Topic: We're committed now! Bees arriving 8th May

[Melbourne12]

After a period of phony war in which we’ve attended a beekeeping course, read some books, bought some kit, and even partly assembled a hive, we’ve just had a message that our bees are ready for collection.  (ordered from here www.easybeeproducts.co.uk )

So I’m picking them up from Gloucester on 8th May, and taking them back to Harrow where they’ll live on the local Beekeepers Association apiary for their first season.

I must admit to a certain amount of trepidation now the date is actually so close.  Will it work?  Will we be able to cope?  Will the bees prosper, or will they die?  Am I completely mad?

 :o

[ceres]

Will it work?  Will we be able to cope?  Will the bees prosper, or will they die?  Am I completely mad?

 :o

Yes. Yes. Yes, no. Probably!  ;)

Good for you for going for it.  Good luck and keep us posted.

[Old bird]

I am really envious - I have not got the oomph to do what you have done - although I love bees and would happily have them nearby - so long as someone else did the business side of things!!

Best of luck - you should be able to wallow in honey!

Old Bird
 ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Are you getting a nuc or a full colony? Go for it, and don't be nervous! I'll never forget my first nuc - I was scared stiff taking them out of the box to hive them, but it was ever so easy. What I didn't realise, not knowing anything about bees, was that they were actually rather bad-tempered. I wouldn't tolerate them now! I got through the forst season though, and things got better after that, as I got better bees.

[Melbourne12]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!

We're actually getting a full colony for this first one, so it should simply be a matter of siting the hive and letting them become accustomed to their new home for the first few days.

I guess that the nervousness is partly a result of our recently acquired knowledge about the vast number of diseases and problems that can afflict bees.  I hope that the reality isn't much more than treating for varroa and maybe nosema, and I'm sure that the local BKA will help us with that.  They seem a very nice and helpful bunch of people.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Use either Apiguard or oxalic acid for varroa; Don't use apistan whatever you do! It's still on sale, but resistant mites are everywhere now. There is a treatment for nosema, but it's expensive, so don't use it unless there's reason to believe your bees have the disease. Trouble is, the antibiotic isn't properly licensed in the EU, and we're dependent on the government continuing to turn a Nelsonian blind eye! There's a new version of Nosema around, but I heard one of the people doing research on it speak the other week, and there's so little data so far that it's quite uncertain whether it's a real threat or not.

[Melbourne12]

Well, they're here, and established (see picture below).  I picked them up from EasyBee near Gloucester (highly recommended, by the way), left them overnight at the apiary, and we transferred them to their new home this morning.

Notice the new hive, clean overalls, new smoker etc.  Does that give the game away that we're newbies, or what?  ;D

[ceres]

Certainly looking the part there!  Good luck with them.  Wish I was brave enough.