Beekeeping advice

[Sean Birt]

Hello all,
i am very new to all this and have a few questions can anybody enlighten me.
i am thinking of starting up 1 hive in my back garden, i was going to get/build the hive join my local beekeeping group to pick up some experience and then get some bees for this summer. or use this summer to collect all the bits and bobs that i will need, site the hive and join the local group, do the introduction to beekeeping course they run and then get some bees to start it up late summer. what do you think?

 

[oliver90owner]

I agree, it needs some thinking about.

One hive?
Back garden?
No experience at all?
Still thinking whether to or not?

There are a few carts and horses to consider before diving in blind at the deep end.

Some enlightenment at your local BKA and/or an introductory course would seem to be the better way to go. Flying blind is fraught with problems not so far down the line.

 

[fiftyjon]

Contact your local beekeeping association before buying or making your equipment.
They will advise and likely be running introduction days and practical courses, the theory courses are normally run over the winter months, so you may have missed those now.

 

[enrico]

Have a hands on with bees first either through a local bee keeper or through your local bka
They can be quite ....... Different...... Creatures to work with than most! If you don't like it nothing lost. Starting up can be quite expensive!
Good luck
E

 

[madasafish]

Sean Birt

Welcome..
Having started four years ago my advice is:

Join local Association.

Go on courses.
Visit local apiaries and get hands on experience.
Get a few stings. (You may not like them or be sensitive to bee venom)

Then if you decide you do like it , go for it.

Remember it can be quite time consuming and if you are not careful, it can also take over part of your life (!).

You also need to control your expenditure through a realistic budget as it is all too easy to spend £1,000s...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hello all,
join the local group, do the introduction to beekeeping course they run and then get some bees

I agree with this bit.

Hives in back gardens though.........sucks teeth.

Lots of people do but most of them run into some sort of problem in the end. You can bet your bottom dollar that if a neighbour get stung by a wasp it will be your bees' fault.

Have you any near neighbours? If you have then I wouldn't consider it.

Order a nuc for next spring. A whole colony in the late summer will be quite intimidating for a beginner. Start small and learn with the bees

Oh and good luck....it's a wonderful hobby

 

[beenovice]

Welcome to the forum.
I was in a similar position this time last year. I did a 6 day course 4 in the classroom and 2 at a hive over a six week period. This finished by May last year and I was left with the decision to jump in or wait till next year.

Rightly or wrongly I brought a hive, closely followed by a nucleus of bees. Last year was certainly a baptism of fire. I had numerous stings, bee attacks (don't mow by your hive), queen cells and a swarm. In removing a queen cell I had a queen hatch out in my hand. I also found out that I react quite badly to bee stings.

Having said all that, I managed to get 5 small jars of honey last year. My hive is picking up well after the winter (touch wood), and I am looking forward to this season. I have built two new hives, and have ordered a second nucleus.

I certainly haven't done this by the book, and it could have gone far smoother if I had been better prepared. However, whether you get bees this year or next, I think you will have to face some (if not all) of the issues above, and more.

I am not advocating one way or another. I am just stating that you could manage it this year. My only bit of advice would be to BUY your first hive, and not build it. Bee spaces are quite critical. Use your first one as a template for subsequent ones.

Good luck anyway. And remember the guys on here have years of experience, and have always helped me.

 

[Chris B]

Plenty of sound advice above.
I would only add, gardens can be made to work with a bit of extra effort, if that's what you really want to do. It might be worth having somebody take a look for you. What you can also do is set up an empty hive and see if your neighbours get attacked by your phantom bees. It will give you a good idea of likely objections BEFORE you get any bees.

 

[itma]

It depends on the garden! (And the neighbours...)

Get in touch with ALL the different local-ish associations you can discover. Go along to meetings and see which one seems most helpful. Join that one as a Friend/associate/no-bees member -- which will be astonishingly cheap.
Get to handle bees. (Associations should have a few loan/visitor beesuits)
Get stung.
Read a book or two or more. (Suggest the Haynes Beekeeping Manual as a starter)
Go on a beginners course (sadly often held during the winter).
Then you might be in a position to decide whether it is really for you before investing in lots of kit. And *what types* of kit you prefer.

You might be in a position to take on a midsummer swarm (usually free via the association) or a split/nuc/starter-colony, and build them up for the winter (don't expect a honey crop).


Two colonies is the self-sustainable minimum. And you need some spare kit - for two colonies, two spare (but minimal) hives.

There is a sticky thread on here with someone else's considered opinions on starting.
HERE it is => http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=14770

 

[Cazza]

I would only add, gardens can be made to work with a bit of extra effort, if that's what you really want to do. It might be worth having somebody take a look for you. What you can also do is set up an empty hive and see if your neighbours get attacked by your phantom bees. It will give you a good idea of likely objections BEFORE you get any bees.

I love the idea of the phantom bees.

We have often debated garden hives. . I have 2 acres of garden and so they are fine tucked away at top. I would not be happy keeping them if my plot was average garden sized. As Chris B says, with effort, it is possible. You would need to be very sure that you kept only good tempered bees and always have another site for emergency moves.
Cazza

 

[Sean Birt]

thanks for all that.
it is not an average size back garden its 90ft to the back of the house by 50ft wide, should be big enough to tuck them in down the bottom. i do have nieghbours but only a few, i think there is only 8 on our stretch of road and most are spread out. i do have one either side but they should be fine with them, i have spoken to 1 of them and they were like yeah get them (they wants some free honey)
i was going to go with a national hive (yes i will have a spare one & kit) though i was going to modify the outside of the hive to resemble a WBC with some cladding this is not going to affect the bees in anyway i hope?
i think what i am going to do is join a local group this year goto the meetings (beeless), collect me hive & kit over the summer and then get up & running for the following year, when i can get me some bees and get going (yes well mannered ones if possible).
i will properly buy my first hive yes, its easier?
anyone know of any decent bee groups in the Kings Lynn, norfolk area?

thanks again

 

[Roola]

I agree, it needs some thinking about.

One hive?
Back garden?
No experience at all?
Still thinking whether to or not?

There are a few carts and horses to consider before diving in blind at the deep end.

Some enlightenment at your local BKA and/or an introductory course would seem to be the better way to go. Flying blind is fraught with problems not so far down the line.

There is the romanticism of having a hive in the garden but you have to consider neighbours, ensuring you keep placid bees, making sure you know what to do in a swarming situation etc... depends on the size of your back garden I guess, if you are surrounded closely by other gardens then i'd say not a good idea... bees can get on happily and noone would know you were there but it only takes a bad inspection, angry following bees and anyone out in their gardens enjoying the sun could find themselves stung, not worth falling out with neighbours over. I agree, join your local BKA, do the course and meet others, you may be able to get a spot for your bees in their apiary to begin before you find possible out apiaries.

 

[Mr C]

Sean Birt

Welcome..
Having started four years ago my advice is:

Join local Association.

Go on courses.
Visit local apiaries and get hands on experience.
Get a few stings. (You may not like them or be sensitive to bee venom)

Then if you decide you do like it , go for it.

Remember it can be quite time consuming and if you are not careful, it can also take over part of your life (!).

You also need to control your expenditure through a realistic budget as it is all too easy to spend £1,000s...

And Your wife will become a bee widow I agree with the above two.

 

[jd101k2000]

'Take over part of your life'... more likely 'all' should be substituted for 'part'.

I have garden hives - similar length to yours, but half the width (fields at bottom of garden).

Talking to neighbours is useful - found out that the father of one of my neighbours used to keep bees, so he was very happy to have the buzzies back.

Ensured that all neighbours got a jar of honey!

Also ensured that there were 6' high obstacles between hives and all neighbours (to ensure that bees reached a good, high cruising altitude before crossing the neighbours' land, rather than flying into the ears of neighbours).

You stand a good chance (approx 100%) of being accused of being the cause of all stings, whether gnat, wasp, bumblebee, bed bug, tax man or cat flea. Siting of hive filled with phantom bees does seem like a good way of rooting this out.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

'Take over part of your life'... more likely 'all' should be substituted for 'part'.

I have garden hives - similar length to yours, but half the width (fields at bottom of garden).

Talking to neighbours is useful - found out that the father of one of my neighbours used to keep bees, so he was very happy to have the buzzies back.

Ensured that all neighbours got a jar of honey!

Also ensured that there were 6' high obstacles between hives and all neighbours (to ensure that bees reached a good, high cruising altitude before crossing the neighbours' land, rather than flying into the ears of neighbours).

You stand a good chance (approx 100%) of being accused of being the cause of all stings, whether gnat, wasp, bumblebee, bed bug, tax man or cat flea. Siting of hive filled with phantom bees does seem like a good way of rooting this out.

You never know, setting up an empty hive to soften up neighbours could result in a swarm moving in

 

[jd101k2000]

Do bees have a sense of irony?

 

[Pete D]

Hi Sean, you should try West Norfolk & Kings Lynn Beekeepers Association, www.wnklba.co.uk
You will see many events on the event page that you can come along too, beekeeping courses and taster sessions.
You have missed the start of the beginners course, week 2 was tonight, they do 4 Thursday nights in March and 4 sat or sun afternoons through April.
Plenty of info and contact details on there.
They also hold a car boot sale 1st Sunday in May where there will be equipment and bees available.
I often drive past yours on the bumps, lots of trees and plenty of forage locally, should do well there.

 

[Sean Birt]

Thanks for that everyone. Very informative.
I hope they do get irony, hehe.
Hi Pete, cheers. I have been in contact with the people at wnklba, and am going to miss most of the intro course, but i have emailed the man in charge at the blackborough end apiary to see about going to the upcoming events.
Thanks we have just moved out here from the middle of town.
I have always wanted bees since i was a lad, helping sometimes when i went to get honey from the chap with his own few hives. So rewarding

 

[Pete D]

I have sent you a PM, top right of your page.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Thanks for that everyone. Very informative.
I hope they do get irony, hehe.
Hi Pete, cheers. I have been in contact with the people at wnklba, and am going to miss most of the intro course, but i have emailed the man in charge at the blackborough end apiary to see about going to the upcoming events.
Thanks we have just moved out here from the middle of town.
I have always wanted bees since i was a lad, helping sometimes when i went to get honey from the chap with his own few hives. So rewarding

Two thoughts to keep in your mind -
Bees don't read books!
The plans of mice and men oft' gang agley! (apologies to Rabbie Burns)

It's very relaxing on a warm day to sit near your hives but out of the flight path to watch the air traffic and listen to the aircraft noise. I can waste hours doing that.