Little John
Drone Bee
- Joined
- May 27, 2012
- Messages
- 1,655
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- Boston, UK
- Hive Type
- Other
- Number of Hives
- 50+
I've just taken an interest in this thread, and one request stood out as being an invitation for some honest feedback ...
Ok - so this is my attempt at offering advice and help, bearing in mind that the opening question was: "How do commercial beekeepers prevent swarming?"
Now I'm not a commercial bee farmer, and I only run a relatively small number of colonies, but even I know the answer to this question. It is: "you keep on top of the job". What this means is that you make yourself available FULL-TIME for whenever the work demands it. The apiary becomes THE priority in your life - above everything else.
I have read about someone who needs to be away from the apiary from late April onwards, because they're a student at university, and someone who's going into full-time healthcare in 2018, and yet someone who is also planning on becoming a commercial bee farmer.
You asked for advice. My advice is to forget this ambition for now. By all means keep a few hives as a hobby, but don't even think about going commercial until you can give the required time necessary for the job.
The most sensible advice I've read thus far was, "It would be useful for you if you could go and work for a season on a good beefarm." I fully agree. It seems to me essential that you get a feel - as early as possible - for just how much relentless work is required commensurate with both the changing seasons and our unpredictable weather.
You have four colonies at the moment. That's fine - enjoy them. Because you CAN when you have four, or eight, or even twenty. But there comes a point when each colony loses it's uniqueness, and becomes 'just another hive in the row' requiring attention. The work stops being interesting by virtue of colony individuality, and becomes nothing less than a hard slog instead.
But - you have to find this out for yourself. Many years ago I kept four Border-Leicester sheep and had ambitious plans to expand. As luck would have it, a friend offered me the chance to lamb 300 'mules' (draft ewes) over in Ireland. I took one 12-hour shift, the farmer took the other. But - those ewes had been unwisely tupped by a Texel ram, and all the lambs had large heads, and so every birth was 'hands-on' - an ordeal indeed. I cannot express in words the relief I felt when that lambing shed was finally empty. Unbelievably hard graft, but it was the best experience I could possibly have had.
The type of bee chosen, the type and size of hive and frame and so on, all help - but ultimately it is your presence in the apiary which really counts.
Hope this helps, and doesn't cause offence ...
LJ
Ok - so this is my attempt at offering advice and help, bearing in mind that the opening question was: "How do commercial beekeepers prevent swarming?"
Now I'm not a commercial bee farmer, and I only run a relatively small number of colonies, but even I know the answer to this question. It is: "you keep on top of the job". What this means is that you make yourself available FULL-TIME for whenever the work demands it. The apiary becomes THE priority in your life - above everything else.
I have read about someone who needs to be away from the apiary from late April onwards, because they're a student at university, and someone who's going into full-time healthcare in 2018, and yet someone who is also planning on becoming a commercial bee farmer.
You asked for advice. My advice is to forget this ambition for now. By all means keep a few hives as a hobby, but don't even think about going commercial until you can give the required time necessary for the job.
The most sensible advice I've read thus far was, "It would be useful for you if you could go and work for a season on a good beefarm." I fully agree. It seems to me essential that you get a feel - as early as possible - for just how much relentless work is required commensurate with both the changing seasons and our unpredictable weather.
You have four colonies at the moment. That's fine - enjoy them. Because you CAN when you have four, or eight, or even twenty. But there comes a point when each colony loses it's uniqueness, and becomes 'just another hive in the row' requiring attention. The work stops being interesting by virtue of colony individuality, and becomes nothing less than a hard slog instead.
But - you have to find this out for yourself. Many years ago I kept four Border-Leicester sheep and had ambitious plans to expand. As luck would have it, a friend offered me the chance to lamb 300 'mules' (draft ewes) over in Ireland. I took one 12-hour shift, the farmer took the other. But - those ewes had been unwisely tupped by a Texel ram, and all the lambs had large heads, and so every birth was 'hands-on' - an ordeal indeed. I cannot express in words the relief I felt when that lambing shed was finally empty. Unbelievably hard graft, but it was the best experience I could possibly have had.
The type of bee chosen, the type and size of hive and frame and so on, all help - but ultimately it is your presence in the apiary which really counts.
Hope this helps, and doesn't cause offence ...
LJ
