Bees in allotments

[busybee53]

Poggle, I've just seen your Shaolin roof. Its fantastic and not likely to get nicked either. Have you seen the Shaolin warriors martial arts show? It has to be seen to be believed. When we went the audience were talking very loudly while waiting for the show to start. One monk came out with a huge iron bar and bashed himself over the head with it. The noise it made was very loud. All the audience shut up and paid attention then. And the show got better and better after that. Not violent, just unbelieveable skill and training. See them if you can.

 

[Tom Bick]

Busybee53 if its recycled materials you are after then the mesh is the same mesh you see at building sites or on scaffolding and if slightly damaged often thrown away. So if you keep an eye out are ask at the gate of a building site you never know.

 

[drstitson]

rab - have to agree with tom.

the photo shows "endless" 4m ratchet straps. Hence the length of free end below the hive. No hook. Just like a seriously heavy duty version of the things MB provide for poly hives.

 

[sss]

I like your hive stands, what have they been converted from?

 

[Poggle]

Poggle, I've just seen your Shaolin roof. Its fantastic and not likely to get nicked either. Have you seen the Shaolin warriors martial arts show? It has to be seen to be believed. When we went the audience were talking very loudly while waiting for the show to start. One monk came out with a huge iron bar and bashed himself over the head with it. The noise it made was very loud. All the audience shut up and paid attention then. And the show got better and better after that. Not violent, just unbelieveable skill and training. See them if you can.

No, I haven't yet. The one I REALLY want to see is the "Chinese State WU SHU" show. Unfortunatly I keep missing it when it comes to the UK. On a dafter note, I did "dabble" with Southern Style White Crane Kung Fu for a while a few years ago as an exercise form. Twas good it twas And on an even DAFETR note, I really must sent the pic to Fra*** PLA*** where I got the kit from and let them see the roof. I am sure the boss would love it

 

[DulwichGnome]

I have used this type of thing on a couple of sites. The one in the garden has an open back and uses doubled up fruit netting, the other an allotment site uses scaffolding netting.

 

[jimthebee]

keeping bees on allotments, wow i could tell you all about the hassle i had with certain elements on my allotment but with a wedding to go to tomorrow i don't have the time or battery on my Mac book, thankfully with a little education and assurances i have been able to keep 2 hives on my allotment without any hassle.

 

[bellabee]

mocko, what happens when you smoke up, do the bees just stick to the net or are they able to fly about and around... generally not giving you a face full of bees.

jimthebee, would love to hear some time

 

[Andy Duff]

Check my photos. our bees are right next to the main path, we have a 6 foot high fine screen behind the hives. The best bees to use are Carniolian, very laid back but do not use smoke on them unless absolutely necessary as they then tend to land on the nearest thing (me or my assistant).I have noticed with our bees that most take off heading towards a large conifer at the south end of our allotment site, rather than heading out to the east and north east where their main food sources are. I think they use the tree as a reference. This is a good think as the bees make their "deposits" on the allotments rather than on the washing lines and cars of the houses which surround our site. We get lots of interest in our bes from visitors to our site and these people having seen me and an assistant working on the hives without being bothered by the bees, have a habit of standing in front of the hives to watch the bees come and go. You will need to put up a sign DO NOT STAND IN FRONT OF THE HIVE ENTRANCES. You will find you will get a couple of know it alls who even though you tell them to stand back will stand just behind you offering advice on how to box up a swarm that you are working on. The 2 know it alls are the only 2 people to be stung, DUH. We inherited a hive and colony from the former committee who were deposed of at an EGM, we worked out that our association could not afford to keep the bees, so half a dozen of the plots chipped in with 35 quid each, found a brand new hive complete for 120 quid and an assortment of fire wood hives that we have reconditioned and built the bits we needed (see my pics). We will have 6 or more hives next year.Best advice I can offer-

I used to be rich, now I keep bees. I used to have the best allotment, now I keep bees.

 

[mocko]

Bellabee, They are fine when I smoke up...a few hang onto the netting but most go up in the air. Never had a problem with them in my face. The area I've built is surprisingly large so its not crammed for me or the bees.

Andy