Advice on getting started with bee keeping

[Ade'sBee's]

Hi all , need some pointers on getting started with keeping bee'sin east kent area

 

[Frisbee]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

First of all you need to read up. There are threads on here with recommended books. You don't need to read everything at once because in the average bee book there will be lots of information which is not needed for the time being, but familiarize yourself with the basics.
Then (or at the same time) find your local beek organisation (another thread with contact numbers) and go on a course.
The courses usually run from spring to summer, or summer to autumn. You'll get more out of the course if you've done some reading first.
At some point during all this you can get yourself some equipment and bees, hopefully finding a mentor or buddy on the course.
Have fun............

Frisbee

 

[hedgerow pete]

frisbee is right , i started by reading all the books the library can get hold of and now you also have the internet( how old do i feel) and then find someone who has there own bees and latch on i spent years learning the basics but on someone elses bees, when you are ready and comfortable then get them

 

[Poly Hive]

Welcome.

One of the most useful things you can do is to memorize the table of development so that when you see oddities in the colony you have the foundation of understanding what you are lookiing at.

All you need initially is three days an egg, five days as larvae, and emergence at 16, Queen, 21 for worker, and drones are bores at 24's. Works for me... Grins

PH

 

[Ade'sBee's]

thanks for info people

 

[peteinwilts]

Also being a newbie, I am suprised how many people are around that keep bees. There is a small local club meet a few hundred yards from where I live.

The neighbour also kept bees for 24 years and is a mine of information.

 

[anniebee]

Hi Ade, I'm a rookie too. I have one hive since March and am looking at expanding to two by the end of the summer if all goes well. So far so good.

Best piece of advice I can give you is join the association and find a good mentor. I have a great support and he sees things I'd never see. I think the art of good beekeeping is understanding what's going on in the hive. That's where my mentor is invaluable.

Good Luck!

 

[East Yorks New Bee]

I agree totally with Anniebee, a mentor is invaluable,Im lucky I have two dave and his brother in law phil, they have kept bees together for over 10 years, I spent all afternoon with them yesterday, going through their hives, they showed me what to do and then I had to do it with them watching over me. Nothing like hands on experience. So if you can get yourself a mentor or bee buddy like some call them.