Bees and Beekeeping

[tonybloke]

well, you know the adage, 'ask three beekeepers, get 4 answers'

I'd recommend 'commercial' broods, with 'national' supers, all converted to 'top bee-space'
LOL

[tonybloke]

[cjb02]

Can the posters on this thread recommend the best hive for a newbie?

I would suggest

Join a local association and ....
Find out what hive is popular in your area so then you can get spares parts easier and cheaper and ...
Find out what frames the bees that you are going to buy are coming on and buy a hive to match

I use nationals because every one around me uses nationals, I can get parts quickly and cheaply, I have the plans for nationals to make my own, my bees came on national frames.

Speak to some one at the local association and they will tell you what is popular locally, they will be able to suggest a seller/s of bees and then speak to them about what frames they would come on.

Hope this helps

BB

[THE DOG]

I use Nationals myself, this is my second year as a beek and im happy with them (Although i am thinking of changing to the bigger 14x12,s

[Nigel B]

Thanks for your helpful replies everyone. :)
That's given me plenty to mull over for now..... But you can bet I'll be back to pick your collective brains again... ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Please do. Have a look at what other beekeepers in your area are doing. If you find a lot of them are keeping bees on 'hive and a half', meaning a broodbox plus a super for the brood, it's worth thinking about 14x12's, as they're a lot bigger than single broodboxes, and easier to handle.

[tonybloke]

Please do. Have a look at what other beekeepers in your area are doing. If you find a lot of them are keeping bees on 'hive and a half', meaning a broodbox plus a super for the brood, it's worth thinking about 14x12's, as they're a lot bigger than single broodboxes, and easier to handle.

please don't try the brood and a half sketch, or are you wanting to join the 'lets make beekeeping as difficult as possible' brigade?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I tried it once, and hated it. If there's one thing that upsets bees, it's having the broodnest torn in two. Inspections took about three times as long as they ought to. With 12x14's, the frames are a little clumsy to handle, but an inspection is almost as simple as with a standard National box.

[Melbourne12]

I tried it once, and hated it. If there's one thing that upsets bees, it's having the broodnest torn in two. Inspections took about three times as long as they ought to. With 12x14's, the frames are a little clumsy to handle, but an inspection is almost as simple as with a standard National box.

Hear, hear!

[Robert_Brenchley]

How are everyone's bees doing? I found quite a bit of drone brood the other day; in another three or four weeks I'll have to start thinking about swarms. The more the merrier, as long as they don't come from my hives!

[tonybloke]

super on one colony, and put a Q/E between the double brood colony. a few drones have over-wintered in the biggest ( double brood) colony, but plenty of sealed drone cells in all  colonies. reports of swarms coming in from all over the country!! ( first one I heard of was in Wales)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I had two swarms move in last year; a repetition would be welcome! The smell of old broodcomb seems to bring them from all around.

[camo_lady]

Hiya,
We're not bee-keepers: but this year we have LOADS of bees again both on the allotment and in the gardens.  So far I've spotted 4 species - and a goodly amount of each. 

While setting up the seedling greenhouse I spotted what looked like a drowned bee (orange bottom) in the water in a bucket.  It wasn't moving, the weather was cold and I thought the poor thing was a 'goner'. So, did nothing.

The following day, I emptied out the bucket and was shocked to see the bee start to revive!  Over the course of two hours, it dragged itself up an onion leaf, dried itself, cleaned itself before slowly pottering (walking) over to the rosemary bush where it again, climbed up the bush.  At the end of the third hour, it was strong enough to fly away in the now warm sunshine, straight to the cherry tree blossom. :o

Nature is amazing - and that's the LAST time I'll assume a bee is dead if it's floating in water! (It was KNOWN to have been in there for 24 hours minimum!)

Camo

[lasder99]

How are everyone's bees doing? I found quite a bit of drone brood the other day; in another three or four weeks I'll have to start thinking about swarms. The more the merrier, as long as they don't come from my hives!

Well the first Q cells I saw were April 14th, over half my 15 hives have tried to propegate -  my strongest hive had the third super added on Good Friday...and theres no rape near me but I have 3 hives in a pear orchard and it was one of them.
Only problem is it's been sold to developers( unknown to me) and suddenly I've been given 2 weeks to leave. I have to vacate this week  :-[

anybody know of an available site for an apiary in South Bucks ?

[tonybloke]

How are everyone's bees doing? I found quite a bit of drone brood the other day; in another three or four weeks I'll have to start thinking about swarms. The more the merrier, as long as they don't come from my hives!

Well the first Q cells I saw were April 14th, over half my 15 hives have tried to propegate -  my strongest hive had the third super added on Good Friday...and theres no rape near me but I have 3 hives in a pear orchard and it was one of them.
Only problem is it's been sold to developers( unknown to me) and suddenly I've been given 2 weeks to leave. I have to vacate this week  :-[

anybody know of an available site for an apiary in South Bucks ?

have you asked on the beekeepingforum ?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Sad situation, but it does happen. I'm a bit far away to help, unfortunately.

Best to raise queens off the hives that don't make swarm cells! I think we're in for a lot of swarming this year, if the weather stays as it is.

[Mr Smith]

Rather than start another thread, but could one of our resident Bee keepers (Robert or Tony) tell me what this is all about, watching the Horticultural Channel today a chap on there released a small colony of Bumble Bees, 10 in all which lived in what he called a small Lodge, apparently you can send for them by post and they  don't swarm, is this a good option to have on the lotty to pollinate fruit etc rather than a Bee Hive,

[Robert_Brenchley]

They're more important for fruit pollination than honeybees under most circumstances, as they get moving earlier in the year, and fly at lower temperatures. They've been used for greenhouse pollination for a long time, but this is the first time I've heard of their being used on allotments. I'd have thought that most sites would have sufficient bumbles around that you could set up suitable nest sites and encourage the ones you've got. If you do buy any, make sure they're a native species.

[Toadspawn]

I gave a friend a small swarm last year. It came through the winter OK and he informed me today that it swarmed 4 days ago. Luckily he caught it and hived it. He is now worried that he has removed too many/all of the queen cells from the original stock.

My four stocks are all OK at the moment, quite a few drone cells but so far no queen cells. They have been collecting lots of nectar (dandelion ?) which has produced a superb yellow coloured honey which I cannot extract because it is in the brood chamber.
I need to try and produce queens from one stock to requeen the others because although they are very hard workers they can be a bit aggressive at times but this can be handled. However, one stock has the awful trait of being followers. I was given two stocks last year by a local beekeeper who was retiring and united them into one.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Definitely get rid of those followers! I'd be worried about the drones propagating the trait.

I spotted bees investigating my empty hives this afternoon. It could be a sign of an impending swarm from somewhere.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I passed by my plot this morning, and there were masses of bees round a couple of the empty hives, so I thought the swarm was probably due. Sure enough, I went back after lunch, and they were in residence, having given my neighbour a fright as they went over.