Accidental beekeeper in Sussex

[Robert Clark]

You have had plenty of advice here, the only thing I might add is that the time of day to disturb the girls can be crucial to their response, pleasant or grumpy aggressive. I find mid day up until 2.30, especially when the sun is lower in the sky, produces the calmest response

Thanks, I’ll give that a try.
Anything to cause them least stress and upset.

 

[Penninetrader]

Thanks, I’ll give that a try.
Anything to cause them least stress and upset.

your actions today mean you have slipped through the clearing board and into the world of the Beeks, I think you are going to do OK

 

[ericbeaumont]

slipped through the clearing board

You mean through the hole that should be covered with 50mm of PIR?

 

[Robert Clark]

your actions today mean you have slipped through the clearing board and into the world of the Beeks, I think you are going to do OK

Thank you

 

[Newbeeneil]

Thank you

You may not be so full of thanks when your wallet is several thousand pounds lighter and the wife is giving you grief about the amount of time you spend with the bees

 

[Robert Clark]

You may not be so full of thanks when your wallet is several thousand pounds lighter and the wife is giving you grief about the amount of time you spend with the bees

Thankfully Mrs C is very supportive on the endeavour and is looking forward to enjoying the fruits of the bees labours.

I also suspect she’ll be pleased to get me out from under her feet

 

[Penninetrader]

You may not be so full of thanks when your wallet is several thousand pounds lighter and the wife is giving you grief about the amount of time you spend with the bees

He may just be smart enough to keep to his intended 3 colonies and not get carried away like some we will not mention :}

 

[smallbee]

Robert, sounds like you're doing really well under the circumstances, and doing basically all the right things. And buying them the nicest of kit, to boot!

I will second the comment above about getting in touch with your local association; if you were any way local to me I'd render whatever help I could.

 

[Robert Clark]

Robert, sounds like you're doing really well under the circumstances, and doing basically all the right things. And buying them the nicest of kit, to boot!

I will second the comment above about getting in touch with your local association; if you were any way local to me I'd render whatever help I could.

Thank you
I already have a mentor who I can contact anytime (Laurence Edwards of Black Montain Honey)
Do you think there’s much benefit in joining the local society too?
I was a little concerned about getting conflicting advice and / or information overload.

 

[Robert Clark]

Update

I’ve removed the hive from the rickerty table it was on, and placed in on my trolley for the journey across the garden to its new home in a sunnier spot. At 3 feet intervals it will take a fair few days but we’ll get there in the end.

I didn’t disturb them until after 2pm and they hardly seemed bothered by the move, having had a busy morning foraging and rescuing the honey from the super I had placed on the redundant hive.

 

[Penninetrader]

Thank you
I already have a mentor who I can contact anytime (Laurence Edwards of Black Montain Honey)
Do you think there’s much benefit in joining the local society too?
I was a little concerned about getting conflicting advice and / or information overload.

Lawrence will give you a good dose of that :} You seem like a sensible chap so if you joined you can pick and choose who and what you listen to. My good lady repeatedly tells me when I speak of conflicting ideas to my own, you continue to do what you think is best for our girls they have come to no harm so far.

 

[Penninetrader]

Update

I’ve removed the hive from the rickerty table it was on, and placed in on my trolley for the journey across the garden to its new home in a sunnier spot. At 3 feet intervals it will take a fair few days but we’ll get there in the end.

I didn’t disturb them until after 2pm and they hardly seemed bothered by the move, having had a busy morning foraging and rescuing the honey from the super I had placed on the redundant hive.

View attachment 41679

I think you may have been overly concerned at the condition of those boxes, they appear pretty sound to me. Don;t dispose of them in the spring after your intended transfer, a little tidy up and repair will see them last a good few years more. just a nod to the wise, if you have a blow torch clean the boxes but not too much then give them a flame over internally.

 

[Robert Clark]

I think you may have been overly concerned at the condition of those boxes, they appear pretty sound to me. Don;t dispose of them in the spring after your intended transfer, a little tidy up and repair will see them last a good few years more. just a nod to the wise, if you have a blow torch clean the boxes but not too much then give them a flame over internally.

Yes, I agree that the brood box and roof seem fine, if a little soft when using the hive tool.
The redundant hive (behind) is the worse of the two.
I’m planning to keep everything for the time being and will give them a clean as you suggest when I’ve moved to colony to its new poly hive .

 

[smallbee]

Thank you
I already have a mentor who I can contact anytime (Laurence Edwards of Black Montain Honey)
Do you think there’s much benefit in joining the local society too?
I was a little concerned about getting conflicting advice and / or information overload.

I'm sure you're getting good advice there! Local contacts might be useful for anything you'd need help with in person, but what you're doing seems to be working out.

 

[Robert Clark]

I'm sure you're getting good advice there! Local contacts might be useful for anything you'd need help with in person, but what you're doing seems to be working out.

I’ve been in touch with our local society this afternoon and am awaiting pricing for their 2025 beginners course.

 

[pargyle]

I’ve been in touch with our local society this afternoon and am awaiting pricing for their 2025 beginners course.

For what little it costs (I pay £44 a year) to join an association it's worth it .. you usually get automatic membership of the BBKA - their monthly comic - discount on honey jars from F & H and the benefit of getting together with other beekeepers and access to loan equipment such as extractors. You will always find disagreement amongst beekeepers - it's been said many times ' Ask 5 beekeepers the same question and you will get 6 answers - most of them correct' .

You will always have to make your own mind up and do what you think is best but there is no harm in talking to other beekeepers in an area - you sometimes find one with similar ideas that you can learn from or trade with. Associations will often offer swarms to new beekeers at little or no cost ... courses vary in quality and content but - take from it what you will and discard what you don't want. They usually end up with some practical sessions after then theory and you can do the BBKA basic which gives you confidence. The BBKA insurance gives you third party cover and and the hopefully never needed Bee Disease Insurance.

 

[juno]

Hi Robert,
You might want to consider a subscription to Beecraft magazine, I found it immensely useful when I started out.
Still find it immensely useful now.

 

[Macbear]

For what little it costs (I pay £44 a year) to join an association it's worth it .. you usually get automatic membership of the BBKA - their monthly comic - discount on honey jars from F & H and the benefit of getting together with other beekeepers and access to loan equipment such as extractors. You will always find disagreement amongst beekeepers - it's been said many times ' Ask 5 beekeepers the same question and you will get 6 answers - most of them correct' .

You will always have to make your own mind up and do what you think is best but there is no harm in talking to other beekeepers in an area - you sometimes find one with similar ideas that you can learn from or trade with. Associations will often offer swarms to new beekeers at little or no cost ... courses vary in quality and content but - take from it what you will and discard what you don't want. They usually end up with some practical sessions after then theory and you can do the BBKA basic which gives you confidence. The BBKA insurance gives you third party cover and and the hopefully never needed Bee Disease Insurance.

A good local BKA has friendly members willing to discuss, visit etc , the one I'm in also does practical sessions [it's very well reading, or watching videos] but interaction with a "live" group can be most useful.