as in a Smiths Hive)

Easiest way to work out the spacing if a bottom bee space hive is to assemble a frame, then hold it in place in the brood / super box where it will normally sit, and then mark off the bottom of the frame's lug with a pencil, then mount the runners so the top is on the pencil mark, thus your lugs will sit on the runners at the right place!

Alternatively you could just measure 10mm, which would be approximately 7/16ths!

HTH

[dirtgirl]

I've voted, would love to see a bee board, could call it "The Buzz"
I don't keep bees, but would love to learn more to help them out where I can, and would definately consider it in the future

[Headfry]

Crumbs there are a lot of interested peps here.......please lovely mods - may we have a bee keeping section on the vine!