Who has bees?

[Headfry]

Who here now has bees?

Headfry
Plot17b
Crichmond



Please add to the list!

Who would like bees?

[beesontoast]

I have bees...

I have six top bar hives with bees.

If anyone is thinking of keeping bees on an allotment or in their back yard, you might want to consider using top bar hives instead of the standard framed Nationals or Langstroths. They are easy to build - much easier and cheaper than framed hives - and they allow the bees to build comb the way they want to.

See my site if you want to know more Top Bar Beekeeping with the Barefoot Beekeeper

[Headfry]

Hi beesontoast
Welcome to the vine.....where are you based? and how did you find the vine?


Thanks for the link, have had nose around, went in under 'honey bees' found one of the links was for 'helicopters' hey ho!

Have to say I'm interested...... in this method of keeping bees- not the helicopters!

How long have you kept bees for and have you always kept them as 'top bar' hives?

Sorry for all the question beesontoast GREAT to have another bee keeper here.

[beesontoast]

Hi beesontoast
Welcome to the vine.....where are you based? and how did you find the vine?

I am in South Devon. I don't know how I found this place - must have been nosing around green sites...

Thanks for the link, have had nose around, went in under 'honey bees' found one of the links was for 'helicopters' hey ho!

I think you must have hit a Google Ad - we don't do helicopters! Most of the good stuff is on our top bar beekeeping forum - Top Bar Beekeeping Forum - the international forum for low-impact beekeeping in top bar hives

How long have you kept bees for and have you always kept them as 'top bar' hives?

8 years, including one working at Buckfast Abbey.

I started with WBCs and quickly realised I was going to need to build an extension to keep all the stuff in. Discovered TBHs and have used nothing else for 5 years. I wouldn't go back to frames now.

I have just put a swarmn in a Warré hive - a vertical TBH - and that is looking like an interesting diversion too...

[crichmond]

Hi there Beesontoast,

Welcome to the grapevine.
I have already been on your website its very good, got the link from your posts on bbka forum.

[Headfry]

How do I find you guys on BBKA forum? please I am there too!

[Headfry]

BeesonT.. how do you get the honey off?

[beesontoast]

How do I find you guys on BBKA forum? please I am there too!

They banned me from the BBKA forum - they didn't like me pointing out the fact that BBKA endorse pesticides - British Beekeeping

I take honey off as cut comb. Low-tech. Simple. Only requires a knife! And it is the best way to eat honey, IMO.

[Headfry]

Hmmm, had a quick read, hmmmm......... not good is it, poor show really.
I will research more.

[crichmond]

How do I find you guys on BBKA forum? please I am there too!

Hi HF

I am chris_richmond on bbka site.

If you are interested in top bar hives there are quite a few sites out there, Beesontoast's website is very good and another one I have been reading is Home

[beesontoast]

Hi there Beesontoast,

Welcome to the grapevine.
I have already been on your website its very good, got the link from your posts on bbka forum.

Thanks Chris.

We are trying to get people interested in beekeeping on a small scale, and I think many are put off by the cost and complications of movable-frame equipment. My mission is to show how simple and cheap beekeeping can be.

[crichmond]

Thanks Chris.

We are trying to get people interested in beekeeping on a small scale, and I think many are put off by the cost and complications of movable-frame equipment. My mission is to show how simple and cheap beekeeping can be.

no probs mate, the way I see it is that the more people who want to keep bees the better, and what ever method theyuse is ok with me because I wold like to see more beekeepers,the more the better so as to counteract the problems that are about at the mo.
And just for the record I applaud you for sticking to your guns on the bbka site.

[Glenn Uk]

Hi all

Interesting discussion, my wife and i have been wondering if we can keep bees in our back garden?

Basically we have both at time thought about it but ruled it out as we live on a housing estate with a relatively small back garden. What got us thinking was a recent TV programme, think it was Hugh whassisname with some hives on the roof of a town house in the middle of London.

Anyway as we don't know anyone who has bees, we don't know what the real issues are.

We are lucky in some respects in that we are an end terrace house with no houses immediately to the rear and a large green space to one side. Out the back there is a small stream which is water board land so there is quite a big space between s and the gardens for the houses behind us.

Anyone have any views on keeping bees in normal back gardens?

Glenn

[Headfry]

Biggest issue with keeping bees on housing estates is the close proximity of the other houses.
Two main areas of worry (as I see it) would be the flight paths of your bees and that of swarming. I think those would be the main problem areas for you.
These are however, hard to tackle! You cant tell the bees to avoid flying near those living at no7
If you put the hive on a roof then the bees will use a much higher flight path and will not disturb others so much.
As for swarming....we, as beekeepers try at all costs to stop our bees swarming, if they do then you have just lost half your work force also, we don't want swarms about making people angry. There are methods of swarm control, but I am almost certain that every beekeeper will have lost a swarm or two.

I have had bees in the garden and no one even knew they were there. People seem to either love or hate (fear) bees!

Have you a local branch of the British Beekeepers Association? look up BBKA
Any land near by you could ask for permission to keep your bees on.

Good luck, please keep us posted!

[Flytrap]

I don't keep bees but have been thinking about it for a couple of years now. I also have been put off by only having a reletively small garden and issues with neighbours. Also how to keep the bees away from my fairly large carnivorous plant collection that is also mainly outside in the garden. Although I have only ever see wasps caught in the pitcher plants and no bees. I have seen honey bees collecting/drinking water (presumably) from any fresh sphagnum moss peat that my carnivorous plants grow in (they are bog plants).
The Top Bar beekeeping method looks interesting. Will have to have a good look at some of the links posted here. Thanks all for the info.

Cheers.