Topic: Keeping Bees

[jethro]

Right as you lot know by now i'll have a go at anything (well within reason  ;D ) since i got wiped out with the livestock (again) i thought i would try bee keeping  :-\ . Lets see the little darlings pinch them.
So my question is (being a lazy bu**er) has anyone out there kept them and are they hard to look after, is it worth while spending dosh to set the hives up. I really fancy doing it so what do you sensible people think? as my one and only brain cell has decided to quit working.

Cheers

Peter

[TrailRat]

At my boarding school, where I got my interest and taste for home grown veg, one of my house parents kept bees on the school ground. He maintained them at the weekends and opened them up to inspect for hive takeovers from predators, also to check for honey. As for attracting a queen bee my house parent used some kind of pheromone spray to start them off. He sprayed this in the hive not on him. ;D
As for where you get the kit and caboodle I have no idea.

TrailRat

[gavin]

Hi Jethro - I'm with you, absolutely fascinating is beekeeping!  And I'm right chuffed  to be on a site now which likes beekeepers.

Coupla things:-

• What do the other plot-holders think?  Ask them?  Some people are allergic, and some just terrified.
• Contact your local beekeeping association - training is good for you and your neighbours; and there's years of experience to draw on for siting your hive, and managing the bees' flightpath.
• Membership of your local BKA should give you insurance cover - and your allotment site may need extra cover too (£15.00 extra a year on my new site - the beekeepers'll cover it)
• Some allotments forbid livestock (including bees); some are more flexible

Go for it!  Leeds Beekeepers do a brilliant short course in the summer http://freespace.virgin.net/leeds.beekeepers/learn.html, and I'm sure there are equivalents more local for you.

All best - Gavin

[jethro]

Cheers Gavin & TrailRat  ;D , right ask the locals if they are scared of bees then totally ignore them  ;) .
I can keep livestock on the allotment so i'm ok there, as for the bees flight path does that mean i need a control tower and a wind sock?
Right off to the local association and hassle them for answers, will keep you posted on the progress.

[Doris_Pinks]

When I read flightpath, i had visions of Jethro holding 2 table tennis bats, waving them in! Made me LOL! ;D

[gilgamesh]

Might be worth asking if a local beekeeper would like to site a hive there, and get them to teach you what to do when they attend it.

We have bees - a whole nest of them under the shed, they terrify one neighbour, the other just keeps away, much to my amusement. They worry about the "killer bees" stories they've heard, but our humble bees are welcome as far as we are concerned.

[jethro]

Not a bad idea Doris  ;D , now all i need to do is build a runway with tiny lights on  ;) .


Peter

[budgiebreeder]

 :D ;Dwouldn't have thought that would be any problem to you Peter with all of your past experience of Flights!  :D :D and Take Offs!!!!!!!!!!So sorry shouldnt laugh ::)

[jethro]

True BB, but that was a shed roof  ;D  ;D ;D, we are talking bees here and there's no way even i could fly one of them hahahahahaha.
 ;)

Peter

[tig]

hi jethro im waiting on word to start a beekeeping coarse at the minute and from what ive heard so far is that its like any other hooby , in that it will eventually take up some time and energy , u can start of with one hive and can then begin to add others yearly as the queen bee produces more females . anyway dont let that distract you , go for it has to be interesting    :)

[gavin]

Ah, Tig

from what ive heard so far is that its like any other hooby , in that it will eventually take up some time and energy , u can start of with one hive and can then begin to add others yearly as the queen bee produces more females .

Depends how well the bees manage to train the "beekeeper"!  :) :) :)

Good luck on the course!   Gavin

[Peter H]

Well i went to the local council and asked about the hives. They said that i would have to get the FULL co-operation of all plot holders and even if only one rejected the idea then i couldn't have hives.
The committee had a secret ballot and guess what? bl**dy two holders black balled me, so the hive project is off, one is nowhere near my plot and the other one doesnt want bees on the site as he said he was scared of getting stung!!!!!!!!
How do i know who voted against me? i have a mole in the committee and he informed me, so it's back to the drawing board yet again and see what i can come up with as i love keeping live stock.

By the way i've changed my name, i'm known as Peter H as i got sick of Jethro.

[Jesse]

Sorry to hear that Peter H. They obviously don't realise that having a bee hive nearby would do wonders for all the plants/veg growing on the allotment.

[Peter H]

Well im not down hearted yet jesseveve, but please call me pete everyone else does  ;D

I might try ostriches next  ;D ;D ;D .

[Jesse]

Good idea, at least they'll keep the vandals at bay! Now I wonder if your lovely neighbours will have a problem with that, I somehow don't think ostriches will pass off as overgrown hens!  ;D

[Peter H]

Will need a bigger fence though hahahaha ;D

[Peter H]

With all this rain  :-\  I have decided to forget about the ostriches and go into fish farming   ;D ;D ;D .


Peter