Blogs

bee crazy · Jan 25, 2011

can anyone help me find were i can do a course on this and buy the equipment? had a good year on honey so i thought i would try and further my knowledge any help would be great

borderer · Jan 24, 2011

Early in 2010 my sons' school approached the local association with a view to starting a bee project at the school. This would be part of the internationally recognised ecology project that the school has been running within its Eco centre for the last four years. After some discussion two hives were placed in the 10 acre flower meadow on a trial basis. The main objective was to determine if pupils and bees could co-exist. The trial was successful and we even produced some honey which proved very popular. The plan for this year is to start involving both staff and pupils in the care and upkeep of the hives. The hope is that by having contact with bees at school age the seeds of interest in the hobby will be sown on fertile ground...

borderer · Jan 22, 2011

While at work today I had a quick look at the 2 hives I have in the wilderness area, which is part of my employers commitment to the environment. The company had an environmental audit recently and the person conducting the audit was both pleased and impressed that space had been for honey bees. I am hoping that this will allow me to persuade my employer to let me have two more hives on the site. I would like to take advantage of the 50 acres of dandilions on the airfield, which is the other side of the fence. The outside temperature was 4C so nothing flying but a quick look showed that they had almost finished the block of fondant so another was added, should keep them happy for a few days.

borderer · Jan 21, 2011

The Keswick association was given 8 colonies by a beekeeper who was retiring. They proved to be a mixed blessing, being quite agressive to the point where of being unmanagable. In the end we decided to requeen them. It would seem that this had the desired affect with things being much calmer after a couple of weeks. The apiary manager built a Warre hive after llistening to a talk at the Furness Spring convention. It was stocked using a small swarm in late June. Unfortunately it does not seem to have survived the very cold December. We will try again this year hopefully with more success. The apiary hive were treated with Oxalic Acid in October. I think this was likely to be to early and it will be interesting to see how they...

kevin1960 · Jan 21, 2011

Hey Guys! I'm going to do a bit of a diary here, all on the same thread so it won't be all sprawled out about how a Newbeek like me has begun this wonderful activity. I won't call it a hobby because in truth I think I will end up developing this into a small-income concern. Although I am expecting Newbeek setbacks, if I break even on costs by year 3 or 4 and a profit of around GB£150 per year thereafter I'll be over the moon. That'll pay for the wife's sports channels subscription! (I hate sports with a passion...) - I joined this forum and made a great start - thanks to you guys. - I've made the initial contacts as suggested by you and I'm waiting on replies. I'll be looking at various hive types but at this time I think I'm leaning...

Firegazer · Jan 21, 2011

The bigger colony, from GWW and Widdershins was out and about last week when the temp hit 10 C. The smaller, later, colony from Polyhive was nowhere to be seen. They had been out the week before at about the same temperature but nothing this time :-( They are probably being sensible - there can't be much to find at this time of year - or maybe I didn't build them up enough in the Autumn. We'll soon see. FG

niknak · Jan 18, 2011

could anyone tell me where I can obtain a fine stainless steel honey sieve please, I am using one left to me by my father, and possibly will need to replace it soon.bee-smillie

John Harding · May 29, 2010

Re-edited 7th June 2010 Re-edited 8th July 2010 Re-edited 2nd December 2010 Re-edited 21st January 2011 My Book "An HOLISTIC Way in Saving The Honeybee" is now available from Northern Bee Books. I am a beekeeper of 30 years experience having kept up to 300 colonies, in that time you watch and realise what a perfect world the honeybee has....well that is until mankind found honey and wanted to domesticate honeybees....Varroa has esculated the problem of Honeybees dying bringing it to the attention of the media and main stream public.....bees have been dying for centuries....check out the National Audit 2008.... Approx I million beehives in 1900, 400,000 in 1950 and 247,000 in 2008 with the first two being pre Varroa.....I have not...

Firegazer · Nov 27, 2010

No sign of life from either, but I'm not checking closely - just leaving them to it. I hope they have enough stores to last . . . FG

davegriff · Nov 18, 2010

What is Cosmetic quality beeswax? I am thinking about making some balm but find people talking, cosmetic. Do I just give up or do I need to go and buy ?

Firegazer · Oct 12, 2010

Both colonies going crazy at lunchtime today, foraging like it might be their last chance this year. Temperature was only 12 C so a pretty good effort, I thought. Couple of bees leaving each second from Colony 1 (!). FG

Queens59 · Oct 15, 2010

Spent the week painting my new poly nuc box, a lovely greem (!)...I think I would prefer blue but MBS only sell green and I was worried I'd damage the poly using another paint...how's that for a girly comment?? Now I have a national (almost) from Maisemore's sale to build - which will be fun but as it is 11.20PM I daren't start now...can I?? Still kicking myself that I ordered an entire national...apart from a BB. When I have some more money I'll have to sneak one in the house... Off to Belgium next month for our 25th and I'm looking forward to visiting a bee warehouse...or three!

Queens59 · Oct 5, 2010

Checked my girls today, and the Queen is still laying very strongly - I am beginning to wonder if she is ever going to stop! I have 6 frames of assorted brood and 2 of stores in the BB. The super above - which I am leaving for them has 4-5 overflowing frames. So (as they are my only colony) I hope they will have enough to get through the winter. I did feed for 10 days, but they just didn't seem interested so have stopped for now. I'll keep an eye on them, but it means jumping into the suit if a day suddenly warms enough to go in.

VARROA GARD · Oct 1, 2010

I would like to answer some of the members questions about Varroa Guard and the VMD. I asked to place an advert in Beecraft but the Editor would not permit this until I had got clearance from the VMD, she suggested I spoke to Andy Wattam at FERA, Andy was a great help and he submitted the information about the product and the formulation to the VMD on our behalf. Some 2/3 weeks later I received a call from Martha S Weaver of the VMD and an email confirming that the product could be used as a Hive Sanitiser. We should not have been able to advertise in Beecraft without this. It should also be noted that Varroa Guard is not a treatment. Varroa Gard has had 2 very successful years knocking out the Varroa Mite and keeping bees and hives...

Firegazer · Sep 28, 2010

Just checked the feeder on colony 2. They are troughing the food down at a rate of knots :-) The whole hive was humming away constantly, driving off the water from the Ambrosia syrup and making wax to cap it away. The temperature was 15 C this evening and both hives were foraging strongly. All's good. FG

Firegazer · Oct 2, 2010

I intended to take the feeder out today, remove the wooden super and batten them down for the Winter in Poly-warm loveliness. They begged too much. They were running round the rapid feeder, looking for more nosh. I gave them another half litre of so of gloop. I'll take it out tomorrow and shut them up then. FG

Firegazer · Sep 30, 2010

Colony 2 is lapping up the gloop, big style. Yesterday wasn't good weather, so colony 1 was sulking a bit until nearly sunset when they got some quick flying in. Colony 2 was laughing all the way, with their free fast-food restaurant in the loft :-) Lots more humming as the Ambrosia is filed away . . . I want to get this stage finished and everything bolted down for Winter at the weekend, in case the temperature drops off again. FG

Queens59 · Sep 28, 2010

Decided to buy a poly nuc to play with over the winter, though will probably buy a wooden one too next year. I got away without a swarm or A/S this year - and luck doesn't stay that good so I am stocking up. I bought a jumbo Langstroth from MBS, and am very excited (sad, I know)... Now to decide whether to buy Lang. frames, a conversion kit or alter the box...decisions decisions...

Queens59 · Sep 25, 2010

Received an EFB alert on Thursday, but today was the first warm day since to check the hive. All seems well and some of the BB frames are so heavy that I could barely hold them to check for HM. She is a 'hider' - my previous (superceded) Q used to sit in the middle of the frame and wave, but my new one has only been seen once - in August! They all seem happy though so I am certainly NOT PARANOID at all about my inability to find her... They had turned one of the stores frames into a lovely piece of lace by eating through in a pretty pattern - wish I knew what was in their head when they do things like that though...hive decoration??

Firegazer · Sep 19, 2010

Colony 2 have been given another 2 litres/ 2 kgs of sugar gloop in a rapid feeder. Hopefully they'll gobble that up and should then be a reasonable state for winter. I tried tapping on the hive of colony 1 and got a lovely roar which settled down again quickly, just like the books say. Colony 2 does the same, but is much quieter. FG

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instrumental imensation kit

Bees in Schools

Keswick Bees

Keswick Bees

New Beekeep Adventures/Diary...

At least one colony is still alive

honey strainer/sieve

"An HOLISTIC Way In Saving The Honeybee"

Both colonies in deep freeze

lip balm

Last bit of crazy foraging.

All done

Will she ever stop?

Update on Varroa Guard

Feeding well, now it's warmed up a bit again.

Couldn't resist it

Another 1.5 litres of gloop gone in

New Nuc. ordered.

EFB alert

More sugary gloop goes in.

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