I am now a Beekeeper!!

[pequod]

Jambo85 said:

Hi again Pequod - something your NZ associates may want to look in to is that NZ is currently the ONLY country on the planet that bees can be imported from to the UK! Previously a lot came in every year from Italy and elsewhere in Europe but Brexit has knackered it for now.

Likely this will be resolved in time so maybe only a temporary opportunity.

Thanks Jambo, I will pass that info on although I don't believe they are considering exporting bees as they are trying to build the business in NZ and, I imagine, will be seeking to increase their own numbers to satisfy the projected market demand in the FE and beyond.

As you say, the post Brexit posturing (on both sides) will hopefully settle down and common sense cross border trading will resume to the benefit of all in Europe, as soon as possible!

[dickymint]

pequod said:

Jambo85 said:

Hi again Pequod - something your NZ associates may want to look in to is that NZ is currently the ONLY country on the planet that bees can be imported from to the UK! Previously a lot came in every year from Italy and elsewhere in Europe but Brexit has knackered it for now.

Likely this will be resolved in time so maybe only a temporary opportunity.

Thanks Jambo, I will pass that info on although I don't believe they are considering exporting bees as they are trying to build the business in NZ and, I imagine, will be seeking to increase their own numbers to satisfy the projected market demand in the FE and beyond.

As you say, the post Brexit posturing (on both sides) will hopefully settle down and common sense cross border trading will resume to the benefit of all in Europe, as soon as possible!

We don't need their bees (nobody does) they all die within 6 weeks anyway (except winter bees of course). Queen bees have not been banned.......there is no problem

Edit: And we don't want their Hive Beetles either

[dickymint]

In an attempt to get up to date from where I left off.

Two days after they came back from their brief holiday and then the murdered queen this happened.........



Sadly they didn't come back........................but..............



Found them 20 foot up in my neighbours Magnolia (hate that tree as it drops all its dross on my side) so I reached for a can of cider and my fags, sat on my bench to gather my thoughts. I made a quick phone call in the hope that one of mentors could help. He wasn't sure if he could make it in time so it seemed like i was on my own and bearing in mind i'd never seen a proper swarm before let alone how to catch one (youtube videos aside). Gathered up all the equipment I thought I may need including a large plastic flower pot duct taped to a pole, nuc box, sheet that i ripped off our bed! and my Fiskars telescopic tree pruners and lobbed it all over the fence..............



Not long after I'd got ready to do "mission impossible" and thought 'what the fk could possibly go wrong' The cavalry arrived Long story short is that I now had 3 bee colonies in my garden



All was well and about three weeks later I gave the swarm away to my Association as there's no way I want three hives to deal with going forward.
Well happy days ..........until mid October and going into winter more to come

[Bill]

I've been watching this thread for ages and it looks like we're finally joining the club. Mrs Bill has done the local bee group course, we have a friendly bee buddy and have assembled the hive and (most of) the frames.

Only question is where to site it? Prime spot gets the sun in the morning and dappled shade in the afternoon bit is by the veg patch. It's about 5m from the closest raised bed but swmbo is worried they'll be bothering her when she gardens.

[Jambo85]

The main thing to think about is the flight path - most bees will be nasty if you’re standing in their final approach. Either move the hive or put a screen in front of it to force them to get high quickly if this might be an issue.

Also if you’re unlucky and end up with defensive bees they might sting for no reason if you’re that close to the hive..

What other options do you have?

[s p a c e m a n]

What is the name for a collection of hives? There's a load next to the M23 near Gatwick and I was called an idiot for pointing and shouting 'bee farm!' as we drove past

[Jambo85]

Apiary!

[dickymint]

s p a c e m a n said:

What is the name for a collection of hives? There's a load next to the M23 near Gatwick and I was called an idiot for pointing and shouting 'bee farm!' as we drove past

Apiary - must be the only word I know that makes me stutter!

[s p a c e m a n]

I'll know what to shout next time, I'll still be called an idiot though.

[dickymint]

Bill said:

I've been watching this thread for ages and it looks like we're finally joining the club. Mrs Bill has done the local bee group course, we have a friendly bee buddy and have assembled the hive and (most of) the frames.

Only question is where to site it? Prime spot gets the sun in the morning and dappled shade in the afternoon bit is by the veg patch. It's about 5m from the closest raised bed but swmbo is worried they'll be bothering her when she gardens.

Excellent great to hear As regards the siting near the veg patch 5m should be fine..................

[Bill]

Jambo85 said:

The main thing to think about is the flight path - most bees will be nasty if you’re standing in their final approach. Either move the hive or put a screen in front of it to force them to get high quickly if this might be an issue.

Also if you’re unlucky and end up with defensive bees they might sting for no reason if you’re that close to the hive..

What other options do you have?

Thanks. And dickymint, I'd seen that before!

Wife having more of a wobble. We have another spot that's away from everything in a neglected corner. But we won't (easily) get to watch them come and go as it's at the top of a steep south facing bank with a load of holly on it.

[Jambo85]

Bill said:

Thanks. And dickymint, I'd seen that before!

Wife having more of a wobble. We have another spot that's away from everything in a neglected corner. But we won't (easily) get to watch them come and go as it's at the top of a steep south facing bank with a load of holly on it.

I’d be leaning towards that option myself. Bear in mind that generally you can only move a hive under 3ft or more than 3 miles so you can’t easily fix this if you find you started off with it in the wrong place.

Also, when you first get them (as a nucleus perhaps) in the spring, a small colony in spring with lots of food available will almost always be quite pleasant. When they’re ten times bigger in late summer and the nectar tap has turned off they often change... they will also change genetically as they bring on new queens which mate with the local riffraff.

[Bill]

Thanks, that does make sense, even if it's not as picturesque. It's also up a bit of a hill so preparing it is heavier work!

We're apparently in line for a swarm from the local bee man.

[dickymint]

Bill said:

Thanks, that does make sense, even if it's not as picturesque. It's also up a bit of a hill so preparing it is heavier work!

We're apparently in line for a swarm from the local bee man.

According to my software my No1 hive is in the mood to swarm already


[pic] [/pic]

[Bill]

There's software??!!?

[dickymint]

Bill said:

There's software??!!?

And an app

[Bill]

That's just silly!

[S6PNJ]

Why is your external humidity almost always 100%? You are either living in a rain forest or somethings not quite right there is it?

[dickymint]

S6PNJ said:

Why is your external humidity almost always 100%? You are either living in a rain forest or somethings not quite right there is it?

Good point! Back a few months ago I was getting a few oddities with the the scales due to the feet of that hive being on swivel pads and not making flat contact with the 4 sensor pads. To overcome this I put the scales upside down onto a flat slab. I checked with the manufacturer and was told that would be fine but it "may" give issues with the exterior humidity sensor. It's not an issue really as ext RH is not used in any of the algorithms used in their software.

What I should have done is put the slab on top of the scales but I was on my own at the time so couldn't manage it due to the weight of the hive and slab. It's on my to do list

[Bill]

Here are the two options.

By the veg:



In the jungle: