Giving up bee keeping!

[Erichalfbee]

I will miss keeping bees and I know the more time passes the more I will miss it. The thought of next spring and summer being beautiful and having no bees is already making me sad.

You need one of these then.......well out of the way of people and no maintenance

 

[Swn58]

DON'T GIVE UP! This is what I did........

I wanted to expand my bee-interests, but live in the middle of Birmingham. I had hives on an allotment, but could not keep more than half a dozen there in reality.
So I looked at a map of the area that I wanted to keep bees in. I marked out six farms, that to me looked ideal for them; security, forage, access etc..
I googled the farms to find out who owned them. I then wrote letters that were 'chatty' and a bit 'off the wall, but informative at the same time. I also sent stamped addressed envelopes as well. I wanted the letters to attract a certain type of person, much like me!
No one that knew about what I was doing thought my approach would work.
A week later I received two letters back. One said that they already had bees on their farm, but gave me another contact that they thought may be interested. The other letter more or less said when do you want start!?
A meeting was arranged, where I met a wonderful person who was exactly who I was looking for as a 'landlord.'
I was directed to a small wood, which was ideal for an apiary and I could lose a hundred hives in! It was accessible, but relatively secret, in the middle of open arable land. I obviously jumped at the chance!
I also have another allotment on another site, to further expand my beekeeping areas. Maybe contacting the local allotment associations where you are would work?

 

[Ambodach]

I think like all of us, our hearts go out to Bobba and his quandary - somewhat self generated though it may be.

I'm pushing 80 - kept bees since my late teens, and certainly still doing so. Bobba's problem set me on the life memory path as we brought up 3 kids here with the bees 30m away at the bottom of the garden. I get slagged now for sending them off to pick the blackcurrants - akin to small boys up chimneys as they were small enough to get under the bushes - and none of them, or me, remember any bother with the bees.

My problem now is that having brought them all up in an 18th C cottage that needed renovating, I'm now having to do the same for them, so that to a certain extent was my addiction, and the bees, garden, etc., etc., had to be fitted in around the building work.

 

[The Poot]

I think like all of us, our hearts go out to Bobba and his quandary - somewhat self generated though it may be.

I'm pushing 80 - kept bees since my late teens, and certainly still doing so. Bobba's problem set me on the life memory path as we brought up 3 kids here with the bees 30m away at the bottom of the garden. I get slagged now for sending them off to pick the blackcurrants - akin to small boys up chimneys as they were small enough to get under the bushes - and none of them, or me, remember any bother with the bees.

My problem now is that having brought them all up in an 18th C cottage that needed renovating, I'm now having to do the same for them, so that to a certain extent was my addiction, and the bees, garden, etc., etc., had to be fitted in around the building work.

Crikey! At nearly 80 it should be you that needs renovation!
I tip my hat to you sir.

 

[pargyle]

Crikey! At nearly 80 it should be you that needs renovation!
I tip my hat to you sir.

There's a few Octagenarians on here still keeping bees and doing things that some 50 year olds would baulk at ... is it the bees that keep us going ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There's a few Octagenarians on here still keeping bees and doing things that some 50 year olds would baulk at ... is it the bees that keep us going ?

I know of at least two my father's age (82) who are still full time farmers, OK Peter is a lightweight now only running 20 acres and has scaled down his racehorse training, but the other is running over 100 acres single handedly!

 

[steve1958]

Waiting for your children to grow up and leave home isn't the answer. Reason being that as soon as they are old enough to have children of their own, and you have grandchildren visiting, your wife will be even more insistent that the garden remains bee free.
(Learned from personal experience).

My advice would be to join the local association.
Most have association apiaries, ours has three, all available for members.
Also reduce your colonies to just 1 or 2 until your situation changes.
Then just use some of the ideas people have suggested
You may find your local association will help you find a site.

 

[Amari]

There's a few Octagenarians on here still keeping bees and doing things that some 50 year olds would baulk at ... is it the bees that keep us going ?

Sadly, there are a few things that most folk in heir 80s can no longer do, but most 50s are still capable....... - but beekeeping makes up for it.....

 

[Sanntos]

So hopfuly that will just leave 2.

Small five frame colonies, nucs, could be a alternative. Looks good in any garden, easy to handle.

 

[bobba]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

My thought process is as follows, if I have to travel say 40m-1h round trip. Then its not worth it for 1 or 2 hives. So I may had well get 12 if I have to travel. But 12 is too much time gone. So its all or nothing for me.

Regarding farm land, there is basically one big estate that owns most the open land on my side of the city. And they already have bees.

I thought I would find a place in one of the big house in the posh area too, but 3 of them told me they had a bad experience with another bee keeper. So I think another guy tabbed out all the amenable house owners and somehow screwed things up. (I am kicking myself for not asking what he did). A lot of the big houses have had another house built in their gardens too. So there were not nearly as many suitable houses as there used to be.

As I have said before, if I was willing to travel a bit further I would have many more options.

But the miss is right about the garden. And the little ones wont be little for long. I cannot blieve my oldest is already 5 and at school. I only had one when I started keeping, but also have a 2yo now! So its boys before bees for the next few years methinks.

But dont worry, I am not giving up forever. I will be selling some kit, but keeping enough to get up and running again when the time comes. I have enjoyed bee keeping far too much to stop forever.

Someone has agreed to take two colonies from me next week. So I will list the remaining ones after they are gone.

Thanks again

 

[E&MBees]

I’m sure you have already thought of this, but would helping out another local beekeeper be possible? Keep your eye in and confidence up. Perhaps lending a hand during the busy times in return for the odd jar of honey.

 

[oliver90owner]

Just as a word of caution - bees and horses do not always get on well together. Usually the horses are the losers.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Goodluck bobba I look forward to you still posting?? like you I have young guys and I had a head ache for three seasons with bees in the garden worrying about them getting stung not been able to use the garden properly so I know how you feel .
I'll miss Reading your posts you've been on here since spring 2019 that's an age on a forum, whatever you deside good luck and hopefully you can keep your eye in some how.

Mark

 

[echidna]

Bobba - I'm rather irregular here but I do remember finding your posts with varroa counts really helpful when I was struggling with that issue. I hope things work out well for you, whether that turns out to be finding another site or coming back to bees in a few years when it fits in better with family life.
All the best,
Echidna

 

[Curly green finger's]

Bobba - I'm rather irregular here but I do remember finding your posts with varroa counts really helpful when I was struggling with that issue. I hope things work out well for you, whether that turns out to be finding another site or coming back to bees in a few years when it fits in better with family life.
All the best,
Echidna

I can remember that also, vaping if I recall.

 

[Pembroke]

You may find this website useful if you want to keep solitary bees: https://www.masonbees.co.uk/

 

[RichardBeeW]

Very sorry to hear you're in this predicament, Bobba. It's totally understandable but none the less very sad. I began beekeeping way back in about 1982 on our smallholding outside Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire under the tutelage of Ceri Davies - seasonal bee inspector (he was disappointed I went for Buckfasts then - my receipt was actually signed by Brother Adam in those days!) and I had five Langstroth hives but fell seriously and suddenly ill some five years later and had to give up beekeeping. - and everything else.
I missed it like crazy for the following 34 years but for all that time I could barely walk even to the end of the small garden we then had (maybe a dozen times a year) so it was unavoidable. Two years ago, at age 66, we moved to mid-Wales and my wife and I have begun again. We love it EVEN MORE now than we ever did before (with twelve colonies) so time does not dim the pleasure at all and hopefully you won't be 34 years without bees.
I feel for you but it will always be there, as delightful as ever it was, just waiting for the time when you can wield a hive tool again.
Wishing you, and your family, the very best in the meantime.
Richard

 

[bobba]

Bobba - I'm rather irregular here but I do remember finding your posts with varroa counts really helpful when I was struggling with that issue. I hope things work out well for you, whether that turns out to be finding another site or coming back to bees in a few years when it fits in better with family life.
All the best,
Echidna

Thanks, I am glad you learnt something from my varroa counts too. I learnt a lot from those posts too.

 

[Popsworth]

I'm in Norwich Norfolk and if your bees would like to have a honest comfortable view of the river in Wroxham there's a suitable place for them , please let me know if this is of interest,

 

[Gingerbread]

Surely you can get some from Roy's.

I'm in Norwich Norfolk and if your bees would like to have a honest comfortable view of the river in Wroxham there's a suitable place for them , please let me know if this is of interest,

Does Roy's sell bees yet? Sells everything else.
Used to love going that way, and spending too much at Wroxham barns.