I am now a Beekeeper!!

[dickymint]

A quick heads up, Gwent Beekeepers have just sent me a link to a free webinar on the 9th June. It's buy one of my go to Keepers
Wally Shaw so should be good.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/33894824...

[Mr Pointy]

Well thanks a lot for sucking me down this rabbit hole. I've just spent 21 minutes watching a lecture on why I should feed bees sucrose.

I don't even have a pet bee.

[dickymint]

Mr Pointy said:

Well thanks a lot for sucking me down this rabbit hole. I've just spent 21 minutes watching a lecture on why I should feed bees sucrose.

I don't even have a pet bee.

Hope you get the bug Pointy

Edited to say: Wifey is planning Her revenge..........looks like Chickens next

Edited by dickymint on Friday 5th June 11:03

[dickymint]

Jambo - here's that odd plywood frame you queried..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTcy_zf4sdA

Is it just a 'make do' thing?

[Jambo85]

dickymint said:

Jambo - here's that odd plywood frame you queried..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTcy_zf4sdA

Is it just a 'make do' thing?

How odd! I really don’t know. When I first saw it I thought it was a dummy board (an elaborate one with lots of bees on it) but then noticed there was comb on it... so then I was asking myself If the bees had drawn out from the ply, and then I noticed the ply is shaped around the comb (or it started with a hole in it and the bees filled the space.

I really have no idea, never seen anything like it. My best guess is that it’s either someone experimenting with foundationless frames OR could it be converting a frame from a top bar hive or even a cut out from someone’s roof(!?) to National?

[dickymint]

A week on and that top half brood box is filling up rapidly....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjNLwdJ2xps

And Queen Sam makes an appearance up there..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1vpPLv8wsk

[Mr Pointy]

Looking good. Do you think there will be any honey this year or will you leave it all for them?

[dickymint]

Mr Pointy said:

Looking good. Do you think there will be any honey this year or will you leave it all for them?

Probably all for them. There's no capped honey at the moment so i'm guessing they're using it straight away. I'm tempted to put a super on next week in anticipation of a flow. Playing it by ear at the moment as yesterday i did a full inspection of the main brood box for any signs of swarming. Found what could be Queen cells but i think they're 'play cups'. I'm just going through the videos now and will post later for anybody to comment on as like you know it's all new to me.

[dickymint]

Wow where did the last six months go
I'll fill in the detail over the next couple of days but for now here's a taste of the roller coaster I've been on (note I've now got both hives up and running which in itself was a heck of a journey)...............

Couple of vids.....



So I got closer.........

Edited by dickymint on Sunday 24th January 13:02

Edited by dickymint on Sunday 24th January 13:05

Edited by dickymint on Monday 25th January 06:43

[SlowcoachIII]

I’m loving the updates on this thread and I am inspired to keep bees although it’ll be many years until I have a suitable garden.

I’ve heard Mason bees mentioned and I’ve read that they don’t produce honey or beeswax. Out of interest, what do they do for food storage?

[GriffoDP]

I've also just spent the morning reading through this thread! Lovely . Thanks for the regular updates and friendly and informative discussion!

[Jambo85]

dickymint said:

Wow where did the last six months go
I'll fill in the detail over the next couple of days but for now here's a taste of the roller coaster I've been on (note I've now got both hives up and running which in itself was a heck of a journey)...............

Couple of vids.....



So I got closer.........

Edited by dickymint on Sunday 24th January 13:02

Did you find them clustered somewhere?

Edited by dickymint on Sunday 24th January 13:05

Edited by dickymint on Monday 25th January 06:43

[dickymint]

Jambo85 said:

Did you find them clustered somewhere?

Ah well you see that's the funny thing, this happened an hour or so later........



.........there's more but bear with me as i'd thought i'd lost these videos but just found them on icloud and need to sort them.

[dickymint]

SlowcoachIII said:

I’m loving the updates on this thread and I am inspired to keep bees although it’ll be many years until I have a suitable garden.

I’ve heard Mason bees mentioned and I’ve read that they don’t produce honey or beeswax. Out of interest, what do they do for food storage?

Slowcoach, don't put it off, contact your local association and put your name down for a free "taster" afternoon (not sure if they all do this but mine does. In fact mine wouldn't let me sign up for a course unless I did that first. Apparently it's to make sure that you feel comfortable around bees as in the past many drop out after their first hands on experience).

I put it off for thirty years or so and so regret it now. Go for it now it really is that good.

[dickymint]

GriffoDP said:

I've also just spent the morning reading through this thread! Lovely . Thanks for the regular updates and friendly and informative discussion!

You're welcome, it's a shame I didn't update more regularly but I've been on several other dedicated bee forums and it gets a bit time consuming. I've done so much in the past six months It's only just sinking in now i'm updating in here.

[Jambo85]

dickymint said:

Ah well you see that's the funny thing, this happened an hour or so later........



.........there's more but bear with me as i'd thought i'd lost these videos but just found them on icloud and need to sort them.

Haha - I'm sure mine get up to all sorts when I haven't been there to see them. Some people claim there is such a thing as a mating swarm sometimes.

[Nimby]

dickymint said:

Ah well you see that's the funny thing, this happened an hour or so later........



.........there's more but bear with me as i'd thought i'd lost these videos but just found them on icloud and need to sort them.

Are your queens clipped?

[dickymint]

...........early evening after they came back and settled I took this gruesome video ...........





I knew there was at least 2 queens (possibly 3 when I looked at the video after) in that hive because I actually saw one emerge in front of my eyes and dart down into the hive. An amazing sight. This was weeks before during the initial Pagden Split. I had to leave them to it hoping nature would take its course and the strongest would win.

I didn't get much sleep that night

[dickymint]

Nimby said:

Are your queens clipped?

Not clipped - I'm still in two minds about clipping. Besides at the time I only had one known Queen and she was safe and sound in her new hive with only one frame of brood and some nurse bees along with all the flying bees. All the other frames were brand new with just some melted wax brushed on. Basically she was going nowhere.

[Jambo85]

SlowcoachIII said:

I’ve heard Mason bees mentioned and I’ve read that they don’t produce honey or beeswax. Out of interest, what do they do for food storage?

Most (all?) bees feed on pollen and nectar the same as honey bees but what you’ve probably read is that they don’t make honey or wax in a quantity that is useful to humans. Basically because they are solitary and don’t overwinter as a colony of thousands. Rather lone queens or larvae even. Not all make wax - leafcutter bees make their homes out of circles cut from rose leaves!