Beekeepers Professions

[Swn58]

I now regard my job as being beekeeper. At 62 I'm virtually unemployable now anyway, so decided to make my obsession my business!
Coming to the end of the first season, things could have been a lot worse! Covid-19 has made things a bit awkward, but has in fact helped in some ways. My travel has not been restricted, due to being regarded as a 'stock-man' for example.
My 'new' bees have been incredible. Eight of the ten hives developed extremely quickly. I lost one queen but she was succeeded. Another was always weak from the off, but is getting there. The real surprise has been the amount of honey they alone have produced! It's been crazy and I admit that I was not prepared for it. My other hives have been equally productive too. Honey marketing was not on my to do list for this year and my place looks like a honey warehouse at the moment. I gave around 50 lbs of honey away, mainly to allotment neighbours. It keeps them 'onboard!' I do sell through a farm shop and a village store, but need more outlets really. I need to make more use of my website, so that is another end of season project for me.
From the beginning of next season, the focus will be on making nucs. Some for my own expansion and some to sell. I have already marked out two lovely, quiet queens to rear from. I'm hoping that I can then generate enough income to at least buy a better honey processing system, such as a frame spinner that will do more than four at a time!

 

[sipa]

Started out working for one of the "big five" global agricultural commodity trading companies as a nutritionist which I loved. Plenty of travel, meeting lots of interesting people. Some of the projects I was involved in have had a lasting effect on livestock farming for the better. Always had a yearning to work for myself, so setup an electronics company trading semiconductors and ic's globally. Turned this into a multi-million pound outfit that enabled me to retire early.
Started beekeeping again as had more time to dedicate to it, things got out of hand... too many colonies to call it a hobby, so started another business but in bees now.

 

[Horatio]

Retired HR Manager, drawn to bee-keeping. Hadn't realised certain practical skills would be an advantage and having never hit a nail with a hammer before, the Basic Assessment was somewhat of a trial. Who knew hitting nails could be so difficult. More nails have to be removed because they bend when I hit them or poke through where they shouldn't, than hit the target straight-away. The smoker wasn't easy either. So I envy you all that have / had jobs with practical applications.

 

[fiat500bee]

Can I ask how you propagate your Ceanothus, please?

It might be a bit late for Ceanothus; I suspect that mid-summer, just after the new stems begin to ripen, would be the best. If you can find a non-flowering stem of this years growth and pull it off (ie. don't cut it) where it grows from a main stem. The cutting wants to be between 100-150mm long. Pull off any leaves that will be in the compost, make a very coarse mix by incorporating about 50% grit to the compost, place many cuttings in a smallish (ideally clay) pot all dibbed in around the circumference. The cuttings should be about one third in the compost. Take loads of cuttings and some should grow. Water the pots and put them in a cold-frame...basically an open box with a sheet of glass or plastic over the top. Place somewhere in semi-shade. If it was summer you would have roots withing a month. Any that make it through the winter will undoubtedly root by the spring. I did this with a salvia bush and now have many more than I need.

 

[beeker]

retired from police in 2012, last 30 years as a Dog Handler, loved being outside, loved the dogs.
Hence why, I'm still working with dogs, providing specialist search to some nice clients.
But Covid has put paid to a lot of my work for the forseeable, so I'm looking to fill my time with something outside, interesting, complicated and rewarding, and it looks like bees will fit all of them and more.

Again covid has made that difficult so at the minute I'm bee-less, but reading and studying all I can. Waiting to join the local assoc. and start in the spring. have just a bee suit I've had for ages at the minute, and wish list of the basics written for santa.

Appreciate everything is now just about done, and ready for winter, and people will always be wary of strangers at their hives, but if anyone local'ish needs any help in the next while, please ask me............. and If anyone local'ish again [ Ironbridge, Cressage area ] fancies taking on a newbee as a mentor next year, I bake an awesome cake, and make a nice cider .

 

[No Neo Nics]

We (North Staffs BBKA) try to give beginners a choice of people to assist them. Usually area based as the distances involved are quite large . So people always have someone to ask for help either by phone or physical assistance.. Whilst there is no "right" way to keeping bees , you can learn an awful lot from experienced people. Unfortunately Covid has screwed a lot of that up as a couple of our experienced mentors are self isolating so are going nowhere ..

What you describe is what we were led to believe would happen, and hoped it would, but sadly it never did. It wasn't a great course, sadly. Maybe I felt isolated, such things are often 2 way and yet we often like to 'blame' the others. I'm not great at socialising, I'm a bit of a loner and as such I found the local group to be a bit of tight knit clique; I went to a few meetings but felt such an outsider I never went again. Shame.

 

[Moobee]

Nannysbees - what a lovely thread you've started here. I was a school bursar for more years than I care to remember but have always been a keen birdwatcher with my husband, who lives and breathes Science. He seems to be knowledgeable about everything and I wanted to get involved with something on retirement that was 'mine.' I've always enjoyed gardening when I had the time and when I saw a Norwich advert for a 'taster' bee session, I had my Eureka moment. I did a six week evening theory course, read up all Winter and in the April after retiring in 2017, I collected my first bee nucleus. It has given me the incentive to replant our garden with pollinator friendly plants, with something in flower most of the year and I've become a bee nerd champion ever since. To think I was worried that I'd be bored once retired!

My bee-in-bonnet irritation is labels on garden centre plants, particularly those from Holland. With nurseries often breeding for colour and appeal to humans, a lot of plants are now of no use to bees. It's all very well having a small pollinator-friendly table with herbs, Lavender and Nepeta on it, but there is never a sign advising the man/person-in-the-street what bees actually like and certainly nothing on labels to say when they are NOT bee-friendly. Rant over, but I would love to get this across to the people who could change things.

I found a great book called Plants for Bees by Kirk & Howe - details which plants are best for all types of bees in terms of both pollen and nectar. I agree it's bl@@dy annoying that garden centres don't focus on this more.

 

[Moobee]

What a great thread....
I fell accidentally into sales and marketing after a couple of false starts. I really wanted to go to Uni to become a zoologist back in the 1980's but my father wouldn't pay for me to go, so I started work in a cosmetics factory and worked my way up to eventually become a Sales Director in the Tax & Duty Free division of a very cool makeup brand and travelled all around Europe and the Middle East. After 26 years with one company, they made me redundant in 2009 - I worked a few jobs still in Tax Free before my last job in sales in Europe with a whisky company which I utterly loved for three years before taking early retirement two years ago. Decided life was too short to be galavanting round the globe and after losing my father and some close friends to cancer, wanted to spend more time with my OH, mad spaniel and veg garden.
My OH bought me a bee suit for my birthday in December last year and had a great first year with my bees (in the back garden) which I didn't get until June after badgering the local BKA to let me have a spare full colony. Lovely honey which I couldn't sell fast enough! Bought kit for two more hives next year & all three are going to an out apiary.
Love this forum BTW. I have a brilliant mentor but she's not always available due to work so this has been an invaluable source of info.

 

[Murox]

I found a great book called Plants for Bees by Kirk & Howe - details which plants are best for all types of bees in terms of both pollen and nectar. I agree it's bl@@dy annoying that garden centres don't focus on this more.

The updated version of FN Howe's classic 'Plants For Bees' Publisher: International Bee Research Association ISBN: 9780860982715 by William Kirk and F N Howes.

 

[enrico]

retired from police in 2012, last 30 years as a Dog Handler, loved being outside, loved the dogs.
Hence why, I'm still working with dogs, providing specialist search to some nice clients.
But Covid has put paid to a lot of my work for the forseeable, so I'm looking to fill my time with something outside, interesting, complicated and rewarding, and it looks like bees will fit all of them and more.

Again covid has made that difficult so at the minute I'm bee-less, but reading and studying all I can. Waiting to join the local assoc. and start in the spring. have just a bee suit I've had for ages at the minute, and wish list of the basics written for santa.

Appreciate everything is now just about done, and ready for winter, and people will always be wary of strangers at their hives, but if anyone local'ish needs any help in the next while, please ask me............. and If anyone local'ish again [ Ironbridge, Cressage area ] fancies taking on a newbee as a mentor next year, I bake an awesome cake, and make a nice cider .

Look up Alison's Bee Class on Facebook. If you do contact her say that Eric, her mentor, sent you!!!!! She is based at Telford

 

[Dutchman]

Trained as a gardener in the early seventies and also did beekeeping exams. Have kept bees all my life, now working as a minister of religion with a large allotment and 12 hives of bees as a hobby

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I found a great book called Plants for Bees by Kirk & Howe

Years ago during a stroll ashore at Poole I found the 1946 original - 'Plants and Beekeeping: an account of those plants, wild and cultivated, of value to the hive bee, and for honey production in the British Isles' in a bookshop that was having a closing down sale - cost me 50p if I remember.

 

[Nannysbees]

That's brilliant thank you I have quite a few of those but a lot I don't, I'll add a few of those to mine, I'm a 57 year old nanny always grateful for advice

 

[madasafish]

Can I ask how you propagate your Ceanothus, please? I have a beautiful large bush that is deafening to be near in June and repeat flowers, it is in bloom now, with lots of buds yet to open, and covered in my girls. I have tried to take cuttings but have never been successful. The picture was taken a few minutes ago but the girls were too nippy for me to get them in frame.

I take a new (green) branch in July/August about say 60cms long and tear off spurs of wood and leaves - about 6-10cms long . Note "tear" not cut - I usually have a sliver of bark with it. Remove most of leaves - only 2-3 remaining.

Dip torn end of spurs into rooting compound.

Pot with approx. 20cms deep wet compost, make a hole about 5cms deep in centre and insert end into it. Firm compost round it... Water lightly.
Keep in shade and avoid sunlight especially in July- August . Water it weekly or more often to prevent drying out.

When September comes, remove from shade unless very hot. Keep it damp.

Overwinter in cold frame.. NOT in greenhouse.. Ensure it gets rain or water regularly. Protect from frost but do not cover leaves.

Plant out in Spring.. after frosts have finished...

I find if I use any other method or timing, the shoots do not take.

Our main bush has flowered twice this year. It was £4 plant from Morrisons 6 years ago. It is now 1.8M tall and approx 2 meters wide on several trunks. The Beast from the East half killed it but we cut back all the dead wood that year and it just exploded into growth doubling in size in a year,

 

[madasafish]

What you describe is what we were led to believe would happen, and hoped it would, but sadly it never did. It wasn't a great course, sadly. Maybe I felt isolated, such things are often 2 way and yet we often like to 'blame' the others. I'm not great at socialising, I'm a bit of a loner and as such I found the local group to be a bit of tight knit clique; I went to a few meetings but felt such an outsider I never went again. Shame.

It can be difficult when new. We try to ensure new faces are welcomed at meetings and involved in discussions over tea with as many of our more sociable members as possible.. We also invite all newcomers to the Association training apiary where the atmosphere is very free and easy...and we try to make sure newcomers are involved in looking at the bees - pre Covid mainly though.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It might be a bit late for Ceanothus; I suspect that mid-summer, just after the new stems begin to ripen, would be the best. If you can find a non-flowering stem of this years growth and pull it off (ie. don't cut it) where it grows from a main stem. The cutting wants to be between 100-150mm long. Pull off any leaves that will be in the compost, make a very coarse mix by incorporating about 50% grit to the compost, place many cuttings in a smallish (ideally clay) pot all dibbed in around the circumference. The cuttings should be about one third in the compost. Take loads of cuttings and some should grow. Water the pots and put them in a cold-frame...basically an open box with a sheet of glass or plastic over the top. Place somewhere in semi-shade. If it was summer you would have roots withing a month. Any that make it through the winter will undoubtedly root by the spring. I did this with a salvia bush and now have many more than I need.

Could layer it, peg some down with a tent peg about an inch under the soil come spring you should have roots.
I take hardwood cuttings from shrubs any time from September through to late winter also when the weather is good.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw3eArsaI3jKo7-meACBCR10&cshid=1601920610297

 

[Swn58]

It might be a bit late for Ceanothus; I suspect that mid-summer, just after the new stems begin to ripen, would be the best. If you can find a non-flowering stem of this years growth and pull it off (ie. don't cut it) where it grows from a main stem. The cutting wants to be between 100-150mm long. Pull off any leaves that will be in the compost, make a very coarse mix by incorporating about 50% grit to the compost, place many cuttings in a smallish (ideally clay) pot all dibbed in around the circumference. The cuttings should be about one third in the compost. Take loads of cuttings and some should grow. Water the pots and put them in a cold-frame...basically an open box with a sheet of glass or plastic over the top. Place somewhere in semi-shade. If it was summer you would have roots withing a month. Any that make it through the winter will undoubtedly root by the spring. I did this with a salvia bush and now have many more than I need.

And don't forget one very weird thing. Honey acts as a natural 'rooting compound!' Before dibbing them in the pot, dip them in some honey?

 

[Swn58]

Retired HR Manager, drawn to bee-keeping. Hadn't realised certain practical skills would be an advantage and having never hit a nail with a hammer before, the Basic Assessment was somewhat of a trial. Who knew hitting nails could be so difficult. More nails have to be removed because they bend when I hit them or poke through where they shouldn't, than hit the target straight-away. The smoker wasn't easy either. So I envy you all that have / had jobs with practical applications.

Sorry if that was a bit rude to put a 'haha' face. It was not meant. I was in landscaping and building for 25 years, but can still miss-hit a nail or bruise my thumb! Maybe it was the 14 years as a Retired social-housing manager after that which made me 'lose my eye' in that department?

 

[amandaj57]

Thanks for all the advice on Ceanothus propagation. This one is the only one that flowers more than once for me. It always flowers twice and this year it is on its third attempt. Light flowering in March, heavy main bloom in June, and a medium one now. That is why I am so keen to propagate rather than buy more (I already have several but this one is special).

I think I will give the layering a go now anyway as it is in a raised bed and easy to get to the earth and try all the other suggestions next year to see if I can get some results. I am going to double fence as many of the field boundaries as I can and put shrubs in between to make a rough flowering hedge.

 

[E&MBees]

Thanks for all the advice on Ceanothus propagation. This one is the only one that flowers more than once for me. It always flowers twice and this year it is on its third attempt. Light flowering in March, heavy main bloom in June, and a medium one now. That is why I am so keen to propagate rather than buy more (I already have several but this one is special).

I think I will give the layering a go now anyway as it is in a raised bed and easy to get to the earth and try all the other suggestions next year to see if I can get some results. I am going to double fence as many of the field boundaries as I can and put shrubs in between to make a rough flowering hedge.

May I ask which variety it is?
Many thanks,
Emily