Bees and Beekeeping

[SamLouise]

For your beekeeping chit chat

I can't create a sub-board so I hope this sticky thread will be ok to start with.

[tonybloke]

one of my hives at 9.o'clock this morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5pdyRyiguk

[Duke Ellington]

Tony you have what are known as BUSY BEES!! 

Duke 

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've never tried lures, but old comb is supposed to be as good, and I often get swarms moving into empty hives.

[tonybloke]

my hives yesterday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvR94VBANsQ

[Spooky_uk]

what is the consensus on the new fangled omlet beehaus hives? Must admit they look the part.

[tonybloke]

what is the consensus on the new fangled omlet beehaus hives? Must admit they look the part.

There is no consensus.  They are based on the 'Dartington Hive', which although it has been about for years, never became really popular. The plastic version hasn't been around for long enough to gather any proper feed-back. There is a place to look for info on the beehaus, here http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=39
the jury will be out for a long time on this, I think!!

[Spooky_uk]

thanks for the info tonybloke

[Robert_Brenchley]

The beehaus hive is extremely expensive, and serves a niche market at best. The common British hive is the National, available for £155 with frames here: http://www.beechwoodbees.co.uk/hives.html

[tonybloke]

the woods Apidictor
'listen to the bees' lecture by eric woods, 1959
http://www.manxsouvenirs.com/Bees/Listen%20to%20your%20Bees.mp3

[Robert_Brenchley]

I found a colony suffering from isolation starvation today. Not what you expect in May! They were on the brood, two inches from the food, and it's been too cold for them to leave the cluster to feed. I doused them with sugar syrup and they soon started looking livelier. They should be OK now with the weather warming up. It'll really have knocked them back though.

[tonybloke]

definately not what you expect in May, Robert!! glad you seem to have sorted out the problem.

[tonybloke]

My friend's Top Bar Hive (with bees in it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOG3aUKGck

[Robert_Brenchley]

My bees have survived, but as I suspected, the brood is dead, and a lot of bees have died. So it's back where it was in March. The queen was running around looking quite healthy though, so they should be OK.

[Toadspawn]

One hive from a cast last year is now on about 15 frames of brood (corner to corner) in a double brood. I need to raise queens from it as soon as possible because they are gentle, in order to re-queen three other stocks I have been given by a retiring beekeeper which are somewhat aggressive. Not sure about their productivity yet but the other stocks are not very nice to handle so the queens must go. Maybe unite two of them to make a stronger stock.

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's quite hot and sultry, classic swarming weather, and I've had mobs of bees round my empty hives all day. I used to think this is robbing, but I've had swarms move in so often that I just assume the hive's being checked out either by a swarm or by a hive making preparations. It happens so regularly that I think there must be a not-too-good beekeper not far away who keeps losing swarms!

[tonybloke]

It happens so regularly that I think there must be a not-too-good beekeper not far away who keeps losing swarms!

Bargain!!

[tonybloke]

had to put another super on my No1 hive, (that's 4 so far!) have put a clearer board in, so will take off top super on tuesday, Yummy, this years honey. MMMMMMmmmmmm

[hyacinth_1]

Hello everyone.  I noticed it has been a while since anyone was on about their bees.  I have noticed in my greenhouse/hut at the back that at the beginning of this year I saw a bee going under the floorboards of the shed, well I did not give it another thought as I was just trying to get things growing and it has been an awful spring and early summer. I have tomatoes growing also cucumbers in the greenhouse and when I sit and watch the bees come in through the windows and the open door and with legs full of yellow they are going down through the floorboard under the shed. 

There are some big ones I think they are bumble bees dark to black with yellow stripes through them.  Can anyone tell me am I safe when I go in will they swarm eventually or what have I to do for them to stay safe and for me to be safe.
I would appreciate any comments, I am not a bee grower. New allotment I got last autumn.

Jude

[Vortex]

Sounds like bumble bees - see here http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/
They'll pack up in the autumn and leave - they don't "swarm" like honey bees.

[Robert_Brenchley]

You're perfectly safe, and they're extremely useful pollinators.